FUN-travel: Goritsy & Kirillov – Day 7 – Uniworld River Cruise
July 11, 2014 by Susan Clarke
Day 9 – Wednesday, July 9 – Goritsy & Kirillov – blue skies w/high, wispy clouds – low 80’s – turns cold later – sunrise 0’dark:30 – sunset – after 11 pm
- 6:45 – typical morning wake up
- 8:30 – breakfast – fruit w/sandwich to go
- Turn in survey
- Suggest more food variety & flavor/spices
- 10:00 – arrive dock
- 10:30 – depart by bus to Kirillov
- Goritsy pop. only 600
- 10:45 – 1st stop – Belozerskiy Monastery
- one of biggest in north Russia Vologda region
- 10 churches & cathedrals inside walled fortress
- 11:45 – 2nd stop – wood working shop & restoration center
- Log houses are taken apart – rotten wood replaced & rebuilt
- Then taken apart again & moved to original location & rebuilt
- 12: 15 – 3rd stop – children’s art center
- See lace making & short performance
- 1:00 – 3rd stop – old house/museum
- Originally owned by town doctor
- Filled w/well preserved original furnishings over 100 yrs old
- Have tea & bread
- 1:15 – shopping – local market
- Stalls line both sides of walkway from ship
- Feels like 3rd world country
- $75 for knitted mink fur scarves
- 2:00 – set sail for Kizhi Island
- 2:30 – lunch – salad bar & soup
- Mid-cruise survey response clearly heard
- Have added highlights – corn & bean salad
- 4:00 – Photo op – Krochino church
- Flooded when Volga was enlarged
- Thunder & lightning in distance
- Huge drop in temp & wind kicks up
- Nap time
- Late afternoon rain
- 6:15 – Excursion overview for tomorrow
- 6:30 – Vodka tasting – 3 different types
- Cranberry, traditional white & spicy (amber color)
- 7:15 – dinner – Butterfish w/spinach & polenta – very good!
- 11:00 – tired & don’t take sleeping pill
What I DON’T LIKE
- Really stretching to find excursions!
- Internet is slow & keeps dropping
- Probably why it’s free
- There is no sunrise & sunset!
- It’s light all the time now!
FUN-fact – The Vologda region is as big as the state of Florida or England proper.
More FF – Russia spans 11 time zones, 2 continents and ends less than 50 miles from the U.S.