“Are you sure we aren’t in Russia?”

Adele

.....I asked father. Since I had never been past the Atlantic Ocean, I had no idea what I’d find there, but it could not have been much different from what we wandered into at Brighton Beach. People speaking in foreign tongues, signs in another language….better yet in another alphabet altogether (I later found it was Cyrillic). No one spoke English at all. It was fascinating and exciting! I wandered into one of the many fur shops and tried on huge, full length furs with hoods….I know now that there was probably no place near Pittsburgh where one could wear such a coat. But, later in my life I would find many destinations to appreciate such a coat! Like the Nordic countries, the South Pole, and even Alaska…..

I did not purchase a coat that trip, but I will always remember the fun I had dreaming of doing so…..astoria

By the by, check out my Russian-inspired coat:

Josephine
http://www.etsy.com/listing/92394356/
russian-inspired-slit-sided-walking-coat

By the by, I never again visited Brighton Beach…..but in the very short time I was there, I felt a true sense of community. The people were kind and the welcome was warm. I recently came across other people's memoirs of Brighton Beach and found them heartwarming.
The world is one big community now, but there really is no place like one’s home:

http://www.brightonbeach.com/Brighton_Memoirs.html

Adele

By the by, I just read in a mag that Adele, the grammy-winning singer, just purchased a $3.1 million Brighton beach home! I thought that was so very exciting to be near Coney Island and all....but alas Archer corrected me.....it must be the Brighton beach in England! After all, the article also said that it was only a five minute commute to her boyfriend's office, and that would be a quick skip across the ocean. Silly me! I suppose that means she'll be leaving her haunted mansion!

Adele

By the by, check out my fabulous black brocade coat, Adele, a tribute to Adele! at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/95296748/black-brocade-walking-coat-with-vintage

By the by, to go back to the beginning and catch up to all of Astoria's adventures: http://buttonbroadmemoirs.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-this-my-100th-birthday.html