We went to Pavlovsk to pick mushrooms, film a video (for Summer Folks…when we step in for the “children,” we have to sort of…shadowcast ourselves or something. THAT will be weird…). Pavlovsk (no dogs, no bells) is a state park that looks like a forest. Trees EVERYWHERE!!!! But apparently, a REAL Russian forest would be almost impossible to walk through because there is a swamp every 2meters or so. It rained so there were plenty of puddles everywhere and it kept raining throughout the day but mixed in with the evergreen trees were these fantastic birch and maple trees. Soooooooooooo incredible to see this vast array of gold, brown and RED leaves and thin an occasional green Christmas tree thrown into the mix. And then the wind would pick up slightly and the colored leaves would start gently falling to the ground. Holy crap(!!!!!!) it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen! I tried to take some pictures of it but I’m not sure they really turned out.
The video is of ” the Americans” doing typical Russian things…so picking the mushrooms and having a picnic. We did have a video bomber. Her name is Sasha and she is 3. She’s the daughter of the woman who is organizing/directing the children/American’s scenes. Sasha is a SUPER mushroom picker and just pure entertainment. We had little idea what she was saying most of the time but she’s absolutely adorable so it really didn’t matter. Sasha has a 7y.o. brother, Sergei who was also out with us but he was more interested in having us watch him climb trees.
Once the video was shot, we went to Pavlov’s summer palace. No pictures inside w/o paying extra…why don’t I remember to take my small camera and tag onto a tour group????? A far as the royal palaces go, this was the least ostentatious of all the homes!!!! Not EVERYTHING was gilded and there seemed to be some real thought put into the aesthetics of the place. There were beautiful stone inlays in some of the fireplaces an sure, i think it was this palace that used up ALL of one of the stones but…karma payback may have been the bombing of the place during the war. It got pretty messed up.
Now we start teaching Dashniki. I’m up early this morning to go help hang lights. Mornings are strange here. It was pitch black out at 7a and then suddenly by 7:25 it’s totally light out…northern latitudes or something. …and it’s 46degrees out…high should be 50. Woooo! Yes, I’m freezing my butt off.
There are lots and lots of pictures from the other day I can’t upload them at the moment.
10-3-12 photos uploaded ~JF
JaimieF 