Murky Moscow and the "Beautiful" Square

I know all of these posts are popping up a bit late and in sporadic increments but it is important to me to try and flush out the stories that made up my adventure in Scandinavia and Russia. I only apologize that I could not make all these posts while traveling.

Where did we leave off? Oh yes, we were tired, hung over and sweltering in Moscow's heat.

After disembarking the train, we quickly made our way over to the hostel. We stayed at a place called Godzilla's hostel. Nice place. Friendly staff. It was a delightful change to our dreary St. Petersburg residence, although not quite as cool as Euphoria in Tallinn.

After some much needed showers, we walked from our hostel down to Red Square. And all I could do was stand there. Floored, flabbergasted but mostly just stunned. This was it for me. The reason I had pushed my friends so hard to go to this country. It was all standing in front of me. At that moment, I really wished my dad was there with me. He was the one that got me into history in the first place. He was the reason I enjoy the history channel and documentaries on war. And he was the one who influenced my decision to become a world traveler. If he could only have seen this! One day I will take him back there!


**Can you tell that I was excited???

The Kremlin and Saint Basil's Cathedral were more massive and impressive than I could have ever imagined. I think the layout of the square only enhanced their magnificence! I could not believe that I was standing in a place with so much history. History that I only slightly understood. How would I have felt if I were Monna and I was in the country that had controlled and shed the blood of my ancestors? I am sure it would have been quite a different feeling. Or if I was Sven, who's ancestors had fought and died horrifically during World War II on this countries soil? Again, I couldn't image.


** The walls of the Kremlin

I am really glad my friends came with me though. I could tell that there were many moments in Moscow when we all wished we were back on the island in Finland. But I am grateful that they pulled through and appreciated the experience.

Fortunately, we didn't try to push ourselves in Moscow. It was so hot and completely different from any place we had been in Scandinavia. Instead of being uber tourists and walking every road in the city, we took our time. We would stroll to a local park. There we would sit in the grass, reading books, eating Finnish food that was imported to our local market, listening to music and observing the passersby.


** Monna and I sunbathing in a park in the center of the city. Don't worry we were not the only ones!

We left Russia on a Latvian train to Riga. It was another overnight train but this time it was completely different to our previous experience. The train had bottled water, tea cookies, a cream-colored doily, and a small little vase with a couple fake flowers in it on the center table. We skipped out on the Lonkero and the shots of cognac in favor of sleeping the fifteen hours to Riga. And this time I actually slept!

Interesting fact: Did you know that the "red" in Red Square has nothing to do with the red bricks of the square or even Communism? As it turns out the Russian word for red has a double meaning. It translates as "red" and "beautiful", however, the latter is an archaic meaning.