Moscow, One more journey

In short, one day I have decided to change my home town of Novosibirsk for the Russia's capital, and my resolution was to complete it before the end of 2018. Actually, this is my fifth month of the permanent staying in Moscow. I should admit that it was not easy to move from one city to another in such a short period of time. In the end, it became another adventure for me; and the story turned out to be exciting one. So, now I have many impressions to share with. 

I moved to Moscow at the end of December 2018. The gloomy weather, the lack of the shining sun, the melting snow and the huge crowds of strangers in the streets did not make a good picture of the big city. Moreover, depressive state of my mind was reinforced by the new working environment. All as a whole, this move was a big stress for me.

The things started changing after three months of my staying in Moscow. It is not only about the end of the adaptation period, but also about spring spirit. Honestly, this is a real wonder how Moscow transforms in your eyes when you feel sunlight, can breath the fresh warm air and simply have more time to observe the things at the daylight. Additionally, I had time to explore the city and locate some strong points, where I can feel comfortable and find inspiration. And now I am able to draw the true image of the city, which, in fact, looks very welcoming and positive.

So, today I set off for walking around Moscow in order to make the relevant photos and create this post, which would present the city from the prospective I see it now.

In reality, Moscow has many contradictory faces - beautiful, grotesque and shabby ones. And the city has so many different architectural styles - Classicism, Empire, Eclectic, Modern, Constructivism, Stalin Empire, High-tech etc. This variety undoubtedly appeals to me.

First of all, there are plenty of churches located here. And them all are worth visiting and admiring. As a matter of fact they count more than 600 churches from different Christian denominations in Moscow, but the biggest number belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church. And this is not surprising, because more than 1000 years ago our predecessors had chosen this kind of belief, and now we have accumulated these numerous religious objects and artifacts.

The streets in the historical centre are cozy and very attractive. In fact, there are more than 3500 streets in Moscow, but the most popular are Nikolskaya, Ilyinka, Tverskaya, Kuznetsky Most, Pokrovka, Sretenka, Old Arbat. I should notice, that the streets are really comfortable for pedestrians, but they respect also the bicyclists here, because in some places they organized the bicycle lanes.

The courtyards are very remarkable and pictorial here. And if you are the lover of city sketching, Moscow is ideal place for your practice in drawing.

There are countless squares and parks in Moscow. And them all are amazing. Honestly, I cannot wait for blossoming it at full strength.

The streets are regularly cleaned and refreshed with water here. This is one of the main reasons why I feel so comfortable and light in Moscow.

I cannot skip mentioning the underground with its outstanding interior. A good thing is that the authorities continue developing the transport infrastructure in higher rates. For example, in 2018 they opened 17 new stations, and in 2019 they have plans for, at least, 16 more stations.

People say, that many things have been rebuilt and renovated during the last five years in Moscow. However, the reconstruction is still in progress here. I really hope, they will keep preserving the historical part and make the city even more comfortable for the local inhabitants.

In general, Moscow keeps surprising me by its gorgeous look and interesting events. To sum up, I have visited one concert of the classical music, two free live concerts in the air, five museums, up to ten theatre performances, the dozens of coffee houses, bars and restaurants, not mentioning the street performances which I witnessed accidentally many times.

In truth, Moscow has a wide range of entertainment to offer for every taste, but the bad thing is that it is not always of a good quality. Honestly, there were many disappointments about it. However, by this day I can orientate myself quite easy and pick the better options for me. I even have a short list of the magnetic places in Moscow, which I visit on a regular basis. So, my favourite park is Zaryadye, my favourite boulevard is Chistye Prudy, my favourite theatre is Pushkin theatre, my favourite museum is the Gallery of 19th and 20th century European and American art, my favourite movie theatre is Pioner on Kutuzovsky Ave, my favourite coffee house is Starbucks in Kamergerskiy Pereulok, the best price/quality coffee for 60 roubles is from OnePriceCoffee chain, the best authentic pub is John Bull near the Smolenskaya station and the best restaurant in terms of quality and money is Grabli.

Now I am in anticipation of summer. Some experienced people promised to me even more positive emotions during the upcoming season. Let's wait and see. I hope, my expectations will be met.

