After the conference they took us on an overnight trip to Suzdal in the red van, very happy to have scored a case of Czechoslovakian beer, something like Pilsner Urquel but different. (I asked them about Russian beer but they didn't want to let me near it or even see it.) Many things were scarce or unavailable in the Soviet Union, but some other things were both universally available and very good, such as chewy fresh-baked crusty bread, hard-boiled eggs, and vodka (often flavored with peach or peppercorns).