In June 2007, 10 adventurous county residents took part in a tour of Russian river cities organized by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) of California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo. The 10 were transported on a riverboat, the Leo Tolstoi, on a spectacular voyage through the heart of Russia along its historic waterways. Starting in Moscow with tours of the Kremlin and Red Square, museums, and folklore shows, the tour continued to enchanting historical cities and towns including the "Golden Ring" cities of Uglich, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl. Notably in Uglich, the group was treated to a meal in the home of a local English teacher and her family (pictured). Meeting with this family was one of the highlights of the trip, though it should be noted that the cuisine on the boat was exquisite too. The boat chef, who accompanied the group to the home dinner in Uglich, turned out to be a Los Angelino, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger's chef at Schatzi's on Main in Venice, and opened a restaurant in Moscow with Chuck Norris 10 years ago.Our group from Ventura County bonded so well with this transplanted Angelino that he gifted us with his recipes after the trip.

Other stops were in Goritsy, home to a museum of icons, Mandrogui, a Disneyland of sorts with Russian shops, and Kizhi, an island boasting classical Russian wooden architecture. On-board there were frequent lectures on Russian culture, history and current events. There were also regular performances by a resident musical group. Unsurprisingly, we found that everyone we spoke with loved the current leadership and the direction in which the country is moving, and blamed any problems on previous administrations and communism. The Russians we met were very nationalistic, and bemoaned the fact that Russian governments, from the first Bolsheviks to Gorbachev, had let what they considered to be integral parts of Russia slip away - including the Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Belarus, and even Finland! Russian lecturers were eager to share with us the many invasions Russia has endured, from the Vikings, to the 12 th Century Mongols, to the Swedes, and the Germans in WWII.

The best was saved for last - three days in St. Petersburg, a world-class city. The 18 th and 19 th century palaces situated on the many canals were spectacular. Most are now museums, condos, offices or hotels. Our group stayed a fourth day at a fine hotel near the Hermitage museum. Our tours included the Hermitage museum, the Peterhof Palace (summer home of the Czars), a ballet performance, and a Cossack folk performance, and of course, considerable time for exploring on our own and for shopping. St. Petersburg is a vibrant, bustling city, with the traffic problems that accompany such a city.