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| Dear Traveller, |
| "The Generous Russian soul" |
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Trying new foods is one of the most fun and definitely the most interesting aspects of any trip, and if you’re
heading to Russia on holiday soon, you’ll probably be getting excited about what you’ll be
eating.
It’s well worth travelling with a phrase book to help with any tricky menus. Sometimes the translations provided are a
bit too literal to be of any help and sometimes they just make no sense at all. During my first visit to Russia,
I had no clue what the waiter would bring when I saw “butterflied guail tobbaca sauce” and even less when
I spied “shark of on-pirate with garnish”. Fortunately for me, there were also less mysterious offerings, such as
“lettuces with a hen”. Nevertheless, markets selling fresh produce and street food became one of my favourite places
to eat because everything was laid out in front of me. I could see exactly what I was getting!
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Markets are also a good place to find special Russian products that can be brought back as souvenirs and gifts for family
and friends. August is the month the Russians bring their harvest in. Market tables and grocery store shelves groan under
the weight of everything from omul (a kind of Siberian kipper) to jam. Look closely, though, and even the familiar comes
with a twist. Russia’s one of the few countries which makes jam from pine cones. Pine cone jam has probably got more in
common with honey than jam. Forget the dried, brown pine cones that are more commonly seen as table arrangements and
Christmas decorations. This jam’s made from the syrup of boiled soft green cones. Traditionally it was used to treat coughs,
TB and arthritis, but you’ll find it’s too delicious to restrict to use as a medicine.
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Another unusual jam you’ll see in Russia at this time of year is that which has been made from cowberries. You may know the
fruit as the lingonberry if you’re from northern Europe or you may have seen it as mountain cranberry in North America.
Whatever you call it, it makes a delicious jam. In the past, when sugar was a luxury, the berries were preserved in water.
This berry water even gets a mention by Alexander Pushkin in his famous book of verse, Eugene Onegin. Vladimir Nabokov’s
commentary on the English translation holds that the berries in question are most likely to have been lingonberries.
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One final piece of advice: make sure you’ve checked which products can and cannot be brought into your country on your return.
Customs restrictions apply to certain foodstuffs if you’re coming from somewhere outside the EU. For example, travellers
returning to the UK cannot import any dairy or meat (including whale) products, nor can they bring in potatoes or sweet
chestnuts. Certain products, such as caviar, have a limit on the quantity you can bring back. To check exactly which
regulations are in force at the time of your visit we’d recommend you search the DEFRA database.
Happily, jam is pretty much unrestricted, so save plenty of room in your suitcase!
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| Do you have any friends in France? |
And just a quick reminder as we have already announced this exciting news in our previous newsletter.
We’ve launched a French version of our Go Russia website.
You’ll find a wide range of tours to Russia, including the ever-popular river
cruises and Trans-Siberian adventures. We’ll still take care of all the arrangements, including
visas, just as if you book through our regular site. If you’ve travelled with us and have
friends in France, why not recommend us for their next trip? As a special introductory offer,
each new booking
will receive a EUR100 discount per person and as a thank you for your
support, you’ll get an equivalent of EUR100 for your promotion as well. It’s an exclusive
offer available only to our newsletter subscribers. Please ask your friends to visit
www.toutelarussie.com
and use the code NEWSFRANCE to get the exclusive EUR100 discount per person.
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Even if you don’t have any Gallic connections, we’re happy you’re still in touch and look
forward to seeing you on one of our trips in the near future.
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| Vote for Go Russia at World Travel Awards 2017 |
We would be grateful if you could support us in our effort to get a prestigious World Travel Award in 2017. After winning this award in the past we are proud to announce we have been nominated for 2017 competition as a “Russia’s Leading Travel Agency”.
If you have previously used our services and believe we deserve this prestigious title - please vote for us! The process is simple and it won’t take more than a minute of your valuable time.
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| The latest from our blog |
Subscribe to our blog and get £25 off your next tour booking.
In case you haven't visited for a while, why not take a fresh look at our
travel blog,
which features articles and news
about Russia: destinations, events, festivals, lifestyle, travel tips, and restaurant and theatre suggestions.
Our amazing team of travel writers will keep you up to date with what's important, and don't forget, we'd love to hear
from you too so we'll be posting reviews and stories from our customers who have visited Russia recently.
Please see the latest stories below:
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Kamchatka – Russia’s most enigmatic region
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Discovered by Cossack explorer Vladimir Atlasov in 1697 yet off limits to foreigners during the Soviet period, Kamchatka is easily Russia’s most enigmatic and surely its most compelling region. This eastern frontier once played a key Cold War strategic role but now, tourism is not only permit...
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Celebrate Kupala night with us!
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On the night of the 6th to 7th July, Russians, along with Poles, Slavs, Lithuanians and more, celebrate Kupala Night. Also referred to as the Feast of St John the Baptist, this celebration relates to the summer solstice. Remember we in Russia use a different calendar to mark our festivals? That’s why the summer solstice festivities fall i...
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| Recommend a friend and get a £50 reward per person |
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Recommend a friend to Go Russia and if they book a holiday or any other travel related service with us we will give you both
a £50 discount per person to say "thank you". Read more about our
recommend a friend scheme.
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GO Russia, Boundary House, Boston Road, London W7 2QE, UK
tel.: +44 (0) 20 33 55 77 17
e-mail: info@justgorussia.co.uk
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