MurometsIt was a great day here in Russia so we decided to go to the park. I remember how pleased I was when I was dating Elena, she knew the English word "park." Alas the Russian word is exactly the same. (BTW, why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?) While called a park, I would describe it as a county fair—bumper swan boats, the octopus ride, and a ferris wheel. The ferris wheels in Russia go at a very slow speed, allowing one to see the whole city. We saw the statue of Murom’s legendary hero Muromets (Илья́ Му́ромец literally the Elijah of Murom). He was a knight-errant type, think Lancelot combined with Paul Bunyon. Murom is well known for its many churches as it was (and is) a religious center. My daughter Stacy had a great time on the Swan and the other rides.
We walked down to the river and Elena pointed out that the bridge that was there last trip was gone and replaced with a new bridge. Russia has a terrible infrastructure problem, but they seem to be making good progress to fix it. The "air" of disrepair in Russia seems to get a little bit better each year. I read that Putin's goal is for Russia to reach the level of Portugal in 30 years. He said this 10 years ago and it seems to me that the goal is achievable, especially as Portugal is going down faster than Russia is headed up!
We walked back to the center, and decided to eat at the restaurant Blini- "Pancake." It would be better to think crepe rather than pancake. Sour cream, fish, jam, or caviar are the topping choices. We ended up with lightly breaded fried chicken, potatoes with cheese—actually quite good.
After walking all day, we rode the bus home—walking and rapid transit…I am not an American anymore!