Oshawa in Moscow

After visiting the GUM store off of Red Square I followed Kitai Gorrod around the trendy area of Moscow and came across their version of the Ritz Carlton. Parked in a lane across the street was this very nice example of fine Canadian craftsmanship. I was not the only one photographing it either. Moscow's growing elite have created quite the car culture and there are man sports, luxury and SUVs on the streets of Moscow. Their main streets can be as wide as 18 lanes at some points and it is not unusual to see cars clocking 80 and 90 clicks per hour on city streets (including the taxi you are riding in). U-turns are common and it is not unusual to see hand-brake or drifting-style u-turns at speed which makes for very exciting times on the streets of Moscow, especially if you are a pedestrian. I have video from our first evening in Moscow when we make only to the half-way point of crossing an 18 lane section and had to wait for the next light.

Peter and Paul Church - St. Petersburg

Sorry to be bouncing back and forth but these are photos from the famous Peter and Paul Church on the north bank of the Niva River in St. Petersburg. Its steeple is one of the most recognizable in the area and for many centuries.
It is now the home of Catherine the Great and many other members of Russian Nobeltry.
Note the donation box. It is unlikely that it will walk off easily.
This is a very beautiful church and well worth the visit. I purchased a pair of cut-glass tea vessels that have their own siver and gold caddies and spoons and that are traditionally used on trains and in special places to serve tea. They are for our anniversary this year and hopefully we will be able to use them on a Baltic Cruise that we are planning for next summer of fall to celebrate our fortieth anniversary next year.
Stay tuned for details as we will be looking for people to join us in the trip and celebration that will take us to St. Petersburg for at least two days during the cruise. We will keep you posted on plans.

The GUM Store - Red Square - Moscow

This store caters to the many, many millionaires in Moscow. They have been a fast growing sector in the past two decades and this store hosts a Millionaire's Expo each year. It offers many options for this group who are different from many millionaires in that they like to spend their newfound wealth that comes from capitalist persuits.
Cars on offer often go for one million plus and when I was there Audi was having a promotion. The vingtage cars are all Audis and pristine examples. It runs to three levels and three concourses and there are bridges linking the concourses. There is lots on display, all high end and much of it quite attractive.

Kitai Gorod - Moscow

These are buildings in the Kitae Gorrod, or old market area, of Moscow just off of Red Square and behind the GUM store. Many date back to the 1200s and are very representative of old Moscow. The building middle left is the Chamber of Commerce if I remember rightly.

The "New" Tretyakov Gallery and Art Park

Across from Gorky Park is the arts area. When you take the tunnel under the street to get there, it is just full of artist stalls with various artwork for sale. When you first imerge on the other side, you are greeted by some wonderful statues, many very modern and others that are more tradional. Furhter along is a long tent-like structure with even more artists stalls and starving artists passing the time between customers with chess. Given the traffic at the time I would say that a lot of chess gets played.
Across the park is the very large "New" Tretyakov Gallery that appears to have been new a number of years ago. Like a lot of things in Russia and Moscow in particular, things are a little run down and very few things look new.
The cars are artistically decorated and very cute and the motorcyle and rider took some patience and the right moment to artistically complement the statue.
When I left the area to walk across the bridge that spans the Moscow River, I discovered yet another long string of artists stalls outdoors along the highway that parallels the south bank of the river.

