·· Yuri Belov > Personal

Travel

Russia

In the Soviet times the absolute majority of our people could travel only within borders of the USSR. But travel was fun then, and it was inexpensive too. With my parents I went to various parts of our vast country.

My father had a car (then it was a rarity!), and we made trips to Latvia and the Crimea. We also went to my father's and mother's native villages (Father was born in the Chuvash Republic in the Volga region and Mother in the Moscow region).

But what I liked most was going by train! It was such an adventure! The clatter of wheels, night stops at obscure stations, even the "railway" tea cup holders - all this special "life" on the train excited me.

Flying was also fun, but it was brief and, thus, not so impressive.

Nowadays, I do not feel like travelling in Russia, because it is unsafe. Also the overall condition of our society and of our cultural heritage is depressing.

Maybe in 20 years' time I'll be glad to travel Russia again. Now I prefer to live and travel elsewhere.

I emigrated from Russia in 2003. Then I visited it briefly, last time in summer 2009.

Canada

Between 2003 and 2007 I lived in Québec City, Canada, which has become my second home country.

I haven't travelled in Canada much, except in the beginning, with my Canadian ex-girlfriend.

I visited Montréal a few times, and in summer 2003 I went on a trip to the east of the Québec province and to New Brunswick.

Other countries

I've been always interested to go abroad, but got the first opportunity only in the 1994, with the fall of Communism. Then it was a trip to Sweden.

In the 1990s I travelled mainly on business. Later I began to go abroad on my own, though not so frequently.

Here are the countries that I visited in the recent years:

	Finland In summer of 2005 I stayed one month in Tampere. (Then I lived in Canada again.) In summer 2007 I moved from Canada to Finland and lived one year in Tampere. From September 2008 to January 2009 I lived in Pargas. From February to May 2009 I lived in Karis. From September 2009 to present I have been living in Turku. I have also visited Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Vaasa and Jakobstad.
	Sweden I was in Linköping briefly in 1994 for a summer course of Swedish. Then lived and worked in Delsbo as a caregiver (1999 - 2000). In 2008 I participated in the European Social Forum in Malmö as an interpreter. In September 2009 I studied in Uppsala university, but had to leave, because I had not found affordable accommodation.
	Italy I spent there two weeks in 1999 as part of my job; it was a terrific holiday as well!
	Germany It was a brief business trip in 1995. I went all over the country: Berlin - Frankfurt - Stuttgart - Sindelfingen - Friedrichshafen - Munich - Berlin!

These countries have made the biggest (positive) impressions on me.

A few other lands I've seen:

France - just the Paris airport! (on the way between Canada and Finland in 2005);

Estonia - on the way from Sweden in 2000;

Netherlands (only Amsterdam) - on the way to Canada in 2003;

Republics of the USSR: Turkmenistan (Army service in 1985-87), Georgia, Ukraine (esp. Crimea), and Latvia.

Mongolia - I lived there with my parents in the early 1970s.

I'd like to travel more in Europe. If possible, live there permanently. It is in Europe that I feel at home.

Visited countries. Create your map

Visited countries in Europe. Create your map

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