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Blue Sky Travel Agency

• 9061 Bolsa Ave Westminster , CA 92683
• (714) 895-5411
• (714) 891-7491
• http://blueskytraveltour.com/

This travel agency offers getaways anywhere in the world. Airline tickets, cruises, tours, bus tours. They also provide travel services such as passport renewals and visas to other countries. They're well informed with travel to Vietnam of course.

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Do not come to this business. They are so rude and no help at all after the sell you the tickets. They only want to make money from you and they are so rude people. Please stay away from this business. If you return the tickets because some reasons they subtract $450 for each ticket even though the airline only charge $100 for tickets return They are not honest to customers and only try to make money and get your money

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I've used blue sky a few time for my trips to vn. I had no issues and got my visa and ticket on time even under short notice. All I had to worry about was getting my bags packed. Will use again.

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Moscow Muled

Top 5 blueberry mule recipes.

Jun 25, 2020

In this post, we reveal the top recipes for the Blueberry Mule, which is a delicious, fruity twist on the classic Moscow Mule. Let's get started!

Introduction

The Blueberry Moscow Mule is a great take on the now-classic Moscow Mule. As a refreshing and fruity drink that has just the right amount of alcohol, it goes perfectly with warm days out on the porch, beachside happy hours, poolside with your significant other, or just lounging in the living room with a good book. And it's no small bonus that the Blueberry Moscow Mule is Instagram-worthy!

In this article you will learn:

• What are the health benefits of blueberries in your drink? 
• What’s in a Blueberry Moscow Mule?
• What is the Classic Blueberry Mule recipe? 

5 Variations of the Blueberry Moscow Mule Cocktail

The Health Benefits of Blueberries 

These little summer fruits are not only delicious ingredients that work with a wide range of dishes and drinks, but they also come packed with health benefits! 

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants which protect you from free radicals, which are those nasty molecules that cause cell damage and possibly cancer. This has been noted by three different published studies compiled by Joe Leech, MS. 

Blueberries also help maintain the bones of fruit-lovers. Megan Ware, RDN, LD writes: 

“Blueberries contain iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and vitamin K. Each of these is a component of bone. Adequate intake of these minerals and vitamins contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.”

In addition, "one cup of blueberries delivers 14% of the recommended daily dose of fiber and nearly a quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C," according to Chloe Thompson of WebMD . 

So, putting two and two together, you've got a great taste from an ingredient that can go with a wide variety of dishes and a load of health benefits; it's only a matter of time until you decide that having a Blueberry Mule can actually turn any happy hour into legit self-care hour--copper mugs and all! 

What Goes Into a Blueberry Moscow Mule?  

Now, in the infinity of the internet you'll find tons of Blueberry Moscow Mule recipes. Everyone's got their own take, and, as an aspiring home bartender, you'll want to explore a lot of these recipes on your own. That's why we've compiled a quick list of what we believe are the best Blueberry Moscow Mule recipes that you can try today. Let's start by breaking down the components of the classic Blueberry Mule.  

The Blueberries

Ah, the heart and soul of this cocktail. Blueberries add a very specific kind of sweetness to this drink. There's a sourness that comes right after the sweetness, but, strangely enough, it remains pleasant. An easy way to describe the taste would be that it's a very intense grape flavor. When making this cocktail, you will definitely want to get that beautiful blue-violet color. To achieve this without using food coloring or syrup, you'll need small ripe blueberries. 

The Garnish

Thin slices of lime or lemon are often used to garnish the drink along with whole fresh blueberries. According to simple color-theory, having yellow and blue-violet stick out of a copper mug is not only appealing, but visually complementary. 

The Ginger Beer

One of the key ingredients of this drink is ginger beer. However, never mix the ginger beer in a shaker along with the other ingredients as it ruins the carbonation of the beer. Instead, once the ginger beer is in the copper mug, stir with a spoon. Doing this will maintain the carbonation as long as possible. 

The Vodka, Possibly Blueberry  Flavored

Vodka and blueberries go together brilliantly: the strong smell of vodka is somehow masked by the sweetness of the entire drink, but none of the kick goes away. If you find, however, that the vodka taste is still unpleasant, you can try blueberry-flavored vodka for an even sweeter flavor. 

