On the 10th and 11th, we embarked on an excursion to the ancient cities on Vladimir and Suzdal'. Anyone who was along or checked the weather forecast could tell you that it was probably not the best weather to be walking around outside in for a long period of time. Thankfully even our guide in Suzdal' was aware of this and we were able to warm up frequently.
Many breathtaking images were captured in our memories, and some were saved on handheld devices as well (see below). Much of what we saw was of a religious nature, whether that be the beautiful church in Vladimir or the convent in Suzdal'. The stories that accompanied the sights took the cake though, especially with our wonderful guide in Suzdal'. She told the histories of all the sights we saw and the people who built them in a more compelling way than any history book I've ever encountered.
Perhaps the most special moment of the trip was at the very end of our visit to Vladimir. There was an outdoor concert of traditional music and dance happening in the open air and our class began to dance in a circle to the music along with a few Russians also in attendance. These Russians were so happy for our joining in that we received a very warm goodbye wave-dance as we boarded the bus to go on to Suzdal'. These are the connections that make a trip like this a lasting and cherished memory.
An image from Suzdal' of the Kremlin on top of the hill.
An image from Vladimir of the church we toured and part of the sign that read "I <3 Vladimir" in Russian.
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