Moscow on Foot
My third day in Moscow was spent walking again. The best way to indulge yourself in Moscow during summer is walking. The weather was wonderful, and I even got "tanned." Getting tanned in Russia was the last thing I expected from this trip! Before setting out on my trip to Russia, everyone was asking how "cold" it was during summer in Russia.
Here is the route I took: Kitai Gorod - Kremlin - Manezh Square - Cathedral of Christ the Savior - Park Kultury station - Arbat - New Arbat - Park Pobedy - Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Actually, I took a bus from New Arbat to Park Pobedy and was utterly shocked. I gave the driver 10 rubles for my ticket, assuming it was enough, but he was saying I needed to pay more. The bus fare used to be 4 rubles in 2004.
I had my lunch at a food stall near Park Kultury station for a genuine local experience. I had bliny (Russian pancakes) with meat and mushrooms, which cost around US$3. The lady in the stall was friendly and "fast" --- two things I was not used to seeing in Russia. I got my bliny in no time! When I used to live here back in the 90's, people were grumpy and slow. There was no such thing as service. So, my experience at the bliny stall was a pleasant surprise. Bliny and hotdog stalls can be found all over the city, especially around Metro stations.
Like the rest of Moscow, Park Pobedy had changed too. I think it had become more enjoyable, because there were open-air cafes all over the place. There was not a kiosk on the perimeter before. It was just a large track of land with big monuments of war. I think there is a move towards ameliorating the "inhumane" aspects of Moscow.
After Park Pobedy, I walked along the whole stretch of Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Kutuzovsky Prospekt has always been my favourite street of Moscow because of the Neo-Classical buildings that line it. This area was developed during Stalin's era. Kutuzovsky Prospekt is like a showcase for Stalinist atchitecture. Apparently, Kutuzovsky Prospekt is one of the most prestigeous addresses in Moscow.
I decided to stay up all night, because I had to leave for the airport at 5:30 in the following morning. I was chilling out in the lounge at the hostel and met a Japanese girl, who was travelling with her Dutch-American boyfriend on the Trans-Siberian line. There were so many people making the Trans-Siberian trip. Travelling by train for such a long distance must be quite an experience. I must definitely travel on the Trans-Siberian line one day.
As with everything else, Moscow's coffee scene has changed tremendously since the 90's, and Shokoladnitsa is symbolic of that transformation. Now, Espresso is available and consumed everywhere in the city. In this regard, Russia's coffee has been "internationalised." In the past, coffee in Russia was synonymous with coffee prepared by percolating or, to a lesser extent, with Turkish coffee (known as Kofe po-Vostochnomu). These are not available in Shokoladnitsa.
Nevertheless, Shokoladnitsa offers a uniquely Russian experience. They have a wide range of light food, including bliny (Russian pancakes), and sweets.
