Can't Get Enough of Russia

Summer's here and that reminds me of my last summer: a homestay trip to Moscow and St Petersburg with my mother.

My first trip to Russia is a few years ago, and had a very simple reason: I moved my job from Japan to Slovakia, and thought using the Trans-Siberian would be a pretty neat way of getting there. It was the dream train journey that attracted me then, but then I fell in love with Russia, too.

One year ago this month, I took my mother on the trip of her lifetime: a homestay spanning Moscow and St Petersburg and seeing every famous Russian site we could in between. She'd long been fascinated with Russia and had even studied the Russian language, so she was the perfect traveling companion for me. When she visited my again this week, we reminisced about our wonderful trip on its one year anniversary.

And so, my mind's full of Russia this week. If you're planning a trip, or just want to enjoy some armchair travel in Russia, check out this week's review article, A Guide to Russia. Join our discussion, too, with either your favorite Russian experiences or your wishlist for a trip to Russia.