Our adenture to Gzhel - to shop!

Waiting for the train from Moscow to Gzhel.

Linda, Arva's two daughters, Aliene, Arva, Arva's sister, Linda

Lunch at McDonalds in the "special birthday party room". There were 14 of us so the manager put us in this room.
Left side is Arva, her 3 daughters and her sister, Sisters Jones and Dayberry in front between Shrek, Linda, Don, Aliene, Linda, and Bethany in back, Chad and I are taking pictures.


We have arrived at the Gzhel store.

Look at all of the porcelin that is made right in this town of Gezhel! The factory is very close but we had already missed one train and taken a marshootka (and it was raining) so we didn't get to the factory.

Linda. Linda, me, Aliene, Sister Dayberry, Sister Jones and Bethany (in front) in front of a dacha in Gzhel.

produce (this looks good) being sold in front of a dacha

dacha

dacha

dacha

After shopping, we walked a mile or two and then through a little muddy trail, down through the trees to find the train.

Waiting for the train

Linda and I at the Gzhel train station. It has been raining all day...cute hair?

Culture Events

Performance hall at night - a large golden treble cleft rotates on top of the building

We were on our way to watch a Russian Dance Group
Inside the building, looking out at the city (one of the seven sisters is in the background)
Don, Jim, Marina, and Aliene

Russian dancers

Russian Dancers with an accordian

Russian dancers

Russian dancers - they look like they are floating around the stage as they move from one position to the next.

The print of this fabric is a popular design in Russia

EMBASSY EVENT

We were invited to go to a Jazz Concert and the Spaso House. The Spaso House has been the residence of American ambassadors in Moscow since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1933. It was a great evening. Cold appetizers were served before the concert. Waiters were walking around serving drinks (Coke, apple juice, wine, vodka,...) on trays, and two big tables were covered in all kinds of finger foods. Three men played instruments (drums, saxophone, and organ/keyboard) for the concert. It was held in a room that looked like the ball room from the "Sound Of Music." They really "felt" their music. After the concert we were served warm "appetizers" and delicious desserts.
my napkin

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
The missionaries in our district invited us to go to the play/musical. It was fantastic. The music, staging, costumes, and acting were wonderful. It was all in Russian, but very easy to follow the story.
Missionaries: Elder Bruev, Elder Breedlove, Sister Champenois, Sister Khmelinina, Sister Jones, Sister Abram, Elder Nikolaichev, Elder Baldakov

Jim, Elder Baldakov, Elder Nikolaichev, Elder Breedlove, Sister Abram, Elder Bruev, Sister Jones, Sister Champenois, Sister Khmelinina, Elder Lex, Elder Miller

Jack Holmles, Sister Coles, friend, Sister Trunova, Elder Rudd, Gulya, Elder Perfilyev

actors - Count of Monte Cristo

actors - Count of Monte Cristo

Jim and I at the Russian National Dance with our missionary district.
RUSSIAN NATIONAL DANCE

Elder Bruev, Me, Elder Trotter, Elder Baldakov, Sister Khmelinina, Sister Abram with an investigator, and Elder Jessee behind

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Entering the Kremlin on our way to see Sleeping Beauty.

It was a beautiful ballet and music by Tchaikovsky (performed by a live orchestra) was great!

This is the building where we saw the ballet.

Inside the auditorium waiting for the ballet.
Me, Bethany Packard, Linda Rees, Alene Overly, Linda Budd (back), Arva Burton (front), and Dotty Carpenter

This is the Prince and Sleeping Beauty with other dancers after the performance was over. We could not take pictures while they were dancing. I could not believe how graceful the moves were. Did you know that Cinderella and her Prince, Little Red Ridinghood and the Wolf, Puss and Boots and the White Cat, and a Blue Bird and a Princess, all came to the wedding of Sleeping Beauty and her Prince....they did in this ballet!

