Banyas and Burials

The best part about Russia is the Banya. The worst part about is Russia the banya.

Yes, donning nothing but my humilty I survived an oak twig and leaf lashing at my very first banya.
Banyas are all the rage in Russia so there was no going back when I was graciously invited into a private banya that closely resembles a sauna. The light beating is supposed to relieve tension and stress and invoke calm and tranquility. It did neither. However, a naked dip in the pool after the ordeal helped. I'll refrain from posting photos ... maybe next time.

24 hours later...

Before I bid farewell to Tula our tour guides have a surprise visit to the Tolstoy museum 20 minutes from the city. This is one of the world's most famous and visited museums but thankfully we hit it on a slow day. We explored the grounds where Tolstoy lived, worked and died including the small black leather couch he was born on and the plot of earth he's buried under. It was astonishing to hear he spoke 5 languages fluenty and knew up to 15. He was a profound thinker, imaginative writer, heroic advocate for the poor and of course, somewhat of a ladies man. Supposedly, there were dozens of illigemite children running all over the countryside in the late 1800's.

Where he found the time to exercise his vices while writing "War and Peace", I will never know.