filip007's VirtualTourist Home Page

I know, it is no longer USSR and the first time I visited Russia was during my birthday on a reconnaissance trip to Moscow with my wife. Just a week earlier I learned that my expatriation for the work would be here for the next 3 to 4 years...

And I would not have dreamed of having a view from my windows directly to the Kremlin...

And discovering all Russia during my business trips, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, going through Irkutsk or Rostov...

My wife became pregnant just before our planned trip to Canada, so it is still on our to do list and we adapt most of our trips to our two girls.

Travelling with children is actually a demanding exercice for logistics experts

First the choice of the destination - if there are no princesses, no snowwhites or others, forget it... Luckily, even a church can masquerade as a castle.

Duration of the visit - visiting a museum for more than 10 minutes is not a very good idea, unless you want to see some exposed items fall to the floor or explain all the time why they really cannot cross this line or go there...

Trip preparation - the domain mainly of my wife - drinks, snacks, dolls, ball, bicycle, whatever they ask... so car travelling is easiest in this regard...

Parks - number one destination. If there is no park to visit, the destination is a no go...

Timing of the visit - afternoon sleep is still very important, so either the destination is far enough so they can sleep when returning in the car or half a day trip in the morning is a must.

Eating out - a restaurant without children´s corner means eating in shifts and leaving after all guests have had a visit from our two angels...

So we are spending a lot of time in Normandy on the beaches, visiting "princess" estates and parks and from time to time managing a week further away alone.

And for our girls? The greatest memory from Sergiev Posad monastery are the stairs from which they could jump... from Abramtsevo estate the fallen leaves in which they could roll...

But this is what travelling is about - gathering new memories and experiences.

I have the chance of travelling a lot during my work, but nothing compares to living fully in a country for a long time...

So I had the chance to live in Prague for 15 years, then in Dijon for 5 years, in Paris for another 3 before returning to Prague for 8 more and finally to Moscow...

Where next? Who knows...