THE MASTER AND MARGARETE

Our District went to see a play called The Master and Margarete. It was in the Tanganka Theatre (the theatre was built where a prison had been located). Interesting. During the Soviet period nothing could be written about God. This play was both light and dark. The story is of a man who has written a book on Pontius Pilate and Jesus' trial. The manuscript was rejected the author burns his manuscript, but it shows up again because...manuscripts don't burn! Margarita is in search of her lover (the writer) who has collapsed because his manuscript was rejected. She calls on the help of the devil. "The play is funny and sometimes critical of the soviet society between 1920 and 1940 and the devil does not at all appear a bad chap". This play was written during that time. Jim enjoyed the play...I thought it was interesting.

Jim and I, Sisters Abram and Dayberry, the Overly's, Elders Trotter, Miller, Cardoza, and Arutunyan.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

This poster was on the metro and was advertising the play Beauty and the Beast. We went to see it and the scenery was magnificient and the singing supurb. We knewthe story (no surprise there) so the only thing hard to understand was the jokes that were in Russian. We went with the couples and Sister Missionaries. I found myself singing the songs in English while the actors were singing in Russian. Sister Samsanovich was singing too, fun for us but probably not fun for those around us. We will have to ask Jim, he was sitting between us!

Beauty and the Beast group.
Jim and I, Sisters Sampsanovich and Elistrativa, Burtons and Holmes

RUSSIAN DANCE AND SINGING PERFORMANCE

Russian dancers and singers.

Costumes and dances and music was wonderful. This event was the singing and dancing "concert". The costumes were really fun and colorful. They were peasant looking or traditional looking and the singers and dancers changed a few times during the show. They have a different way of singing. Most of the sounds for the language are formed in the back of the throat so the singing is very full sounding. We were sitting close to the front and could see the singers very well. I loved it! They danced and I took a video of the famous Russian dances when they are down close to the ground and kicking their feet out in front of them. They were accompanied by an accordian and also three different sizes of the "Balalaika". That is the triangle looking guitar. There was a small one , three medium size ones that were played all the time (their hands were strumming extreamly fast), and one really BIG one that was used like bass fidel except it was not being played vertical, it was horizontal. I loved the Balalaika. It sounded so Russian and just like Dr. Zhivago. I think all of Russia is a culture event for me. We (yes, even Jim) loved everything (the dancing, the singing, the costumes, and sitting on the third row) about this event.

Riga--activating our new visas

We had been in Russia almost 6 months and our visas were going to expire so it was time to leave the country (again) and activate our new visas. There were some passports that needed new visas put in them so we took them with us when we left Russia and went to Riga, Latvia. I had not heard a lot about that country so it was very fun to walk around and explore. It is a beautiful city on the Baltic Sea with a lot of history. We arrived early on Thursday morning and didn't leave to come home until Saturday afternoon so there was a lot of time to enjoy the city. We walked through Old Town, visited a museum, looked at buildings, ate ice cream and pastries, dined at the Blue Cow (delicious steaks) and Klondikes (a Mexican restaurant believe it or not), took a walking tour, shopped, strolled over a bridge, watched an American movie (Clash of the Titans) in ENGLISH accompanied by a LARGE bucket of popcorn, AND found 8 or 10 groups of men playing CHESS in the park! We had a great time!!

Riga Airport

A beautiful park by our hotel on our way to Old Town.

Lock Bridge

Newly married couples put their lock on the bridge and throw the key in the water.

Old Town Riga

Riga Cathedral

Old Town City Wall

Old Town City Wall

This building is call the Cat house. On the top of the roof there are two cats. When the owner put them on the roof, they were looking in towards the house with their back sides facing out towards other buildings. The owner of the 'cat house' was upset because he had been rejected from joining the Guild which was housed in the building on the other side of the street. The owner of the other building was very upset and told him to change the direction of the cats (so that the back side of the cat was not facing his building). He would not, so they went to court. The other man won, therefore he turned the cats around.

Another picture of both cats on the Cat House.

Information Center

Our dinner at the Blue Cow.

Dandilions and daisies in the lawns.

Lilacs and lawn flowes?

Riga Old Town street.

Window box in Old Town.

The Swedish Gate in Old Town.

Wooden Shutters

Bridge looking back on Old Town.

Passing the time with CHESS!!