Power Trip: Day 2

Upon arriving in Suzdal, we started our search for a place to stay the night. We had heard you could stay in a monastery, so we asked around, and after a few missteps, eventually found it. I've personally never stayed in a monastery, and the Rizopolozhenski Monastary seemed like a great place to start (although I'm pretty sure they doubled the price when they saw how tired we were, those nuns will get you if you don't watch out). 

The grounds for our monastery were spectacular

Things got a bit sultry with the leopard print furniture

We managed to catch some fantastic views as the sun set over the sleepy town.

I've mentioned before that I love running in new locations, and this was no exception. The air almost had a sweet flavor as I breathed it in, and I did so deeply on a  countryside jaunt. About three people (which ends up being just about every single person I saw on my run) actually stopped me to ask what I was doing, or to just talk...another small-townity that was more than welcome.

The next morning was filled with visiting as many of the temples that dot the quiet village as was possible. Some highlights:

                             

I kind of got us lost on this one, and we took about an hour detour. Luckily, we had bought ice cream beforehand, so  spirits were high.

  

The wooden ones were really cool, and they had a little district dedicated to things made of wood.

Having packed the day with small-townities, we headed back for Moscow, this time taking the much more comfortable fast train.The trip ended up being such a great little escape from the hustle and bustle of Moscow, and the fantastic company didn't hurt either.