The Ginger Ale 

For those who prefer a sweeter and less carbonated beverage, you can use ginger ale as a substitute for ginger beer . Ginger beer, however, offers a stronger flavor than ginger beer.

So, now that we've got the basic ingredients on here--and hopefully in your kitchen, too--let's discuss the nitty-gritty of the recipes. 

The Classic Blueberry Moscow Mule

Much like the traditional Moscow Mule, this version of the Blueberry Mule is traditionally served in a copper mug filled with ice and garnished with mint leaves and lime. It has the added textures and flavors of blueberries and blueberry syrup. 

The ingredients needed for the blueberry ginger syrup include:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened ginger juice
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup blueberries

The ingredients needed for the Blueberry Moscow Mule include: 

• 1- and 1/2-ounce vodka 
• 1/2-ounce blueberry ginger syrup 
• 1/2-ounce lime juice 
• 1 cup ginger beer

To create the blueberry ginger syrup:

• Place saucepan in medium heat and add the ginger juice, sugar, and blueberries.
• Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for an extra 20 minutes. 
• Strain the thick syrup into a sealable container. Store in the refrigerator.

To create the Classic Blueberry Moscow Mule:

• In a copper mug, add the ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice.
• Pour some blueberry ginger syrup then stir. Add ice. 
• Garnish with fresh blueberries and lime wedges.

Kick your Blueberry Moscow Mule up a notch with new tricks on how to serve it and how to get the most out of the blueberry flavor. These exciting twists are also ideal for large servings.

Variation 1: The Soaked Blueberry Moscow Mule 

Another variation of the Blueberry Moscow Mule is to soak the blueberries in the vodka for a prolonged period. This version is best prepared for a large batch served in punch bowls, a pitcher, or a mason jar dispenser as seen below. Now, the great thing about this first variation is you can enjoy it two ways: you can either enjoy sipping on the blueberry vodka all on its own with the recipe below, or you can go full regalia and use it to make Blueberry Moscow Mules that have stronger hints of this delightful little fruit. 

Let’s start with the blueberry vodka. 

The ingredients include:

• 2 pounds fresh blueberries, washed 
• 1.75 ml bottle of vodka 

This blueberry vodka recipe is easier than pie! In a sealable container, drop in the washed blueberries and pour in vodka. Cover the mixture and let this sit in room temperature for one week. After a week, voila! You’ll have yourself an easy, fruity drink that needs only crushed ice and great company to enjoy it with. 

But that’s not why we’re here. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this Blueberry Moscow Mule recipe. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Fresh mint leaves 
• 2-3 ounces blueberry vodka  
• Juice of 1 lime 
• crushed ice 
• 12-ounce can of ginger beer
• In your palm, smash the stem of the mint leaf with your thumb then clap both hands together. This releases the flavor of the mint leaf much better than muddling ever will. 
• In a copper mug, drop in the clapped mint leaves then fill with crushed ice. 
• Add 2-3 ounces of blueberry vodka
• Squeeze in a wedge of lime, then top off this delightful concoction with ginger beer. 
• Add crushed ice.

Optional: Strain pieces of the blueberry from the vodka and use as a garnish. 

Note: If you or your guests find the mixture too strong, simply add more ginger beer into their mug.

Variation 2: Frozen Blueberry Mule 

This recipe relies heavily on crushed ice and the blueberry syrup as a base. This Blueberry Moscow Mule is a beautiful alternative to frozen margaritas! This is one of those recipes that take some level of preparation, but a few of these and you and your friends will be belting your favorite songs without a care in the world in no time. 

Create the simple syrup using these ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, and blueberries. 
• Place pan in medium flame until boiling.  
• Once boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for an additional 20 minutes. 
• Take the saucepan out of the flame, and, using a strainer, pour into a jar. Let the syrup cool down to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. 

Now onto the Mule!

