The Last Czar

On July 17, 1918, the last Czar of Russia Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children were brutally murdered by revolutionaries known as the Bolsheviks. Though the Bolsheviks claimed to have murdered the entire family, their bodies were mutilated and subsequently buried in unmarked graves which led to speculation that the youngest daughter of the five Romanov children, Anastasia, had escaped.

The rumors seemed all but confirmed when just a few years later a mysterious woman appeared in Berlin and was admitted to a psychiatric facility. The legend of the escaped Grand Duchess and the notion that the mysterious woman could be none other than Anastasia swirled across Europe and continued well into the 1980s. But were the rumors true?

The Bolsheviks, whose revolution would eventually create the ruling communist party in Russia, sent the Romanov family to live in exile in a small house in the city of Yekaterinburg. For 78 days the family was held in five small rooms under constant surveillance as their captors grew increasingly paranoid about a possible rescue attempt.

On the morning of July 17th, the family was ushered into the basement where a bloodbath ensued. Overall, the executions had taken 20 minutes. The bodies were then stripped, burned by fire or in acid, and buried in an abandoned mineshaft. The family’s burial site remained hidden for 61 years following their execution. During this time, the anonymity of their burials and the knowledge that the children had jewels hidden in their clothing, led some to believe that a child could have escaped. Rumors spread and several impostors attempted to claim the royal fortune.

Perhaps the most famous impostor of Anastasia Romanov was an unstable young woman named Anna Anderson. In 1920, Anna attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge in Berlin. She survived and was brought to an asylum without any paperwork or identification.

For six months she refused to identify herself and didn’t speak a word to the hospital staff. When she eventually did speak, it was determined that she had a Russian accent. Combined with the distinct scars on her body and her withdrawn demeanor, this inspired theories among the hospital staff and the patients.

At least four other women would come forward all claiming to be the missing Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov. These women appeared in different corners of the world at varying times: one appeared in Russia in 1920, another in Chicago in 1963. But none were more famous or had a more believable case, than Anna Anderson.

When Anderson eventually left the hospital in Berlin, she was accosted by the press in an attempt to confirm whether or not she was the Grand Duchess. Since the fall of the Romanov dynasty, Russian aristocrats who were able to escape the Bolshevik takeover had spread all across Europe along with the rumors of Anastasia’s resurrection. Anderson was able to find housing with various aristocrats who had been friends to the Romanov family despite the fact that Anastasia’s former nursemaid, tutor, and many other former servants denied that she was the Grand Duchess.

In 1970, a judge ruled in court that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that Anderson was the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Anderson was eventually identified as Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker who had gone missing shortly before Anderson turned up in Berlin. She died in 1984.

The burial site of the Romanovs was discovered in 1979, but this information wasn’t made public until 1991 because two bodies were still missing. One of the missing bodies was Alexei and the other was Maria, one of the Czar’s four daughters. But because the corpses were so damaged, the notion that the missing daughter could be Anastasia persisted.

That was until 2007 with the discovery of two more remains near the site. Their DNA showed that they were the bodies of Alexei and Maria with Anastasia having been identified among the bodies from the previous burial.

I came across a news article…actually, it was a few of years ago…about the Russian government's desire to reunite the remains of their last imperial family in one place—the czar, czarina, and their five children. However, the mission was not without roadblocks, namely the need to satisfy skeptics about the validity of all the remains.

On September 23, 2015, Russian investigators exhumed the body of Czar Nicholas Romanov II and his wife, Alexandra, as part of an investigation into the family's death a hundred years ago—in 1918. It's part of the ongoing attempt to confirm that the remains really belong to Nicholas, Alexandra, and their children. Some of the family's remains were tested in the early 1990s (the early days of DNA testing) with the results being that the scientists were pretty confident that it's really them. The remains exhumed at that time included the czar, his wife, three of their children, and several servants. Two of the children, Alexei and Maria, were unaccounted for at that time. But the officials weren't able to convince the Russian Orthodox Church about the authenticity of the remains.

The church officials have not come out with their exact reasons for doubt. There had been some discussion about the Romanov family having been canonized in 2000 which made the remains holy relics which required a different way of treating them. In general, church leaders say they just aren't convinced. The church's approval is important for bringing the family's remains together.

The church did, somewhat reluctantly, allow the family's remains to be interred in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg where most of Russia's other czars are buried. But the church still had not accepted the family's identities in spite of the fact that several rounds of DNA testing had occurred.

