Rostov the Great

We headed out of Moscow today, to the second city where we will spend some time - Yaroslavl, about 250km north. We actually had a police escort to get us out of the city because of the vast volume of traffic - 14 lanes of traffic in some stretches, all of them packed and crawling. Boy does Moscow have a traffic problem! It was a bit of a thrill though to see it all parting to let us through :)

It was great to get out into the countryside, and see what so many people have told us is "the real Russia". Amazing wooden Dr Zhivago-style houses, ornate but often lopsided, and fantastic forests stretching for miles.

We stopped off en-route at Rostov the Great, being greeted at its stunning cathedral and monastery by the breaking of bread dipped in salt, traditional singing, honey cakes and wine, plus an exquisite choral performance in one of the ancient chapels. It seems having so many delegates from so many countries across Europe arriving in the town is a huge deal - most don't make it out of Moscow or St Petersburg - so we seem to be getting special treatment wherever we go.

We arrived in Yaroslavl - and another official reception and dinner, plus more cultural highlights. The food is wonderful and the vodka just a bit too easy to swallow!!