Jan:
That show was one of the last ones I saw before we left for BAT. It gave me a mission! (grin)


The Hermitage was truly amazing. We loved it & wished that we had more time there.
as far as Russia: our view took a different tack. All the people we interacted with were just fine. But as we drove through St Petersburg and watched the local folk going about their daily whatevers, we saw no happiness in the faces. We saw merely a resignation, an understanding that they had to do whatever it was at that time.
Drive through any city or town where you live and look at the people walking about. You will see angry faces and faces that tell you that that person has a mission. You will see sad faces of people dealing with unknown problems. You will see thoughtful faces of people lost in some deep thought. AND you will see smiles on faces of people who are thinking of something good.
We saw none of that when we drove through St Petersburg. Only dull expressions. Expressions of people who have given up.
It was - to me - very sad. Then I was told that many of the sites that we had visited were not available for visit by the local citizens, only tourists.

I will not draw any political conclusions. I am not qualified to do so. But it would appear that Russia still has a way to go for its people.

Doug