We spent Sunday boxing our bikes for the flight home, visiting the Hermitage, and dining with recently found relatives Michael and Elena Dubilet. Michael was particularly interested in the newly created Doubilet-Dubilet Genealogy Group on Facebook, consisting of descendants of Ukrainian Doubilets (translated from the original Cyrillic spelling as Dubilet in non-English-speaking countries). Michael, a 30-year-old cinematographer, was born in the Ukraine, lived much of his life in Cyprus, and now lives and works with his wife Elena, an animator, in St. Petersburg. Over a spectacular Armenian dinner, we had a lively conversation in which we learned a lot about the corrupt, dysfunctional Russian political system (a "kleptocracy") that enriches government officials while stunting growth and innovation, about the Greek-Turkish divide in Cyprus, and about the Dubilets in the Ukraine.
We're now on our way home, putting together this last blog entry in flight. A major challenge that we're starting to think about is how we can come up with a trip next year that can match, or even approach, the incredible adventure we just finished.
 |
| At the Hermitage |
 |
| Cutting cardboard to make boxes for our bikes |
 |
| One bike box half done |
 |
| Both bikes in boxes |
 |
| Street scene in St. Petersburg |
 |
| Peter, Carol, Michael Dubilet, Elena Dubilet |
No comments:
Post a Comment