Jake: Hi, Mary. Long time no see. How are things?
Mary: Oh, hi, Jake. I'm fine, thank you.
Jake: Are you getting ready for college? The start of the new academic year is in a week already.
Mary: Yes, I know. It's not like I'm really keen on studies, but after such a good summer it's not so bad to come back to college.
Jake: Did you have a good summer? You are so lucky then.
Mary: I did. Didn't you?
Jake: Well, I stayed in town the whole summer. I had a summer job as a waiter in a cafe, plus we moved house, and it's no easy matter.
Mary: Oh, I see. You didn't really have any chance to recharge your batteries then.
Jake: Maybe next summer will be better. I'm trying to be positive, you know. Well, that's enough about me. Tell me about your amazing summer. You went travelling, didn't you?
Mary: Yes, I did. I think travelling is absolutely necessary if you really want to have a good rest.
Jake: So, where did you go?
Mary: You might be surprised, but my parents and I decided to go to Russia.
Jake: Russia? Come on, you must be joking.
Mary: Not at all. You know, my mum has been learning Russian for a while and she got interested in the Russian culture. So, finally, my dad and I agreed that it might be a nice experience and we don't regret it a single bit.
Jake: You must have visited Moscow and St Petersburg, then. I know these are the two biggest and most beautiful cities in Russia.
Mary: Well, we spent a couple of days in Moscow, but then we took a tour around the Golden Ring.
Jake: The Golden Ring? What's that?
Mary: The Golden Ring unites several Russian towns and cities. They are quite old and have a lot of churches and cathedrals. I think the route is called so because of that. I mean, the colours of the domes.
Jake: It sounds so interesting. Did you take many photos?
Mary: Of course. Besides churches, many of these cities have Kremlins. These are ancient fortresses to protect the cities against invasions. Most of them are still in very good condition and function as museums of local history.
Jake: Was it a guided tour?
Mary: Yes. The tour guide was a very nice Russian lady with excellent English. She knows so much about all these places. I even made some notes.
Jake: Maybe I can drop in some day and you'll show me your photos and the notes.
Mary: Of course.