Nevertheless, my incessant pestering did finally coax two very special people into visiting for a week and a half. Working through the process fraught with hurdles and technicalities that is obtaining a tourist visa, settling on dates and booking a travel itinerary more complicated than Napoleon’s invasion plans (FYI they didn’t work out so well for him), our guests embarked on a journey to the great beyond and made the cross-globe trek in one piece, luggage intact! There are hoops to jump through in order to get here but let me tell you, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Moscow and Russian culture is more than worth every second of it.
These two brave, intrepid souls spent ten days with us and I made sure that there was no rest for the wicked! After all, it was imperative that we make the most of the short time they had (10 days really is barely enough to scratch the surface) and there is so much to see and do in Moscow that time was truly at a premium.
Thankfully, the two of them had nothing but time and enthusiasm to spare so after arriving late in the day and coming home to a hearty meal, we decided that the following morning we would be up with the sun and out the door to experience the splendor that is Moscow in the summertime.
Despite public transportation being as efficient as a Swiss watch, we still had much walking in store for us. I fear that I wore them out on our first day! I’m pretty sure that crossing eight time zones didn’t help any despite the two day break in the Netherlands. They were troopers and both sallied forth with nary a peep or complaint the entire time.
This blog post is dedicated to all of our family and friends who may be interested in coming to Moscow but won’t be able to for one reason or another. We truly understand.
If, however, you were to visit, your stay would probably look a little something like this:
** insert yourself into the cutouts in the pictures
Александровский сад (Alexander Garden)
Могила Неизвестного Солдата (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) along the Kremlin wall
The hourly Changing of the Guard
and into Красная площадь (Red Square) where, if the lineups are short, you may get the chance to visit Lenin's mausoleum. If not, there is plenty to see within and without the Kremlin walls. Need a break yet? We can nip into ГУМ for ice cream and a rest on a bench amid shops like Cartier, Tiffany, Max Mara, Louis Vuitton.
Oh! Look at the time on Спасская башня (Spasskaya tower)! Time to head out for some lunch on Но́вый Арба́т (New Arbat) on the way home. For some great Uzbek food and an even better atmosphere, we could go to ЧАЙХОНА no.1 (The Chill-Out Café) where their tea menu is as extensive as a wine list.
Having put in a full day wandering around, it is time to head back home for a rest. Jet-lag has probably taken a hold of you at this point and your feet are more than likely aching from all of the walking. Tomorrow is another day to explore the city - both above and below ground. The exquisite metro stations (watch out for the crowds) are beyond compare; each one more interesting than the last.
After yesterday's long day of walking around the city, it is time to relax and take advantage of the green space and open air of Gorky Park.
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| oversized bean bag lounging in the park |
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| Gorky Park ice cream (note the pose) |
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| Stop, inhale, hip out, exhale and smile! |
Dinnertime sees us off to Goodman's in the Euromall. A steakhouse in a shopping mall?! Well, this is no regular mall and this is no regular steakhouse - the mall caters to the wealthy and elite and the restaurant serves Australian beef. Thankfully it is only about 600 m from our front door. Don't get me wrong - we are not wealthy, nor are we elite but we do live in the 'hood and it is convenient.
Hey, someone has to be the lowest common denominator!
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| You can pose with the giant, papier-mache steer at the entrance. He likes the attention, no bull! |
Alright, you've been here for a few days already. It is time to see some art. Let's head out to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts where the largest collection of European Art in Moscow is housed. I never tire of visiting the Monet, Rodin, Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse master works on display. I'm more than happy to accompany you. To get there, we'll take a trolleybus directly to Kropotinskaya and walk around and through Храм Христа Спасителя. Take a virtual tour here: 360º tour of Christ The Saviour Cathedral.
Here are a few highlights from the collection in the Pushkin to whet your appetite. To truly experience the overwhelming effects of this museum's collection, you will have to personally come and bask in the glory that is a room full of Monet works - including two paintings from his Rouen cathedral series. In the meantime, you will have to make do with these few treats.
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| Kandinsky |
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| Arp |
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| stairwell through the museum |
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| Degas |
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| Renoir |
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| Rodin |
By now we've driven in cars, taken the metro, ridden the trolleybusses and pretty much walked everywhere. The only mode of transportation we haven't yet enjoyed is a boat. Let's remedy that.
No more than 800 m from our front door in the opposite direction from the mall and the metro is the Radisson Boat Cruise launch. An evening cruise up and down the Moscow river truly is a must for any visitor to the city. Pretty much every major landmark is visible along the river and at night watching the slowly sinking setting sun as a backdrop for Red Square is absolutely breathtaking.
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| Cruise map - there is an app that works with GPS to give you detailed info about each landmark. |
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| photos don't do it justice but you get the idea |
Since we've already walked the New Arbat, we should probably walk Арба́т (the Old Arbat). Once a most prestigious address for petty nobility, artists, academics and (during the Soviet period) government officials, it has now become a pedestrian area where artists display their paintings and drawings and many homes have been turned into house-museums. It is now mostly a tourist destination with its cobblestone walkway lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. Арба́т is the place to people watch, where people go to see and be seen. We can have coffee and enjoy a treat here. If we're lucky, maybe even with Mr. U.!
If we are lucky, then tickets to an opera at the Большо́й теа́тр (Bolshoi theatre) will happen. My VIP guests and I caught a performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute. IN order to procure ballet tickets, you almost have to know someone or know someone who knows someone or be very lucky. You can purchase tickets online but the process is somewhat shaky. Despite the hurdles, I managed to navigate the process and now know how it all works. It should be much smoother when you come to visit.