Ingredients needed include:

• 1 cup ginger beer 
• 4-ounce vodka 
• 2-ounce lime juice 
• 2-ounce blueberry syrup that you’ve got sitting in your fridge  
• Crushed ice 
• Mint leaves and blueberries for garnish
• Combine the ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, and blueberry syrup in a blender and blend accordingly. 
• Add crushed ice and blend again. 
• Pour into drink containers (copper mugs or margarita glasses) and garnish with fresh blueberries and mint leaves.
• Serve and sing your heart out!  

Variation 3: Blueberry Mule with Whiskey

This is an unorthodox variation of the Blueberry Mule . For this recipe, we’ll be using whiskey instead of the usual dash of vodka. This will add an unusual but ultimately delicious depth of smokey and sweet flavors to the mix. One great advantage of this variation is that it requires very little preparation, so it’s great for surprise guests or if you’ve just had a long, hard day and want to unwind with something other than a boring bottle of beer. 

The ingredients for this Blueberry Moscow Mule Recipe include:

• 1 lemon wedge 
• 2 tsp organic sugar 
• 15 fresh blueberries 
• 2-ounce whiskey 
• 1-2-ounce ginger beer
• In a shaker, muddle the lemon and blueberries in with the sugar. 
• Pour the whiskey in and shake.
• Fill a copper mug or a regular whiskey glass with crushed ice.
• Strain the blueberry with whiskey mixture into the glass.
• Top off with ginger beer.
• Garnish with lemon slices, blueberries, and mint leaves.  

Variation 4: Low Carb Keto Version

Watching out for your summer bod and enjoying a sweet drink every now and then shouldn’t have to be mutually exclusive activities. This Low Carb Keto Blueberry Mule sports only 72 calories and 2 grams net carbs, allowing you to both stick to your Keto diet and indulge in this sweet and (almost) sinful drink. 

This recipe requires a homemade blueberry juice for the base of this cocktail, and the ingredients needed include:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 
• 1 tablespoon sugar substitute (Splenda, Equal, Stevia, or any granulated erythritol sweetener)
• 1/3 cup water
• In a blender, pour in the blueberries, sweetener, and water. Blend until smooth.
• Strain the juice as you pour into a jar.
• Store the blueberry juice in the refrigerator until use. 

To make the cocktail, prepare these ingredients:

• ½ ounce of the blueberry juice
• 1-ounce vodka
• ½ teaspoon lime juice
• 4-ounces diet ginger beer
• 1 teaspoon of sugar substitute (Splenda, Equal, Stevia, or any granulated Erythritol sweetener)
• ¼ teaspoon powdered cinnamon
• In a shaker, combine the blueberry juice, vodka, lime juice, and ice. Shake for 10 seconds. 
• Add the ginger beer in the shaker and stir with a spoon. 
• In a saucer, mix the cinnamon powder and sugar substitute
• Moisten the rim of the glass with the lime wedge and dip in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
• Add ice into a glass and pour the mixture in.
• Garnish with lime and fresh blueberries. 

Variation 5: Blueberry Lemon Ice Cubes 

This simple preparation of blueberry ice cubes is exactly what it sounds like: ice cubes that are designed to both keep your drink cold and infuse a stronger blueberry flavor as you nurse the drink in your hand. This variation works absolutely perfect with the Classic Blueberry Moscow Mule! 

Prepare the ice cubes using these ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of blueberries
• ½ fresh lemon
• ½ cup of white grape juice
• In a blender, squeeze out and pour in the lemon juice with the blueberries and grape juice. Blend until smooth. 
• Using a lidded ice tray, pour in the liquid.
• Place the tray in the fridge and wait a while. It’ll take more than a few hours to freeze, so it’s a good idea to prepare these ice cubes way ahead of time before entertaining any guests. 

Now, these ice cubes work best with the most basic of all Blueberry Moscow Mules! This is the stuff you will need per serving:  

• 5-7 blueberry ice cubes
• 2-ounces vodka
• 4-ounces ginger beer
• Fresh blueberries
• Mint leaves
• 2-3 slices of lemon
• Fill the copper mug with blueberry ice cubes.
• Pour in the ginger beer and vodka.
• Garnish with lemon slices, mint leaves, and fresh blueberries. 

