Well, its my last night in Novgorod. Our second night the Fayetteville crew had dinner with our Professor and some russian gals at a real fancy Italian place, the likes of which I have never seen in America.
We then went to a local place called the Beer Harbor and watched the world cup. After everyone had 2 rounds they brought us the bill, even though the game was only half way over...apparently they do that to everyone.
the next afternoon we grabbed some beers at these little sidewalk stands and walked around the local kremlin, one side has a river with a little beach area.
some punk kid about 5 or 6 yrs old came up and started talking shit, then realized we were stupid americans and asked to to play him in chess, in excellent english.
I finally found a tobacco with rolling tobacco, and found a store selling music and books. Out front of it is a l;arge wooden statue of a Bear playing a cello with a giant grin on its face, i might be able to post some pictures when I get to St. Pete.

We hit up a Monestary and this outdoor museum where some prince or somewhat moved old tradional wooden houses and churches, in their entirety. Apparently the houses that had chimneys had to pay an extra chimney tax. the tiling and decorative work around the rims of the roofs and doors and windows was extremely detailed. apparently back in the day there was a mongel invasion and the mongels got all excited when they saw the glittering silvery tops of the cathedrals, then when they actuallt reached the town they stopped and turned around because they realized it was not silver but wood, which had turned grey in the sun.

Friday afternoon we get to visit a prison. Irena, a local girl who spent a year in FAyetteville, tells us these are the good prisoners, and that they are very artistic, big in cookiong and painting and such, the better behaved. That evening we board a train for Moskow (spelled Moskva, here) and ride down overnight, coming in around 5 in the morning. we spend all day roaming the city and around 12:30 that night take another train up to St. Pete, where we'll be for the next three weeks.

My professor assures me i should be abkle to find some fur hats there but they run around $200 or so. I found some pipes here that range from $20 to $50 so i may be a pipe smoker when i get home instead of a ciggerettes smoker. coffee averages about 40 cents a cup, most meals are massive, including an appetizer, for about 4-5 us dollars. they have beer in plastic bottles about liter and half big, sold 24 hrs a day. oddly, it is illegal to sale vodka after 11 in the evening, and they are very strict about no drinking while driving. the cars here are insane. New York traffic is safer. and they don't stop for people in crosswalks at all.

later.