Russia, Vladivostok, 1991
In 1991 Suzi and I kept up our contacts with the Russian Far East. This is an excerpt from an end of the year letter I sent to my family in October 1991. We have continued to maintain contact with the folks who hosted us in Vladivostok. Brian’s “Russian sister” lives in Alaska now, with her mother. 1991 is the 250th anniversary of the Bering-Cherikov voyages of exploration from Siberia to Alaska. 1990 ended with a trip by all four of us to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. In April some of the people we stayed with in Vladivostok … Continue reading Russia, Vladivostok, 1991
Russia, Vladivostok 1990
In November of 1990 we got a call from a friend in Juneau. Juneau was trying to put together the first US citizen delegation to visit Vladivostok in more than 50 years. They wanted kids who could spend a week in a Vladivostok English language school and adults who could accompany them to discuss business relations. Were we interested? Suzi immediately committed the two of us but said she would have to ask the kids. Our friend, Terry, said “You can commit Rich but not your sons?” What she didn’t know was that, after our visit to Prague for … Continue reading Russia, Vladivostok 1990
Berlin Wall Fall (Mauerfall)
After our 1990 trip I wrote a long letter. These segments are from Berlin. The pictures are scans from slides, some well faded over the years. Thursday, June 14, 1990 After lunch we crossed into East Germany. We were … Continue reading Berlin Wall Fall (Mauerfall)
Velvet Revolution
I wrote this letter in June 1990. I started writing it on a yellow legal pad on the evening of June 9, 1990, filling in what went before and finishing it in Sitka. Wednesday, June 6, 1990 Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia … Continue reading Velvet Revolution
Berlin 1989
Twleve weeks before the Berlin Wall fell we were in Berlin. The wall looked permanent. It had grown higher and more fearsome than when I was in Berlin in 1964. I know I wrote a travel diary of this trip … Continue reading Berlin 1989
Berlin 1964
In 1964 I was a student in Berlin for a week. I was 17 and had an old Brownie box camera. Film was expensive so I only took a few pictures. They have faded but I wanted to add them … Continue reading Berlin 1964
All Saint’s Day, Dubcek’s Grave, Slovakia
“For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest,” especially one. This is All Saints’ Say. On this day Slovaks visit cemeteries and light candles on graves. Most of my staff members go home to their villages for the holiday … Continue reading All Saint’s Day, Dubcek’s Grave, Slovakia