Travel Russia Today

It is outside the capital city of Yerevan, that Armenia truly beckons the traveler. There are monasteries; LOTS of monasteries and after three days you will hope to never see another monastery for a very, very long time.

Each is unique and beautiful and each has a story to tell. Some of the monasteries sell locally produced honey, which is absolutely delicious. The big decision is whether you take the risk of having it leak into your suitcase so that Aunt Mary can have a taste or simply eating it all during your stay. I ate it all!

A couple of hours north is Noravank – one of the most peaceful and stunningly located monasteries I have ever seen. If you are lucky, the local priest might be on site and if you are even luckier he might sing for you. His voice fills the small church and resonates from the smoke-blackened walls – this is the stuff goosebumps are made of!

Other sites not to be missed around Yerevan are the Gerhard Cave Monastery and the Temple of Garni. We were given a private concert by a quintet (more goosebumps) and the history accorded to these sites is truly fascinating.

Armenia shares its northern border with the Republic of Georgia making for an ideal opportunity to pair these two countries in the same trip.

“East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”
- Rudyard Kipling

Was Kipling thinking about the Ukraine when he wrote this? Even the name of the country, Ukraine, if translated means ‘Borderland’. High-end fashion, new, trendy restaurants, and countless museums and cultural attractions have made Kiev the most sought after city of the Ukraine. I agree this is a wonderful city where one will find all the eases and comforts of the western world but when I travel I want to go deeper, go different, don’t you? If you are like me and want a real treat, visit Lviv.

Located just 6 hours from Kiev, you will find a charming city full of character, atmosphere, and above all great coffee. Be sure to take a break from the touring and take a seat in one of those small family style coffeehouses scattered in the historical center and enjoy a cup of Lviv coffee. The Lviv Coffee Factory opened in 1971 and has since been pouring the “good stuff” to all those that visit.

During my visits to Lviv I always make time to enjoy my good ole' “Cup of Joe”- black, no cream! I also order one (only to start, of course) of the tarts that are always staring at me with their enticing eyes and come hither smell. They always look so lonely on their shelf under the register so being the nice guy that I am, I always rescue 1 (alright you got me- 2). At times, I stop to think about my waistline but come on, indulging is so much more fun and adventurous!

After your mid-morning snack, go out and explore this beautiful city with a visit to Ploshcha Rynok (market square), the Dominican Roman Catholic Church and the Galician Seym (Parliament). After your discovery mission has ended, find a nice café and enjoy a leisurely and relaxed lunch. One tip of advice for your lunch – order the borscht! This may be your only chance in life to enjoy an authentic (and delicious) bowl of borscht and be sure to ask for extra sour cream.

Lviv will enchant you, go be enchanted...

I recently visited Moscow and had the opportunity to check out the city’s current hip and happening places. Where to see and be seen in Moscow is constantly changing and what was hot last month may be cold this month.

This month, I recommend trying the sushi at the uber trendy Nadalny Vostok (Not that Far East) Restaurant. Not that I don’t love Pelmeni and Borscht, but the sushi was fantastic and such a refreshing change from traditional Russian food. My colleague had steak and loved it, while another in our group ordered pasta. The menu is vast and a little expensive, but isn’t everything in Moscow?

After sushi, head over to the Ritz Carlton’s rooftop 0₂ Lounge for cocktails. While sipping your gin and tonic or Russian pivo (beer), you can enjoy panoramic views over Red Square and the Kremlin. I walked into the lounge and I thought I had stepped onto another planet. The spherical chairs lining the windows and the white leather couches create an “out of this world” ambience. Check it out under dining.

If you’re not into the five-star hotel lounge scene, go to Simachev Bar. This is designer Denis Simachev’s latest venture and you can walk to it from anywhere in the center of the city. I won’t ruin it by giving too many details, but let’s just say that the controversial décor and unique furnishings are a must-see. I had a very tasty berry mojito and was pleased to see that they have a full menu of light fare including salads and pizzas at very reasonable prices. The music was fun and the people were friendly and casual.

Last month I went to Tbilisi, Georgia, where I hadn’t been in a long time…and things have changed! Tbilisi is now a thriving capital city (not the sleepy town of 1990) conveniently located within driving distance of most of the top historic sites of the country. The past few years have brought several luxury, Western-managed hotels, so travelers have many options now- not inexpensive (expect to pay approx. $250 to $350 per night at the better hotels), but the comfort offered will be exactly what more demanding travelers expect. The Marriott Tbilisi (where I stayed) is a former grand dame hotel in the center of the city, recently restored to its former glory. The Marriott will be the place to stay until a raft of new, luxury hotels open in the next few years: Inter-Continental, Park Hyatt and Kempinski (in the former House of Communists!).

The historic sites are what make Georgia so fascinating. The monasteries to the north (dating to the 13th century) are stunning in their mountainous setting. Stalin’s birthplace (Gori) is unforgettable- my guide in the Stalin Museum was clearly still enamored with the fallen Soviet leader (even though most Georgians no longer admire Stalin). The town of Gori is seemingly frozen in time and you can easily feel that it is 1960 and the Soviet Union is entering its prime.

Shopping for antiques (I found a 150-year old Persian carpet for a steal) is unforgettable in Tbilisi. The Old Town hasn’t changed in at least 100 years and all visitors will want to take at least a full afternoon to stroll the streets (and shop).

For me, one of the great highlights of going to Georgia is the food: simply the best vegetables, fresh chicken, nut sauces and khachapuri (soft cheesy bread- a sort of cheese-filled pizza without the toppings- ) I have ever found (and I travel a lot!). Since Georgia dropped its visa requirement for many countries, including the US, now is the time to go.

The following is a paid review:

I would agree to sit in prison if there were a computer and the Internet (and that me fed and started up in a toilet). The Internet, if you yet have not understood, is more terrible than the Siberian ulcer, the bird's flu and AIDS. In the future, people will migrate to the Internet but not in cosmos. I don’t know how it will be; I hope somebody will think it out for me...

And where those times when I stood in a queue at cinema on "The Matrix"!

More ingeniously then the Internet to think up nothing. Judge: on the Internet you can get virtual sex with whom has got, to copy messages from one window to another, to fall in love, exchange gossips and to have 100 friends, and certainly to earn a PayPal.

For example, free-lance work is very interesting thing. Is like you are cool designer from Kolyma, but you have free-lance work in one famous design company in Moscow or Paris. And also you receive for the design so much, how many in Kolyma nobody and never would pay to you.

Or another variant - you whimper in the blog, that you can’t find work and as a result the employer himself find you.

There is the system ReviewMe. The system is engaged in reviews. Any company, may be Audi, decided to arrange PR-action on the Internet and has addressed for service to ReviewMe. And ReviewMe ask bloggers for some payment write about Audi in their blog. Now it is popular to be a blogger and get a blog. It is considered, that it is very favorable to advertise the company in blogs.

P.S. There is same system in Russia.

Ded Moroz is a Russian analog of Santa Claus. What will be if they change their locations? You can see it in a flash movie (1,9 Mb) by Russian studio Antimult.

Every man should do three things in his life: Build a house, get a child and plant a tree. But your life can became easier on one third with site Adoptree.com! This is a some kind of lifehack: you can plant a tree in one of the most beautiful places in the world, over the Internet. And, of course, you can visit your "pet" in any time.