Another Look Back at Moscow

What follows is the fourth of five emails I sent to family and friends during our visit to Russia ten years ago. Enjoy!


July 22, 2001


Greetings Again From Moscow!

Outside Moscow at the beautiful Novodevichy Convent.

We continue our adventures, exploring new museums, getting lost in the city, and experiencing exotic new things. Tomorrow morning we leave for St. Petersburg by train. My uncle insists it will be best to take the metro to the train station. I think maybe he doesn't want to drive in morning traffic. Have I mentioned how terrifying Muscovite drivers are? The Moscow ballet is not a dance troupe, as you thought. It is a driving maneuver where you stop to make a left U-turn into oncoming traffic...at any convenient location in the road.

Friday, John and I ventured on our own to find a furniture museum. It took two subway transfers and 1 1/2 hours to locate. It took no more than 10 minutes to see the entire collection. We spent more time in the adjacent bar cooling off with a beer.

Finding the furniture museum was
a better adventure than touring it.

Other sites explored the past few days include the old Tetrykov Museum, the Military History Museum, and the Aeronautics and Cosmonaut Museum (there are a lot of museums here). There are two Tetrykov Museums...the old and the new. The new we saw earlier in the week. It houses art from the 20th century, which is not highly appreciated here. The old houses everything prior to the 20th century, and is magnificent. We spent over 4 hours there. John finally let the moths out of his wallet and purchased two art videos. Unfortunately, they are in the European PAL format and we won't be able to view them at home. We're hoping we can return and exchange them.

Saturday we drove into the countryside to the town of Sergei Posad. The Russian landscape is beautiful. Lots of gentle rolling hills, forests of birch and pine, and lots of lakes and ponds. We passed several dacha areas, where city folk go to spend holidays and weekends. Most looked very old and traditional...wooden structures painted bright colors with steeply sloped roofs.

Yes, we ate at McDonald's. We were hungry and hot.
They had familiar food and air conditioning.

In Sergei Posad, there is a church and monastery. Although lovely, we were, quite frankly, tired of looking at churches and icons. So we did some shopping at an outdoor market (where I found some fabulous baubles!), had lunch at McDonald's, and then went for walk in a wooded area. It was a really nice day, and we followed it up with an evening of bar hopping back in town. When in Rome, er, Russia, do as the Russians do!

Kids climbed all over this enormous sculpture at the Moscow zoo.
It was an American personal injury lawyer's dream!

Have I mentioned our trip to the zoo? I can't remember what day we were there (they're starting to blur), but I think it was Tuesday. Anyhoo, they have many exotic animals there, like coyotes, armadillos, and Mississippi alligators. The armadillos share an enclosure with three-toed sloths and a rat. I was also face to face with a camel. Literally. He could've licked me!

"Vui govarichy pangleeski?"
Which is supposed to be "Do you speak English?"
Not even the camels understood my Russian.

I don't know if I'll have access to email while in St. Petersburg. I'm hoping so. I've really enjoyed hearing from you all. It keeps me from feeling too homesick! I'll write again as soon as I'm able!

Das vadanya!

Dillypoo

Naptime

Dillypoo is learning the hard way that napping can play a big part of a healthy lifestyle.

I think I've mentioned how hot it's been this summer. If we reach 100 degrees on Saturday, we'll match a record for consecutive days of triple-digit temps (29 in a row). Chances are good it will happen, and with a 10 day forecast of even hotter temps ahead, this summer will set a new record.

And yet I continue to forge ahead with running. But it's starting to take a toll.

I've been setting my alarm clock a little earlier each day so I can get in an hour of running three days a week and an hour of power walking one or two days (this is in addition to my Saturday morning group runs). Last year, my morning workouts invigorated me and gave me energy to get through my busiest work days.

But this year I'm just exhausted. All. The. Time.

I think it's the heat. It's been 80-85 degrees at 6:00 a.m. with pretty high humidity every morning for the past few weeks.

I'm staying hydrated and fueling my runs beforehand with a slice of bread and some peanut butter, but I think I need to pay more attention to my sleep patterns.

My body needs more rest to recover.

I'm going to try and get to bed before 11:00 p.m. and on Saturdays I'm going to start napping after my group runs.

The Professor has been warned that Dillypoo will be journeying to the Land of Nod for two hours Saturday afternoon. And maybe a bit on Sunday, too.