A few Russian Friends and Aquaintances

A few of my new Russian friends. As foreigners you are not always greeted with open arms in Russian and people can be cool and in some places even rude, however my experience showed that many just need time and a bit of encouragement to open up. The first is a father and daughter who we met on the train to Moscow. He is in the credit business and she is a 14-year old student who just wanted to practice her English and learn more about the West. She ended up adopting us and we played card games with them and they taught us a Russian game. The cat is the cat from hell at the Petersburg hostel and while it had attitude and a face only a mother could love, it jumped up and looked for some attention while I was working on my blog. The bear is a mascott in the same hostel and has been either a victim of too much love or the cat from hell. My guess is the latter.
The biker is just and neet icon and we did not end up on intimate terms, fortunately.
The girl in front of the iconic church is another Russian icon and one of my "trophy" photos. It was a chance encounter and brief but left a lasting expression. Her smile says it all. Russian women love to pose.
The nice blonde lady with Boo is the Food Services Manager at a new Marriot Courtyard Hotel that has only been open for a month in St. Petersburg. I dropped by for the food and beer and she was a bonus. She dropped by to chat each of the three nights that I ate there in the bar and it was the last night that I ended up with food poisoning from the salmon.
The lady with the jewelry sold me a silver filigree and amber crucifix and chatted for quite a while and saw that it was specially packaged and gave instructions to not open it before I got home so that its special powers from the amber where not disipated.
The last group is the university students who were junior Provodnistas on the passenger cars on the way to Moscow. Alex dropped by first to chat and practice his English and then to play chess with Greg.
There were many more but for the most part, we found the Russians to be very warm and friendly when given the chance.
Oops, almost forgot to mention the very special Russian-Canadian widow in her 60s who I sat with on the plane ride home. She was very charming and interesting and is looking for love so if anyone knows a nice single man in his 60s and willing to travel to Markham, I have her number! Sorry, no picture available.

Gorky Park - Moscow

Back in 1928 this park was established as a place of culture and recreation for the citizens of Moscow. It is kind of their version of the Toronto Ex and has a midway that is right out of the 50s and 60s. Commonly referred to as Park Kultury, it overlooks the Moscow River and was a ten minute walk from where we stayed. The rides are very nostalgic and a bit hokey and very much reflect American culture, not Russian.
Still, it was a great place to spend part of an afternoon on a hot sunny day in the summer. It is a bargain at 80 Rubles but can get expensive if you like your rides and have lots of patience as they take a long time to load and are over in a flash. Note their version of the Princess Gate constructed in 1955.

Home Sweet Home

Well, dear followers, we are home at last and how sweet it is. A hug from Mary Ellen, a nuzzle from Adam our cat and all is well with the world. Long trip home and very tiring but managed to not crash till 9 last night but was up by 5 this moring and hungry. A good sign after having survived food poising in St. Petersburg on my last night and a major heat wave in Moscow that saw Ange and Greg being overcome by the heat, being sick to thier stomachs and seeking refuge in an air conditioned hotel their last night. I toughed it out at the Moscow Home Hostel with very little air moving and hoofed it down to a tram to catch the 7 a.m. express train to the airport. We were in the air by 11 and back in Toronto just after 1:00 local time and were greeted by cooler temperatures (by Moscow standards) and a gentle rain.

“This is a serious abnormality. The Russian weather service has never measured such temperatures in Moscow in July,” said Dmitry Kiktyov, Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia.“According to our calculations, it hasn't even reached its peak yet.”

Found the above on line this morning and it about summs it up. Will do some posts of pictures from the trip today and through the week so stay tuned. I have lots to share from a very wonderful trip. There was so much to see and the people, for the most part, where wonderful.

I will be creating separate blogs for each segment of the trip to better summarize my experiences and impressions for any of you who might be considering travelling to any of these areas in the future. I have a ton of pictures but will be selective to share only the best and most interesting.

Next year is our fortieth wedding anniversary and Mary Ellen and I are looking into details of a Baltic Cruise with friends and relatives for next summer or early fall. This would include as stop in St. Petersburg and a chance to see all that this very beautiful city has to offer. I now have some insight and first hand knowledge so it should be fun. Stay tuned with details.

The End is Near!

Well followers, as with any trip there will be some things that are not always what you hope for. As with my travels in Peru I have been hit with a bad case of food poisoning. Despite my best precautions it would seem that I fell victim to some undercooked sea food, again! Ironically this was at a very nice new Marriot hotel that I discovered in a side street. It was a nice change from hostel life. Airconditioned, only a month old and great service. This was the third meal that I had there and the others had been top notch.
After four hours of vomiting and severe runs in a very small bathroom in the middle of the night at the hostel I was pretty wiped. No way of keeping it quiet either when everything is pretty public in a hostel. Luckily the meds kicked in before we caught the high speed train back to Moscow at 3 on Wednesday. That was a wonderful experience. Sleek and modern and at speeds over 200K it was a real treat. They even had a service where they would arrange a taxi for you at the end of the trip. This was a pleasant change from having to fight for a taxi at a fair rate and all the stress. As promised we were met on the platform by the driver. Coincidentally there was a porter with a cart as well. Unfortunately we forgot the rule that if it has wheels and moves either you or your bags you will pay for it. The porter held bags hostage until he was paid double what the taxi fair would be. It was a very imperfect end to a perfect trip that day.

