MAKING FRIENDS

Spending time learning about friends’ daily lives offers many treasurable moments!

UNDER THE SUN

I take Igor up on his bicycling offer. It’s a taxi ride to Vladimir where Igor lends me one of his bikes. We do a lovely ride along the river for 20 km up and back. We’re quite proud of our selves.

Back at Alexei’s home, the gardener shows up with a car full of plants. We spend the day working together placing plants and planting along the edges of the spacious yard. I add flowering plants I got from the local vendors.

CREATIVE LIVES

The next day, I ask the gardener for a ride to Andre Popov’s place: it’s ten miles away and an artists’ compound where Andre creates large installations. I think of him as the Cristo of Russia. Every summer, he invites 150 artists to his place to collaborate on some large project.

Last year, they each painted coffee table size benches which were displayed at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. This year they are starting on a river Jazz installation. They are designing platforms with events that will take place along the river near his compound.

This place is so creative and everyone is working on something so I ask for a project and it is to plant the planters by the entrance.

After everyone has lunch, I get a ride back to Suzdal with Jeni.

IN THE COMPANY OF WOMEN

Jeni is Andre’s partner and a creative and teacher. Jeni suggests we check in with her friends once in Suzdal. We arrive at Albiza’s house where Elena and Rhimma are visiting and just sitting down for lunch. They invite us to join them.

This is an amazing group of women: Elena is a documentary film maker who was formerly a chemist. She and her husband have a farm outside of Suzdal where they make cheese. Albiza is an architect. Rhimma has a travel company and organizes what is now the 4th Annual International Quilting Festival which is on Facebook.

I am so honored to be with them!

A MEMORABLE MEAL

For lunch, we enjoy Elena’s cheese with a jam make from baby pine cones and cheese filled dumplings and crepes.

After lunch, Jeni leaves and the women invite me to join them at Elena’s home for a meeting with more women about this year’s quilting festival. We pack up the food and bring it with us to Elena’s home across town.

THE BIG EGG

I’m fascinated by the mosaic egg in Elena’s yard! It turns out to be a precursor of more art to come.

In the living room is a display of many string instruments made from local found organic objects.

We unpack the food and Elena adds a dehydrated pure apple stack, local honey & cheese and a homemade brew made by her husband.

After their meeting, Elena treats us to a piano serenade.

The walk home is under an almost full moon and I feel the magic of this place and these amazing women.

AROUND TOWN

The next day, Elena invites me to meet the artist who made the stringed instruments on display in her home.

We stop at Vadim & Genia’s restaurant for a cheese tasting with their chef.

I also get to meet a local tour guide who created a walking map of all the churches in Suzdal.

ANCIENT MUSIC

We go to Tatiana’s home where she shows us more string instruments like these elk antlers. You can feel the vibration as she plays!

I also receive a ‘Treatment’ from Tatiana. I lay on the bed face down and she places a sting instrument made from a tree that is over 1,000 years old on my back and for over an hour she plays… With feeling the vibration and hearing the music, I’m transported back to some ancient time deep in the forest.

Just magical!

Being in the present moment…