Bolshoi Baby, Bolshoi!
So Christmas Day was spent doing a few different touristy things.
For a start, it wasn't Christmas Day here in Moscow, that's on 6 January, which meant that the Izmaylovo Market was open for business as usual. In order to get there I had to travel by Metro and a different line to the ones I'd already used. One of the stations had the most amazing sculptures on the platforms!
If you're planning your own trip, its the brown "circle" line that appears to have most of the decorative stations.
In keeping with a lot of Moscow landmarks the site of the market looks a bit "disney-fied". It's all storybook castles!
as you can see.
It was another bitterly cold day and my River Island acrylic wasn't holding up too well, so when I saw a full-length Beaver-fur coat being sold by a little old lady I scattered all my 'meat is murder' scruples to the wind and tried it on. Obviously several generations of her family had died in this thing but my god I felt like someone had just turned the heating on full! It was so warm!
The old dear wanted about £70 for it and as it fit like a glove I felt it was my duty to pass on some of my western wealth to her. With that on I could take my time and check out all of the stalls without freezing my tata's off!
As you can see by some of these photos, the Russians aren't squeamish about killing animals or wearing their fur, and while I couldn't actually kill any living creature, I can accept their very real need for the warm these skins provide.
After a good old wander around a few of the stalls - to be fair it's enormous and would give Bangkok's Chatuchak market a run for its money! - it was time for a cup of steaming hot green tea and the metro back to the hotel.
I spent the afternoon in the steam room and the pool, before getting ready to pop another one of my cherries.
Now I know most of you will find this incredibly hard to believe but I have never been to the ballet before - ever - so as I was in Moscow it seemed like a good idea to see my first one at the Bolshoi. Sadly it wasn't in the proper Bolshoi Theatre, that's still closed for renovation, although as you can see from the outside it looks pretty fixed up already!
The ballet would be taking place in the substitute Bolshoi, the Bolshoi 2 if you like, and the programme consisted of two world premieres Herman Shmerman and Rubies, plus one other piece, Serenade. There's more info here http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/season/press-office/pconf/archiv/index.php?id26=1703
I was absolutely spellbound! The first one was a classical piece and the other two more modern - which I preferred - but all three were marvellous! It was just a magical experience. The perfect end to a lovely (Not) Christmas Day
For a start, it wasn't Christmas Day here in Moscow, that's on 6 January, which meant that the Izmaylovo Market was open for business as usual. In order to get there I had to travel by Metro and a different line to the ones I'd already used. One of the stations had the most amazing sculptures on the platforms!
If you're planning your own trip, its the brown "circle" line that appears to have most of the decorative stations.
In keeping with a lot of Moscow landmarks the site of the market looks a bit "disney-fied". It's all storybook castles!
as you can see.
It was another bitterly cold day and my River Island acrylic wasn't holding up too well, so when I saw a full-length Beaver-fur coat being sold by a little old lady I scattered all my 'meat is murder' scruples to the wind and tried it on. Obviously several generations of her family had died in this thing but my god I felt like someone had just turned the heating on full! It was so warm!
The old dear wanted about £70 for it and as it fit like a glove I felt it was my duty to pass on some of my western wealth to her. With that on I could take my time and check out all of the stalls without freezing my tata's off!
As you can see by some of these photos, the Russians aren't squeamish about killing animals or wearing their fur, and while I couldn't actually kill any living creature, I can accept their very real need for the warm these skins provide.
After a good old wander around a few of the stalls - to be fair it's enormous and would give Bangkok's Chatuchak market a run for its money! - it was time for a cup of steaming hot green tea and the metro back to the hotel.
I spent the afternoon in the steam room and the pool, before getting ready to pop another one of my cherries.
Now I know most of you will find this incredibly hard to believe but I have never been to the ballet before - ever - so as I was in Moscow it seemed like a good idea to see my first one at the Bolshoi. Sadly it wasn't in the proper Bolshoi Theatre, that's still closed for renovation, although as you can see from the outside it looks pretty fixed up already!
The ballet would be taking place in the substitute Bolshoi, the Bolshoi 2 if you like, and the programme consisted of two world premieres Herman Shmerman and Rubies, plus one other piece, Serenade. There's more info here http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/season/press-office/pconf/archiv/index.php?id26=1703
I was absolutely spellbound! The first one was a classical piece and the other two more modern - which I preferred - but all three were marvellous! It was just a magical experience. The perfect end to a lovely (Not) Christmas Day
Labels: Travel
posted by JoJo Smith at Friday, January 07, 2011
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home