Must wrap for now as there is now a line up for the computer and I can't get the WIFI to work. I am resting up today and hope to get back out to see more of Moscow tomorrow before we leave on Saturday. Home is looking to be more and more welcome after a wonderful but tiring trip. Do it again? In a heartbeat.

The Hermitage from the Inside Out

Wow! and double Wow! The Hermitage has lived up to its reputation. It is a magnificent museum in the grand style and reflects artistic history from around Europe and Asia. The building itself is spectacular and the gems that it houses are amazing in terms of both quality and variety. I spent almost four hours there and barely scratched the surface but now have an appreciation of the size and complexity of the museum. It is three floors and 4 buildings with so many hallways and exhibit areas that even with a floor plan you constantly get lost and discover new things that you missed on the first time though an area.

it is imensely popular too. I was there just after 10 and it opens at 10:30. The lineup was almost the depth of the iner courtyard when I got there and double that by 10:30 so it was after 11 when I was able to get in. When I left just after 3 the lineup was still to the end of the courtyard and it is only open until 6. On top of that were all of the tours that come in a separate entrance. Some were from the cruise ships and others were city tours. I was lucky that I was relatively early and was able to get into some of the more remote sections when it became very busy.

It is certainly a place that you could spend a week in. I am looking forward to returning again next year with a game plan in place to see things in more detail. This is my second major museum in two days so my culture cup runneth over!

The Rusian Museum in St. Petersburg

Wow. The history of Russia in art and artifacts. A curator's delight.

Moscow - Red Square, Kremlin area

Who knew that the Kremlin could be such a fun place. Red square and the Kremlin are very impressive but the surrounding carnival atmosphere provides a very interesting contrast. The church at the end of the square is very much a Moscow icon but when you approach it with balloons for sale blowing about it gives it a bit of a Disney feel.

A Day in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg offers a wide range of sights. July is White Nights celebrations as it stays bright until well after 11 p.m. and first light is very early. It is not quite the midnight sun as you get in Alaska in the summer but it is further north and the days are longer so there is more time to enjoy life by daylight. The heat is bringing out the sun bathers both male and female and all shapes, sizes and ages. There is a very free spirit here in terms of dress and self expression which makes for good sight-seeing.
There are a few beaches along the river Niva but many find that embankments near ponds in public parks or along canals work just as well. Some go topless but most just bare what they can.
Fashion statements usually include high heels and shorts or very short dresses and skirts which allow for maximum vitamin D absorbtion. Period costumes are also very much in vogue around the historic sites.
Cathedrals, churches, and huge historic buildings provide for wonderful vistas and often house some very fine art, artifacts and national treasures. It makes for a very interesting range of entertaining views and experiences.

Meet my new Russian friend.

This is the same girl with the interesting architectural features that was in the foreground of the previous picture (and the same Church, the Church of Spilled Blood, in the background)
My experience here in Russia has shown that Russian Women, regardless of age, seem to automatically strike a pose, often showing their best profile, and almost instinctively when a camera appears. This lovely lady asked me to take her picture with her camera and so I asked if I could take one of her as well . She more than happily oblidged and thanked me very much. Got to love those Russian women. It certainly seems that the cold war is far behind us.

Lots to see in St. Petersberg

This is the famous Church of the Resurrection in St. Petersburg, also known as the Chuch of Spilled Blood. It is very popular with tourists as you can see and a standard feature on all local book covers and calendars. There is a very nice market in the lane next to the Church and the canal and tour boats are to the right. The young lady in the foreground seemed to be facinated with the domes and also added complementary architectural features of her own.

Great first day in St. Petersburg. Did about 8 to 10 K just getting to see the main sites for a quick look and will go back to see more during the next few days. Climbed over 200 steps up the Central Post Office dome for a spectacular view of the main downtown area of St. Petersburg. Realy awesome so far.

