Just as that Old Cliche Says, Spring has Sprung!

Daffodils blooming, birds nesting, and a whole new world of adventure is waiting for you to finish the boring spring cleaning and start dreaming of travel.

We’ve just had another very enjoyable tour to Russia and all our sailing was smooth. To travel the Volga and its waterways is to sample the full spectrum of historical and cultural treasures that make Russia such an unforgettable destination. Our online Live Journal will be updated shortly to show you enticing pictures of that journey through Russia.

Lovely cities like Yaroslavl and Uglich created a “golden ring” around the capital and these and other riverside gems mingle an architectural heritage that is familiar and fantastic, homely and astonishing: embracing everything from the imposing domed churches and Rococo palaces to humble timbered houses nestled in quaint villages.

It goes without saying that a visit to Russia must include the two contrasting metropolises, Moscow and St Petersburg.

Moscow is daunting in size and baffling in its diversity – it’s as if the whole complex pattern of Russia’s turbulent history has found lasting expression here. This is the city of Ivan the Terrible and the Kremlin as well as of Lenin and Lubyanka – what a mixture. It’s not just the magnificent churches, palaces and buildings that make Moscow one of the world’s great cities – it’s every street, every corner, and every subway station that has its own special story to tell.













St Petersburg is entirely different yet no less captivating. A brainchild of Peter the Great and much beautified by Catherine the Great; it has something of a fairytale character, reflecting a passionate love of life and its pleasures. It’s a home to cultural figures like Gogol, Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky. We attended the Swan Lake ballet (happy ending version) and visited architectural gems like the Winter and Summer Palaces, the Kazan Cathedral, the Church on Spilled Blood and the Peter and Paul Fortress. We strolled along the Nevskiy Prospect, the city's main avenue and walked over many bridges on the Neva River. What a contrast of cities in the same country!














“Cruising down a river” (as an old song goes) is such a stress-free way travel. After boarding the ship, we unpacked – just the once – then relaxed in the spacious river-view stateroom: pure comfort for the rest of the cruise with new scenes before our eyes at almost every blink and of course we also stopped to explore new destinations throughout the day, every day. Add sumptuous breakfasts, wonderful lunches, and delicious dinners created by celebrity chefs and you know you will have to watch your waistline. It was easy to put on a few pounds - I definitely did!

We have reserved a limited number of staterooms for next year's cruise aboard the Viking Surkov for the Waterways of the Czars, from St Petersburg to Moscow cruise.  

Save $750 per person by booking now and paying in full before 15 December. Plus we’ll put $200 shipboard credit - per stateroom - so you can enjoy a glass of wine with every dinner. Champagne is available with breakfast every morning!














Don’t delay - this deal is strictly on the “first-in” basis. The 50 Plus Travel™ will be delighted to welcome you on the August 2010 Russia River Cruise.

We are now on our way to another tour Cities of Light: from Prague to Paris, including 8 days river cruise through Germany, this Sunday (only 2 days left and so much to do!).

Our 2010 programme is available on our website and the tours are filling up pretty fast. So, to secure a place on any of our tours, it really pays to book now. We have great destinations to choose from. So don’t delay and book today!

As always, all our tours are escorted from New Zealand by Anna Jones - founder of 50 Plus Travel™.

Happy travelling

From the 50 Plus Travel™ team
www.50plustravel.co.nz .

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