From Russia with Love: Diary 4

Welcome to my travel diaries from my Russian travels in Dec-Jan 2018! These seven posts are a collection of photos and memories from the trip! To start from Diary 1 click here :)

To see photos enlarged, click on them and they will open in a pop-up and you can continue clicking through the gallery until it's finished! [P.S. I would recommend reading and scrolling on a desktop computer because images are larger and the webpage itself is more functional]

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy <3

Friday 22 December

Woke up at 6:40 on the train and I couldn't sleep, so instead I watched the magical snow-covered landscapes.

Around 9am got there

Greeted by Dimitri (our cousin) and Alla (aunt)!

So much white everywhere. Snow everywhere.

We went to Dimitri's apartment where everyone (his family and Natasha's family, his sister) were waiting for us. We met their children for the first time, and they were super excited and super cute! <3

We had a huge lunch at their place (I was feeling so full there was so much good food). I was also half asleep at the same time so I was in such an introverted mood. And it was super amazing seeing all our family so it was basically waves of different emotions hitting me at the same time.

After that we went by car to the apartment Mitya picked for us, Nastya went as well (she seems so grown up and independent). We loved the cozy 2 room apartment so we unpacked, rested for a little, and then around 7pm we were picked up by Mitya and drove to the Kremlin Naberezrnaya, which is a really long walkway alongside the huge river in the middle of Kazan.

This is the time and place that I realised my phone dies in extreme cold weather so I literally have only 3 photos from Kazan on my phone. I'm so sad :(

We got there and the little ones started playing with the snow. There were so many snowballs to dodge and so many slips which was so hilarious to watch.

When the snow melts, it creates a slick coat of ice on the ground, so walking anywhere was accompanied with an intense fear of slipping and falling.

Even though it was only -2 degrees outside, I was actually getting frostbite. Legit.

We walked along for around half an hour, saw the cute markets, cafes and the longest ice rink in the world (I actually think it is according to google). After everyone got unbearably cold and hungry we decided to go to a restaurant. We walk in and it was a 5 minute process of getting everyone out of their multiple jumper layers, scarves, gloves, hats and jackets and washing hands.

So there was Natasha, Mitya, Nastya, Alyosha, Katya, Alla and the four of us at the table and it was so fun. We ordered a few pizzas to share and tea. Yuuuum.

After dinner we walked around again, the kiddies went on the carousel but I was too cold :( Also Alla gave me some gloves because I wasn't smart enough to bring mine!!!

The children needed to get to bed and do homework for school tomorrow so we said goodbye and headed back home.

{ 21:53 }

Just heard fireworks. It was kinda terrifying because I had no idea what was happening. But I guess it's New Year's soon!!! Russians start celebrating too early ahahaha

Saturday 23 December

{ 22:32 }

What a day. This is definitely the saying of the trip.

We had a very light breakfast. Red caviar on bread and coffee. We actually woke up at 9am, but for some reason I was still feeling half asleep.

Today we visited Tetya Amina (dad's aunt) and the family that lives with her, and had tea with ishbishmaki and chuk chuk. It was so surreal to be honest. Sitting around a table with Russian family, having tea, talking and smiling it was strange but familiar. Strange and непривычно, but familiar because its all in Russian and Russian food and talk and culture. We live with the Russian language but not with Russian surroundings in Australia. So when we’re here in Russia, its like I've come home but not really because it isn't. It's not really my home. But I feel it.

It's weird.

Anyway, they have a little bunny and it was the cutest thing ever. So soft and cuteee.

Afterwards when we were heading to the car, it was snowing tiny snowflakes, and the surroundings (cute small but colourful houses and piles of white snow) just were stunningly magical.

After we headed to Baba Falya (our grandma) and were warmly welcomed. What ensued was an exchange of gifts, a taste of bitter champagne and looking through dozens of printed film photographs.

Then we headed to Zara, which had a huge sale for some reason, to buy Tonia her favourite dress finally after visiting countless Zaras all over the world. It was a super nice shopping centre but the parking was horrendous.

Then we got a taxi to Tetya Alla’s where Natasha and her kids are staying. What ensued was a 3 course family dinner with tonnes of conversation and kompot.

After dinner there was heaps of giggles and laughter from the little kids while we looked on. I think it was the craziest and funniest evening ever.

Since our apartment is just a few blocks away, everyone came to walk us home through the snow. There was some snowball fights and some snow angels and most of all trying not to slip and fall on the frozen paths.

Saying goodbye took a good 5 minutes even though we’re seeing each other tomorrow for a huge gathering of everyone related to us living in Kazan. We got home and watched the Russian Nanny Diaries with some fried pistachios. Bed soon.

Sunday 24 December

Today was the day of the huuuuge family gathering.

In the morning, we needed to buy hair products at the grocery store and waited to refund 10 rubles. Russian grocery stores are actually very interesting. Fruit and veg is pretty sparse, and there are so many packaged products its fascinating.

The whole morning we basically spent getting ready for the day's event.

I reckon Tonia cleans up the best!! What happened though was that Tonia and Baba Falya were basically wearing the same outfit by actual chance. It was hilarious. Baba Falya was wearing a white, long sleeve button up shirt and a black vest on top, exactly the design of Tonia's dress.

There was so much food and so much conversation. We met basically all of papa's family which was super interesting.

After the lunch/dinner we were so tired so back home it was. And straight to bed.

Monday 25 December

We woke up at around 9am with no plan for the day. Papa was quite incapacitated from yesterday's multiple toasts at the lunch so Tonia and I were free to do anything.

Sometime after breakfast, Tetya Alla called mama and asked if we wanted to go play in the park with them

We walked out of the apartment with no make-up looking 'fresh as heck' to the park.

It was freezing. -18 degrees and my nose was leaking.

The children, including Tonia, were sliding down snow hills and jumping into piles of snow.

After slowly freezing to death, we spontaneously decided to go over to their apartment and have tea!

Black tea with chocolates and salmon sandwiches.

We entertained ourselves by playing memory games and lotto.

Afterwards we went for some grocery shopping for dinner preparations.

Funny story that Tonia wanted me to note: Katya was holding Tonia's hand throughout the whole day. They became absolute besties. Once, Katya accidentally grabbed Natasha's (her mum's) hand looked up at the hand owner, realised it wasn't Tonia, she said ew and swapped to hold Tonia's hand. It was hilarious.

Went back to apartment to have more tea with the pre-made Russian salads from store.

GYBKA BOB IS SPONGEBOB IN RUSSIAN. IT'S HILARIOUS. GYBKA BOB AHAHAHA.

So for a few hours, we chatted at the table while Tonia and the kids were running around and literally making a mess.

Mama and papa came over and we had a huge dinner. A home-grown goose (from Natasha's property), mountains of salads and salads. It was so much fun. The table was set up in their living room so half of us were on the couch and the other on random chairs. 8 people fit in a small apartment on the 8th floor. Amazing.

After a delicious dinner, everyone accompanied us back home, of course with a play in the snow, and we had tea at our place.

Fireworks while watching elki.

Tuesday 26 December

11:02

We woke up to light snow this morning at 9am. Now, after almost 2 weeks in Russia, the sun has finally come out. The clouds dispersed and now the sky is a light blue, and the clouds are coloured pink.

We actually have the most amazing view from the apartment. We look out onto the frozen, snow covered lake and the Kazan kremlin.

The plan today is to actually visit the kremlin and walk around on the boulevards.

We took a taxi to the Kremlin entrance and I was astounded even by the drive to it. Since it is on the other side of the lake, we had to drive across a long long long bridge and then around the whole Kremlin which is surrounded by massive walls, and for good reason.

As soon as we stepped out of the taxi, I was freezing again. It didn't help that it was the windiest day of the trip and I was almost frozen solid until we reached a church and headed inside.

After warming up in the church and putting some candles at the altars, we went to see the Ба́шня Сююмбикэ́. Local legend is that it was built for the Tartar princess Soyumbeki, who then jumped from the highest tier, however apparently what happened was that she was taken by force and moved to another city. No one really knows so it really is a mysterious tower.

I honestly tried to take everything in because the sky was clear, the sun was shining and the view of Kazan and the beautiful churches was amazing! But it was so cold that I was really struggling.

After that, we spotted a magical building, which we then found out was a mosque and we could look around inside.

Before entering, we had to clean our shoes with this very handy shoe cleaning machine and hide all of our hair under our hats.

It was so beautiful inside. It was built around 2012 so it is very new. We found a semi-hidden, 10 flight staircase that led to a viewing platform to observe the ceremonies that take place. It was so atmospheric as we were standing and observing. Someone was singing the religious texts as we took in the beautiful surroundings.

We then decided it was too cold to keep on walking around, and we saw everything that we wanted to see. I was on the hunt for a similar ring that mama bought in St Petersburg that I secretly love but unfortunately we didn't find anything.

We walked along the streets and stumbled onto a museum. My nose was leaking RELENTLESSLY, so we went inside.

There was a very cute Christmas ornaments exhibit! It was free and they had workshops too. The ones that they were selling were so cute, but we agreed that taking them with us all the way back to Aus would be impossible.

After the exhibit, we walked along slippery, icy roads to the long pedestrian street of Kazan, which kind of reminds me of Arbat in Moscow. I decided it was time for lunch, so we went to cute retro cafe for lunch with a set menu which was so delicious!

After warming up and feeling satisfied, we decided to brave the cold to walk to dad's school. Literally the whole way Tonia and I were holding hands because the ground was covered in ice. If one goes down, so does the other :')

Dad said that the walk was usually 15 minutes, but because of the ice it probably took us about 40 minutes. At one point there was the biggest hill that I've ever had to walk up just slicked with a good 20 centimetres of ice. What a fun obstacle course that was with all the pedestrians beside us.

We saw a guy slipping for a solid 5 seconds while his friends were just walking and talking like nothing happened ahahaha

We finally made it to dad's school as soon as it got dark. I can't imagine how nostalgic it would be!

Afterwards, dad went to visit his mum and we took a taxi home and chilled at the apartment.

Of course, in the evening we went to the park again to play with the little ones!

// Thank you for reading part 4! Short and sweet because of the lack of iPhone photos and many family memories \\