When the remains of Alexei and Maria were subsequently located (their identities confirmed by DNA testing), those remains were left sitting on a shelf because the Russian Orthodox Church balked at the idea of adding them to the family tomb. The church says it believes the family's remains were destroyed and won't change their position until they are 100 percent sure in spite of the DNA confirmation.

In February 2016 the church once again blocked the reuniting of the remains. Currently, the most prevalent explanation is that the church hierarchy wants to avoid the decision because either choice would alienate key factions. Rejecting the bones will anger some Orthodox adherents, particularly those outside Russia, while accepting them will incense a conservative domestic faction that believes the Soviet government somehow faked the original burial at the time and those aren't the real remains of Czar Nicholas II and his family.

And the entire effort remains in limbo. 

15 Things Americans Do That Are Odd In Foreign Countries

A while back, I came across a list of things American tourists are guilty of doing in foreign countries. Things that we obviously don't give a second thought. Some are merely odd and others are considered offensive.

Expecting American Food To Be Everywhere

When traveling in a foreign country, if you're looking for McDonalds or Starbucks, you won't be disappointed since these chains and many other familiar ones are readily available worldwide. But that doesn't mean you can order your favorite food item. These franchises succeed in foreign countries by accommodating local tastes and customs.

Exposing Your Toes For All To See

In some Middle Eastern and Asian countries, feet are treated as the filthiest part of the body. Americans don't view toes this way, so our lack of foot concern comes off as strange and impolite. In many countries, you're expected to take off your shoes before entering a room and don't point your feet in anyone's direction. In other countries, showing the bottom of your feet is considered very rude.

Dressing Inappropriately

A surefire way to stand out as different when traveling in a foreign country is to dress like an American. Shorts, skirts, and short-sleeved shirts might seem like smart choices, especially if you're visiting a place that's hot all year or traveling in summer. Depending on where you go, your exposed skin could be offensive. Not only do these fashion errors make us stand out, they can mark us as tourist targets for scammers and criminals.

Wasting Food And Water

When Americans decided that bigger was better (as they used to say at McDonalds, do you want that super-sized?), we also began wasting resources at a dangerous rate. All-you-can-eat buffets, huge food portions, and needlessly leaving water running while brushing our teeth or washing our hands makes us one of the most wasteful countries in the world. Places like France have passed laws making food waste for supermarkets illegal, encouraging businesses to donate it to charity. When in a foreign country, conserve like a local.

Expecting Rush Service

Expecting quick service while in a foreign country is the quickest way to get a double glance from the locals. In the U.S., our tipping culture encourages fast service. In most countries, tradition requires little or no tip. As soon as you complain that you've been waiting too long, don't be surprised if you are ignored completely. [On one of my trips to London, we sat in the lobby of the hotel for three hours hanging on to our luggage because nobody could find a key for our room. The hotel manager apologized by saying, "I know things happen quickly in the States…" After another hour, I finally insisted that someone use a passkey and let us in the room so we could deposit our luggage. It was the next day before they could produce a key for us. The hotel had actual keys rather than the electronic key cards that the registration clerk swipes and assigns to a specific room when you check in.]

Wearing Fanny Packs

If you don't like the idea of wearing a money belt because you think it's too touristy, then just wait until you decide on a fanny pack in another country. They are far out of fashion's reach and visually mark you as an easy target.

Putting Ice In Everything

Ice is an automatic part of American life. We want it in every cold drink. We fill ice chests with it to go to the beach or camping. We even changed the design of freezers to produce more ice quicker. If you weren't born in the U.S., you probably don't understand our fascination with ice. If you're from the U.S. and are traveling in a foreign country, back off of the ice requests. [At a pub in England, ice was available in a small ice bucket like one you would have in your house. It was located at the end of the bar with a tablespoon rather than a scoop which allowed the customer to get ice cubes one at a time from a small supply. If you requested ice in your drink, the bartender pointed to that ice bucket. This was a small neighborhood pub, not the bar in a major hotel or a restaurant.]

Giving Rude Hand Gestures

Americans tend to communicate with our hands, some more than others. Even automatic things like offering a hand shake when meeting someone or giving a thumbs up or an ok sign can be misinterpreted when done in a foreign country. And in China, pointing is very rude.

Using Your Left Hand

Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian, and African countries all have one thing in common—they expect food to be eaten with the right hand only. Common practice for those of us who are right-handed. But for you left-handers, they consider the left hand unclean.

Not learning Local Phrases

In case those born in the U.S. don't realize it, English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. That's why it's particularly hypocritical when we travel in foreign countries that we expect the locals to know at least a few English phrases. Showing cultural respect can be as simple as memorizing a greeting and a couple of basic questions. Americans expect everyone coming to our country to speak English. On the other hand, when we travel to foreign countries, we expect them to accommodate us by speaking English. Very rude, indeed.

