Camel from Kyzylkum

Christmas in Austria was my first Christmas in December. In the Soviet Union, the New Year was a big holiday for everyone, and Christmas was celebrated by Russian Orthodox on January 7th.

Before Christmas, we went from house to house along the road to a little town to sell the souvenirs we had brought with us from the Soviet Union. We usually walked in groups of three to four people. The typical items for sale were photo cameras, French perfumes, Russian cutting boards, Russian scarves, and so on. I had only one or two sets of Russian cutting boards for sale.

We knocked at a door. When it opened, we presented our items, explaining, mostly through gestures, that they were splendid gifts. Absolutely amused, Austrians politely looked through the items, often buying some of them—our prices were so cheap that it was hard to resist. We were happy with any amount of money we could make.

Big, fluffy snowflakes were falling and painting white the roads, the slopes of the mountains, and the roofs of the houses. Light smoke calmly drifted from the chimneys. Houses were dressed up with Christmas lights and decorations. The sun was radiant in a clear blue sky above. Silence rang in the air. It was an oasis of serenity.

The two-plus months that I spent in the tranquil and beautiful setting of the Alps mountains in Austria helped me to regain my physical and emotional strength. I was curious and ready to take on whatever would come next.