My mum's nicked my cookie! This is a bit long, so hope I figured out the html properly...
Having a top time, have done the 'proper' tour of Moscow - Red Square, Church of Christ the Saviour, Church of the Epiphany, the 'White House', the Arbat, Novodevichniy Convent - and also the more unofficial tour, by the Russian students who are our guides, who took us to a Russian club which was cool, apparently very popular with Turkish and Greek people, and I think there may have been Mafiamen there (the BMWs and sexy young girlfriends gave it away, though they may have been rich businessmen with high class hookers for all we know...) - but don't panic Mum, it's not dodgy!
Haven't really needed my thermals too much, weather has been cold but not as bad as I expected - tho apparently it was -20 last week! Bummer tho - temp is now around 0, so all the snow is melting and the streets are full of slush and little rivers of scummy water. Still, I've got big boots.
The people have been so lovely so far, and am struck by how much they know about their city and country and history - the students and young people can tell us everything a tour guide would, and this is the norm - all the details of the history, architecture, literature, art, society, conduct, traditions, reasons for it all.
Very excited about move to Novgorod this weekend too, we get to go by overnight train, and am excited about the whole Russian train thing! Plus I've found a girl here who's into Liza Carthy, and has brought her fiddle, and a couple of other people play guitar - tho none of them brought one, they all decided to get a cheap one here! (and heven't yet). Unfortunately, these are all the students who are staying on in Moscow, but with any luck we'll all meet up in Petersburg in June.
Anyhow, that's enough for the moment - next posting form Novgorod perhaps!
hugs - Jayohjo XXX