I have two complimentary jogging partners at the moment: the river-lady and the town-lady.
With both, I meet in front of school in the early morning, when we drop off our kids.
The river lady then takes me by car to the southern end of Gorki Park, where we run along the banks of the Moskva. We run and chat, there's nothing much to see, except for some older men in soviet training suits. Her little dog still has to learn to avoid my feet, but we'll get there ;-)
The town lady is a serious runner with some competitions ahead in her calendar (semi-marathon). She starts slowly and picks up speed as she runs along. In the end I was breathing rather hard. She starts directly from school and she took me across Red Square. There we saw two Swiss men dressed in traditional Swiss costumes with their two gigantic alpine horns, having freshly been summoned by a police car and a second car just pulled up. The discussion did not seem to be friendly and the two walked off. I wonder what would have happened, if their instruments would have fitted into the small police cars......?
Anyway, we spent the rest of the time trying to find a strip of green (a park or the likes), but ended up without having found any. We'll try again!
20100928
Cathédrale du Christ Sauveur
Today I joined the guided tour organized by the French expat club in town to see the big church named "Cathedral of Christ the Saviour". Under the pouring rain, but well equipped, the guide led us through this church that was undergoing some repair work.
Some history: built to commemorate the victory over Napoleon's French troops in 1812, it was finished in 1883 after 44 years of construction. Just like the Michailska Church in Kiev, Stalin ordered to destroy it in 1931 and on the site he planned to build a huge monument-building to soviet supremacy. The foundation was laid, but the project came to a halt when war approached. A big hole remained and rain water formed a natural pool that then later was transformed into a real pool under the rule of Nikita Khruchshov.
In the early 1990s, the church reclaimed the grounds, started collecting money and the church was rebuilt in 4 years and on December 31st 1999. In 2000, the church was already used to declare the last Tsar and his family Saints. There is a big assembly hall at the base of this church, which serves for conciles of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is here that new Metropolites are elected and big issues debated.
The dimensions of the church are huge, so when you stand inside and look up, remember that the distance between the two open hands of Godfather is 16 meters!
Something else: looking towards the iconostasis, women traditionally pray on the left side and men on the right side.
We were allowed to go up onto the terrace from where you have a great overview of Moscow. The famous "house on the embankment" is right next door and we could see the monument of the sail ship very well: I learned that it is a monument to Peter the Great.....
Some history: built to commemorate the victory over Napoleon's French troops in 1812, it was finished in 1883 after 44 years of construction. Just like the Michailska Church in Kiev, Stalin ordered to destroy it in 1931 and on the site he planned to build a huge monument-building to soviet supremacy. The foundation was laid, but the project came to a halt when war approached. A big hole remained and rain water formed a natural pool that then later was transformed into a real pool under the rule of Nikita Khruchshov.
In the early 1990s, the church reclaimed the grounds, started collecting money and the church was rebuilt in 4 years and on December 31st 1999. In 2000, the church was already used to declare the last Tsar and his family Saints. There is a big assembly hall at the base of this church, which serves for conciles of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is here that new Metropolites are elected and big issues debated.
The dimensions of the church are huge, so when you stand inside and look up, remember that the distance between the two open hands of Godfather is 16 meters!
Something else: looking towards the iconostasis, women traditionally pray on the left side and men on the right side.
We were allowed to go up onto the terrace from where you have a great overview of Moscow. The famous "house on the embankment" is right next door and we could see the monument of the sail ship very well: I learned that it is a monument to Peter the Great.....
20100927
One month today!
A month ago today, 2 girls landed in Moscow with their mother.
Immigration and baggage claim were a breath and even the cab driver was there :-)
After one and a half hours ride, we finally arrived at the lions' house (guarded by a huge stone lion) where Peter was - also - awaiting us.
We discovered our new home and the kids took possession of their new rooms, one for each!
After the first weekend, we could already confirm that most things were working. We still neeeded to work on internet and TV reception, some lights, a stinky water drainafe issue and we would have to find a solution for the sinks that were built for giants..... but apart from that, we were already almost back to a normal life. Just one little detail: all our personal belongings, such as school materials, clothing, documents, etc. were still caught up midway between our former place of residence and here with no clear information on an expected date of delivery or even the whereabouts of our things.
So we were headed for a school start with the things we had packed for our summer vacation!