Random

I ran four miles this morning and instead of giving me a boost to carry the day, it sucked the energy right out of me. I'm sleepwalking through my day. Thank goodness for coffee.

Project Runway season nine starts tonight! Yay for mindless summer tee vee!

Dillypoo has been trying to properly fry an egg outside with mediocre success. I was going to try again today but the high is only 101 degrees. I think I'll wait until next week. It's supposed to be 107 on Tuesday.

Last week I told The Professor I wasn't cooking anymore until the heat wave broke (except for eggs on the sidewalk). Then I gained 2.8 pounds. Eating out every meal is no longer an option. We're going to be eating a lot of cold sandwiches until it cools off.

I have to run eight miles with my group on Saturday. I'm FREAKING OUT about it.

I'm in love with the Eucalyptus Mint foamy hand soap from Bath & Body Works. Mmmm!

I can't believe I blogged fewer than 10 times this month. I'm going to lose my blogging license if I don't pick up the pace!

The Professor kept driving in circles on the 4th of July. Just because.

Boys!

Life Lesson No. 11

Always remember to put the cap back on after filling up your car's gas tank.

Otherwise, it will cost you $45 to have a mechanic tell you why your "check engine/emissions" light is on and another $35 to replace the cap you left behind at the station.

City Sweats Out Record Heatwave

That headline isn't in today's paper (although it should be). Ten years ago, The Professor and I were sweating out summer in Moscow. This year we're sweating out summer at home. I'd give anything to see 32.5 degrees celcius right now!


July 18, 2001


City Sweats Out Record Heatwave

Big cannon inside the Kremlin grounds. Boom!

That is the headline in today's Moscow Times. It was 32.5 degrees celcius yesterday...that's almost 91 degrees farenheit to you and me. Worst heatwave in five years here. Gee...I flew halfway around the world for this! At least there have been minimal crowds to deal with. The Muscovites have fled the city for the beaches.

Our adventures continue. We've explored the Pushkin Museum, Christ the Savior Cathedral, Tetrykov Art Gallery, the metro, Red Square, Lenin's Tomb, the Kremlin, the armory, and cathedral square. I'm pooped!

To prove I'm here, I've attached a photo of me at the Kremlin. I'm standing next to the largest cannon in the world. The world's largest bell is just around the corner. It weighs over 200 tons. I wonder if the czars were trying to compensate for anything?

I'm continually amazed by this city. It is full of contradictions. 500 year old buildings sit adjacent to 20th century structures. Signs of the old communist regime blend seemlessly with restorations of royal monuments. Using drawings and paintings (some several hundred years old) the people are rushing to rebuild historical structures destroyed by the Communists. Although the air is polluted and I don't think anybody bathes, there is no litter and the metro is clean. It is an incredible place to see and experience.

Inside one of the Moscow subway stations. They were beautiful!

But back to sightseeing. Today we had a wonderful guide who spent five hours with us at Red Square and the Kremlin. We got to see Lenin, which was kind of odd. He's very waxy. We then hurried through Red Square (they were preparing for a Placido Domingo outdoor concert this evening) and moved onto the Kremlin. We got to see President Putin's motorcade as he passed through. We then snapped photos at the aforementioned cannon and bell, and then moved to the armory.

It may be big, but it broke when they tried to ring it. Oopsie!

The armory was by far the highlight of the trip. This is where all of the royal treasures are kept. We saw jewels, weapons, carraiges, costumes, thrones, crowns...you name it, it was there! Including some Faberge eggs. It was breathtaking...and air conditioned, so we stayed an hour and a half. There wasn't time to see the Diamond Trust, but I'd like to return and tour it.

There are six cathedrals at the Kremlin. Their size determines their use and importance, and each could fit inside another, much like the nesting dolls (figuratively, of course). Many of the czars are buried there, and we saw where coronations took place. They are very elaborate, with lots of gold leaf and frescoes. They are still used today, but only for special occasions.

One of the six cathedrals at the Kremlin.

Our guide spent most of the tour showing us the historical significances of the Kremlin, and only touched briefly on the Communist impact. They tried to destroy so much of Russia's rich past, I guess the people are trying to recapture it and move past the 20th century.

I'm chattering on at length, so I'll sign off for now. I hope you are enjoying these missives and that they are not too long. I miss you all, and can't wait to get home and have a Dr. Pepper with ice!