Showing Bad Table Manners

Just because we use knives, forks, and spoons doesn't mean other countries do, too. It's ok to use utensils if available, but you should know what is and isn't considered rude at the dinner table. Bad manners—eating anything with your hands in Chile, using a fork to shovel food in your mouth in Korea, putting used chopsticks on your empty plate when you've finished eating in Japan.

Requesting Menu Changes

In the U.S., no one would give a second though if someone requested more salt or pepper in a restaurant, in fact, salt and pepper shakers are common as part of the table setting. In Europe, this might insult the chef since it changes the way he prepared the food. And don't ask for a 'doggy bag' for your leftovers. They might think you intend to feed their food to your dog rather than finishing your meal in the restaurant.

Smiling At Strangers

Maybe we're wanting to show off our expensive dental work or just want to be polite. Whatever the reason, Americans smile too much, especially at strangers when we make eye contact. In some foreign countries, that could get you a nasty look in return.

Talking Too Loudly

The U.S. is an expressive culture. Freedom in America means you can usually be as loud as you want, mostly wherever you want. But when U.S. citizens travel to foreign countries, we attract attention by raising the volume of our voices a tad higher than everyone else in the room. Make sure you aren't the annoying tourist who won't pipe down.

And finally, there's…

Writing Dates Backward

Unlike many places in the world, we don't use metric measurements, our spelling system makes no sense to anyone else (even in the U.K. where English began), and our date format when written as numbers is out of order. While most countries use the DD/MM/YYYY format, we've stepped outside the box since July 4, 1776. We write the numerical date as MM/DD/YYYY. When you travel, be aware that 07/04/2022 is the 7th of April 2022 and not the 4^th of July.

Travel Trivia: 10 Miscellaneous Facts From Around The World

Now that people are starting to travel again, last week I blogged about quirky questions tourists ask.  This week I have some travel trivia for you. I came across an article that listed bits of trivia about various travel destinations.  Little snippets of miscellaneous information usually not included in travel guides.  Things I found interesting.  I hope you find them interesting, too.

1)  Mt. Everest

It's a commonly known fact that Mt. Everest, on the Nepal–Tibet border, is the highest point on earth.  You'd think that would be enough, wouldn't you?  Well, apparently it isn't.  The precise height of Mt. Everest is somewhat disputed.  It's generally thought to be 29,029ft (8848m) above sea level.  And that interesting little fact?  It's still growing!  Mt. Everest is pushing upward at a rate estimated to be 4mm a year thanks to the clash between two tectonic plates.

2)  Mexico City

While Mt. Everest is growing, the interesting little fact about Mexico City is that it's sinking at an average rate of 10cm a year which is 10 times faster than the sinking rate of Venice, Italy.  And the reason for this?  Mexico City was built on a soft lake bed and subterranean water reserves have subsequently been pumped out from beneath the city.  The result?  The city is sinking.  In fact, I saw a news story a while back about a large new sinkhole that appeared in central Mexico and is growing.

3)  Vatican City

The world's smallest independent state, 44 hectares (110 acres) is totally encircled by Rome.  The Vatican's Swiss Guard still wears the uniform inspired by Renaissance painter Raphael.  Its population is 800 with only 450 of those being citizens.  It even has its own coins which are legal tender throughout Italy and the EU.

4)  El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles

What is all that?  In English it's Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.  It's the shortened version that's better known today—the city of Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California.  The town came into being in 1781 and today, in an area of downtown Los Angeles referred to as Olvera Street, there is a cluster of museums, ancient plazas and lively markets providing a taste of life in 1800s Los Angeles.

5)  Nuestra Senora Santa Maria del Buen Aire

What is all that?  In English it's Our Lady St. Mary of the Good Air, better known today as the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina.  It's the best spot to savor the tango.  Don't take the tango lightly in Buenos Aires.  It's serious business.

6)  London Underground

London's Metropolitan Railway was the world's first subway, opened in 1863.  The first section ran between Paddington and Farringdon and was a hit in spite of the steam engines filling stations and tunnels with dense smoke.  Today, if you ride the Circle Line between Paddington and Covent Garden, you'll travel part of that original route.

 7)  Venice, Italy

As mentioned earlier, Venice is sinking.  But in the interim…one of the things immediately associated with Venice are the gondolas on the canals, especially the Grand Canal.  Each gondola is made from 280 pieces of 8 different types of wood.  The left side is larger than the right side by 24cm.  The parts of a gondola represent bits of the city—the front echoes its 6 districts, the back is Giudecca Island, and the lunette is the Rialto Bridge.

