Summer is the perfect time of year to travel to Russia. In this issue of the newsletter, we will focus on events in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, two of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia.

The average temperature in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in the summer months is in the comfortable range of 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit, though short spells of much hotter weather, in the 80’s, are possible. In addition, Saint Petersburg’s northern location makes possible its famous “white nights” in June and July, when twilight is the darkest that it gets outside. The atmosphere in Saint Petersburg during the white nights is quite festive. Expect to see many people and hear music in the streets of the city, regardless of the time of night. Summer is also a time of numerous festivals, concerts, and special museum exhibitions.

Moscow-Summer
The traditional Russian folk holiday Troitsa will be celebrated throughout June in all the major parks of Moscow with various craft exhibitions and musical performances.

On June 4th, 5th, and 6th, a variety of concerts and performances will take place throughout Moscow in celebration of the 200th birthday of Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin is considered Russia’s greatest poet.

On June 12th and 13th, look for major public celebrations marking the declaration of independence of the Russian republic.

Don’t miss the Moscow International Beer Festival in July of 2010, which will take place in Luzhniki Park.

Moscow’s Darwin Museum will mark the International Ecology Day on August 5th with a variety of special lectures and exhibits.

The VVTS will host an exposition of folk art in September of 2010. Make sure to also visit the exhibit on the theme of “New Technologies in the Service of Mankind,” showing at the museum at the same time.

The Expo center at the Museum of Architecture will celebrate the International Architect’s Day on September 4th, 2010. Many of the world’s leading architects will be present for the festivities.

Moscow currently boasts over 37,000 hotel rooms available for visiting tourists. Although Russian currency fluctuates, the dollar prices have remained stable over the past couple of years. You will need to have your accommodations reserved and paid for in order to obtain a visa for your trip. Allow 6-8 weeks for the planning of your itinerary and the arrangement of proper documents.

While visiting Moscow this summer, keep in mind that the city has phased out the use of metro tokens in favor of magnetically stripped cards. A card good for 60 rides costs $5, while a monthly pass that will allow you unlimited bus and subway use is $11.

Those of you planning to visit both Saint Petersburg and Moscow this summer will enjoy the newly completed improvements to the train service between the two cities. The trip will be considerably faster as well as more comfortable.

Saint Petersburg-Summer 2010

Thrifty travelers will be glad to learn that the Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Saint Petersburg as the least expensive destination in Europe out of all the larger cities.

The International Jazz Festival “White Nights Swing” will take place in Saint Petersburg June10th-20th. The International Documentary Film Festival “Message to Man” will take place June 17th-24th. Also in June, look for the International Ballet Competition “Vaganova-Priz” and the City Festival of Street Theaters.

Traveling to the suburbs of Saint Petersburg, you will find several exciting events in the palace-park complex of Peterhof. The Festival of the Summer Season opening, which includes the ceremonial “Solemn Opening of Fountains” takes place May 29th-31st. The International Festival of Fireworks in Peterhof is in August and the Festival of the Fountains is on September 11th.

For more information on traveling to Russia this summer, we recommend the following two sources
Russian Life Magazine.
89 Main Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
Phone: (802) 223-4955

Moscow City Tourist Office
300 Lanidex Plaza
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: (973) 428-4709
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Are you possibly suffering from burnout? Perhaps you are stressed? If your answer is “yes” you need to consider taking a vacation, and one good choice is to holiday in Italy. Many experts agree that burnout has negative effects. It could lead to depression and inefficiency at work.

An increasing amount of people are suffering from burnout at work. You may be one of them. If so, it would be good for you to take a break from the daily grind. It may be time for you to refresh yourself with a holiday in Italy.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this. A holiday in Italy can work wonders for your health and it can benefit your work performance when you get back to the office. So if you can afford it, by all means book your flight to Italy and start packing your bags. Please don’t feel guilty about spending so much money on pampering yourself. You work hard and you deserve some pampering.

Relax In The Warmth Of Sicily

If rest and relaxation is high on your list, then you should select a place where you can just relax and bask in the sun. Looking for great seascapes? Try Sicily. Sicily is an island located at the southern tip of Italy. You can choose from a variety of options for reaching the island. You can reach this destination via air, land or water.

Sicily has two airports, namely the Palermo and the Catania airports Both cater to both domestic and international flights. If you plan to visit Sicily during your holiday in Italy, then you should travel by air to avoid too much stress. Traveling by land or by water could take much longer. Also, the transfer from one craft to another can be a less than pleasant experience. What you need most is lots of rest and relaxation. Remember?