Das vadanya!

Dillypoo

Summertime in Texas

It's hot. When the temperature reached 100 degrees today, it became the 23rd day in a row of triple digit heat. And summer didn't just show up after a cool day in June. Last month it hit 100+ degrees 11 times and the remaining 19 days reached into the 90's.

2011 is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record. Our two window-unit air conditioners haven't shut off since May, and the forecast for the next ten days shows no relief:

I tried frying an egg on the sidewalk just to see if I could. After an hour it finally reached a soft-boil stage:

 

I bet it would've cooked through had I used a cookie sheet.

And yet, despite it being hot enough to cook The Professor's supper on pavement, Dillypoo continues long distance training to run a half-marathon in December. Yesterday, I ran seven miles for the first time!

I didn't know I was going to run that far when I got up to meet my running group. If I had, I may have been more freaked out about it than I was.

I missed two group runs while The Professor and I were on our road trip, and even though I ran a lot while we were away, the weather was cooler. Running is much more enjoyable when the sidewalk isn't in flames!

I'm smiling because I'm in Ohio, where it
was about 20 degrees cooler than home.

But the downside is that after ten days of pleasant weather, I was no longer acclimated to the Texas heat. I thought I was going to pass out when I went for a run the morning after we got home. The heat was stifling, even at 6:00 a.m.!

When I showed up five days later for my first group run in almost three weeks, I was relieved to learn we were running time instead of distance. Increasing mileage was on hold because of the heat. We'd be focusing on endurance by running an easy 30 minutes out and then back.

My anxiety evaporated faster than summertime clouds. I can kick an hour easily (about five miles), even in this heat.

But yesterday we went back to mileage. I didn't get the weekly email, so I was unaware when I got up that I was about to embark on my longest run yet. I had about ten minutes to get used to the idea, take a pee and say an inward thanks I'd remembered to bring an energy gel.

Side note: Honey Stinger is The Best energy gel EVER. If you run distance, get some.

I paced myself with the 11:30 per mile group and took off. I'm the only half-marathon trainer in that group (the rest of them are preparing for a full-marathon), so we parted ways at the 3.5 mile mark and I turned around to go back.

I was so drenched with sweat that I could feel a spray of water on my legs as I finished the final mile, but I did it! It took me an hour and 24 minutes and I did it with only four brief water stops.

And I didn't pee myself, another victory. Woot!

2011 may be shaping up as a scorcher for the record books, but it's also Dillypoo's Summer of Run, and I don't care how hot it gets, I'm loving the hell out of it!

Pardon me, but do you speak English?

What follows is the second travel summary I emailed to a friend during our 2001 trip to Russia--.

Singers greeting shoppers at the
Ismailavah outdoor market.

July 17, 2001

"Pardon me, but do you speak English?"


That seems to be our most asked question, next to "Where is the toilet?" It took a few days to figure out that "toilet" is the same in Russian, but "bathroom" has no meaning what-so-ever. So far, I haven't had to stand and pee. All of the toilets have been sit-downers. Thank goodness!

Glad to hear that you guys are okay. I'm actually feeling a bit homesick. I think it's because I can't read the language. It's very disconcerting. I've been able to read since I was 5, and not being able to sound out words is driving me nuts. I'm determined to master this screwy alphabet, if it kills me!

I think this is everything you need to know about the
world's largest bell, which lives at the Kremlin.

Last night we spent an hour riding one of the metro lines from start to finish. Many of the stations have sculptures, murals, or mosaics, so we stopped at them all and took pictures. We were attacked by an old woman, though, who took offense to our shooting photos of a Lenin tribute, and John got shooed away by a guard with a stick at another location. Some Muscovites are a bit touchy about tourists and their cameras.

Today we went to the Pushkin Museum, the Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the Tetrykov Art Museum. The Pushkin was built as a teaching museum and is filled with plaster reproductions of European sculptures (we saw Michelangelo's David and two of Donatello's Davids). They also have a lot of European master paintings (Rembrandts and such). The lighting and displays were fairly low-tech. A woman would run over and switch on the lights when we reached a wall of paintings, and then switch it off when we left.

The Pushkin Museum of Art.

