This was our third visit to Russia; the second where we were based in Moscow; but our first in the Summer time - and the weather was even hotter than usual, in the top 90's Fahrenheit and very humid too.

The transformation was astounding. The whole of Moscow had taken on a new lease of life in comparison with late Autumn - modern summer fashion abounded; cafe life had erupted; the parks and gardens were full of fountains, which many locals were taking full advantage of, and provided one paced oneself to cope with the heat, it was simply delightful.

Our purpose on this occasion was to explore more of the Golden Ring.Having previously visited Yaroslavl and Uglich during a river trip from St Petersburg, our plan this time, which you organised for us, was to get to see Sergiev Posad, Vladimir, Bogolyubovo and, probably the jewel in the crown, Suzdal.

Our smart and comfortable MPV arrived promptly at our Moscow location, together with excellent English speaking local guide, and we reached Sergiev Posad on schedule - a miracle, given the crush that is Moscow traffic ! We loved the peacefulness of the white painted Monastery, so superbly maintained - and a surprise was the quality of the gardens (a surprise to be repeated wherever we went, incidentally).

After a very good lunch, promptly and helfpully served in a local restaurant, we took the 2 1/2 hrs of so journey Vladimir, where we had chosen a town centre hotel ("At the Golden Gate"), which we were delighted with, since we were well positioned to explore the local shops (an excellent shopping Mall has recently opened), the cafe life in the town (we discovered a great local cocktail bar in the main street) as well as passing a most relaxing evening in the park, on the ridge close to the Cathedral of the Assumption, which gave a lovely view over the Klyazma river and the plains beyond. A particular delight was to observe the many local young people enjoying the peacefulness of the park.

The next day, firstly the visit to the Monastery at Bogolyubovo, and the stroll across the meadows to the church erected close to the Neri river, where in addition to the architecture and the history of the church, we discovered that this was the spot where local people came to sunbathe and swim from a sandy beach in a bend on the river.

Then back to Vladimir for a visit to the main sites there, including the famous Golden Gates, and the Church of the Assumption, and museum dedicted to showing the local skills of painted box making and glass production

The next day we checked out. We had received excellent treatment, including good food, in a hotel where evidently a lot of money is being spent on refurbishment, resulting in a very good bedroom and public area standard. No air conditioning, which in the extreme temperatures we encountered, was a bit of a problem, but one which would only occur very occasionally. Notwithstanding that, we would recommend this hotel unreservedly.

Then off to Suzdal, on a day which just happened, quite by chance, to be the one day of the year when they celebrate their Cucumber Festival. Cucumbers being the main crop in this rich agricultural area, this event was, in effect, their Harvest Festival, and it was a complete delight to experience a local Festival.

The local brass band played, there was a rock band, hundreds of stalls, selling - well pickled cucumber for a start - plus handicrafts, and with food stalls in abundance.

After a couple of hours at the Festival, we then followed the usual route for visitors to Suzdal (the Kremlin etc) and agreed with those who said that this small town was quite the most beautiful place on the Golden Ring.

After a final lunch in a superb new restaurant on the edge of town, we left for our return to Moscow late in the afternoon, and arrived back 'home' exactly on schedule again !

We had received excellent attention and service from everyone, and much enjoyed making friends with those who'd looked after us. All the arrangements worked perfectly, and we had a thoroughly good time, and would undoubtedly turn to you again, if and when we are arranging another tour in Russia.

Further to my note sent about 1/2 hr ago, it occurs to me that there is one more thing I should have added: which is that you might like to note why we selected you, and why we would unhesitatingly recommend your company to anyone else travelling independently to Russia.

We looked at 4 companies advertising Russian travel on the internet : one based in Russia, one in Australia (!!), one in the UK, and yourselves

As you may remember, we had a slight concern that being based in the US, it might be difficult to maintain sufficiently good communications, but after an email to you, we concluded that this was not a big risk.

Your quote was not the cheapest we received, but it was 'in the frame' and so the key reason we asked you to organise the trip was the speed and clarity of your communications to us.

* your response to our initial enquiry and all follow ups was within 48 hrs at most - the quickest of all those we contacted
* your itinerary was very clearly laid out - good quality images to support the words
* your ability to understand and interpret our particular requirements (for example, producing a 3 day plan and booking a different hotel in Vladimir) was first class
* And of course, the final 'proof of the pudding' - it all worked excellenty as planned !!

Thank you very much