Just a quickie for now...gorgeous weather in Socchi...(cha cha sound...corrected again)...We heard it rained cats and dogs yesterday, so we have really been lucky regarding weather. We were met with a band to mark our arrival in port.

This was a short stop, but it was supposed to have been a really long one. You couldn't get off the ship without a tour, so everyone was on a tour today.

A few notes for anyone doing this cruise. You want to be on the port side. It seems to be the better side. They also now offer "whisperers." These are great for the large tours. They are headpieces you wear and you can hear the guide so easily...no crowding around him/her to hear. Unfortunately, Regent purchased them and they didn't purchase enough for all tours. They really should as they truly improve the experience. They aren't allowed in Russia though. They were allowed in Crimea. If you are planning a private tour, 4 hours for up to 6 people through Regent is $800. This can come out cheaper than some of their tours, so you may want to consider putting together your own groups and custom designing your own tours and letting Regent know before getting on board.

Just some initial quick impressions...more depth later...Socchi is a small, modern city with a mix of post Stalin baroque, typical communist style prefabs and western style high rises. The mountains are 70 kilometers away. It is a hodge podge of styles more like a European city. Since it will be the site of the 2014 Olympics, the city will be undergoing trememdous change...a new passenger and cargo terminal will be built, a new international airport has been completed, and new construction is everywhere. All the roads are teeny and they will be completely redone. Traffic is now a disaster.

There were three ship tours offered...one to a forest, one to a tea plantation and one to Stalin's Daccha and to a health spa. We went to Stalin's Daccha and it was quite interesting. More later as I need to get ready for dinner and the sailaway...need a drink!!

Doug and I want to thank those of you who wished us a Happy Anniversary. We've been so enthralled with this trip and wanted to share I forgot to thank you.