The Christ the Savior Cathedral left me speechless. It was blown up by the communists, but rebuilt in the 1990's. It was just consecrated last year. Great care was taken to every detail, down to reproducing the gold leaf saints on the ceiling to the bas relief sculptures on the exterior. I've attached a photo of the cathedral.

The Tetrykov Art Museum is full of 20th century Russian art. We spent 4 hours there, and plan to return. There was too much to see in one day, especially after visiting the other two spots. My dogs were barking pretty loud by the end of that tour, and we still had to make our way back to the metro and across town to the embassy!

We tried to keep The Kremlin in sight so we
wouldn't get lost. The plan didn't always work.

If this isn't too long, please share it with whomever is interested. We're having a wonderful time, but I have no plans to seek diplomatic immunity. I miss my home!

Das vadanya!

Dillypoo

The End

I know, I know. It's been almost a week since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opened and not a peep out of Dillypoo. What is the world coming to?

Well, my delayed response is it was amazing!

I saw it in 3D at the midnight opening, again at noon on Friday and a third time Sunday morning. If I can figure out a way to sneak past The Professor for a few hours this weekend or next, I'll see it a fourth time.

Because it was just that wonderful.

I admit I was worried I wouldn't like the final screen adaptation of my favorite book. I've not been a fan of David Yates direction for the previous three films and I've never fully bought into Alan Rickman's portrayal of Snape (yes, I know I'm in the minority there), but I give both a standing ovation this time.

My two biggest complaints with Yates have always been his editing of the books (film-Harry isn't as thoughtful or full of angst as book-Harry) and his films are too dark. I'm not referring to the genre, either. His films are dark. It's hard to see anything on the screen. And, with apologies to his fans, I've always found Rickman a bit wooden as Snape.

But this time Yates included almost everything I wanted to see (even if it was difficult to make out at times) and Rickman was amazing as he finally allowed one of the most complex and best literary characters ever written to show layers of emotion and conflict.

If you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want to be spoiled, then stop reading now.

In addition to a script that included a lot of dialog left unaltered from the books, I loved...

...the break in and escape from Gringotts, especially the special effects with the dragon. Blind, weak and abused, it clawed it's way to freedom with Harry, Ron and Hermione clinging to it's back. Awesome!

I loved Snape's memories and his final exchanges with Dumbledore. I was brought to tears when he uttered a heartbreaking, solitary "Always."

I teared up again during Harry's trek through the forest and his visit with Dumbledore at King's Cross Station.

I loved Molly Weasley's battle with Bellatrix, Neville's courage and the Knights of Hogwarts defense of the castle.

And I thought the final epilogue was perfect.

But one of my favorite scenes was watching the elder wand soar through the sky towards Harry's outstretched hand, exactly as I imagined it when I read the book.

I loved so much of this movie that I didn't care or miss the things that were omitted, like Kreacher, Percy's redemption and Dumbledore's history.

It was a fitting end to the series, which I finished listening to on my iPod for the umpteenth time sitting in the theater parking lot Thursday night.

I can't wait for the DVD collection to be released! Are you listening, Santa?

A Look Back

Ten years ago, Dillypoo, The Professor and my Dad took the trip of a lifetime and went to Russia for three weeks. I'd studied Russian history in college but never dreamed I'd ever visit. My Aunt and Uncle worked for the State Department in 2001 and were stationed at the embassy in Moscow. They invited us and away we went (after getting passports and visas, not something that happens quickly). I had never heard of a blog back then, but I used the wonders of the internet and e-mail to send little travelogues back to friends and family. I've kept those missives all these years and am re-posting them now in celebration of that wonderful adventure.

This was taken a few hours after our arrival. It's almost
11:00 p.m. and the sun was only just beginning to set!

July 15, 2001

We made it!

Russia is quite unlike anything I expected. You can feel the history in the city. Some of the structures
date to the 15th century. Many of the buildings and monuments destroyed or damaged by the communists are being rebuilt or restored, but you can still find hammer and sickles everywhere. It is amazing the amount of change the Russian people have dealt with in the past 10 years.

One of the many ornate mosaics in the Moscow subway.

We went to Red Square our first night and had a drink and chicken wings. It doesn't get dark until almost 11:00, and the Kremlin was packed with people. We tried to see The Pickle (Lenin), but the tomb was closed. We'll have to go back.

