My journey to Russia was coming to an end. This was my last day in Russia... I was generally happy with what I had seen and done in Russia, but I w…

I could not believe this was my second last day in Russia! I was already beginning to miss Russia. At the same time, I was missing the comfort of l…

I went to Vernissage, which is an open-air souvenir market. It is part of the cultural complex known as the Kremlin of Izmailovo, which also houses…

As written on my journal entry, outdoor eateries in Izmailovsky Park offer mediocre and sometimes over-priced food. But it is a perfect opportunity…

Nowadays, Moscow boasts an impressive number of cafes scattered around the city. There are cafes of all ranges, from budget to splurge. Kofeshenk b…

Right next to a tiny grocery store on Bolshoi Zlatoustinsky pereulok (in front of a playground, at the junction with Luchnikov pereulok), there is …

It was another hectic day. Again, I booked my flight early in the morning, so I had to leave the hostel at 5:20 am. I went out the previous night a…

There is a bistro on Nevsky Prospekt, not far from Palace Square, which offers delicious shaurma (Russian doner kebab) at an affordable price. It i…

Dacha is a "tiny" bar with loud music, popular with university students/younger crowd. It's kind of ghetto, but beer is cheap, and the atmosphere i…

I went back to Hermitage again to check out the English and French painting sections as well as the Modern Art section. There was no way I was goin…

This Oriental-themed bar is more of a restaurant because of the wide selection of food and drinks you can get. The menu is mostly Italian, but they…

The first half of the day was spent at the State Hermitage Museum, which is arguably the most important attraction of Saint Petersburg. What would …

This is a semi open-air cafe that offers international food. Live music starts from 8:30 pm. It is almost open 24 hours (8:30 am to 6:00 am) and is…

Artur is the cab driver that took me from the airport to my hostel in Saint Petersburg (while the hostel totally forgot about my reservation and re…

I left the hostel in Moscow at 5:30AM to make it to my flight to Saint Petersburg, which was scheduled at 8:45AM. The plane was full of Chinese tou…

Nord Hostel is located right next to Palace Square. It is probably the most centrally-located hostel I have seen. It is a stone's throw away from H…

My third day in Moscow was spent walking again. The best way to indulge yourself in Moscow during summer is walking. The weather was…

Shokoladnitsa is a popular coffee-shop chain in Russia and has branches all over Moscow. It is Russia's very own Starbucks. In addition to a wide s…

After roaming around Moscow's city centre, we went to Sergiyev Posad, a quaint little town outside Moscow. It is famous for the Troitse-Sergiy…

Named after a French cognac brand, Courvoisier is a cross between a casual restaurant and a night club. It attracts the rich and the beautiful of M…

Located on Lubyanka Square, Detsky Mir, or Children's World, is a department store specialised in children's products, but nowadays it sells almost…

This is the fanciest supermarket I have ever been to! Eliseyevsky Magazin is housed in a historic building on Moscow's main thoroughfare, Tverskata…

Moscow City is Moscow's answer to London's City or New York's Manhattan. It is currently a giant construction site, mostly being built by Turkish c…

A favourite stop for tour groups, Russky Dvorik is a conveniently-located restaurant just in front of the Lavra and offers rustic Russian food. If …

I stayed at one of the best rated hostels in Moscow: Napoleon Hostel. It is conveniently located in an old but lively neighbourhood called Kitai Go…

This was my accomodation in Moscow. Like I said in my journal, the service largely depends on who is in charge during your stay. Most of the staff …

The arrival at Sheremetyevo Terminal 2, the main international airport of Moscow, was nothing short of a nightmare. It was the last thing I ne…