When the exams were over, I decided quite spontaneously to reward myself with a trip. I bought the tickets a week before the flight and arrived in Azerbaijan, the country of lights. My adventures took place in the capital and its surroundings, and during these five days, I created my impression of this unique region.

No doubt, when you arrive in a new country that you have never visited before, butterflies flutter in your soul, and you start paying attention to every tiny detail, trying to enjoy every moment spent in this unknown, yet already so intimate place. On the way from the airport to the hotel, I was surprised by the variety of fences for private houses along the dusty highway. In Moscow, you mostly see unattractive stockades, however, here residents establish barriers of various designs. It is very lovely to drive along this road, especially when it is sunny and warm enough outside.

So what is so interesting about Baku? This city is divided into two parts: the new one and an old one. The architecture of the new city includes both French-style streets and Dubai-style skyscrapers, as well as many buildings that reflect the distinctive nature of the town.

I started my trip with a night tour of Baku. This decision was great because most of the city’s attractions are illuminated at night. The view from the embankment reveals the Flame Towers, which nocturnally create a special play of light and shadow throughout the city. You can see the Crystal Hall built for Eurovision 2012, the National Flag Square, where sands the largest national flag in the Caucasus weighing 500 kilograms, and the beautiful Caspian Sea washing the coast of Azerbaijan.

The next tour I took was in the Old Town. This place, translated from Azerbaijani Icheri-Sheher, is an “inner city”. This part of the town is fenced with a fortress, and you can get there by transport only with a special pass. However, pedestrians can enter the city free of charge at any time of the day. Every street and every stone here is filled with history. Here the spirit of centuries is reflected in majestic walls and narrow alleys, revealing the wealth of culture and architectural heritage of the city. In particular, the Old Town Gate is a great example of medieval defensive architecture. But the Maiden Tower is the main symbol of the town. It was established in the 12th century. There are many legends about the name of this tower. The main one is that the Shah wanted to marry his daughter to a man she didn’t love. Then she climbed to the top of the tower her father had built and jumped off. The remains of an ancient temple were found near the tower, erected above the place where Bartholomew, one of Jesus’ apostles, was executed. There is also a Palace of the Shirvanshahs nearby that was built in the 15th century. This palace was the residence of the rulers of Shirvan and served as a centre of cultural life in the Middle Ages.

Then I participated in the nine-hour tour around Baku. The first point of destination was the Bibi-Heybat Mosque, which is one of the city’s first mosques. It is famous for the fact that it is the place where four descendants of the prophet Muhammad were buried. Then we visited the Gobustan. It’s an archaeological reserve, on the territory of which is located the Petroglyphs Museum of the Paleolithic. This exclusive site preserves more than 6000 cave images depicting the life of people and animals, as well as pictures of hunting, dancing, and rituals. In 2007, this place was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The next place I loved most was the mud volcanoes that looked like alien landscapes. There are more than 700 volcanoes of this kind in the world, and 354 of them are located on the territory of Azerbaijan.

The second part of the tour was dedicated to enjoying nature. Yanardag, which in Azerbaijan means “burning mountain”, is a natural gas source located in the vicinity of the capital that has burned in continuous flame for millennia. The final point of the destination was the temple of fire-worshippers of Ateshgah, built in the 17th-13th centuries B.C. It was used for the worship of fire and became a place of pilgrimage for representatives of Zoroastrianism and Hinduism.

This voyage showed me that travelling in winter can also be beautiful and diverse. In February, spring is already felt in Baku, and there are not as many travellers as during the tourist season. The sun calls you to go out for a long walk on the promenade along the Caspian Sea. Restaurants have opened street terraces to look out, and residents already enjoy walking around the city in the evening. The air temperature rises to +15 degrees centigrade during the day.

Baku is the cleanest city I have ever been in. It has a great system of water pipes, sewers, and public baths. The bathhouses also performed several functions: not only it was the place to have a wash and exchange news and gossip, but it also was an appropriate place for a mother to find a bride for her son, as this was the only place where you could see women in all their beauty.