We had dinner last night at an Aserbaijani restaurant. Spectacular! The floor show was two hours long, with three belly dancers, dancing girls and men, all performing traditional dances. Being the youngest woman at my table, I was dragged to the dance floor. It wasn't pretty. Nothing on my body shakes quite the same as a young belly dancer! I was presented with a bottle of Aserbaijani wine for my effort though. I think maybe they wanted to loosen me up a bit.  :)

I doubt my performance would've improved
even if I'd drunk that bottle of wine beforehand.

Today we tried to find some local art, but ended up stuck in an open air art mart filled with American and European reproductions. Even saw a fake Remington! My uncle had dropped us off, so we were stuck. We could see the Kremlin, and decided to walk. It took an hour, but we made it. Unfortunately, I was wearing the wrong shoes, and now have four blisters as a result of our march across Moscow. I also grabbed bug spray instead of sun screen when I packed, so I have a nice sunburn to accompany my blisters. Souveniers, I suppose.

We walked everywhere!

The traffic is incredible (making a left turn can be deadly), and there are people everywhere. There is
also a smell to the city, part pollution and part B.O. But many areas are quite beautiful. There are trees everywhere (the city is surrounded by forests), and they take pride in their public gardens. Many of the buildings are covered with scaffolding for restoration work, but those that are complete are wonderful. The Christ the Savior Cathedral is stunning with it's gold domes and white stone.

The Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. The original church
was destroyed during the communist era. The Muscovites spent
10 years rebuilding it based on photos and paintings. It'd been
consecrated only a few months prior to our arrival in 2001.

I've learned three Russian phrases: spatzebah (thank you), dah (yes), and das vadanya (good bye). Today I tried asking for directions to a bathroom, but never could get the pronunciation right. While muttering to myself about how to say bathroom in Russian, the fellow said, "Bathroom? Downstairs." I forget that most Russians know a little bit of English. I need to learn to count next. Right now I just hand over my rubles and hope I get some back!

Tomorrow we hit the zoo. It's within walking distance from the embassy compound. I plan to wear proper shoes this time. We'll start making the museums on Tuesday. I'll send some pictures next time. 

Dillypoo

Vacation is Over

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I last blogged! Dillypoo has never taken this long of a vacation from Chatter.

Bad Dillypoo!

Smoky Mountain National Park

I have so much to catch up on. The Professor and I survived the Great 2011 Road Trip. There were moments when I thought about pushing him over a cliff in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and there were probably times when he felt the same about me.

That's what 20 years together will do to a couple.

But mostly we had a wonderful time visiting family, seeing new things and getting away from the day-to-day grind.

The Professor with Uncle Harry and his amazing cabbages.

I even made a new friend:

Hector the Rabbit from Ohio.

Today I am home again from work with plans to catch up on blogging and a few other chores. I'm also going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 again.

Yes, I said again. I went to the midnight release last night and saw it in 3D with some friends:

The 3D glasses were Harry Potter glasses! Squee!

More about that later, too! I've had a few hours of sleep, my tummy is grumbling about breakfast and I need to get ready or I'll miss my noon ticket time.

Nox!

Summer Road Trip

It's road trip time!


The Professor and I are on Day Three of this summer's getaway adventure. We left home Friday morning and bickered our way through Arkansas and Tennessee. We made it to Nashville just in time for the best fried chicken, biscuits and pie this side of home:



The Loveless Cafe. The biscuits alone are worth an eleven hour drive for dinner:



A solid eight hours of sleep and we were both in much better moods on Sunday. We decided to explore Nashville for a bit before hitting the highway again.

The Professor wanted to visit the Lane Motor Museum and I wanted to drive past the Grand Ole Opry:



Which you can't really see from the road. Call that a bust.

The car museum was pretty awesome, though. We saw microcars:




And "unusual" cars:



A collection of one-of-a-kind vehicles:



And the largest motor vehicle I've ever seen, a military transport called a LARC:



After that, we headed north, snacking on fresh cherries and making random stops, like this flea market and antique barn somewhere in Kentucky:



The Professor found some cool vintage toys for his painting props and I bought some fresh tomatoes:



We eventually made our way to my mother-in-law's house, arriving in time for dinner and a trip to a local ice cream shop:



Two days, fried chicken, pie and ice cream. Dillypoo got her fanny up early this morning and ran six miles.

Gotta earn this vacation food! There's more pie, ice cream and goodness know what else ahead.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone