Over the next week or so I will be posting about my visit to Russia. This trip far exceeded my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was like a reward for my more than one thousand hours of listening to and reading Russian. Being surrounded by real Russian people, and speaking Russian, was like a dream. Of course the grand cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow did not disappoint; the history, the atmosphere, the museums, the life! But most of all I come away with an impression of Russian people – earnest, sincere, friendly, generous and warm. I felt very much at home.And I had only scratched the surface.

Here is one of the first groups of Russians I met. They were celebrating the “day of the city” in St. Petersburg. I asked them where to buy the little flag they all had. They insisted on giving me one of theirs.

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