Kotka, Finland – Langinkoski Lodge was once the imperial fishing lodge of Tsar Alexander III. Very modest, by tsarist standards, but I’d take it.
Hanko Front Museum
Hanko, Finland – We stopped at the Hanko Front Museum for a history lesson. The Hanko peninsula was the focus of the Continuation War between USSR and Finland in 1941-44. The museum is an excellent introduction to the conflict. Would-be…
Riding the Lev Tolstoy
Helsinki, Finland – And… we’re in Finland! We journeyed from Moscow to Helsinki riding the Lev Tolstoy, a repeat of the overnight train journey we did three years ago. Our compartment was cozy. The twins stayed up late reading. They…
Kids’ Books About Russia
Moscow, Russia — Reading enhances travel, that’s no secret. Personally, I love to read novels that are set in the place I am traveling. Russia is good for that, as the national literature is among the world’s richest. And yet,…
Moscow Kremlin & Armory
Moscow, Russia – Daddio has been waiting a long time to take the twins to the Armory in the Moscow Kremlin. Seven years, to be exact. So here we finally are, on a fabulous sunny day in June, introducing the…
Lenin’s Mausoleum
Moscow, Russia – So we know the twins are into mummies, but they have never seen a real one. Until now. On this day in history, the twins saw the real and true mummified remains of the founder of the Soviet…
Moscow Madness
Moscow, Russia – Back in the day, the Soviet state awarded the title of “Mother-Hero” to any mum with 10 children or more. My criteria may not be as difficult, but I think Daddio deserves the title of “Father-Hero”. After being…
Ultimate Travel
Somerville, Mass – For those of you who like to make lists and check them twice, here’s a handy reference: Lonely Planet’s list of the 500 best places to see. In the world. And they are ranked. When you get this…
Update on Moscow
Moscow, Russia – Two more new (old) articles, updated to coincide with the recent release of the Lonely Planet Moscow City Guide. Here’s what I have to say about… Contemporary Creative Moscow While icons and onion domes still have their…
Red Square
Moscow, Russia – We have Moscow on the brain, apparently. To go along with the release of the new Moscow City Guide, there has also been a flurry of activity on lonelyplanet.com–mostly updating articles (oldies but goodies) from years past.…