Blueberries are not only packed with health benefits, but they are also a great core ingredient for your home’s happy hour! Try out these Blueberry Mule recipes for yourself and decide which one is your favorite. Better yet, come up with your own variations and share with us: we always love a good cocktail recipe. Let us know in the comments below! 

Did You Enjoy This Article?

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this article, you might also like the following articles:  Best 4 Peach Mule Recipes and  Top 7 Pineapple Mule Recipes

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Politics latest: Interim leader named after Jeffrey Donaldson's DUP departure; 'arrogant' Rishi Sunak has 'big questions' to answer over Easter honours, Labour says

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has announced his resignation as DUP leader after being charged with historical allegations by police; fallout continues after a major Tory donor was awarded a knighthood on the recommendation of Rishi Sunak.

Friday 29 March 2024 20:30, UK

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• Donaldson resigns as DUP leader after being charged with allegations of 'historical nature'
• David Blevins: An inauspicious end to a decades-long career
• 'Arrogant' PM has 'big questions' to answer over Easter honours - Labour
• Rob Powell: Timing of announcement more curious than contents
• Tory peer dismisses talk of summer election
• Explained: How Tory MPs can get rid of PM - and who could replace him
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler

By Niamh Lynch , news reporter

Gavin Robinson, the interim leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has called Jeffrey Donaldson's charge a "devastating revelation" that has caused "tremendous shock". 

But he has criticised "some who have sought to score cheap political points".

Mr Robinson's comments come as Donaldson stepped down as DUP leader earlier today after he was charged with historical sexual offences.

But Donaldson has not resigned as MP for Lagan Valley, and Mr Robinson did not rule out a by-election in the constituency, saying: "What comes in the days and months in that regard are outside our control."

You can read more here:

By Tim Baker , political reporter

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has stepped down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect after he was charged with historical sexual offences.

In a statement, the DUP said: "The party chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect.

"In accordance with the party rules, the party officers have suspended Sir Jeffrey from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process.

"The party officers have this morning unanimously appointed Mr Gavin Robinson MP as the interim party leader."

By Tim Baker and Alexandra Rogers , political reporters

Rishi Sunak looks to have seen off his backbenchers - at least for now.

The nascent rebellions have gone quiet in the past few weeks and the Commons is in its Easter recess, with MPs returning to Westminster on 15 April.

Time away from parliament normally strengthens - or at least prevents the further collapse - of a prime minister, as MPs disperse back to their constituencies and away from the plot-heavy fug of Westminster.

But a potential flashpoint is looming: May's local elections.

A particularly bad performance by the Tories could lead to fresh pressure on the PM's leadership and prove to be the catalyst for a concrete move to oust Mr Sunak.

Sky News explains how Tory MPs could get rid of the PM and - if they are successful - who would likely be in the running to replace him.

Read more below: 

While the Royal Family have faced a challenging few weeks, our political editor Beth Rigby , Jess Phillips, and Ruth Davidson explore the points where royalty and politics meet, and what the family will say publicly about the state of cancer care following the King and the Princess of Wales's diagnoses.

Plus, is deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden someone likely to be feeling on top this week after calling out China-backed cyberattacks and announcing sanctions against two individuals and a company? Beth, Jess, and Ruth discuss the extent of the Chinese threat.

And they go through more of your messages and questions.

Listen here:

👉 Tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at [email protected], post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Warning: some explicit language.

Over a year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023.

But with the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below.

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about different political parties.

As Labour launches its local elections campaign, it is still sitting comfortably on a roughly 19-point lead, averaging at 43.0% in the polls, with the Tories on 23.7%.

In third is Reform UK on 12.0%, followed by the Lib Dems on 10.2%.

The Green Party stands at 5.7%, and the SNP on 3.0%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

There will most likely be a general election at some point in 2024, but we don't know exactly when.

We do know it won't happen on 2 May - when local elections will take place across England. 

The prime minister's "working assumption" is that it will be held in the second half of this year - but beyond that we know very little about the precise timing.

