More Moscow Marvels

Our Moscow weekend with Tyson was definitely one for the books. We experienced some of Moscow's finest marvels – inside the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral – as well as a few choose-your-own adventures.

The Kremlin was a powerful and fascinating place, with many evocative reminders of Russia’s rich history. A few of the Kremlin’s notable sites are: Ivan the Great Bell Tower, featuring the world’s largest bell (the ‘Tsar’s Bell’); the Tsar’s Cannon, a massive (40 ton!) ornate showpiece cast in 1586; the Patriarch's Palace, which provides a glimpse into the life of a XVII century Russian Orthodox Church leader; and several gold-domed cathedrals from the XV-XVI centuries.

My favourite part of the Kremlin was the Armoury, which houses not only armour, but also a remarkable collection of Tsarist riches and artifacts. As a former tomboy, I hate to admit it, but the highlights for me were the Cinderella-style carriages (and winter sleighs) and the extravagant garments including Catherine the Great’s coronation dress from 1745. Jerel and Tyson joked they must have altered the waist afterwards to make her look extra slim as no human’s waist could actually be that small! I also got a kick out of the collection of Faberge eggs and the display of crowns, many of which had fur lining!

The three of us also shared a venturesome trip to the suburbs of Moscow to take in a classical concert at the Arkhangelskoe Estate. On the metro leg of the journey, Tyson joined me in pulling a mischievous prank – sneaking to the next car of the train when Jerel fell asleep. You should have seen how quickly Jerel moved when he woke up at the next station and found two empty seats facing him! He was a great sport and forgave us quickly after we ushered a confused Jerel into our train just before the doors closed. It was pouring rain during the second leg of our journey, and we endured what felt like a never-ending gypsi taxi ride with a chatty man from Azerbaijan. He was very friendly but was disturbingly uninterested in watching the road while he drove, and was also very reluctant to wind up the windows despite the muddy tidal waves from passing cars that were literally drenching us…and to top it off, the seatbelts didn’t work. Tyson and I were both white-knuckled by the end of the ride but Jerel somehow managed to keep his cool (…something to do with years of LA driving?). Thank goodness we were headed directly to a classical concert… by the end of the 90 minutes of wonderful Baroque music, seated in a beautiful intimate room overlooking the estate grounds, we were all mellow and smiling again!

Tour de Moscow

We were recently joined in Moscow for a week by our friend Tyson who is working in Romania for the summer. It was truly surreal to be hanging out like old times – enjoying lingering meals and watching ‘Lost’ or ‘YouTube’– yet to look out the window and see a Russian flag against a midnight sunset!

Jerel was unfortunately very busy with his real-world obligations so I had the pleasure of touring Moscow with Tyson. The long summer days allowed us to take in many sights - both ‘old’ favourites and new territory. Highlights include:

• Red Square – This must-see site is much more vibrant and beautiful than I had expected; flanked on one side by the Kremlin’s magnificent towers, and home to the fairytalesque St. Basil’s Cathedral as well as Lenin’s Mausoleum (which I have yet to enter).
• GUM – Bordering Red Square, this site has evolved from an informal trading market in the XVth century to the grandest mall I’ve ever seen. Tyson and I took refuge here during one of the many recent thunderstorms.
  
• Novodevichy Convent – This UNESCO World Heritage site provides a glimpse into the life of a Tsar’s discarded wife! The convent is still active (after a long hiatus) and is a peaceful and picturesque place to visit, set on a pond and built in the Baroque style.
  
• Moscow State University – Although we didn’t make it inside the university itself (I was literally stiff-armed at the security check!), we enjoyed strolling the expansive grounds and admiring the majestic main building, which is the tallest of the ‘Seven Sisters’ – a collection of Gothic/Baroque style skyscrapers commissioned by Stalin that are sprinkled around the city).
  
• Tretyakov Art Gallery – This gallery houses the best collection of art from Russian artists and spans the XI –XX centuries. Despite my artistic ignorance I was able to appreciate the artistic evolution and get to know a few Russian masters.
  
• Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts – Tyson and I were blown away by this surprisingly quiet gallery which houses an astounding collection of IX-XX century European art (questionably acquired) and is especially rich in impressionist works including famous pieces by Cezanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso and more as well as sculptures from Rodin and others.
  

The list goes on thanks to an action-packed weekend but I’ll save that for another entry as I’m afraid I’ve lost most of my readers with this lengthy one!

Tyson is an avid photographer so feel free to check out his page for an impressive selection of Moscow photos (click here).

One Year Wedding Anniversary

Jerel and I marked our first wedding anniversary on July 1 (ahem, yes, 3 weeks ago!). We had both been hankering for time with mother nature, so we celebrated with a weekend getaway to small lake just outside Moscow (Bear Lake). We weren’t quite sure what to expect as the venue had no website but the prospect of a wooded lake setting within easy reach of Moscow lured us in despite the uncertainty.

In terms of setting and facilities, ‘The Club’ delivered what we had hoped for. We had a spacious room with a balcony, overlooking the forest and lake, where we enjoyed relaxing and rowing about. The lone restaurant was very pleasant, serving tasty food, and offering a scenic patio with comfortable couches. We were pleased to find the hotel and restaurant staff to be unusually eager to accommodate such inept Russian speakers.

When it came to atmosphere, on the other hand, it wasn’t quite what we had in mind…the constant techno music (even at breakfast!) was just a tad disruptive. On the upside, our fellow guests treated us to a glimpse of the fun side of Russians, typically well-hidden behind a serious facade. We greatly enjoyed watching as they laughed and danced the night away to songs like ‘The Ketchup Song’, aided by seemingly endless rounds of vodka shots.