Russia 2019 (34) ON BOARD - Speak-a-da-Russian

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Back aboard we continued on our way toward Saint Petersburg. Before dinner there was a Captain's cocktail party. All the ship's personnel who were not on duty lined up in uniform. As we entered the dining room doors, we each got a glass of bubbly, and toasted and made small talk with the crew down the reception line. After dinner there was music and dancing in the Sky Bar, getting more acquainted with our fellow cruisers. During the night we passed through six more locks.

The next morning after breakfast Program Director Margo conducted a Russian language lesson. Americans use the Latin alphabet and it has all kinds of rule exceptions. Here they use the Cyrillic alphabet and generally it follows pretty clear rules.

Russians are very proud of their alphabet and, if you remember, when we were in Moscow they were having a Cyrillic Alphabet Festival in Red Square.

This is the longest word in Russian. If I remember correctly is means electrocardiographic x-ray.

It was an interesting lecture, BUT we got homework for the next day with our names in Cyrillic. I cheated and copied off my Russian visa.

Throughout the cruise we had numerous presentations in our free (with air quotes) time. Lectures usually started with this piano / singer twosome while cruisers gathered. They sang classic American and traditional Russian tunes.

Each evening we could attend a port talk previewing what we would tour on the next day. We could attend in the Sky Bar or watch on the TV in our room. Various other presentations were conducted by our on-board tour guides and others. Here is our ship's captain Vladimir Ilyin (handsome young guy) and our fave of the three Viking guides, Vadim (handsome other guy).

Lectures covered so many topics, such as history and the tzars.

Russian economics.

 

Tourist shopping and shopping for locals. Prices are in USDs. One kg equals 2.2 pounds.

The tandemocracy government under Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev.

The ship's operations.

Also, Russian home-life, food history and culture, Russia in the 20th century, and more.

A bonus lecture on this particular day was a cooking demo by the ship's Executive Chef Leonidas. In the Panorama Bar, he demonstrated how to make a favorite Russian dish called pelmeni. It is basically a Russian ravioli or meat dumpling.

First he showed us a yellow plastic helper tool with divider ridges. He said at home he does not use this, but on the ship they make hundreds at a time. So it is quicker and more standard looking than handmade. The taste is the same either way.

 So he combines and rolls the dough.

Then lays the dough on the helper tool. At each indent he adds the meat mixture.

Then he places another layer of dough on top and uses a rolling pin over the plastic tray to cut the individual pelmenis.

After making the little filled pastas Chef Leonidas, of course, had the obligatory audience participation time. These three crafted the pelminis by hand. Then the pieces were briefly boiled and ready to eat.

At the end we all got a taste served with sour cream and a copy of the recipe.