End of the Line in St. Petersburg

We are finally in St. Petersburg, our final destination on the trip. We still have some days left in Moscow before flying home but this was to be our big one along with Moscow. We took the overnight train out of Moscow at 12:45 last night and arrive just before 9:00 this morning. We tried third class and it was very interesting. There are no compartments and therefore no privacy. We had our usual configuration of bunks with a table in the middle but no end walls or doors and where the corridor would normally be, there was an extra set of bunks. It is real communal living and a lot of warm bodies to heat things up before the train pulled out and the air conditioning kicked in.
Just as we were settling in the Provodnista that runs the car came around asking for our tickets. This was after having shown our passports and tickets to get into the car. This came as complete surprise as we were already tucked in. I looked for my ticket and could not find it in any of the usual places. Worst still I could not find my passport that was with it. I did not panic but there were some anxious moments with the Provodnista hovering over me demanding the ticket, having emptied my pockets, carry on bag several times and still no luck. When we had gotten on it was chaos trying to get everyone on the car with all of thier bags and gear, getting rolled up matresses and sheets into place from overhead storage and trying to fit all of us into space already crammed with bags to let others get down a very narrow aisle. Eventually the passport and ticket were found under some bags and under my bed but not after lots of coaching from fellow passengers and me getting down on my knees to beg the Provodnista not to through me off the train which was now moving at a good speed.

We survived the night without a lot of real sleep for some and negotiating a taxi to the hostel location. It is in a cul de sac again and a three floor walk up and with no signs, apartment numbers or owner in sight. A guest finally woke up and let us in arround 10:00 and we had to wait until the owner finally showed up around noon, very appologetic. We are having to share a dorm with another couple tonight but he is going to comp us for the first night and we will have our own room on our own for the next two. It is a bit of dump in a 200 year old building where Pushkin used to live in the 1800s. Not sure if he would consider living here now!

All in all we are here and established and I spent the afternoon walking down to the Hermitage Museum and the Palace as well as visiting several cathedrals and historic spots along the way. I paid 100R to climb 200 plus steps up a tower to the roof of the historic Central Post Office for a terrific view of the heart of Petersberg. It is every bit as spectacular as I expected and magical with the network of canals and river and all the comings and goings of tour boats, pleasure boats, row boats and even jet skis!

I will enjoy the next few days of exploring this beautiful city very much. There is so much to see and it is such a grand scale. The weather is grand. Sunny but not as hot as Moscow so a welcome relief. I am footsore and tired but happy, especially after a shower and shave. Life continues to be good, even if a bit rough around the edges, here in Petersburg. Stay tuned for more.

Trans Mongolian

Ulaan Bataar Mongolia

Russian Vistas

Hostel in Irkutsk

Life aboard the Trans Siberian train number one, the best yet. It is the best on yet and most modern with airplain style toilets and highway buss style berths in terms of lighting and modern upholstery. Very comfortable and easy to be in for long hauls but lack some of the charm of the earlier coaches. The Restaurant car is very old Russian style and a bit rough around the edges but the people nice and the food good but a bit pricey. Most of our meals come from home coooking sold on the train platforms by a variety of vendors as well as lots of beer and other drinks.
Lots of tea to drink on the train and people to talk to. We are the only non-Russians so they were a bit coole to us at first but we made lots of friends by the end of the three days.

Slafely here in Moscow

Sorry, lots of picture updates to post but they are one my computer and I can't connect to the wifi here for some reason. Taking a minute to update on the common computer so can't take too long.
Train ride from Irkutsk was very good and the class of train much better. Cars were more like airplane or highway bus quality and washrooms like on planes. People a bit standoffish at first as we were the only non-Russians but we warmed them up with card games and chats and ended up with some good friends including being adopted by a 14 year old girl from Moscow. It was very nice.
Did Red Square and Kremlin today and it was awesome. We are near Gorky Park and the Moscow River and it is quite good. Off to St. Petersburg tonight on the midnight train and will have the next three days there, then back to Moscow to end our week. Will be home next Saturday and we are looking forward to it.
Great Ukrainian restaurant last night. Pigged out after scrounging for good on the platforms along the way and had my first glass, Ok glasses, of wine last night. Slept well. Full and a bit woozie but felt great.
TTFN

Quaint windows along Lke Baikal

There are many small cottages and old buildings that feature very interesting colourful windows with shutters of many different designs and colours. The variety is endless and makes a statement about the order. Note the one with the sattelite dish. Most are in groups of three but groups of two and single window can also be seen. The name of the resort town is Listvyanka and is quite popular year round.

