Blogs from Moscow, Northwest, Russia, Europe - page 9

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Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow October 27th 2014

Today we have arrived in Moscow, the Russian Capital!!! The train arrived spot on time at 0830 and after we both had a good nights sleep on the sleeper train (hope the 12 days on this next one are as easy). So our start in Moscow did not go as planned we got the metro from the train station after a massive hike, then went the wrong way on the metro, then could not find the brown coloured metro, then got stuck in a massive queue (was mental Vicky nearly got trampled alive) but eventually we got to the station close to our hostel....or so we thought!!! So after standing around and trying to "get in the map" (my friends quote went over Vicky's head) we asked a few people who didn't really help after walking ... read more
Red Square
See people putting coins in this wall so whine Rome!!!
Red Square

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow October 24th 2014

As mentioned in the prequel I'm actually liking Russia so far, except the coldness both weather-wise and people-wise. Russians are known for being cold, snarky and difficult to deal with in most cases and a lot of that has been true since I came, but there are also very cool and down to earth lovely Russian people also! After a week of relaxing here in Moscow and getting to know my area where I'm living at and meeting some of the other teachers and head people at the company I'm working for here I got my schedule which is a mix of private one on one clients for tutoring and also a few schools mixed in. I was told in my skype interview I wouldn't be given any young kids to teach which has turned out ... read more
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Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 29th 2014

I arrived in "Mother Russia" VERY early in the morning around 4am...it was another 12 hours waiting at the airport as I had a redeye flight to Moscow. The flight was pretty fast though, certainly faster than the flight to Denmark from Moscow. As I made my way to customs and immigration I was a bit nervous as to what questions and interrogation tactics they would be asking me, seeing how my country's government seems to like to fuck with everyone else in the world and the relations between the U.S. and Russia aren't exactly great right now. I was pleasantly surprised that one of the two ladies working the graveyard shift were EXTREMELY nice and even had a laugh about my old 2007 passport picture where I was just a fat mess lol. i said ... read more

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 9th 2014

Our tour day started at 9am and Don and I got to the meeting point 10 minutes early! Miracles do happen. We began at the Moscow Memorial Square. This is a square of various memorials dedicated to those who died in various wars. The first memorial was dedicated to the 7 million civilians who died in WWII. In total 27 million died. The newest memorial, just one month old was the memorial to those who died in WWI. This is similar to the memorial in Tiananmen Square in that it shows working peasants and townsfolk as well as soldiers. Compare with the photo in Day 20 (30 July) of our HK + NZ + China blog. We passed the flower clock made up of 15,000 flowers until we came to the WWII official memorial. The obelisk ... read more
WW-II memorial Obelisk 150m high
Holocaust memorial of human degradation
Holocaust memorial Tombstone

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 8th 2014

We went down to breakfast bright and chirpy after a very long sleep to be met with 10 bleary eyed co-travellers who got in at midnight. We made up our sandwiches and got into the bus for our first excursion of the day. We were supposed to leave at 9am but Don and I were late so we started at 9:09. When our local guide Svetlana welcomed everyone onto the bus she announced today is our guide Michael's birthday. So we all sang Happy Birthday (both styles including Israeli, plus the Russian language of the global version) and we learned his age is like mine and Don's. Our first stop was the Armoury Museum in the grounds of the Kremlin. Kremlin means 'fortress' and indeed this is a well protected zone. It was originally built as ... read more
Bell Tower in Cathedral Square
200 ton Tsar Bell
St Basil's Cathedral

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow September 7th 2014

Sunday 2:15am and we got into the car. I (Lesley) managed to get an hour's sleep, but Don none since his shabbat shluf. En route to Ben Gurion we saw tens of ambulances and several fire trucks and we followed them to the airport. Oh oh does that mean the airport will be closed! We had already had three mini catastrophes at home. Thursday the tumble dryer died. Then a glass lampshade fell off the lights over the table, and knocked over a glass of water too, but amazingly nothing broke! Friday, Don lost a crown and couldn't get hold of the dentist. Our friends Ellie and Steve contacted us 10 days ago and asked if we wanted to join their holiday group, The Trekkers, on a Jewish experience to Moscow and St Petersburg. We thought ... read more
guide Svetlana leads us into Red Square
inside the GUM marketplace
The Choral Synagogue

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 28th 2014

Moscow 22 to 24 August 2013 We have been so lucky. The weather in Moscow while we were there for the 3 days, the sun was shining brilliantly. On our departure day it was pouring with rain. In the 106 days we have been travelling, the rain has only caused a little havoc in Oslo. Other times it has rained, we have been driving or sleeping. Excellent! We left St Petersburg at about 11.00am and found our way to the M10....in a roundabout way!! We had a Garmen GPS that was only showing major roads, and a paper map that showed less roads...but we got there. The journey from St Petersburg to Moscow was one of those new experiences. We have never seen so many trucks on one road, and for 730kms. We estimated that there ... read more
Kremlin Moscow - The Tsar Bell (2)
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Moscow (22)
Pam in Moscow - wow

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 12th 2014

This entry, though lacking in true depth and representation of the country in all its facets and aspects of life, history, and culture, will emphasize certain things about Russia that one can see in Moscow museums. I do not go to any museum, but I select them most carefully, trying to point out the essential things and take photos of specific Russian (and, of course, Soviet) items. As my further progress in visiting the other museums is now a bit hindered (I am lazy to go there after work – it’s surprising that I do much less work there than I used to as a freelancer, but I am much more tired by 5 o’clock already), whereas I still want to share what I saw, I decide to add the entry and update it later. The ... read more
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Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 5th 2014

In to Moscow 4pm Monday, 3500km on trip, nearly half way there. To meet Dmitry in Night Train cafe, what a bikers joint, crowded with Hareleys for a Monday. Then set off to a quiet hotel not by motorway, beautiful night ride along river past all major sites. Day off bike in Moscow to see tourist sites, Red Square - is neither red or square, Lenin still lies in state (but joe missed it - found short cut, much whistle blowing), Cathedral spires are very colourful with beautiful tenor singing (don't russtle y'r shopping), amazing shopping mall on east side of square with shops equal to Harrods & design fur coats (bigger? cirtainly more chic than Mall of America).... read more
university
night_train
shoppin mall

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow August 4th 2014

Seen so many fields since we left home, could not count if I tried, all with no livestock. Really pleased to meet these old girls hanging out in park at Smolensk Russia yesterday.... read more
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