Ясная Поляна

Leo Tolstoy is one of the most famous authors in Russian history. He is an icon to Russia and after learning more about him yesterday, I now know why...
Yesterday, we traveled to Tula, via Electreechka, which is just like an above ground metro. It was over a 3 hour trip and the electreechka is something I wouldn't mind never riding again for that long of a time period. We did get to see the Russian country side though. Once we arrived in Tula, we paid 20 rubles (about 56 cents) to use a toilet that was a hole in the ground. It was an experience I guess. We then  boarded our own personal marshrootka to Leo Tolstoy's estate. It was about a 20 minute ride. The Russian country side reminded me of the Kentucky countryside. 

Leo Tolstoy’s estate was a farm with a horse, ducks and dogs. I note that first because I really loved the ducks.  His home was simple but tasteful and filled with thousands of books in multiple different languages. Everything was as he left it and inventoried by his wife before she died. I could tell that he was a man that appreciated his culture as well as others because in his study he had a copy of the bible as well as the Quran. In his study there was also an old leather couch that he was born on as well as all of his children. It was said that if children were born on that couch that they would live to an old age. That statement was found out to be false because many of his children died in infancy. He obviously just wanted a simple life and that was shown by his estate.

After the tour, we ate at a small restaurant and had salad, borscht, potatoes, chicken and finished with cake and tea. The food was delicious and allegedly was from Tolstoy’s personal cookbook. The borscht was amazing.

Later, we shopped at the little shops and I bought a gingerbread cat. It was different from any gingerbread that I had had before and I can’t decide if it was better or worse. I also bought two cat statues, a refrigerator magnet and a wooden spoon with cats on it. My obsession with cats has gotten stronger since being here.  

 On the way back from Tula, two drunken Russian police officers took one of the wonderful Russian girls with us to talk to her so the rest of the Russian’s went as well. They were asking who we were, why we were there, and who was in charge of us.  It was a pointless conversation and is a little bit concerning that the people who are paid to keep citizens safe were wasted. Way to keep the stereotypes alive, Russian police. So when you see a sober police officer, please thank him from Kallie McDaniel.

Overall my day was extremely exhausting. I woke up at 3 am and did not get home until 1 am. Due to that, I overslept and missed my first class this morning. Traveling is fulfilling, but no one said it was supposed to be easy.