City Snapshot: Moscow

Back in 2006, my husband and I were lucky enough to travel to Moscow, and stay with our good friends Alex and Anna. If you are looking for a completely different experience when travelling to a city, look no further than Moscow.


As Moscow is not one the easiest of cities for most people to travel to, I thought I would share some of our photos with you.

The above photo is taken in a small town, about 1 hours train ride from Moscow city centre, named Sergiyev Posad. Even the train ride there is quite different from other countries... at each stop new people will come on board and try to sell to you. They will sell anything from hair combs, to toilet paper, to alcohol, to food- you name it, they probably have it- any opportunity to sell something!



The main attraction in Sergiyev Posad is the monastery. As you can see from these photos, the colours and architecture are very different to anything seen in Western Europe (and Australia for that matter). You can definitely see the Byzantine influence in the structure of the buildings- this is one of the things I truly loved about Russia.







One night was spent at a free open air concert, in the middle of Moscow city. Gotan Project were performing that night- they were fantastic!


The above photo and below were taken in the Red Square and Kremlin. If you ever get the chance to visit the Red Square, go to the Army and Military Museum. In there you will find the most amazing jewels, Fabergé eggs, and decorated books, royal robes, etc. AMAZING!





I have always liked over-the-top, highly decorated and embellished designs and artwork. It is amazing to think that the above room is basically covered in gold gilding! Imagine the work involved!

Another difference to Moscow, and Russia in general that I noticed, if you ever go there- dress up! If you go casual, you will stand out. Even when we visited parks and outdoor areas, the local women would wear heels and dresses. As Anna explained, Summer is a very short time for them, and they spend most of their time covered in coats and jackets, so while the weather is nice, they will take any opportunity to wear something nice! My kind of place!

If you have the chance to visit Russia, I recommend it. Moscow is not as tourist friendly as
St. Petersburg, but it has a distinct flavour that is certainly different to any other! Make sure you arrange either a tour guide or someone who speaks Russian to show you around- as you will need it, but it is well worth it!


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City Snapshot: St. Petersburg, Russia

I have been thinking about doing these "City Snapshots" for a while. My travels have inspired me in so many ways, so I thought it would be a good idea to show you why, and also, its a perfect excuse for me to relive my experience's!

I will start off with the beautiful St.Petersburg! It is probably one of the cities that I have been to, which most people haven't, so it might interest you a little.....


Just from looking at the photos, how could anyone with any artistic/creative talent not be inspired?!! This really is a city of beauty, opulence, and extravagance! Pictured above, I am standing in "The Hermitage", The Winter Palace- it rivals The Louvre in size, collections of art, and grandness.

We visited St.Petersburg in 2006, after going to the World Cup in Germany.



Outside of the Hermitage, with the hubbie. By the way, you can't see all of the Palace above in the photo- it goes on and on!



The Petergof or the Summer Palace. The gardens and surroundings are absolutely lovely! Well worth the trip on the ferry. We visited St.Petersburg in the summer, and while the days were actually fairly warm, the nights (to me) were quite cold. Take a jacket when you go!


Above is pictured the Saviour on Spilled Blood Cathedral. This would have to be my favourite Cathedral/Church in all of Europe. The colours are amazing! It really is just awe inspiring- the main reason being, that every surface inside the cathedral has been covered in mosaics.

The mosaics range from beautiful stylised floral patterns, to pictures depicting saints, to geometric shapes, etc. If you love colour, love meticulous craftsmanship, and love details, then make sure you visit this cathedral if you are ever in St.Petersburg.


Above, one of the doors inside the Hermitage.


One of the very special things we did in St.Petersburg, was to attend a Ballet performance in The Marinski Theatre. Ballet is an integral part of Russian culture, and they take it very seriously. They are often known as the best in the world. The Marinski Theatre (pictured above) would probably be the most opulent and different theatre I have been to. Stunning!


The Petergof above, and below.






The inside of the Marinski Theatre again, above.


Another must-see in St.Petersburg, is the opening of the bridges, at night. It is a boat tour, and at a certain time in the middle of the night (I can't remember when), the bridges open, and you ride around in the canals. Very beautiful.

St.Petersburg is a more "tourist friendly" city, compared to Moscow (more on Moscow later). It has a very Western European feel to it (as you can see in the architecture), but still has that same mysterious quality, that I associate with Russia.

I was lucky, as my husband speaks fluent Russian, so we had no trouble getting around, and we even got to pay local rates - they have 2 set prices usually for attractions; the local price; and the tourist price, which can be inflated by up to 10 times the local amount. Before I went to Russia, and before I met my husband, all I knew of Russia was from James Bond movies (silly, I know!), so to have travelled in Russia was truly an eye-opener, but also an experience that I won't forget!

I would recommend visiting St.Petersburg if you love Western European style, but you want to experience something a little different. St.Petersburg still has its own distinct flavour to it, it is not over-run with tourists (well, it wasn't when we were there), and there are certainly many attractions that are well worth the hassle of the visa and flight.