Each night there was a dance right in our hotel, from about 20:00 to 23:00 sharp!! As you can tell by the moves of the dancers, this was not for seniors?? Lol.  That just happens to be Phil Hill (and Pam) dancing > Phil is an octogenarian, I kid you not!!  That very same evening Roy Norman, who is 1 year senior to Phil, was moving so rhythmically that I suggested to him that his African genes were showing!!!  I am guessing that the crowd was in their 40s +; and they were Russians, and they were friendly, and they could move to the rhythm > something not normally attributed to Russians.  (see pic top)  And while on the topic of dancing and good times, I suggest you check out this Slide Show, Pix by Sebastian Runge!!!  http://photopeach.com/album/fsiy6d 

Sochi claims to be the longest city in Europe stretching 145 km along the Black Sea against the background of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. Its population is about one half a million. We drove from the Airport to our Hotel and generally moved about the city on our excursions.  The driving portion of each excursion was about one hour.  NOTE: We did not always drive on what we would call an express-way; we drove on many winding and heavily trafficked streets with more than normal pedestrian traffic.  And now to my point: At no time did we see a traffic signal!! (Lois says she did see 1) Pedestrians had no hesitation in crossing the streets > albeit at marked cross-walks. The traffic stopped in every instance that I observed.  I don’t know about you but I do not remember sitting in traffic!!  Think of the fuel one would save by reason of not stopping “a million times” at traffic signals!  I believe there is an axiom that Travel Broadens the Mind; it may be money well spent to have some of our city traffic engineers experience Sochi.  Most are so accustomed to Thinking inside the Box that traffic only gets worse while pedestrians continue to be treated as 3^rd class citizens.

You may also wish to read:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sochi#2014_Winter_Olympics_and_Paralympics

Stan Writing in Calabogie, ON 2011 06 04 14:00  and updated 2014 01 24.