Now that Anna and I have returned and have unlimited e-mail access, I'd like to thank you for all the arrangements. All the pieces fell into place. The Aeroflot flight from JFK to Moscow was delayed, but we arrived in time to make our planned flight to St Petersburg. There, our driver met us and delivered us to the boat, M/S Russ. The coordinator, Tanya, did an excellent job of keeping the whole group informed and doing the tours, all of which were very good. The food on board ship was excellent -- the Russian preparations and flavors brought back family memories. In both St Petersburg and Moscow, Anna and I went off at least a half day on our own on the respective Metros. And, we ate lunch at two of Travel All Russia's recommendations: at Teplo in St Pete and Barashka in Moscow. The former was absolutely charming, a bit of an oasis in the city, and extremely reasonable. The latter also was very enjoyable, and we enjoyed some pretty-different food. We hardily concur with both recommendations.

At the end of the river cruise, we were picked up at the boat and delivered to the airport. At Volgograd, we were picked up, again as planned, by a driver who was with us our entire stay. The Hotel Oktabrskaya was on the shy side of "deluxe", being in much need of maintenance. However, it was clean and well-located. For meals, we ate only breakfasts at the hotel, given that we saw no one in the restaurant at dinner times -- not a good sign. Our guide, Anna Mitina, was excellent and very helpful. In and around Volgograd, we learned about the city's history, with a heavy emphasis on the tragic WWII Battle of Stalingrad; this part of the history seemed inescapable since it had such an impact. Anna had done a lot of "homework" prior to our arrival about Serafimovich and Don Cossacks; she also mentioned that she hadn't been there before and that her family was interested in going there, so her homework served both purposes. By Anna's arrangement, in Serafimovich, we visited the Serafimovich / Don Cossack museum; their people were very friendly and informative of Don Cossack history, culture and way of life.

We also visited the local convent, which is being rebuilt. Again, guide Anna had arranged. We were treated warmly. As for records, they essentially confirmed the above situation. Anyway, the entire excursion to Volgograd and Serafimovich went well -- exceeded our expectations, really. We learned a lot about the area and culture in which our father lived -- it was very wothwhile for us. We very much appreciate the unusual and special arrangements you made. Thank you.