Itinerary

In January, during the team's weekend orientation, our district co-chair, Caryn Smith, told us "Above all, be flexible".

We plan to be flexible, but even so, appreciate the careful thought has gone into planning our trip from our Russian hosts. Here is what is planned for us -

1. Ivanovo (May 3 to May 8)

After landing in Moscow we are traveling for about five hours we will head to Ivanovo, a city with about 325,000 people, which has been Russia's textile center for over two centuries, and some say where the first Communist cells were organized. We will have some professional visits, go to the Art Museum, the Local Lore Museum, and the Cotton Museum. Maybe we can pick up some cool hats. Last week it snowed there, but the weather forecast for tomorrow is 75 degrees. Maybe we'll have to be flexible with the overcoats too... Later we will attend a concert, a Rotary club meeting, and a tour of Plyos, with a possible trip on the Volga River.

2. Vladimir (May 8 to May 13) is an old city, with about 225,000 people, founded in either 990 or 1108, was the chief city of the Russian principalities before the Mongol invasion. We will celebrate Victory Day on May 9th, have a picnic and a sing-a-long (we are prepared to perform Don McLean's American Pie, or Happy Birthday to You, whichever our hosts prefer). We will see several old towns in the area, including Bogoliubovo, Pokrova, and Suzdal. In Vladimir we are scheduled to see the Chambers, the Golden Gate and the Crystal Museum. We will also have professional visits and attend Rotary meetings.

3. Moscow (May 13 to May 18) . Moscow is by far the largest city in Russia, with about ten million inhabitants, on a scale with New York City with a cost of living to match. I told the Russian GSE team I was bringing 3,000 rubles and they told me that was enough to get a Coke and a cheese sandwich in Moscow, or something like that.

We are getting tours of Red Square, the Kremlin, the Armory and attend an English speaking Rotary club meeting. We will visit the US Embassy and either the Duma or another Ministry. On Friday the 15th we will have a professional day, Sarah will visit the Anglican-American School, Jennifer will visit Moscow State University, Robin will visit the largest distributor of US pharmaceuticals in Russia, John will visit Rizhnoy Vokzal (North River Station) to see the operation of a local marina and marine equipment company, and Michael will visit the IT department of a local business. We will visit Izmolova Park, Arbat Street, Red Square for shopping. There will be a gala dinner party Saturday night the 16th. On Sunday the 17th we will be able to attend church services, take a tour of Moscow, and visit a performance at the Moscow Conservatory. We will end up going to the Pushkin Museum, then attending the RC Moskva (the first Rotary Club in the USSR) and leave Leningrad Station on the night train for Cherepovets.

4. Cherepovets (May 19 to May 24) is a city of about 300,000 people, with a lot of heavy industry including the large steel and natural resources company Severstal. We are going to be staying with local families, have a professional day, visit Rotary clubs and go fishing, probably on the Volga. Maybe we'll catch a steelhead : ). We will visit Suzdal, churches, museums and play some Russian games. We will have lunch made in a Russian pech, which thanks to the internet, one learns is a type of brick oven.

5. Saint Petersburg (May 25 to May 31) Our last stop will be in Russia's second city, with 4.6 million inhabitants, which was part of Sweden until Peter the Great decided Russia needed a western orientation, and what better way to achieve that than to move the capital to a western country? We will visit the Hermitage Museum, Kronstadt, where in 1921 the last major rebellion against the Bolsheviks took place (until Boris Yeltsin climbed up on that tank in 1991). We will see the Peterhof palace and gardens, professional visits, a trip up the River Neva, and attend on May 30 the annual Rotary District Conference.