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| *note the requisite pose |
The ballet performances take place on the main stage in the quintessential neoclassical theatre and the operas are presented in the side theatre. From the landing in front of the side theatre, one is afforded a spectacular view of the theatre square.
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| The stage, set for the performance. |
A word of advice, though. We will not be taking a taxi home. 1800 руб is not a reasonable price for the 5 km drive. Just saying. I understand the necessity but the official taxi rates are exorbitant bordering on immoral.
Souvenir shopping is big business here in Moscow as everyone seems to want to sell you something to take home, to "the West". We like to avoid the overpriced "stuff and things" sold in the city center and prefer to frequent the Измайлово (Izmaylovo) market. No trip to Moscow is complete without at least stopping by the market to browse the local art, handmade crafts and antiques. Enjoying a шашлы́к (shashlik) from one of the many good-natured vendors is always a treat and a tiny bit amusing.
Should your visit coincide with a holiday such as Canada Day, we would go to the Canadian Embassy and join the rest of the Embassy families as we celebrate our homeland's special day, Canadian-style. Thankfully we have sponsors from around the city and thanks to their generosity we enjoy food and drink. The most spectacular contribution has got to be from the Lotte Hotel. The Canadian flag cake is expertly created and I hear is as delicious as it looks. I am always too busy taking photos to taste it.
No trip to Russia is complete without experiencing the hospitality of at least both Moscow and St. Petersburg. When time is limited, that is all that you can really see. There are many cities along the Golden Ring that are no more than a day trip away from Moscow but in a week and a half, there really is not much time to see and do everything. You'd ahve to choose wisely and have no regrets for the decisions that you make. Alternatively, you can plan for a longer trip or even to come back a second time. There would be no learning curve the second time around and you could hit the ground running. For now, a quick, virtual trip to St. Petersburg will have to do.
There are many ways to travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg; slow train, high speed train, plane, car, boat. It all depends on how quickly you wish to arrive at your destination (time being a premium here) or if the journey matters as much as the experience for you. The choice is yours. I can vouch for a flight being equally as economical, both in terms of time and money, as the Сапсан (high speed train named after the peregrine falcon). There are others who swear by the experience of an overnight train and others yet who enjoy the lengthy journey through 707 km of Russian countryside.
Whichever way you choose to travel is the right way. I have stayed at four different hotels of varying levels of luxury in the beautiful "Venice of the North" and can recommend a hotel in any price range. This last time through we stayed at the Pushka Inn and I'd not hesitate to recommend it to any traveler. The location is stellar as the Hermitage is merely steps away and the hotel is located along a quiet canal. Russian hospitality at its best is served up here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you were to take the best of Western Europe and mix it with the best of Moscow, then the result would be St. Petersburg. An absolute gem of a city, it is a paradise for art-lovers and history buffs alike. Whether the sun is shining down upon you or the heavens are crying tears of joy on your head (read: pouring like the second coming of the great flood and you're considering building an ark and gathering animals two by two), this city does not fail to impress. Behind every gate, door and palace façade there is always something to pique your interest and engage you.
The 36-hour tour includes culinary highlights, the visual arts and spiritual, natural and architectural points of interest. Follow in our footsteps for the (not so) abridged version.
Whirlwind Itinerary:
Day 1
- early wake-up call for the trip to the airport (ugh)
- non-eventful flight followed by harrowing taxi ride to the center of St. P
- check in to hotel
- Церковь на Крови (Church on Spilt Blood)
- lunch at Singer Café on Не́вский проспе́кт Nevskiy Avenue
- Russian Museum - Russian Modern Art
- down time
- dinner at Tandoor (my favourite Indian restaurant)
- breakfast at 8:30AM
- visit Hermitage (select a specific section, it is impossible to see the entire museum in one day)
- light snack to keep us going
- check out of hotel
- English language boat cruise along the canals of St. Petersburg
- dinner
- 19h25 Sapsan
- taxi from the train station in Moscow back home *if you're lucky the cab will be a Лада
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| A hotel room for one. |
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| The view from the second story of the Singer Café. |
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| The Russian Museum as seen from Михайловский сад -the park next to the Church on Spilt Blood |
This canvas in the Russian Museum captured our attention - for the girl's face, not for any other reason. Sheesh!
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| The Hermitage |
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| I'm glad we didn't have to wait in this lineup! Pre-booked tickets are absolutely worth it. |
The building is just as beautiful as the artwork on display. Sometimes it is important to stop and notice your environment.
Here is a glimpse of what you might see (edited for audiences of all ages, of course!).
Matisse
Picasso
Guérin
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| What a hat! |
With only one more day to see sights before a 10 day visit comes to an end, there are still so many possibilities to choose from. you could do a day trip out to Сергиев Посад to see the Trinity Lavra or to see the love lock trees, or visit the
Третьяковская галерея for more Russian art and culture. If you'd like, there is a brilliant Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center just opened this past November. Not a Holocaust memorial, this museum is in fact a multi-media learning center that teaches about the history of the life of Jews in Russia and the contemporary relationship that currently exists between the Jewish community in Russia and the diaspora throughout the globe.
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| praying in synagogue |
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| woman in a shtetl |
After all of this running around, sharing a glass of vodka and eating pickles and black bread would round off a fantastic and busy vacation.
One last trip to the airport and you're on your way home, having gained a new understanding and appreciation for this majestic country and the riches and wonder it has to offer.
До свидания, мои друзья!
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