A slow start, but a start nonetheless

Since coming back from Moscow I have started with the training for the sprint triathlon in earnest. The exhaustion I felt when we were fast-walking to catch the train really got me thinking. Now I am trying to do something three to four times a week.
I already posted my first two running experiences, in the meantime I went another three times. Last Saturday I passed the 5km mark and when I cam home I was so exhausted that I needed almost one litre of water to get going again. What was also interesting that my time got worse the longer the distance.

This was last Tuesday

and this was Saturday.

As you can see my km time got worse. So today I tried again and wanted to do at least 5km again. Then when I passed the mark from Saturday decided I would go a bit further and make a round. On the way back I noticed that the balls of m feet felt almost swollen and I had to walk for one minute, started again and then walked one more minute. This is the result.

Isn’t it amazing? Even though I walked for two minutes all in all, my time is way better and I also ran more than 5km. Plus I am only at my second glass of water and less exhausted than on Saturday although today was warmer. I don’t really understand how this working, but maybe my training starts to pay off a bit.
I went swimming yesterday with one of my friend’s. I was the one telling her that she should go, that it would be good for her and that I will join her since I need to swim at the sprint triathlon as well. But every time we go now, I am not in the mood at all and she is the one who is insisting that we go. Yesterday was the third time, I did 40 laps à 25m in 40 minutes without taking a break. This is not a great time but it is a start since I am still swimming breaststroke. I know that I have to do it in freestyle otherwise I will be the last out of the water. Anyway, I will get there. At the moment I am glad that there is a small light at the end of the tunnel.

Also went to the gym last week to go cycling. Of course I went on the bike with the back first since it is very comfortable to read on it. But after 30 minutes switched to the real deal and did another 15 minutes. I know it is not comparable with cycling outside, but as I said I am only starting. Still have 6 weeks to go!
Yours, Pollybert

Real or fake?

Our last late breakfast was as delicious as the ones before. Only this time we left right at 11am, went back to the room packing and checked out. There was still a lot to see before going home.

First we went to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and afterwards to the Pushkin Museum.

The cathedral was built to give thanks for the victory over Napoleon. In 1931 the cathedral was demolished to make place for a Soviet palace which never progressed to more than the foundation. In 1995 the rebuilding of the cathedral started and was finished in 2000. Here are some images how it looks today.

As time was short we took our break by lining up for the Pushkin museum. It took around 45 minutes to enter the building. But the wait was definitely worth it. We saw ‘Priam’s Treasure’ which has been stolen from Berlin in 1945. In 2010 it was agreed in a treaty between Germany and Russia that the treasure will be returned. When is apparently written in the stars.

Also amazing were the Fayum Mummy portraits dating from the first to the third century.

All the colors still look so fresh and real. There are also a lot of plaster casts from famous statues. Apparently since people were not allowed to leave the country before, they made a lot of copies.

These ones are real though.

We were both duly impressed but it was already time to leave. We still had to get back to the hotel, buy some vodka on the way and catch the 4pm Aeroexpress to Vnukovo airport. We made it but just barely. Tici was not impressed at all with my time management because there was a lot of ‘race walking’ involved (plus sweating and red faces).
But all’s well that ends well. We spent our last rubles at the airport and shortly after 7pm left Moscow.
Maybe one day I can come back during summer? I feel I barely touched the surface of what Moscow has to offer.
Yours, Pollybert

PS: I am still reading book 3 of the GoT series ‘A Storm of Swords’ but have also been reading a bit of Ken Follet’s ‘Fall of Giants’. This I have on my kindle and can therefore read it much easier while enjoying breakfast. As you see I am not the best of company while traveling.

Two “maids” in the New Maidens’ Monastery

Late big breakfast again. I had to try today blinis with caviar and sour creme. Excellent choice, I will have the same tomorrow but with a glass of champagne so that saying goodbye will be easier.
We started and finished our sight seeing program today at the New maidens’ monastery. It is a convent from the beginning of the 16th century. Noble women were sometimes forced to withdraw within its wall, even one tsarina. It was not only a monastery but also a defense stronghold of the inner Muscovite circle.

Napoleon stopped here as well on his way to Moscow and wanted to burn it on the way back. It took the courage of some nuns to prevent this. I think in this sense one can also understand the next picture that one Muscovite can take on five Frenchman.

On the way to Pushkin Square we saw some beautifully arranged flowers.

At Pushkin Square we went into the Jelisejevski delicatessen shop which impressed us with its rich interior.

With this we finished our sight seeing program for today and went for a late lunch/early dinner again. Café Pushkin was a revelation for the palate. Our waiter was perfectly attentive, but what we liked the most is that he not once rolled his eyes at us at the amount of dishes we ordered. Plus he was young and pleasant looking.

Sorry that there are no pictures of the main dishes. We were just too voracious.