Indeed, Baku is a city of amazing destiny. The troops of Julius Caesar marched on this land, his streets were praised by Russian poets Mayakovsky and Yesenin, and film directors made well-known films as “Amphibian-man”, “Diamond Hand”, “Don’t Be Afraid, I Am With You” and “Headless Horseman” printed pictures in the streets of Icheri-Sheher. Eventually, to understand how fascinating this city is, just read the words written by Azerbaijani singer Muslim Magomayev about his hometown: “And at night the stars pale from your lights, and there is no sky more native to me, no land native to me.”

The moment my slipper-clad foot stepped off the plane, I felt the cold breeze of the fjords on my cheeks. Even for summer, it was extremely cold, so before we got to the hotel room, our goosebumps compelled us to rush to the store to buy warm, waterproof jackets. It quickly turned out that our outfits couldn’t defend us from the Norwegian weather and its rapid gusts of wind. It was a cold beyond cold. Then I caught myself staring at the local children who were waterboarding in wetsuits right in the city’s river canals. I found the idea of swimming in glacial city waters delusional. Do Norwegians not feel the cold? Are they made of glaciers themselves? In a country so beautiful and authentic, it wouldn’t surprise me.

In Norway, water surrounds you in all its forms from glaciers to fjords. Norway is built on fjords. They were formed from glaciers lying on top of the mountains , which crushed the rock as they melted. Now, overflowing with fresh glacial water, these aquamarine mountain lakes cascade down from dozens of meters in the form of waterfalls. You can really see the beauty of the water when it is illuminated by the Norwegian sun. Imagine its rays meeting the water in the humid air, the gray haze lifting and raindrops exploding into massive rainbows over the roaring landscape.

Norway is perfect for sport activities from kayaking to cycling. One of many things that an adrenaline junkie can do here is fly between edgy mountains, waterfalls and forests on a zipline. I was hit by a cold, wild mountain air and I felt my nose had frozen. The crisp icy air and the magenta of fresh raspberries were so vivid, I started seeing the light blue smell of icy rivers and the emerald green of the forest leaves.

But nothing we saw could compare to the wilderness of the roads that we cycled on after the zipline. Two gigantic rams that were fighting with huge clown-like horns. Newborn goats that camouflaged themselves in gray rocks. Small wild berries that tasted like forest candies. These were the treasures that accompanied us on our cycle through the peaks and troughs of the mountains. Hitting the brakes of my bike right after the first turn, I nearly ran into a fluffy bleating mass of goats! The ups and downs were so traumatic, I had to carry my bicycle up the last few hills.

It’s safe to say that Norwegians are natural sportsmen. In fact, according to the Guardian 77 percent of Norwegians spend time in nature on a weekly basis and 25 percent do so most days. I verified it myself on a hike. It took me hours to walk up the mountain wearing a sweater but also a raincoat and a knitted hat, and on the way back, I saw a group of blond four-year-olds running towards the top without t-shirts!

So who are these fairy-tale people with aquamarine eyes like the glacial lakes and with hair and skin as white as mountain peaks? They are perfectly educated, fit, wealthy and, simply put, happy. We visited a village with about 30 houses and were surprised to see that the main alley was full of bookshops and small outdoor libraries. To my surprise, in a small village library I found dozens of books written in a variety of languages from Norwegian to French and English. According to 2022 estimates, roughly 90% of the population speaks English.

The condition of the libraries is maintained by the locals; the whole system of buying and returning books is built on trust and honesty. It says a lot about the rural values. It felt as if democracy was inserted in the DNA of their culture. Elderly but able people are hiking mountains and building businesses just like the youngsters. We met a 70 year-old-lady who ran a farm with over a hundred cows, as it happens that the main job (from feeding to walking the cows and cleaning in the stalls) was done by robots that she programmed. Can you imagine your granny running a business and programming an army of robots? Despite its rural past traditional values, Norway is a highly technological and advanced country.

Norwegians have an incredibly expensive life, but, at the same time, they have corresponding salaries. You can expect to spend your monthly salary on a casual breakfast; don’t choke when you see a 500 rubles receipt after a glass of orange juice in the morning; and be careful not to go green with envy when you find out that an electrician in Norway earns 500,000 rubles a month.

