THE FAMOUS ‘CITY OF FLOWERS’ ( VII of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
VII
THE FAMOUS ‘CITY OF FLOWERS’
In the late afternoon, we left Assisi and headed northwest into the highlands of Tuscany. Gorgeous sun-speckled country. Our destination was the old-fashioned spa of Montecatini Terme. (‘Terme’ means ‘Hot Springs’ in Italian). The Francia & Quirinale Hotel was on the tree-lined main thoroughfare of the village: a classic four-story stone building with wrought-iron balconies and an umbrella-topped patio in front. Like something straight out of Somerset Maugham… Read More…
Victory!
Monday, May 9th, 2011.
To many, this will be yet another Monday. Just another week of work, not at all different from any other Monday throughout the year. But in Moscow, this Monday is one of the most important dates in Russia.
Since 1945, Moscow has gathered together its military for a display of the might that ended WWII. The annual Victory Day parade is as much a part of Russian culture as matroishka dolls and borsch. In 1965 it was… Read More…
Royal Wedding
England wasn’t the only country to celebrate the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, honored this long-awaited union with a traditional symbol of Russian wedded bliss. It dates back centuries, back to when Russia had its own royal weddings, such as the union of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna pictured left.
The symbolic wedding tradition enacted by Medvedev was to hang a padlock above Moscow’s Marsh Square. The padlock was decorated with William… Read More…
Saint George
Every great European power holds a dignified religious symbol at their helm, a beacon by which all decisions are made. For Russia, that religious symbol is the mightiest saint of all, Saint George.
Placed in the early fourth century, Saint George was a Roman guard from Syria. The legend goes that a pagan country was terrorized by a dragon who demanded a sacrifice each day, lest the citizens never gain access to their watering hole. One day this sacrifice came to… Read More…
A Fragrant Season
Every country boasts a link to a certain enchanting plant. The Dutch have their tulips, America has the rose, and Russia has an equally stunning yet elusive and unknown flower, the Camomile.
Related to the daisy, the Camomile is a dainty white-and-yellow blossom with a prominent golden center that cones around the delicate ivory leaves. It is native to Russia and grows in abundance, having called this country home for centuries. It has been known to cure and treat a… Read More…
