DAY 16 & 17

 

 DAY 16 -

View from bridge of Ice breaker &
Statue



Cold children

Today we tried to get some things crossed of our list of what we wanted to do in Moscow so we headed to Gorky Park.  The temperature has plummeted to -16 degrees (wind chill -24) but with all our thermals and layers on we still thought we should pursue our journey to the park.  We had to walk over a bridge to get to the park but by that time we were already feeling a bit frozen. And in seeing the park, I don't know what I was expecting but I was kind of disappointed.  Maybe my legs and face were so cold that I had lost interest. It is big with quite a few activities like ice skating to do but we were too cold to do this.  We talked about taking the icebreaker boat cruise down the river but the next one was 1&1/2 hours away and the whole trip takes 2&1/2 hours which meant we wouldn't get home until well after dinner.


Gorky Park - beautiful in the
spring/summer

Gorky Park entrance

So we decided to take the metro back to Red Square as Mark and I had a mission to complete.  Sarah, Anth and the kids were going to sit in a warm café in Gum and drink hot chocolates while Mark and I briskly walked to the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory for a photo with the Tchaikovsky statue that sits in front of it.  It was something I really needed to do while I was here.  We found it even though our legs were numb and faces stinging, so we quickly took photos and then headed for Gum to meet up with everyone else.


Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory

The amount of people that were around was incredible.  We had to walk through an underpass to get to Red Square (where Gum is). There were so many people that it took us about 15 mins to get to the other side.  However, the guards were onto it and had it divided for people going one way the people going the other direction.  I felt like we were a flock of sheep all being herded together into a sheep enclosure for tagging or sheep dipping but at least we thawed out with all the body warmth.

World's biggest Christmas Tree ornament

Once we got out, we headed towards Red Square but realized that we weren't going to get through in a hurry. We headed for the metro station and decided to head home.  After checking my messages, discovered that Sarah & Anth & kids had the same trouble and they already headed back home.  Today was a record however - the coldest my legs & face have ever felt. All other parts of my body were fine and warm.

DAY 17 -
Another cold day was ahead of us but Mark, Sarah and I headed into the city again this time to souvenir shops bo buy my matryoshka doll and to tour the extravagant metro stations, so mostly an undercover day which did involve some walking outside.  The sun was out and with all the snow about, made everything look so pretty. After looking at a few souvenir shops, some inside, some outside along the way, I finally found a matryoshka doll I liked and looked a decent quality.


Stained glass on every arch wall
in Novoslobodskaya Station

Mosaic pictures on ceiling -
Komsomolskaya Station

We continued on our metro journey and we are astounded at the beauty and the details of some of these stations - truly amazing. 



Tonight we had a special treat in store for us - a Russian banya (its a little bit like a sauna but birch leaves and dips in cold water are involved). It was sooo hot in the banya room.  At one stage we were scrubbed with salt and then rinsed with cold water and then whipped with birch leaves. After each session in the sauna (about 5 mins) we had to dip into a pool of cold water - this was relief. The whole cycle happens about 3 or 4 times, but there was an option of going into the ice pool outside to dip into.  Both Mark and Anth completed this challenge, but to our surprise, Toby and Mitchell also completed the ice bath challenge - very proud of them all. Sarah, Ana, Dan & I weren't up to the ice challenge so just went into the cold water pool again.  Each time we went into sauna room, it felt like it was hotter than the last session, I don't know how there was air to even breath but we survived and had such a fun night, feeling very relaxed after it.  Another record though, the hottest my body has ever felt.
Thanks Sarah & Anth, this will be a night to remember!

Toby after ice bath

Mark in ice bath

In our banya hats - we had to wear these to protect our hair