We decided to finish the day in leisure and went for a manicure at the mall on the way to the Radisson Royal.

Once back at the hotel we went to the Mercedes Bar where we enjoyed drinks and an overwhelming view of the city on all four sides.

Just take a look at Tici’s manicure! Isn’t it perfect?

I went to wellness area to enjoy the 50m pool (how come a hotel in Moscow has a pool of this size and the city of Vienna is not able to provide one for the public?) and the steam room. I was back in the room at 10:30pm and fell exhausted into bed.
Yours, Pollybert

Rocking Red Square

We woke up around 9:30 (no wonder after the night before) and although my alarm rang three times (I have a strict ban for tomorrow), there was just no getting up.
Even better that breakfast at this wonderful hotel was until 11am. I had an English breakfast which I really needed especially with the day we had in front of us.
After we did a little tour of the hotel and listened to an audio guide telling us everything about the Red Square and the Kremlin. The Radisson Royal has a huge model of the City Center in the reception hall. The model is amazing with lights highlighting the area which is talked about. We did also a tour of the bathroom at the ground level and were impressed with the pyramids of individual hand towels and seating possibilities in the washroom.

Finally at 12:30 we made it out of the hotel after buying tickets for a cruise this evening leaving from the hotel.
We found the Kievsky Station without problems today and also made it on the correct metro to the Red Square.
The metro of course is amazing. Here some impressions.

We entered the Red Square by the Resurrection Gate, passed kilometer zero and the Iberian chapel and stood in awe looking at the Kremlin walls, St. Basil’s church and the GUM.

First we toured St. Basil’s church

In front of the church is a monument for Minin & Pozarski, legendary heroes who drove away the Polish army in 1612 from the Kremlin.

Sightseeing makes tired therefore we decided a coffee was in order. We wanted to visit the famous Bosco Café in the GUM.

How the Russians can walk around in heels high like this must be a genetic miracle.

Shopping at these prices was out of the question, so we shared some pastries.

By then it was shortly before 3pm and we still had the Kremlin to visit. Which we did right away, walking back through the Resurrection Gate, passing the tomb of the unknown soldier with an honor guard in front,

and then walked through Alexander Park to the Borovitskaya Tower to enter the Kremlin.
We toured first the Cathedrals, the Tsar cannon and his bell.

Please note the snow on the ground

For last we saved the Armoury which holds the largest collection of Fabergé eggs. Of course most of them were not in display being borrowed to some other exhibition. Still we found it all very impressive.
When we left it was already 5:30 and by then we were hungry again. Decided on a late lunch/early dinner in the nearby mall Manež. Enjoyed tasty Italian food and rushed to make it on time to the cruise.
The cruise turned out to be a dinner cruise which we hadn’t known. Also audio guides were not available. We ended up drinking cosmopolitans and relaxing for the first time today.
Yours, Pollybert

In Russia with Champagne

Traveling on Transaero can only be recommended. The plane was basically empty. We each had a row to ourselves. Plus all 10 rows behind us were available for sleeping.
Lunch was served and was for airplane food in economy a tasty affair.

Plus we were starving by this time.

We arrived in Vnuknovo around 6pm local time, made it through passport control and sat in the aeroexpress at 7. Buying the tickets was easy and so far everything was working as planned. 35 minutes later we arrived at Kievsky Station.
From there we tried to find the described exit to a shopping mall. We ended up in front of it but not because of any signs we could follow. Also reading the map proved to be impossible. We therefore asked someone on the street for the Radisson hotel and arrived at the Radisson which turned out to be the wrong one (and in all honesty I was disappointed at first cause Tici told me that we are staying in one of the best hotels of Moscow).
We took a cab from there and went to our hotel. So when we arrived at the Hotel Ukraina I knew we were at the right place!
The hotel boasts a huge reception hall, marble floors and columns, chandeliers and gives an overall impression of lots of money.
In the room chilled Champagne (ok, Prosecco), a fruit platter and chocolates were waiting for us. While drinking our second glass there was a knock at the door, more Prosecco and a huge fruit basket with compliments of the hotel. Amazing!

And here the view from our room

Note the traffic jam, we saw it this morning again.

Well into the second bottle we got a text from Alex (thanks Leni for your suggestion) that he will be in the reception in 5 minutes! He showed us Moscow by night and also where to go for dinner and drinks.

Our hotel

The Red Square

The Bolshoi Theater

A shopping mall

The KGB

GUM

Then he showed us a bar below a Chinese fast food place.

It’s the new hype here to have ‘hidden’ bars. You also need a password to get in and of course a local to show you where to go.
We went for dinner at an Eastern restaurant (here Eastern is Asian), had another bottle of wine and watched a bit of belly dancing.

Overall first impression so far, wow!
Yours, Pollybert