So why is this the case?

Political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh  explains:

By Tim Baker , political reporter 

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been an ever-present feature of the political landscape in Northern Ireland for several decades.

But his leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party came to an end on 29 March, when it revealed Donaldson had resigned as chief after he was charged with sexual offences of a "historical nature".

Born in County Down in the 1960s, he was raised during the Troubles and has been a vocal campaigner for unionism throughout his life.

Donaldson came to the fore after the UK left the EU for his opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol - which he believed undermined Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom.

Read about the 61-year-old's life in the profile below...

The DUP has weathered many storms, but this is a political earthquake for the party.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's departure under a cloud will have ramifications in both the short-term and long-term.

It will rock the newly established power-sharing government, of which the DUP forms one half.

And maintaining its seats at Westminster in the upcoming general election will be a mountain for the party to climb.

The DUP is well known for its conservative views on social issues like same-sex marriage.

Any whiff of impropriety, never mind alleged offence, leaves it open to allegations of hypocrisy.

In 2010, DUP leader Peter Robinson stepped down briefly as first minister when his wife confessed to an extra-marital affair.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has not only resigned but had his party membership suspended, pending the outcome of the judicial process.

It's an inauspicious end to the political career of Northern Ireland's longest-serving member of parliament.

Northern Ireland first minister and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill has released a statement in the wake of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's resignation as DUP leader (see 12.56 post).

She said: "My priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve, and to ensure the four-party Executive coalition delivers for the whole of our community now and in the future. 

"The DUP leader has resigned after being charged with serious offences.

"This is now a matter for the criminal justice system."

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• Independent Trave...

Independent Travel to Moscow and St. Petersburg

My wife and I have traveled independently to many European countries and, after reading many of the comments in this forum, feel like we may be able to do so in Moscow and St. Petersburg as well, although we feel somewhat less comfortable than the other countries where we have traveled in Europe.

My biggest question is how much we will miss by visiting the main sites without a tour guide. In the other European countries we have visited on our own we have been comfortable and satisfied with the level of knowledge we have gained by studying and visiting on our own, although we believe a tour guide or tour company in any country would normally be able to provide greater insight than visiting a site on our own, but about in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Unless you speak at least some Russian and read the alphabet it would be difficult without a guide. Very few signs in English especially in Moscow. Also not too many people speak English there.

I visited St Petersburg last Autumn for a protracted period , and did not find it anymore daunting than any other European city . As Ilja says , learning the Cyrillic alphabet is a big plus . I also found that it was fairly easy to grasp . It will , among other things , enable you to read signs with relative ease . I would answer the main part or your question ( about tour guides ) thus - I am not enamored of tour guides or tours. While I only use a tour under duress ( A sites rules prohibiting an independent visit - ie Glasgow School of Art , Municipal House in Prague , etc ) . Doing your own preparation and homework is the best way , in my opinion . My wife and I ventured through St Petersburg with nary a concern ,and made two day trips outside of the central district ( one was twenty five miles away , and no English speakers in sight ) Figuring out the logistical details , did not present any difficulties . While I never use tours , I am an inveterate eavesdropper , have done so many times , and find , that on balance , the information that they impart is fairly elementary . If you want greater detail , they are unlikely to supply it . I also prefer to go at my own pace , not being rushed and being able to dwell on things that most other visitors barely give a passing glance . If you are interested , let me know . I would be happy to provide you with information that will enable you to travel independently

Thank you, Steven. I am encouraged by your comments and feel the same way you do about tour groups. We are very much willing to prepare in advance and learn the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet to help us have a better experience.

I would be very interested in learning more about your experience in Russia and receiving any additional information you can provide on independent travel there, starting perhaps with obtaining the visa.

I am not opposed to hiring a private or small group guide for a specific site or for a day trip outside St Petersburg and Moscow, but, like you said, I much prefer the freedom of staying at places as long or short as I want and seeing the sites that interest me most. For example, neither my wife nor I are big into shopping, yet most tour itineraries leave afternoon time for just that. Not interested!

Please provide whatever you may feel would be helpful for us.

