Has Russia dropped the ball on the Winter Olympics?

[ag]

Well, there are pretty good beaches nearby... Except that, of course, it is winter There are some pretty famous caves also - except they are across the border in an internationally-unrecognized splinter of Georgia, where most people would not dare going and where there is no infrastructure for anything, anyway. I believe, there are some pretty fascinating oil pipelines and port facilities in Novorossiysk as well - it is not TOO far, if you are in for that sort of thing.

Sochi has always been Russia´s Cancun - well, with the obvious caveat that even a Russian can swim there only 4 or 5 months a year and that the hotels and other tourist facilities have always been fairly substandard. A great place for winter Olympics it is.

There are some direct flights from the West. Aeroflot and its subsidiaries fly from Istanbul and Tel Aviv, and are adding a flight from Frankfurt for the Olympics. Turkish Airlines also have flights from Istanbul, and a small Turkish low cost airline flies from Trabzon (as also does one of Russia´s more obscure carriers). Edelweiss (a small Swiss airline) is going to be flying from Zurich and Scandinavians from Oslo for the same purpose. A couple of provincial Russian carriers fly from Milan and one from Prague (keep in mind though, that most Western companies would not let their staff use these airlines for Russian flights: they do this to avoid high premiums that the insurers would otherwise insist on charging, for whatever reason you might imagine). Ah, and Air Moldova flies from Chisinau - also, Europe, of sorts.

[ag]

Well, there are pretty good beaches nearby... Except that, of course, it is winter There are some pretty famous caves also - except they are across the border in an internationally-unrecognized splinter of Georgia, where most people would not dare going and where there is no infrastructure for anything, anyway. I believe, there are some pretty fascinating oil pipelines and port facilities in Novorossiysk as well - it is not TOO far, if you are in for that sort of thing.

Sochi has always been Russia´s Cancun - well, with the obvious caveat that even a Russian can swim there only 4 or 5 months a year and that the hotels and other tourist facilities have always been fairly substandard. A great place for winter Olympics it is.

There are some direct flights from the West. Aeroflot and its subsidiaries fly from Istanbul and Tel Aviv, and are adding a flight from Frankfurt for the Olympics. Turkish Airlines also have flights from Istanbul, and a small Turkish low cost airline flies from Trabzon (as also does one of Russia´s more obscure carriers). Edelweiss (a small Swiss airline) is going to be flying from Zurich and Scandinavians from Oslo for the same purpose. A couple of provincial Russian carriers fly from Milan and one from Prague (keep in mind though, that most Western companies would not let their staff use these airlines for Russian flights: they do this to avoid high premiums that the insurers would otherwise insist on charging, for whatever reason you might imagine). Ah, and Air Moldova flies from Chisinau - also, Europe, of sorts.

Lol, Aeoroflot. Over my dead body...

Actually, ex-pats almost have to fly Aeroflot inside Russia (all via Moscow): most foreign employers would not even think of paying for anything else

Aeroflot is not too bad, BTW. Food is quite decent and the plains are fairly new. Also, same alliance as Delta-KLM-Air France.

[ag]

All gays can breathe a sigh of relief!
_____________________________________

President Vladimir Putin said Friday that gay people have nothing to fear in Russia as long as they leave children alone.

Putin met with a group of volunteers in the Olympic mountain venue at Krasnaya Polyana on Friday to wish them success at the Games. During a question-and-answer session, one volunteer asked him about Russia’s attitudes toward gays, a subject that has provoked worldwide controversy, and Putin offered what was apparently meant to be a reassuring answer for visitors to the Olympics.

“One can feel calm and at ease,” he said. “Just leave kids alone, please.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-gays-will-be-safe-at-olympics-if-they-leave-kids-alone/2014/01/17/e6f8c47e-7f7d-11e3-95c6-0a7aa80874bc_story.html

Has he also mentioned, that Jews should be ok too, as long as they do not put any blood of Christian boys into the matzo?

[ag]

Granted, I doubt we'll have another MS Estonia anytime soon, but I think I'd prefer to fly all the way to Russia than to to fly to Finland and then take a ferry.

Especially, given that the ferry would live you a two-day train ride (or a domestic Russian flight) away from the Olympics.

[ag]

The real irony is that Aeroflot actually operates a couple of Boeing planes as well... with a friggin hammer and sickle on it!

More than a couple Boeings, actually. Though, of course, they are, mostly, Airbus. Very few Russian plains left at this point. Hammer and sickle might be a tad archaic - but, hey, are you sure you would have preferred the two-headed Chernobyl Chicken instead?

[ag]

BTW, apparently, it is not enough to buy tickets to Olympic event. You also have to get a "fan passport" - basically, a security clearance from the KGB (ok, it is now called FSB). And quite a few Russian activists are being refused.

At least, if you are refused they will, apparently, refund the money for the tickets.