I think i was still shaking off the remnance of the Helsinki hangover when i arrived as straight after my shower i was zonked and slept for a few hours before Vera came to meet me. So i was bright and breezy and ready to go by the time she arrived.
We went for a stroll around Moscow, taking in the oldest street in Moscow, the old English embassy, some of the Boulevards that make up the rings, the famous Red Square, a couple of the seven sisters, the library, the area where all the criminals used to live and back to the centre of town for some traditional Russian food. It was wonderful to get a feel for the city with someone that knows it inside out, despite the rain! But i’m used to it of course it rains every day where i come from. It was unseasonably warm in Moscow as it has been in the UK so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been in the minus territories.
The Red square is immense, catching it at different times of day is spectacular and it was just as beautiful as i imagined it to be. I couldn’t wait to see what it looks like tomorrow when it’s clearer.
A rain soaked but interesting afternoon mooching round Moscow
We snapped a shot for Olya who introduced me to Vera, thanks chica for looking after me! Then were ready for a feeder session, we headed off to a restaurant that serves traditional Ukrainian and Russian food. Where i had the delights of Borskh with sour cream, accompanied with rye bread (love!) and pig fat instead of butter (also surprisingly love!), next up was a meat dumpling dish and Kiev cake. Keeping up the cake investigation as i go. Book notes are coming along nicely but i won’t be sharing them here for now. Will keep you updated on progress though.
We needed some more air after all the hearty Russian food, so walked back through town where there were crowds gathering for the Moscow light festival. There were a series of events where light shows were projected onto prominent buildings around the city. It was pretty cool.
Shattered again, i bid Vera farewell to reside into the depths of my rather odd hotel. It’s the only one that i didn’t book myself, and is nothing like anything that i would ever have booked. It’s a bit run down and full of the weirdest selection of people, there is an edge in such that i don’t really want to get my laptop out to write so people will know what i have with me. But i had no choice, as there was only wifi in the lobby, so any time i walk in there was a group of people fixed to smartphones and laptops not socialising at all.
There are also a raft of staff milling around the hotel at all hours of the day, wielding all manner of tools looking very busy. Despite this no one came into to make the bed in three nights there! hmmmm…
A tired and suspicious cake lady signing off for some sleep for Moscow, day 2
Ciao x x x x
