Hotel Patio

looking toward the center of town, see the flag and the spire of the church?

Toilet Etiquette

In Russia.  And maybe elsewhere. . .We tend to view our world through an ethnocentric lens.  The toilet paper once used does not get flushed in the toilet, rather it is placed in a covered trashcan.  We noticed these covered trashcans next to the toilets first upon our arrival in Russia at the airport, then we saw them everywhere, malls, restaurants. . .It took us a while to figure out what they were for, this sign in the hotel bathroom confirmed our suspicions.  And no we have not adapted to this habit in our home, probably to the chagrin of the waste water plant operators. 

Walking around Lipetsk Russia

This monument is named _International_, its nickname is _The Beatles_

The view from the hotel parking lot, these homes down here had yards and gardens and at least one rooster who we could hear crowing in the morning!  

The hotel where we stayed on our visit to Lipetsk and where R always stays when he travels to Lipetsk.  Our room was the door under the white overhang near the center of the picture.  

Another thing I really admire about Russians is their commitment to public art, there are sculptures everywhere and while some are obviously from the Soviet era and ideology, many are new.  Even the fences are lovely.

The Hotel

Pull out couch

"Mudroom"

"mudroom" door to the far left, bedroom, and bathroom

Closet and Cupboards, open

and closed

We met A, R's colleague, on a rural road near Lev Tolstoy.  R and M joined him and D took the younger children and me on to Lipetsk.  Our first stop was the grocery where I picked up some breakfast and lunch things.  Then on to the hotel where D got us checked in and we unpacked and got settled.

Dankov Russia

The reason for stopping in Dankov was to visit this bakery which was closed because it was Sunday, we'd heard such good things about their confections. . . 

The pipe you can see carries natural gas for heating the homes.

I love the use of bright colors, especially greens and blues, in the Russian cities, towns, and villages.