8)  Great Wall of China

Most everyone knows this is the largest military construction on earth.  However the part about it being the only man-made structure able to be seen from space is an urban myth.  The sections were built by independent kingdoms between the 7^th and 4^th centuries BC, then unified under China's first Emperor Qin Shi Huang around 210 BC.  A not well known fact is that the sections near Beijing which are most visited by tourists are reconstructions done in the 14^th to 17^th centuries AD.

9)  Table Mountain, South Africa

This large plateau of sandstone looms over Cape Town.  But this huge table has its own table cloth.  The plateau's cloud cover gathers across the flat top and spills over the sides when the wind whips up from the southeast.  You can reach the top by hiking trails or cable car.

10)  Uluru, Australia

This is probably the world's largest monolith, rising from the Australian desert.  More commonly known for years as Ayers Rock, it is now referred to by the Aboriginal name of Uluru.  The rock glows a fiery orange-red color, especially at sunset.  Where does its red color come from?  It's made from arkosic sandstone which contains iron.  When exposed to oxidation, the iron rusts thus providing the red color.

Quirky Questions Tourists Ask

We're at the start of the summer tourist season (in the Northern Hemisphere). After the last two years of pandemic stay-at-home, people are wanting to get out. Some of us will be tourists and some of us will encounter tourists. And tourists invariably ask questions.

At one time or another when we were in school, we've probably all heard a teacher say that there is no such thing as a stupid question in an attempt to get us to express our curiosity about something without being embarrassed.

However, as an adult that old adage doesn't apply to all situations.  The travel industry is filled with weird, quirky, and in some cases just plain stupid questions asked by tourists.  Here's a sampling of some from various sources.

Actual Questions Asked On Cruise Ships:

Does the crew sleep on board?

Is the island surrounded by water?

What happens to the ice sculptures after they melt?

What time is the 2 o'clock tour?

Can you see the equator from the deck?

I know that ships often serve smoked salmon, but I am a non-smoker.

Can the iced tea be served hot?

Will I get wet if I go snorkeling?

Should I put my luggage outside the cabin before or after I go to sleep?

Does the outside cabin mean it's outside the ship?

Where is the good shopping in Antarctica?

And cruise ships aren't the only place that tourists seem to have absurd questions.  Here are some actual questions received by Australians from foreigners, along with some well-deserved replies.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? (question from the UK)

A:  We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q:  Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (question from USA)

A:  Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q:  I want to walk from Perth to Sydney—can I follow the railroad tracks? (question from Sweden)

A:  Sure, it's only 3000 miles, take lots of water.

Q:  Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (question from the UK)

A:  What did your last slave die of?

Q:  Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (question from USA)

A:  A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.  Aus-tra-lia is the big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not…oh forget it.  Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night at Kings Cross.  Come naked.

Q:  Which direction is north in Australia? (question from USA)

A:  Face south and then turn 180 degrees.  Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q:  Can I wear high heels in Australia? (question from the UK)

A:  You're a British politician, right?

Q:  Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (question from Germany)

A:  No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers.  Milk is illegal.

Q:  Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (question from Italy)

A:  Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q:  Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (question from France)

A:  Only at Christmas.

The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom put together an international list "of the most inexplicably simple queries fielded by tourism officials."

Are there any lakes in the Lake District?

Why on earth did they build Windsor Castle on the flight path for Heathrow?

Is Wales closed during the winter?

Why did they build so many ruined castles and abbeys in England?

Do you know of any undiscovered ruins?

And here are some tourist questions asked at Niagara Falls:

What time do the falls shut off?

How far into Canada do I have to go before we have to drive on the other side of the road?

How much does it cost to get into Canada and are children a different price?

And here are some goodies from Minnesota:

I'm coming in July and want snowmobile rental information.

We want to tour the Edmund Fitzgerald. (the ship sank in Lake Superior during a storm in 1975)

One traveler asked to see the bridge in Minnesota with the arches.  She was shown various photos, none of which were the bridge she was looking for.  She finally identified a picture of the St. Louis Gateway Arch as the bridge she wanted to see.  She was given directions to Missouri.

And finally…these tidbits.

One tourist to Scotland asked what time they fed the Loch Ness Monster.  Another visitor to New York City thought they would end up in Holland if they drove through the Holland Tunnel.  A traveler in Miami asked a tourism official which beach was closest to the ocean.

So…I guess the bottom line is to maybe think about that question a second time before you actually ask it.   :)