On the way to Valday

There is a special aesthetics in dilapidated old buildings, especially when the buildings are as large as the Arakcheev Barracks. In the ruins even today one can still guess the austere classical forms, and the columns are well preserved.

Here you are in Veliky Novgorod. The first thing you should do for lunch is to visit a local restaurant "Zavod" - it's a gastrogobar with "Russian spirit and the smell of Russia", and this is where you can taste the most delicious cabbage soup and pirozhki.

Now go and explore the Novgorod Kremlin, see the ancient fortifications and temples, and be sure to take a picture at the monument "Millennium of Russia". If you still remember the five-ruble banknotes - this particular monument was depicted on them.

Before continuing towards Valday, take a walk on the shore of Lake Ilmen.

Thinking about what non-trivial souvenirs to bring from Valday? How about the products of the local brewery? The beer here, by the way, is not craft beer, but craft beer. It even sounds more soulful that way.

The Valdai region is rich in magnificent scenery, but, alas, there are not many decent restaurants here. The coziest place in the town is a cafe located on the territory of the youth centre "Mesto", on the shore of the Valdai Lake.

Before you go to bed, take a walk along the city promenade and enjoy the beauty of the lake. Do you see the domes in the distance? That's Iversky Bogoroditsky Island Monastery, tomorrow you'll see it up close.

Good night! Dreams after such a busy day are sure to be the most vivid.