Gorkii Park
When I returned from my walk around Izmailovskii Park on Friday afternoon, Alana announced to me that we were going to be having a little party, a Christmas party. I was really cold and tired, so I sighed and shrugged my shoulders in acceptance. I called some of my friends to even out the mix. It turned out to be, all and all, a really good time. It was an accidental group of people, Russians and Americans, but we meshed well - and I got to speak Russian most of the night, which is a rarity for me these days!
One of the guests was this friend of Alana's, Nina, who is about 30 and is an architect. She and I are kindred souls in many ways, and she is hilarious. Another girl, Katya, actually lives in St. Petersburg and came with a friend, which is great because now I have someone to hang out with up there, since I don't know anyone!
Three of the Russian guys basically decided that they were staying all night (no one left our house until at least 2am). I was not too keen on this idea, and expressed this, but to no avail.I persuaded a friend of mine to stay, as a place holder in my bed, so that no one else could ask to crash there!
The next day (after being awakened by a phone call from Sergei, our landlord, announcing he was coming by shortly - quick! clean!) Alana and I discovered that it was a sunny, almost balmy Moscow day. Honestly, yesterday reminded me of most of the winter in Charlottesville - brisk and chilly, but yet....not. It got up to 39 yesterday, and it already up to that today - I think we'll break 40 degrees.
Despite our recent predilection for sleeping the days away, Alana and I decided that such wonder daylight hours, few as they may be, should not be squandered, and we decided to go to Gorkii Park. I donned, in a state of supreme arrogance, only my fleece jacket and a scarf, stuffing a hat in my bag and leaving behind my gloves! Gorkii Park (which is no longer so named, to my knowledge) is basically a state fair-esque amusment park, which in the winter is also a large skating rink. But because of the thaw, there was water everywhere, sometimes close to ankle deep! And the paths, which all winter had been packed down, were basically covered in slippery, melting ice! So we literally skated along in our shoes. To our great delight (okay, to Alana's great delight) the ferris wheel was operating, so we went for a ride. From the top of the ferris wheel we got a panoramic view of the city - and a strong, cold wind! Now mind you, this is a Soviet era ferris wheel, the cars of which were a little rickety for my tastes and I fully expected the car to tip over forward and send us plummeting to the earth. Me and my frozen hands were happy to get out at the bottom, but I got some great pictures.
The following link includes pictures from before I came home, and those taken since New Years.
http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAM2TVm4bOGzCLA
