Kerelian Balsam

My sweetie and i took one of those clowning-for-orphans tour in Russia 12 years ago. When we arrived in the industrial city of Petrozavodsk (Peter's Factory), we visited the children's ward of a hospital. Bill turned on a faucet to fill up his squirt gun, and the water came out brown.

Afterwards, we walked through the streets in our clown costumes, receiving lots of nods and smiles. Someone told us of the local specialty Kerelian Balsam, so i bought a bottle. Kerelia is the area just east of the border with Finland. Balsam is a hard liquor composed of 28 herbs and roots.

I'm not sure what i was thinking. I had already given up drinking alcohol, but when in Russia.....

Bill pulled the unopened bottle of Kerelian Balsam out of the liquor cabinet the other evening when we were both having coughing fits, and he poured himself a healthy swig. At least, i hope it was healthy for him.

I'm happy to report our coughs have stopped. It must be all those herbs and roots. Good for what ails you.