Visiting Norway was a life changing experience, because the county’s ecosystem is very different from what an average tourist is used to. You can sense the dominance of nature at every glance. You feel tiny: the landscape is so untouched and undamaged by people. Norway is very different from other countries, where people force nature to fit into their comfort. Norwegian cities are built around the forests and the fjords. People there have found the balance between the highest technologies and simplest joys.

What do you imagine when you hear the word “Africa”? Maybe lions? Or a desert? Or a complete lack of civilization? What if I tell you that the capital city of South Africa – Cape Town – resembles a seaport in Holland? Or that South Africa’s vineyards are appreciated as much as the French ones?

South Africa is the motherland of humanity. I had long dreamed of going there for a while, and in June 2024 this dream finally came true – my family and I boarded the plane to Cape Town. Two weeks in Africa made me fall in love with the country and its people.

Cape Town was nothing like I had expected it to be. The boundless ocean stretched out before us, an endless expanse of blue. While collecting seashells we came across some oysters shells – it was funny seeing oysters on the menu later that night, alongside with ostrich and kodoo steaks. The city was a mixture of cultures: the architecture reminded me of Amsterdam (not surprising since South Africa was colonised by Holland), and around us was the vibrant life of Africa. A group of locals were playing djembes – African hourglass shaped drums. The music flowed in such a cheerful, flamboyant way that you wanted to dance.

From Cape Town we drove to the Cape of Good Hope. I often tell my friends that I got thrown into the ocean at the edge of the world – and it’s no joke. Here is how it happened. The Cape of Good Hope is located at the southern tip of the African continent, which really makes it the last bit of earth. Having explored the cliffs, we headed to the deserted beach that lay below. My sister and I climbed one of the rocks and stood on it, overlooking the waves, when a giant wave came – and swept us away… When we stood up, all our clothes were soaking wet, but we were laughing our heads off. I’ve never felt more alive.

Our next stop was the safari park Invendorn. The morning was amazing, but even more stunning was the night – we went stargazing. We didn't have an official stargazing tour, because the sky was clouded, so we went to look for the stars on our own. Not only did we see the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere: we saw the power of human love. Under the starry sky we met a young couple: the man was a local resident, and the girl was from Costa Rica. They met during winter holidays in London. Now, two years into the relationship, they both lived in South Africa and were raising a baby penguin! It was a Christmas present from the young man: South Africa has its own penguin colony, and local residents can adopt a penguin to raise it properly. Of course, when the penguin becomes a grown-up, they have to release it into the wild. This way Africans help the colony to prosper.

Our last destination was Stellenbosch. After exploring the city, we headed out for a wine tasting. Against the sweeping mountain backdrop and a panoramic patchwork of vineyards lay the Delaire Graff Estate – the best vineyard of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. “Delaire” translates to “from the sky”, and, indeed, the wine there was heavenly
not to mention that the manor itself sits high on the slopes of Botmaskop peak. The wine tasting took place in a huge hall with a fireplace and panoramic windows. In fact, our first impression was not visual – before everything else we heard a jazz melody: someone was playing the piano. The musical instrument stood by the window, and we saw its silhouette against the misty mountains.

Soon enough we were offered a set of fine wines: two rich, soft reds; two crisp, fresh whites; one balanced, elegant rosé. The sommelier who had brought us the wines pointed out some peculiarities of each one: a bouquet of flavors in Cabernet Franc Rosé; the oaky, smooth taste of Shiraz; the chocolate flavor notes in Pinotage; the sweetness and subtleness of Sauvignon Blanc; the fruity elegance of Chardonnay. We enjoyed the wines accompanied by the jazz sounds. Having played a few pieces, the musician stood up.

I was amazed by the pianist’s technique and the way his improvisations flowed freely. He seemed to have noticed my admiration, because he winked at me while passing by our table. I decided to play a piece too, and “Summertime” by George Gershwin was my choice. When I finished the piece, the pianist came smiling to me and offered to play a duet. Two complete strangers were strangers no more.

My most cherished memories about Africa are of the people I met there. J. Steinbeck once said: “All great and precious things are lonely”. I cannot agree with that. This trip showed me that every moment becomes more precious if shared with somebody else. According to the old saying, strength lies in unity. I believe that, at the end, a constellation twinkles more brightly than a single star.