Moscow, I Love You, Pt. 2

Monday, May 2, 2016

When we first arrived at our hotel the previous day I noticed some really colorful buildings in the distance. Anything weird and vibrant usually catches my eye, so I knew I wanted to check it out. We decided to start our day by seeing what was around our hotel and that was our first stop. It was the Izmailovsky Market, and it was the most whimsical place I have ever seen! I'll blog about it in the next post, but it was so cool and definitely worth the stop if you are in Moscow.

We didn't spend much time in the market because we had a lot we wanted to do and we started our day late. Oops. We caught the metro to Gorky Park, which is one of the most suggested spots in Moscow to visit. We walked through it quickly so I can't give a good recommendation for it, but there was so much going on! This is why I need to go back to Moscow. Five days just isn't enough.

We took a bridge from Gorky Park over the river. It let out right by the Ministry of Defense, and I couldn't help but think, "Is this where are the Cold War action took place?" Probably not, but it was kind of intimidating to be near the building. Near the exit of the bridge there was a vending machine with an assortment of Japanese drinks. A talked me into buying the American coffee because he thinks I need anything labeled "American." Plus, let's be honest, I will buy anything coffee flavored. The can was REALLY hot when it came out of the machine. I didn't drink it until the next day, but it was surprisingly tasty!

We were both getting hungry so we took the metro to the Kitai Gorod station because there was a restaurant nearby that A suggested. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a seat in the restaurant so we went to Крошка Картошка, which Anton described to me as the Russian McDonalds. I didn't think I'd like the baked potato but after eating half of A's I realized that is what I should have ordered!

A's phone died shortly after we ate lunch so we stopped into Krispy Kreme to use an outlet and get fat on donuts (like I said, A told me I need to do all the "American" things). When his phone was sufficiently charged we took the metro to a store so A could buy a phone for his dad's birthday. Then we took another metro (we rode the metro A LOT) to AFIMALL City to admire the skyscrapers. One thing I love is that Moscow is so grand without being riddled with skyscrapers, but the few skyscrapers you can find are the most interesting looking buildings I have ever seen.

As we were leaving the mall A got the directions mixed up, and we ended up riding the connecting train twice. I was annoyed, but what can you do? We finished the night by running across the street to buy some beer and beer snacks. I haven't had cider in a long time because it's really hard to find in Ufa, so it was nice to be able to find some in Moscow.

What has been most surprising to you about my trip to Moscow so far? The skyscrapers definitely surprised me!

Moscow, I Love You, Pt. 1

Sunday, May 1, 2016

I don't think I can say enough about how much I loved visiting Moscow. There is so much to see and do, and it's unlike any other city I've visited. It's a mix of European, Orthodox, Soviet, and modern architecture and there is history every where you go. Can you tell I love buildings and history? A and I spent the first three days just walking around the city, and we still haven't explored everything! We are already planning to go back this summer!

We arrived in Moscow around 7 am and waited around the VKO airport until 8 when we could catch the suburban train to the city. We couldn't check into our hotel until 2, so we decided to leave our baggage at the train station and then went across the street to a McDonald's for breakfast. We aren't exactly foodies and we were really hungry. Don't judge us! From the McDonald's and the train station you could see the modern skyscrapers in the distance. It was an awesome sight to see in my first hour in Moscow.

Afterwards, we decided to go to the center of the city, near the Kremlin and Red Square. Since we arrived on Labor Day weekend there were a lot of parades planned. We didn't actually take that into account when we went to the center, so we were surprised that everything was blocked off. There were policemen everywhere! It was really hard to figure out where to go and find a way out of the metro. Eventually, we just went through Охотный ряд (the mall near Red Square) and found an exit to the outside. We were only working on three hours of sleep, so I really just wanted to stay there all day, but A convinced me to get up to try to find another way to the Kremlin. Of course, I knew I would be right and that every entrance would be blocked, so we stopped into Кофе Хауз for a drink since we were really thirsty.

By the time we were finished we needed to go grab our bags and head to the hotel. I usually prefer to stay somewhere cheap, but since A is a freelancer and needs to work we stayed at Izmailovo Alfa Hotel. I would actually recommend the hotel, and, although it's far from the center, it's right across the street from a metro station. We both fell asleep as soon as we got in the room. I woke up around 5 and made myself get up because I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep that night if I slept until 9.

We went back to Охотный ряд to get Mexican food at Chico's California Grill for dinner. I miss Mexican food so much so I usually take any opportunity I can to eat it when it's available. Also,  if you go to the website you'll notice it looks like a Chipotle knock off. Oh, Russia. By this time Red Square was open again, so we did the typical touristy things like take pictures near St. Basil's Cathedral and walk around ГУМ (GUM).

The amount of Soviet flags I saw that day was mind boggling.

If you are planning to go to Moscow I would highly suggest checking out Polly's blog, Let's Love Local. She has quickly become one of my favorite bloggers, and she has tons of information on Moscow since she lived there for 5 years. We followed some of her suggestions on our trip and every single one was great. She has an extensive guide for purchase here.

Moscow, A Video

I think it's safe to say, "I LOVE MOSCOW!" Some people will gasp, but I think Moscow is better than St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but Moscow just has so much to offer. I made a quick video of my trip to Moscow last week. This will hold you over until I finally get around to editing the pictures from my trip!

April Weekend

The weather this April has been great, and I've been welcoming it since there has been snow on the ground since October. It's been cold this past weekend, but I love not having to bundle up in layers. I would walk outside and start sweating in 60 degree weather. I am starting to think that maybe I am built for the cold.

Ufa Street Art

Ufa hasn't really delivered on the graffiti and street art. I've been really disappointed with what I've seen. When I came across this art piece near ВДНХ on my birthday it was like the universe was telling me, "Happy Birthday." It's not much, but I was so attracted to the colors and the pop art motif. I was also surprised to find this in Ufa. I even thought to myself, "Did I just walk through a space/time continuum and get dropped in some other city that isn't in Russia?"