Prague, Don'ts and Don'ts

In this post I would like to enumerate some practical tips, which could be useful in case someone wants to visit Prague for the first time. I hope, this information will help to make the forthcoming trip much safer and more entertaining.

First of all, don't take the high heels with you. Instead, wear some comfortable shoes. Cobbled streets are not going to spare your foot.

Don't be afraid of the long stairs and, probably, the reward is expecting you at the end of the way. In my case it was the restaurant Zvonarka with a beautiful terrace and good kitchen.

Don't forget about purchasing a ticket for the bus or the underground using this machine. You may not see the conductors during your trip at all, but the fine is really huge (it is 800 crowns and more).

Don't miss this place on the Charles Bridge to make a wish by touching the figure on the iron framework.

Don't try to eat the pork knee alone. You will definitely need a partner to share this meal. Otherwise, you would need two hours and many pints of beer to finish this meal.

Don't put your head into the hole of the statue of Don Giovanni near the Estates Theatre. You obviously don't want to get stuck into this trap. Do you?

Don't pick the grapes behind the fencing. Especially, if there is a warning that it is poisoned or there is a fierce curse as it is in Vysehrad. However, I have to admit, that the apples from the Petrinske Zahrady were quite good.

Don't disturb the peacocks in the Wallenstein Palace Gardens and don't pluck out their feathers.

Don't hesitate entering a church if you are tired or feel hot. In most cases the entrance is free.

Don't drink beer in craft bars, because this type of beer is relatively expensive here. Instead, try such popular kinds of beer as Staropramen, Kozel or Bernard with excellent taste and moderate prices starting from 35 crowns.

Prague, Farewell to the city

This is the final morning of my staying in Prague. On the whole, it was the trip without any haste, and I took my time to enjoy the deliberate living in this marvelous city.

Tram-underground-bus, and in one hour I am at the Vaclav Havel airport (earlier known as Ruzyne airport).

In general, the flight was fine, if not to mention the unexplained delay while deplaning. Even the food on board was good, what is quite unusual for S7 in recent years. Probably, it was not about the quality of food, but about the quality of the trip, which was truly eventful and memorable.

Prague, Around the city

It has been raining all night and the whole morning. It is true, that I wanted some relief during my hot staying in Prague, but obviously not like this one and not on the final day. Nevertheless, the rain has stopped, and I set off for my regular morning coffee.

At this time I have stayed at Coffeepark near the Riegrovy sady. Croissant and cappuccino cost me 69 crowns here.

After having refreshed I stopped at the Riegrovy Sady enjoying a splendid view from the hill and thinking about my next plans.

Actually, I want to see as much of Prague as possible today, because tomorrow I have a return flight. So, it might become the busiest day of the whole trip.

I think, almost every tour starts from the Vaclavske Namesti, which in fact is one of the busiest place in Prague. I also have been an often visitor of this place. However, I am not impressed by this area at all, and I consider it as a convenient transport hub only. I hope, very soon they will modernize this square and will present the more attractive space.

Oasis of calm in Prague can be found on some of the numerous islands on Vltava river. One of these islands is Strelecky ostrov, a romantic place hidden among the branchy trees under the Bridge of the Legions.

Another great place for relaxation is the artificial island Kampa. It is not only a place for the picnics, but also a place, where various festivities and external exhibitions are frequently held. The today's examples of modern art include Babies from David Cerny and Yellow Penguins by the Cracking Art Group.

Of course, I could not miss opportunity to visit again the Charles Bridge, which actually starts above the northern tip of the island Kampa.

This is such a good start of the day and the rest will be not less interesting.

After a short break at home I headed for the Letninske Sady to spend there the rest of the day.

Notably, at the edge of the Letna park you will find the gigantic Metronome monument. Previously, a gigantic monument to Joseph Stalin overlooked the city from this spot, but it was demolished in 1962.

I have already mentioned, that Letna park is extremely popular among the tourists thanks to the picturesque view of the city, but it is also popular among the roller skates and runners. Moreover, this place is often chosen for holding some festivals and performances.

It was a good completion of my trip, and I am absolutely satisfied with all things I have seen and experienced during these days. I want to hope, that my next trip to the Czech Republic will occur less than in seven years. There are so many unexplored sites awaiting for me here. And I am looking forward to discovering them all.