A welcome bread

April 2013


 



A river cruise with dinner, but I didn't take this one,
Moscow, 2013

When I was in Moscow my guide arranged us to go on a river cruise that included dinner. 


 

Before I got onto the boat, the waiter asked me to wait at the pier.  He got back into the boat and then held out a dome shape load of bread about 15-inch diameter, decorated with floral patterns, there was a handful of salt on top.  It is an old custom in Russia for welcoming guests.

 



The welcome bread, Moscow, 2013

He pushed the bread towards me as a sign to take some.  I did not take any but smiled at him and took a picture of it.  He did not know what to do and offered me the bread again, and indicated I should take a piece of bread and dip it in the salt.  Since a lot of people were waiting to take a picture of him and the bread, I did not dare to touch it, I stepped aside and watched them.  The waiter smiled at us and spoke to the captain.  I do not know what they were talking about.  But I think they could not understand why we kept taking photos instead of eating some of the bread.

 

At last a man did what the waiter wanted and took a piece of bread, then everyone else did the same thing.  I had some too and felt the bread was still warm.  I told myself I should have had some when it was just baked.  It would have tasted so much better, I like hot food very much.



The tasty welcoming bread, Moscow, 2013

The most tasty food at the cruise,
except the side of the bun, Moscow, 2013

 

I thought we kept the bread waiting for so long, its feeling toward us was cooled.