Journal 58 - Russian Dacha!!!!

Journal 58

10-23-10

DACHA WITH MASHA!!!!!

Met up in the afternoon -- she was with her friend Dima (also a dancer)

We went grocery shopping first: MUSHROOM COOKIES!!!!

Traffic!!

Picked up friend, Sasha

More killer traffic… Stopped to get some snacks and then kept going. "Tsar hat" -- "It's not a hat, it's a crown!!!" "We're going to start a revolution!" "Hey!!!!"

Got to the Dacha -

I guess, stereotypically, and from the sight of the buildings around town, I was expecting the dacha to be old, run down, etc.

….. This compound was nice enough to be an honest to God house, not just a little country place!!!! Almost brand new -- where we stayed was only built in May. 2 buildings, plus a gazebo bit in between them, with a fire pit/stove (chimney and everything!), plus one, big, rectangular table.

1st House - living room, two bedrooms upstairs

2nd House - Kitchen, with Russian Oven, Banya and Shower room, Bathroom, Upstairs (open area -- they had a Russian billiards table there), bedroom.

Gazebo

**********

Got in, settled our things down -- got a fire going in the oven (to heat up the Banya) -- started cooking!

Making hard caramel for apples, for a salad idea Masha had

Seafood Salad

Potato salad

(Full of Russian Mayonnaise, which, I reiterate, is AWESOME. I won't eat mayo in the US -- it certainly doesn't taste like it does here!)

Shashlik!

Tons of Mushroom Cookie eating

Beautiful Table Spread by the time we were finished!

Dinner

Salsa - downstairs

Upstairs - Russian Billiards/Cha Cha/Rumba/Jive (Just for kicks. No puns intended.)

Played "Phase 10" - More eating! Cake!

Banya!!!!!

I'm in love. I want my house to have a Russian Banya.

Cleaned up, went and sat outside under blankets, had tea -- said we should have brought stuff for Smores, with all the fires we had going!

Bed around 3 AM.

Prayers -- out loud, beautiful -- just beautiful -- in Russian.

*****

Don't remember the last time I was so de-stressed. Not thinking about school, or any of my worries about dancing, nothing. Just had a really awesome day with really awesome people.