It's also full of linden trees, which in early summer gives the entire town a subtle fragrance and which my mother discovered that she loved in this town (she would have been happy to stay here for the rest of the trip!). And then there are the chickens.
This is Suzdal and this is actually most of Suzdal. It's a place more for quiet reflection than sightseeing and in contrast to Moscow it's a very peaceful retreat. While it was perhaps a little too slow for my tastes, my mother seemed completely prepared to rip up the rest of the tickets and stay here until our visas forced us to leave. It was just the right size for her and full of the type of things she likes. She is a bit eccentric and enjoys taking pictures of things that most people would look over or be puzzled why it is worth a photo. On this trip, manhole covers and trash cans were on the "must shoot" list, but in a place like this it quickly became pictures of the Wood-lace architecture. It's extremely common throughout all of Russia and here in Suzdal there is a good collection of this style of architecture. Over the course of the trip, we'll see much much more of this, but this was the first place that either of us saw this.
Wild strawberries are common in Russia and even sold on the side of the street! |
How to get to Suzdal:
The basic trick to getting to Suzdal is figuring out how to get to Vladimir (below). You can use RZD.ru to find a train that will get you there (between 800-1000r), but another alternative is to go by bus. It's less than half the price, but it doesn't add too much time to the trip. Another excellent guide to getting there can be found on Godzilla Hostel's website, which also happens to be an excellent place to stay while visiting.
Next week we start on the true transsiberian leg of the trip when we leave Suzdal to catch the train in Vladimir which will take us some 1,500+ miles over 52 hours to Tomsk in Siberia.
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