It’s been exactly a month since I went somewhere on vacation. And it’s also been exactly a month of craziness at work, which meant I haven’t had the time to blog about the latest and greatest adventure in Russia! My friends and I went to Russia the unconventional way as a tourist, we did not join a tour group. But since one of us spoke Russian, it made the trip a lot easier, when it comes to booking train tickets, asking for directions, and just getting around the city.
The night continued with a mini tour by a local from Moscow. This is the benefit for having friends that have relatives in the city. We saw some of the coolest things like this crazy entrance to a jazz/music bar for some up-and-coming Russian artists…
fancy car...
fancy cafe...
and chilled at a bar sipping something that I no longer remember, but it was delicious.
Moscow, Russia
The first impression I had on Moscow was exactly as I had imagined. Gray walls everywhere in the airport with no ads anywhere. Security did not smile nor did they say a word. Not entirely sure that was the greatest first impression, but that all changed as we exit the airport. Streets, hustling and bustling with cars jammed at the side of the road like all airports around the world. You hear honking, people in heated Russian conversations – all they want was probably to get out of there. Quickly got on the cab ride to get to our airbnb that evening. Note: taxi drivers do scam tourists. Just take the uber! It’s a lot cheaper, and you won’t get scammed! Don’t listen to those taxi drivers!
By the time we got to the city, my friends and I were famished. There were no direct flights from Toronto to Russia, so we had to stayed in Poland for a couple of days before heading to Moscow. Which meant we exhausted ourselves in Poland and slept through the flight to Russia skipping meals on the flight, but it wasn’t bad because we found this little fancy restaurant somewhere close to where we were staying, and the food was on point. From some delicious appetizers including duck tongue to some delicious mains, veal cheeks, and ending off with some grilled pineapple. This was definitely not a traditional Russian meal.
The night continued with a mini tour by a local from Moscow. This is the benefit for having friends that have relatives in the city. We saw some of the coolest things like this crazy entrance to a jazz/music bar for some up-and-coming Russian artists…
fancy car...
fancy cafe...
and chilled at a bar sipping something that I no longer remember, but it was delicious.
One thing that my Russian coworker pointed out for me to visit was to find this sign which originated from a Soviet Union book, “Master and the Margarita”. I didn’t think I would see it since I did not pin it on my Google Maps, but, it must have been my lucky day because I found it.
Kremlin
Being a tourist, we head to the Kremlin and the Red Square on our second day in Russia. This place is huge, it took us quite a while to get around to the ticket office and get tickets to the Kremlin and to see the Armory. Since we are not allowed to take pictures in the exhibits, here are just some of the stunning buildings and monuments inside and outside of the Red Square including the eternal fire,
the various white churches...
the giant canon...
the giant Tsar Bell that never made it up to the church because it dropped to the ground while it was hoisted up and a piece broke off...
And here are some more pretty and colorful buildings that makes the Kremlin so stunning...
And then there is the one church I was dying to see because I've seen many pictures and replicas of - the one and only - St. Basil's Cathedral.
Wrapping off the night with another delicious meal of Italian cuisine but with a Russian twist, before we head off for St. Petersburg!
the giant canon...
the giant Tsar Bell that never made it up to the church because it dropped to the ground while it was hoisted up and a piece broke off...
And here are some more pretty and colorful buildings that makes the Kremlin so stunning...
And then there is the one church I was dying to see because I've seen many pictures and replicas of - the one and only - St. Basil's Cathedral.
Action Loft
All of this was only the beginning of day 2 in Moscow. What is to come was even better! My friends and I had a chance to visit one of the coolest offices in Russia, the Action Loft. I think this beats all the other "workplace of the future" designs in Canada.
and then there was us in action :)
But that wasn't all! There is also a patio, though it feels more like a rooftop bar to me! Thank you Dima for showing us around!
Things Local do in Moscow
I also had a chance with my friends to visit cool places that locals go to including a quick lunch at this quaint plaza where we had amazing burgers (mine was a shrimp burger) and Russia's own crafted beer.
I also had the opportunity to go to a real Russian sauna, and it was definitely an experience! The Russian Sauna was much much better than the Korean Saunas I've been to and it was super relaxing. Glad we got a chance to have this authentic experience, because as we all know, this won't be the same in Canada.
Wrapping off the night with another delicious meal of Italian cuisine but with a Russian twist, before we head off for St. Petersburg!
Moscow was amazing! Just like any major capital city, it’s busy all the time with pretty buildings with a Russian flare. Hopefully I can come back to this beautiful place because 2.5 days was definitely not enough to see the true beauty of this city. Here’s one last picture of Moscow before I entered the train station…
Stay tune for the next stop in St. Petersburg for more amazing stuff!
