From Russia with Love: Diary 6

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

Monday 1 January

New Year's day! The plan was to see mama's cousin and her family for lunch!

We caught the metro to the Tsaritsyno palace.

There were some really drunk, older backpackers on the metro there and it was hilarious. They were drinking some transparent substance from an old water bottle, and were trying to figure out who was the oldest - Tonia or me. And then they commended mama for being the only person in the wagon that was smiling on New Years day. As they left, they shouted 'c novyim godom!' (happy new years!) while the third sober backpacker apologised for the other two. It was so so funny.

We found our way out of the metro station (it was not looking very glamorous since it isn't in the city centre) and walked to the park gates.

Tsaritsyno is a huge park area where Catherine the Great spent her summers. Like a dacha, a summer house, but about 100 times the normal size. Well, she was a queen.

It was so unbelievably windy and cold. The last time we visited in 2007, it was summer and very beautiful. The winter vibe isn't the same. We didn't last very long at the park, maybe half an hour until we called a taxi to get to Sveta's apartment.

We got to their apartment at 1pm and ended leaving at 9pm! What usually happens with Russians - we just stay until it's actually time to go home ahahaha.

During our time at their place, we had a huge lunch, Slava showed us his amazing photography skills and all his travels across Europe and tea with cake.

All great photographers have a great vision for each photograph - they see the world through a lens at all times and know where the best angle is, the lighting, the composition. His photography was amazing! I can only wish to be that good!

On the way home, we drove through pretty much all of Moscow to get back to our apartment in the middle of the city. I couldn't stop staring out the window.

Tuesday 2 January

WOOOOO 18 YEARS OLD FINALLY!

In the morning we got to enjoy the festivities on the new years pedestrian road again, and for breakfast went to varenichnaya. I was so keen to get an [alcoholic] drink but it was way to early in the day.

Afterwards, I got an amazing pandora bracelet :) SO thankful <3

We scooted into H&M to get Tonia a bomber jacket, then back home to rest for a little bit.

We had a very light lunch because something exciting was planned for later in the day, so we weren't allowed to eat much.

I got dressed in my newly bought H&M sparkly dress, and comfy winter boots, then we all headed out. We caught the metro, and got off at a station that had a huge and beautiful shopping centre. It even had a funky light show - synchronised music, water fountains and everything.

I was pining over some nike shoes from previous nike shop visits, so since it was my bday, I got them as a present :)

After spending some time around the shopping centre, we walked to the Raddisson Blue hotel. I was still so confused until I saw a fleet of boats with a bunch of tables inside. WE WERE HAVING DINNER ON A RIVER CRUISE! YUUUM

The views of Moscow from the boat were amazing. I had my first cocktail, 'Moscow Lights', the best salad for starters, a salmon main dish and some cake since it's a birthday! Everyone on the cruise started singing along and of course, I turned red, but feeling so grateful :')

I had the best day, all thanks to the family <3 Thank you <3

Wednesday 3 January

{ 23:19 }

Right now I am witnessing (finally) the fixing of Tonia’s knee by our lovely guests.

Today we woke up at around 11am, and our plan today was to visit mama and papas friends.

We caught the metro, but got off at the wrong stop at one point. We were so hungry and saw bakeries everywhere which didn't help our situation.

We finally found their apartment, and were welcomed to lunch in a typical Russian style. So much food. Tri bogatyra.

After saying thank you for such a wonderful welcome, we walked back to the metro, and the plan was to visit the Moscow State University, but unluckily, Tonia's knee started to hurt again. So as papa and tonia headed home, mama and I went on to Vorobyevie gori (the literal translation is pigeon hills ahahaha it sounds nicer in Russian), which is where the university is.

We got to the metro station, and it was the longest walk ever to the lookout, since the only way there is through a dark park and up a million stairs. I mean, it was an excellent, free workout.

We finally got to the top and had to walk a little more until the lookout. And it was totally worth it.

From there, you can see all of Moscow. The way the river bends throughout the city and the way the New Year's decorations light up the streets.

If you turn around 180 degrees from the Moscow lookout, there is the university. So majestic and just glowing in the dark.

Of course, in this weather and with these beautiful views, my phone dies as soon as I open 'camera'...

As we walked back to the metro, we heard fireworks again. People still celebrating New Years.

We also pit stopped at the Ploschad revolutsii metro station, which is a beautiful metro station with statues of people and animals symbolising the revolution. You have to rub the dog statue's nose for good luck!

We got back home at around 8ish, and guests came over at 9 for tea.

Thursday 4 January

{ 13:18 }

Just came back from a super morning. Metro to baymanskaya. There we went to our parents' university!

We went to schocoladnitsa cafe and had breakfast (had the best waffle latte) with friends again, and I got another Pandora charm as a gift!

Our parents and our friend's mum all went to the same university, which is how they all met, so we all walked to their student accomodation, where they spent all of their university life.

There was so much nostalgia.

After lots of emotions, we parted ways and mama and papa continued to show us their university campus, from the outside. We walked along the buildings, occasionally stopping for photos and some retelling of the parent's student life memories.

Before heading back home on the metro, we stopped for 'eskimo' ice-cream which was/still is a staple ice-cream in Russia (I shouldn't have gotten one because I was really struggling eating all of it - it was so cold outside). Added bonus was seeing dogs in shoes ahahaha it was the funniest thing.

Finally caught the metro home, and stopped just before getting to the apartment for Tonia to get a drink from some Japanese vending machines.

{ 23:58 }

Catching up on the day just before going to brush teeth rn. So after resting at home for an hour-ish, we headed down Strastnoy boulevard (our street) to surprise Tonia. She said yesterday that she really wanted a balalaika as a souvenir so voila, our parents' friends (Ella and Nikita) took us to a music shop. There was a selection out of two.

The small store is filled with music books from top to bottom. Shelves and plastic boxes are packed with them.

Of course Tonia's eye was caught on the multicoloured ukuleles hanging in the corner, so we decided to decide during lunch.

For lunch we went to a Georgian restaurant which was super cosy and aesthetic with a homemade vibe, the kitchen was about 2 metres from our table. Tonia and I shared a salad, I had a soup and two huge beef dumpling things that had broth inside them. They were actually kinda salty and I really don't enjoy salty food but one must taste everything.

After lunch we returned to the music store and bought both the balalaika and ukulele [EXTRA], with cases, and then we headed to a gourmet type of store Хлеб с маслом.

They sold yellow watermelons. So confuse.

Heaps of wines but also a selection of food and fresh food.

We bought a few things for more guests in the evening, and I admired the gourmet quality of everything.

We headed back home through tverskaya (note: must shop in shoe store on the left walkway) and waited for guests.

Ended up waiting for an hour because they couldn't find a park anywhere close to our apartment. Understandable because we live in the middle of the CBD.

We had dinner, tea, chilled, compared university life in Moscow and Brisbane for about 3 hours. The conversation then turned into bilingual English vs Russian to improve each others languages.

After the guests left, I took on the dishwashing duty. There were so many dishes to clean it took me close to an hour.

Finally, after all of that, we watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on tv. Success.

Friday 5 January

IT WAS SNOWING WHEN WE WOKE UP. It was the most exciting thing ever.

We rushed to get dressed and went outside for a photoshoot.

Afterwards, Tonia and I decided to walk through the Christmas markets at the Red Square.

We were bummed that the main entrance was all closed so we had to walk around the whole thing to get into it through a bunch of police.

So off we went trudging through snow-covered roads and slippery paths to get to the Red Square.

We finally got in, but by then I was once again getting frostbite in my hands. SO cold. But so worth it for the beautiful scenes.

After walking through, enjoying the picturesque, postcard like scenes, we walked through the high-end shopping centre, GUM, again, stopping to get Tonia an ice cream, and went back to our huge street to have lunch at the Beverly Hills diner.

Long story short, the service was so long we were waiting for 30 minutes to get our order taken, then another 30 mins to get the bill. It was impossible to get waiters/waitresses to help because of the layout :/

When we came home after our long adventure (but of course stopping to shop at H&M again), we came home to the apartment and there were guests...

// Thank you for reading part 6 <3 \\