Winter memories of summer feelings

Author's name: Dostoevsky

Translated by Sami Al-Daroubi

In 1862, Dostoevsky made his first trip abroad. He passed through Germany and reached Paris, where he stayed for only ten days. He then traveled to London for two weeks, returned to Paris for another two weeks, and then left for Geneva, passing through Basel. In Geneva, he met his friend Nicholas Strakhov, and the two friends visited Italy together. Strakhov later wrote, “Neither nature, nor buildings, nor monuments of art interested him; his attention was entirely focused on the people.” This great explorer of the depths of souls focused his entire attention on the people in the streets, in theaters, and in cafes. He attempted to understand the psychology of each nation during this brief journey, which lasted about two months.