The beautiful island of Sicily is separated from the mainland of Calabria so you can avoid the hustle and bustle of the busy city life. However, Sicily gets quite hot during the summer so if you are averse to hot weather, it would be best to visit Sicily during the spring and autumn.

Explore Artistic Tuscany

If ocean living or island life does not appeal to you, then you may want to consider visiting Tuscany during your holiday in Italy. Tuscany is located in the central part of Italy, It has one of the best landscapes in this part of the world, and has been the center for artistic activities in Italy for hundreds of years. So if you are an art enthusiast, “welcome home”. Get ready for a memorable experience exploring the many historical places in Tuscany.

It really does not matter which city, island or town you choose for your holiday in Italy. Regardless of destination or how short your visit might be, your holiday in Italy will refresh you and you will return with renewed to the office with zeal.

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One article dated May 28, 1881, gave an explanation of a lawsuit against Idaho Springs Mayor Thomas B. Bryan. “Mayor Bryan has laid the foundation of the large bath house, and is tunneling and sinking for the water that is to supply the bath.” This bathhouse was designed to service his Denver haunted houses.

This area of Idaho Springs is located on a hot springs, which had been run for years by a popular citizen of the town, and purportedly used by such luminaries as Frank and Jesse James, Walt Whitman, Horace Tabor, and Sarah Bernhardt. By claiming to mine for gold while actually tapping into the sulfur springs, Bryan was essentially stealing another man’s livelihood. There followed a lawsuit in which Bryan was the loser.

The present owner on this Colorado haunted house has not run across “her,” but a guest at dinner, a prominent and quite well-known painter, did see and hear a figure in the dining room one evening, who told him her name was Mary. Adjourning to the solarium for coffee, the guest saw her there as well. Other guests have felt cool breezes in the music room, with no open doors or windows. Mary is possibly the daughter of Bryan, but that remains an unverified fact, as she was always referred to as Miss Bryan during her life. Other occurrences in this Colorado haunted house include the sound of “Mary” crying, footsteps during the night, lights turning on and off, and objects being moved without explanation.

Although there is evidence of human habitation in this area for thousands of years, it was in the mid-1800s that the first Europeans came upon the desert ruins. The name “Hovenweep,” Paiute/Ute for “deserted valley,” was adapted by pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson in 1874, and quite accurately describes the desolation of these canyons and mesas wherein the ancient farmers cultivated and irrigated their crops. Though we know the natives in this Four Corners area as Anasazi, they are more accurately called Ancestral Puebloans, and the fascinating thing about them, besides their mysterious exodus, is the variation in the composition of their living areas. While the better known Mesa Verde tribe built into the cliffs, the Hovenweep people, also members of the Mesa Verde tribe, had a penchant for building towers and massive castle-like buildings with shapes that varied, including square rectangle, round, D-shaped and horseshoe. The remains of these structures are now Colorado haunted houses.

The Hovenweep area began with small, scattered units, pueblos built on the mesa around 1100, and evolved after 1200 into sophisticated masonry-walled pueblos, with large structures interspersed, often at the head of the canyons. Water was the life-blood of the Ancestral Puebloans, which, in this dry, arid climate, they diverted into the fields to grow food, using innovative farming methods like terrace farming and irrigation. Modern scientists examined tree rings from the logs used for construction in the area and found that from 1250 to 1300 there was a severe drought, which likely caused a large migration of the Puebloan people. Additionally, there now are no trees here, although logs were a corporate part of the construction. This indicates a depletion of a vital building material and fuel. Not everyone left however, as they are believed to be the ancestors of the modern tribes of the Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo.

It is widely believed that the Hovenweep Castle is an ancient haunted houses, cursed by the spirits of the Ancestral Puebloans who were forced to migrate during the drought of 1250 – 1300. Modern-day visitors have reported hearing Native American drumming in the distance. Others have reported smelling the odor of sage smoke, often used in Puebloan ceremonies. In a sense, the Hovenweep Castle is one of the most interesting and unusual Denver haunted houses.

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This Valentine’s Day, I decided to make a few postcard-type cards. I heard of using a thin foam sheet for the back of the card and wanted to try it. Also, I saw online somewhere the idea of using paint chips as part of a card. So I tried these ideas out. And this is what was produced.