MIR Corporation's Travel Log:
Volga River Cruise with the Russian National Orchestra
Join veteran MIR client Moonyeen Albrecht on a cruise from Moscow through some of Russia's lesser-known Volga River towns, accompanied by a soundtrack from the world-famous Russian National Orchestra. 
Day 6: Samara
May 10, 2008 This was an interesting day. Early in the morning the river seemed a little more choppy that it had in the past. Breakfast on board was from 8:00 to 9:00. At 9:00 we left for the city tour of Samara which would take about 3 1/2 hours. In Samara there is a fairly new monument on the long Volga river embankment. It represents a boat's sail and if you can imagine it all, including the base walls from the side, it looks like the prow of a ship extending into the river. It has become an important symbol of the city and is often represented in painting and sketches. We saw a Russian bridal party visiting the historical monuments of Samara before heading to our only afternoon concert, where we heard pianist Rem Urasin perform Mendelssohn's "Scherzo and Overture from Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestr" and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 6." The boat was leaving Samara this afternoon during our concert and sailing to Toliatti. After the concert we would be taking a 2 hour bus ride to Toliatti to meet the boat. This was because of the time needed for the boat to sail and also meet the schedule required by the locks along the river. During the intermission a woman came up to Betty and me and asked where we were from. She was happy when we told her America. She wanted to practice her English. She was absolutely charming and we had a lovely conversation. She is a choral music teacher so we had a lot in common. We were so glad to meet her. We enjoyed the view of the river during an evening photo op stop on our way to Toliatti by bus after the concert. This is supposed to be the narrowest point on the river between two "mountains" - brothers by legend, who were separated, forever, by "the Volga."
Photos from this leg of the tour:
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