Retro Park and more.

This is Retro Park again. It is a pay by donation site and not much more than the peson's front yard and porch. There seems to be lots going on behind the scenes as well with lots of old junk being turned into interesting projects. The cars are in pretty poor shape but interesting none the less.
I got to do some archery at the lake but let the master do the shooting with the crossbow. It was a nice diversion. Ange practiced her sign language and we stopped by the kiosk at the tram stop to check out the huge variety of beer available on the street corner. That and cigarettes fill the window with prices and there is a very small window where you place your order and pay. Beer is a staple here, even more than Vodka. Instead of a Tim Horton's you can get a draft beer while you grocery shop. There was even a beer "wagon" at the corner where you can get your jug filled up with local draft. No need to go thirsty (or sober) here. Most local beers are half litre or more and often go to several litres. Good to wash down the smoked fish from Lake Baikal before it stinks out the house. I will have to reconsider buying it from the vendors along the rail line and bringing it into our small cabin.

A Day on Lake Baikal

Just an hour from Irkutsk and a $3.50 van ride, lies beautiful Lake Baikal. This is Russian cottage country and very popular this time of year. Despite the fact that the water never gets about 10 to 12 degrees, it still offers all that a sea-side or lake-side resort town has to offer. That includes a variety of boat excursions ( we took a one-hour cruise up the shore and back), picnicing and hiking and of course lying in the sun. Lots to eat and drink available as well as endless souveniers.

The popular delicacy is smoked fish. I had mine with local beer, the only way to do it and it was quite unique. A bit strong but good. It is a lovely town called Listvyanka which has many lovely old dachas with interesting windows.

Life In a Mongolian Ger

This is a bit out of sequence but just realized that I had missed covering our stay in a traditional Mongolian ger in Terelj National Park. It is interesting in that this National Park has many ger encampments that are privately owned and operated. some are large and corporate with golf courses, yes golf courses, while others are family owned and operated. Ours was owned and operated by a lovely Mongolian family with lots of teenaged kids who did most of the work.

There is a central ger where we ate and went for supplies that houses the kitchen, the portable washer, the microwave, the electric hot pots, and most prized of all, the LCD wide-screen TV and entertainment centre.

The lavatory is traditional pit, mens and ladies with seats and an interesting open-air urinal. The road runs by it but it quite liberating to do your business in the open air. One of the photos is the view from the throne. Quite spectacular.

There were four individual gers that housed 4 or 5 people each. They were snug little things with single beds ringed around the outside complete with sandwich duvets and warm wool covers. In the centre is the skylight and chimney vent for the very efficient cast iron stove. The light from the vent and an open door are the only windows to the world but offer a pleasing charm to the bright colours of the place.

At night there was the gentle sound of rain on the roof, the light of candles and the almost over powering warm from the stove when it was fired up by the younger teen. The views down the valley were spectacular as where the rock formations. We got to go horseback riding to explore the area between rain showers. Resident dogs and visiting horses, cows and hobbled camels that roamed freely made it quite the show.

Footnote: Mongolia experienced a very cold winter with minus 50 celsius at times. Apparently over 25% of the livestock were lost to the cold and there is lasting evidence in the way of bones and skulls across this rural country.

These whimsical characters were part of a display in Retro Park in Listvyanka, a small resort town on the shores of Lake Baikal. We spent the day there today after taking a minibus from Irkutsk. It was an hour trip with 16 in the van and after a trolley ride from our hostel. It was only 100 rubles each way which is less than $3.50 per trip time two. It was a real bargain and a lot of fun. We ate well and took a one-hour cruise up the coast and were back in Irkutsk by 7:00. More pictures next post.

Irkutsk is know for its beautiful churches of many denominations. Many are quite ornate with golden spires and colourful trims. There are many in our area and we have visited several. Ange even had an invitation to tour one of them, the one in the middle by a Russian gentleman who spoke no English and who invited her to play the small bells in the steeple. He toured her around and took photos of her playing the bells and was quite charming then had her light a candle and bought her a religious prayer card. At Lake Baikal today she had a young gentleman who had studied in America, kiss her hand when he left after chatting with us. Ange is doing OK!

Russsian Women! What can I say. They love their high heels, showing off their flat abs, being photographed and just plain looking good.