Russ , I see you are quite near San Francisco - you can start by looking at the VISA procedure , it's fairly straightforward . Since there is a consulate in San Francisco - look here http://www.consulrussia.org/eng/visa-sub1.html

And here - http://ils-usa.com/main.php

Having always traveled independently, we thought we could do a better job than any tour. How misguided (pun intended) we were. Now that we have had the experience of having someone native to the area walk us around and explain things through a personal perspective we realize how much we missed. For St. Petersburg I highly recommend http://www.peterswalk.com/tours.html . This is not a traditional guided tour, but an opportunity to receive some orientation to the area as well as insight into the "Russian soul". I think if you did this upon arrival the rest of your time would be much more meaningful. We really liked the http://www.pushka-inn.com . The location is superb (just around the corner from the Hermitage square), the rooms lovely, the included breakfast at the restaurant next door ample and overall an excellent value. We used this company to get our visa: https://www.passportvisasexpress.com/site/san_francisco_customer_service Note that it costs about the same for a 3-year visa as a one-year, and you never know if you might want to return within that more extended window of time. It is not cheap, so factor that into your planning.

If you like traveling without a guide in other countries and find this satisfying, the same will be true in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Of course it's not either/or - you can certainly take a guided walk or boat tour, for instance.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning Cyrillic if you're going on your own. The book I used was Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script, which was great. It breaks down the alphabet into letters that are the same as English, letters that look the same but are pronounced differently, etc. It's out of print, but you can get used copies on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Beginners-Russian-Script/dp/0071419861/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459701143&sr=8-2&keywords=teach+yourself+russian+script

Russia is indeed a bit more "foreign" than say, Italy. However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I found enough English to be able to get by. Many restaurants had English menus and/or English speaking staff, for instance. This was most emphatically not true in Vladimir and Suzdal (two cities in the Golden Ring outside Moscow). I went with my sister, a Russian speaker, and if she hadn't been there, I would have been in big trouble. So, if you want to see places outside these two big cities, use a guided tour (even if just for that part). Also, Moscow and St. Petersburg are huge cities. Coming from New York, I wasn't intimidated, but those not used to a megacity may not be so cavalier (even I found them overwhelming at times, especially Moscow).

I found both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to be helpful, and both to have various errors. Look at both, buy whichever one has a more recent edition, and then be prepared to have to discard some of the advice therein. Also, these places change more quickly than places in Western Europe. Be very careful of outdated advice. For instance, I was there in 2001 and 2010, so I won't give you any specifics on getting a visa - that changes constantly.

Just as a teaser, two things I saw and loved that I doubt would be included in any escorted tour are the Gorky House in Moscow (an Art Nouveau wonder) and the Sheremyetov Palace in St. Petersburg (it's now a museum of musical instruments, and the decor is amazing, particularly in the Etruscan Room).

Thanks for all the good advice. Any additional thoughts are welcomed.

One of history's seminal works pertaining to Russian history and culture and a MUST for anyone contemplating a visit or simply interested , is this fine work from 1980 - http://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-The-Beauty-Russia/dp/096441841X

This is about you and not about Petersburg. Do you like guided tours? We don't and didn't find that a guide added to our experience in China where we did hire private guides mostly for the logistics; it was easy to have someone drive us places. But once at a site, we didn't need the guide. I felt the same way about our 9 nights in Petersburg. We did hire a guide for the trip to the Catherine Palace again for the ease of logistics for us Olds. Here is our visit: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/an-easy-trip-to-the-catherine-palace/ There are also snapshots of the Church on Spilled Blood in this photo journal. Having someone pick us up at the apartment and get us in without line ups and shepherd us through the palace steering clear of the tour groups was lovely. But we didn't need commentary because we can read and prepare.

