July 8

We docked at Sochi, our only Russian port for this cruise.  Sochi is different from most other Russian cities in that it is a sub-tropical seaside resort and will be the location for the 2014 Winter Olympics.  Russia still has its cold War paranoia and an expensive visa is required to go about on your own.  Any of the ship's tours include a visa that is valid for the tour only and it wasn't possible to wander around on our own, which we would have loved to do.  Sochi is a beautiful city with an abundance of trees, flowers and other green stuff throughout the city.  The city was only established in 1832 so there aren't any old historical buildings.  We began the tour by walking along the promenade which follows the beachfront.  It was beautifully landscaped and we saw 1800s, Soviet style and modern buildings.  There is a lot of construction happening in preparation for the Olympics.  We got back on the bus and drove outside the city to Matsesta Spa Springs, a therapeutic sulfur springs area and the main attraction in originally settling Sochi.  Russians would go there for rejuvenation and eventually they picked up on the concept of becoming a seaside resort as well.  It was a Sunday and also a holiday for their patron Russian Orthodox saint so families were about everywhere, especially on the many beaches.  The highlight of our tour was a visit to Joseph Stalin's dacha.  After having several visits to Sochi for sulfur therapy, Stalin decided to build his own dacha, or country vacation home.  It's not like a weekend cottage but a very large complex with many rooms, an indoor pool, billiards room, meeting rooms, a movie theater and work area.  We were amazed at the size of the place.  We spent over an hour at the dacha learning its history and about how charismatic and innovative Stalin was.  The guide was young and I doubt if her history learning included Stalin's purges and atrocities, however the information was interesting.  The weather was ideal and when we returned to the ship we could look out over the town and see the crowds at the beaches and wish that we had the freedom to explore on our own.