Super-Duper Wacky n' Tacky Euro Adventure

So I just had a pleasant accidental stroll around my neighborhood behind Leninsky Prospekt. I was looking for a store called Sportmaster-Diskont – took me a while to find it. I discovered a pleasant little park with flowers in full bloom (I know it’s September, but you never know what you’re gonna get in Russia.) Behind the park was the beautiful outline of a local orthodox church. The orthodox religion has seen a huge revival here after the fall of the Soviet Union. In fact pretty much the only charity and donation seen domestically has been all directed to the Orthodox Church. In the middle of the city is the church of Christ the Savior which is a beautiful restoration of the first church to be established in Moscow. If I remember correctly, the tour guide told us that the restoration cost somewhere near $650 million. This is amazing considering the state of affairs immediately following the collapse of the USSR, but then again, the indoor pool that Stalin had put their wasn’t exactly doing wonders for the city’s aesthetic appeal. I think I have pictures of this church from one of my first entries. Anyway, the moral of the story is that the churches provide wonderful sceneries and backdrops in a city that was indoctrinated with a few too many Stalin-era structures that cry out for creativity.

Along the walk I had a small smile upon face as I was truly enjoying the little pleasures that make travel, and life in general, worth every effort we put into it. I was also smiling because of the fact that I had just bought a scarf AND a beanie for under $20. Really good quality too. Sportmaster-Dikont, where have you been all my life?

Tonight drinks with Micha.

FYI: The flowers should be viewed with your head turned to the left 90 degrees.