From Massandra to Yalta, about two miles, you drive all the way downhill.
Yalta is now a town. It has a fairly calm pier, and ships flying from Odessa to Kerch, and from Kerch to Odessa, stop here twice a week. This is very advantageous for travelers who need to go to the midday shore: they can sail directly to Yalta and from here continue their journey by land, avoiding the tedious and bad road through Perekop and the steppes.
Yalta, without a doubt, will soon be a significant and rich town. Its beautiful valley abounds in water: two fast rivers flow through it and flow into the sea; at the headwaters of one of them there is the famous Uchan-Su (Flying Water) waterfall, falling from a sheer cliff more than ten fathoms high. In early spring and after heavy rains, the mass of water is very large; at other times this stream is insignificant. In Yalta, a cathedral church in the name of St. John Chrysostom is being built on Polykur Hill; hotels, shops, a customs house and many beautiful private houses are being built.
In Yalta, I got into a cart and, without stopping, drove past the rich estate, also called Oreanda and owned by Count Witt, through Livadia of Count Pototsky, straight to Koreiz, to my sister Princess Anna Sergeevna Golitsyna. My heart beat with joy at the thought that in a few minutes I would see a person dear to me, whom I had not seen for so many years, and perhaps for the last time!
Finally I'm in Koreiz! Finally, I hug my sister, the friend whom I have never stopped loving for one minute! I don’t know why our imagination always depicts our beloved persons as we left them? My sister has changed a lot: years and labors have left their mark on her; but her soul remained the same - pure, sublime, noble. She devoted herself to a completely secluded, truly Christian life, prayer, charity and reading holy books. Her home is a haven of peace, tranquility and spiritual silence. I haven't been this happy in a long time! We ran through our memories of the past, talked about our mutual friends, acquaintances, about the events in which we took part in the turbulent years of our youth. She listened to me with attention and meekness, but her thoughts were already soaring above earthly vanities: how many ordeals I still need to go through, how many trials to endure, until I become equal to her!
At the table I renewed my acquaintance with my sister’s inseparable friend, the venerable and virtuous Baroness Berkheim. She recently lost her mother, the famous Baroness Krudener, who died in Karasubazar, and found a quiet haven for her grieving heart in Koreiz. There was also a charming and intelligent woman, Mrs. Sabanskaya, who was visiting her sister. Our conversation was lively, relaxed and filled with warmth.
After lunch, my sister took me to inspect her business establishments. Koreiz is not a very extensive estate, but is beautifully located on the sloping mountains near the sea. Here everything is arranged wisely and zealously: here are the vineyards that bring in a lot of income; here are trees, rare or unprecedented in the Crimea - all this already relates to general and private benefits. Winemaking has been improved through the efforts of the hostess: Korean white and red wines enjoy well-deserved fame on the midday shore. In the evening, gathered in the living room, the sister read the Holy Scriptures aloud; then everyone said goodbye and went to their rooms. The next day and for the entire time I remained in Koreiz, this patriarchal order was not violated.
Having appointed Koreiz as my main quarters, I arranged my raids and visits to surrounding places. My sister had a saddle horse there for me, and I took new rides every day.
I dedicated my first trip to Gaspra, the estate of Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn. The newly built, beautiful Gothic castle with towers, surrounded by a vast garden, produces a charming effect from a distance. It is located on an elevated promontory; from the windows and from the terrace of the castle the views are extensive and charming: in one direction - the sea and its shores to Miskhor and Alupka, in the other - the chain of Yayla mountains and the large road, newly finished, which runs at the very gates of the house; finally, near the garden itself, the beautiful house of Prince S.I. Meshchersky, as if deliberately built to decorate it and as if completely included in his plan. All this together makes up a landscape worthy of the brush of Claude Lorrain. The house, richly and tastefully furnished, is filled with all needs and is waiting for its owner. But the owner has never been here and probably never will: having served at court for too many years, he can no longer part with the capital. Thus, Gaspra Castle is for Prince A.N. a castle in the air, cherishing his imagination!