You certainly don't need a guide for the Hermitage (we spent 4 days there), the Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral or Church on Spilled Blood or the Faberge Museum. We enjoyed a number of self guided walking tours including a couple from Rick Steves guidebooks. We took the canal cruise suggested by RS that had an English commentator. I would not take one without that as you will be totally clueless. The commentator was not all that good but at least we had some idea what we were seeing. So for people like us who like to do our own thing and can read a guidebook and don't particularly like to be led about, a tour is not needed. If you enjoy tour groups, then go for it. Petersburg is easy to negotiate. It helps if you can read the cyrillic alphabet and it is also useful to have the google translate ap on your phone. We found ourselves translating packages in grocery stores with it and the occasional museum sign or menu. I have one food I need to avoid and so it was handy to have the translator to talk with waiters (I could either show them the sentence, or play it for them or play it to myself and then repeat it to the waiter -- that all worked well)

Dear Russ, I cannot help you with Moscow, but about four years ago, my husband and I went to St Petersburg on our own. But, we did use a private guide for 4 half days. We both feel that our guide absolutely made our trip (we stayed 6 or 7 nights). We used a company owned by Tatyana Chiurikova, www.tour-stpetersburg.com I cannot say enough good things about her and our experience. I emailed her and we worked out a schedule/ sights that was tailored to our interests. She also offered some recommendations, which we took. The guide will meet you at your hotel. And frequently, at certain places, with the guide, we were able to skip the long entrance lines. We had an half day driving tour of the city (car, driver, & guide). You are taken to & go in places such as Peter & Paul Fortress, some of the cathedrals, etc. We had a half day with the guide at the Hermitage which ensured that we would see the major sights there. And, of course, you can stay after your guide leaves or return another day. Also, we had the guide for Peterhof (a must & go by boat) and Catherine's Palace. I hope that you will go to the website. As I said, our guide made our trip. I am positive that we would have missed quite a bit on our own everyday. And I'm sure we would have wasted a lot of time trying to get to various place.This was the best of both worlds, a guide where needed and plenty of time on our own. Whatever you do, I'm sure that you will love St Petersburg! Ashley

I am curious about the lines as we encountered no lines on our trip -- but it was in September. We got tickets for the Hermitage at machines and skipped those lines and our guide for the Catherine Palace which was our only guided experience (as noted before, chosen for the logistics of getting there) had arranged tickets and we didn't have a line, but then we also didn't see lines. We did not find lines at any other site.

Both Moscow and St Petersburg I've done on my own, that is together with the Dear Partner. I can't remember any problem getting where we wanted to go. The Metro systems are well signed, and with a little exercise and patience you can recognize the station names. With a good map and a good guide - we had the Rough Guides - that part of the logistics is solved. The language is a major problem, but the usual tricks of pointing, looking helpless, and making a joke of it all do wonders. I would hate to be led by a guide, but for others it is a comfortable thought.

We also did both cities on our own. I found the DK Eyewitness guide for Moscow has the best map. I used the one from our library (kept the book at home). Took the smaller RS book for St. Petersburg ( his book on northern cities). His map and restaurant ideas were all good. We also downloaded the Google maps in our Android Samsung tablets/phones for both cities and then could get directions to any place we typed in. The blue ball guided us everywhere. I'm sure we missed somethings by not having a guide, but we just enjoy walking around and getting a sense of a place. If you like art, The Hermitage is great. We went 3 times and still missed alot. In St. Peterburg we stayed at the 3 Mosta which we loved (quite and not far from the Church of Spilled Blood.) We also loved the Georgian food in both cities. There's a great Georgian restaurant near the 3 Mosta hotel. We're now in Belarus- very scenic. Enjoy your trip!!

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Thursday, June 18, 2015

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Local News | Blue point Siamese Dolly is a darling, happy girl

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Breed: Shorthair blue point Siamese

Age: 5 years

Sex: Spayed female

Dolly’s story: Darling Dolly is super sweet and demure. Extremely affectionate, she starts talking as soon as someone says her name. She has the most beautiful blue eyes, but unfortunately her sight is limited. That doesn’t stop her from navigating her world beautifully. She’s brave and curious, jumping on and off furniture as well as any fully sighted cat. She would prefer to be the only cat in her new home.

Adoption procedure: Contact Laura with Long Beach Spay and Neuter Foundation at 562-208-0564 to request an application and schedule a meet and greet with Dolly.

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