Moscow and More - Part 1

I feel really lame bothering to post something at this point, because it has been so long. However, I have lots of new pictures that I want to share. So, hopefully I can make up for the last month of no posts and deliver some worthy shots of this strange, but wonderful, country.


First off, a couple of weeks ago we got the chance to go to Moscow for a few days. It was really, really awesome. I was  nervous about the trip because Moscow seems like a pretty crazy and scary place, but everything turned out great. We took the infamous Russian train, and I admit that because this was my first time ever riding a train I felt so much like I was about to board the Hogwarts Express I almost wet my pants. This fantasy was pretty quickly dissolved. Entering the train was a little like when Buddy the Elf sees the mailroom for the first time. Just kidding, it wasn't THAT scary, but it was a unique experience. You are very crammed in there and we had the top bunks on an overnight train. It was so freaking hot in there I really thought I was going to burst into flames. We made it though and it was a very Russian experience that I ended up loving in the end. So, anyway here are some pictures of Moscow! :

The train moved so slow that even on a long exposure it is a perfectly crisp image out the window.  I thought it was a joke at first. I kept waiting to pick up speed when we left, and we never did.

This picture is deceiving on the spaciousness of my space. I realize I come from a long line of women who tend to be slightly dramatic, but it is what I picture being trapped in a coffin and then being buried alive would feel like. Plus, it took the flexibility and skills of a ninja to both make and climb up to that bed.

Novodevichy Convent:

This was pretty much your standard looking convent. The fun fact is that it was built for Peter the Great's sister Sophia who he banned here when she tried to overthrow him. As a little extra motivation to keep her in line, he hung some of her helpers outside her window. Emily Jones, if you're reading this, now would be a good time for "There is beauty all around..."

Perhaps the coolest part of the convent was the fact that it stood next to Swan  Lake. The very lake that inspired Tchaikovsky's ballet of the same name. It was a pretty little lake and park and we saw lots of brides and grooms having their pictures taken. It was quite romantic.

Cathedral of Christ

This is tallest Orthodox church in the world, according to wikipedia. Which I trust because anyone can post anything on there, so you know you're getting the best possible information.

So this picture and the one below offer you a little comparison shot to see how big it really is.

This is the door in the middle from the picture above, and that is my little friend Kristen.

Me and Nicole with a side shot of the church.

There's a cool bridge behind the cathedral...

...with an excellent view of the Kremlin.