The luxury aspect: we now have a great new coffee machine and can make real cappuccino at home :-)
First walk in the vicinity, we discover the shortcut to school (located in the street paralell to ours) and then head for a first dinner out in one of the many restaurants in our street ("Papa's Place").
Immigration and baggage claim were a breath and even the cab driver was there :-)
After one and a half hours ride, we finally arrived at the lions' house (guarded by a huge stone lion) where Peter was - also - awaiting us.
We discovered our new home and the kids took possession of their new rooms, one for each!
After the first weekend, we could already confirm that most things were working. We still neeeded to work on internet and TV reception, some lights, a stinky water drainafe issue and we would have to find a solution for the sinks that were built for giants..... but apart from that, we were already almost back to a normal life. Just one little detail: all our personal belongings, such as school materials, clothing, documents, etc. were still caught up midway between our former place of residence and here with no clear information on an expected date of delivery or even the whereabouts of our things.
So we were headed for a school start with the things we had packed for our summer vacation!
The luxury aspect: we now have a great new coffee machine and can make real cappuccino at home :-)
First walk in the vicinity, we discover the shortcut to school (located in the street paralell to ours) and then head for a first dinner out in one of the many restaurants in our street ("Papa's Place").
There is no more smoke in the air anymore, we have come just at the right time!
On Saturday, we went on a discovery tour to the sport venues that might be relevant for us. First, we took the metro to check out CSK, of course ;-) Test swimming and meeting with the trainer is possible on Tuesday. Then the rain started pouring so hard, that we called a driver who took us to Olimpiskii Sport Complex. There we gathered some information on swimming, but no gymnastics in sight.
Our feet were soaked by then, so we took a break in an Italian restaurant close to our home base ("Benvenuto") and sent the driver away. Nathalie's socks hanging for drying, we had a great pizza, put the wet stuff back on and went home for a change into dry clothes. Called another driver and went to Auchan for food shopping. What a crowd of people on a Saturday evening! Happy to finally be back home, we called it a day.
On Sunday moning, we had a late breakfast and then on to one of the three IKEAs in town. As we all knew beforehand, it cost us the day, but now we are much closer to finishing off on the moving in. Our personal deadline is the first school break at the end of October, let's see how it goes!
Monday morning, Peter already takes off for a business trip that will only bring him back on Thursday. We take a walk to school and get confirmation that both girls are attending school in the building where we want them to be.
In the afternoon, we pack our things and take the metro to Olimpiskii for test swimming, but it was not planned for today, so we are told to come back on Wednesday. Then we surround the stadium in search of the gymnastics place. Suddenly we find ourselves in a crowd of Turkish/Asian looking people, some selling things like small prayer carpets and melons, others hurrying by. Where are we???
Still no gymnastics in sight. Then a big construction site ahead of us, two minarets and a big copper half moon standing on the ground make it clear: we are taking a shortcut through an area surrounding a mosque that is being renovated or reconstructed.
Finally, we find a door on the backside of the arena that says "Olimpiskii Management", we enter and ask the security-guy and here we are: talking to a gymnastics trainer who wants to test Nathalie on Friday afternoon :-)
On this success we ride home.
Tuesday morning, we sleep in. Daria brings the equipment for internet and TV, but has no idea yet, when the technician will come to install it. She takes note of all other repairs that need to be done and tells us, that everything can be delayed because the landlady has just been hospitalized and her son cannot be reached....
For lunch, we treat ourselves to a Tanuki, same chain of Japanese restaurants as in Kiev. And then we rush off to ZSK for swimming. Many parents and children waiting in the hall, suddenly a woman with a clipboard and whistle appears, followed by a male assistant. She, the trainer, starts shouting out some commands and quickly two lines are formed: girls on one side, boys on the other side. The assistant "helps" the kids to stand evenly in line. Then she walks down the line of boys, taking down all the names and years of birth. The all boys walk off with the assistant. Now it's our turn. She is satisfies to hear thsat we come from ZSK Kiev. All girls follow her. No parent allowed. I sneak upstairs, from where I can peak into the pool area and see all kids standing in a row at the rim of the pool. They are called up one by one, jump into the water and show how they swim. Notes are taken . It's all rather efficient and fast. Our girls show crawl and back.
Then all kids are sent back to the changing rooms, the parents gather around the trainer in the entrance hall. She gives her verdict on each child individually, sometimes very severely.
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