Pskov Trip

So... I just got back today from a wonderful trip to Pskov. It started off on a bad note. I had planned on taking the metro to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things for the trip, then picking up dinner at an American diner. About halfway there, I realized my tickets were back at my place. I hopped out of my train at the next station and began to quickly backtrack towards my place. After running back to my place, I grabbed my tickets, caught my breath, then caught a taxi. I still made it to the Starlight Diner then onto the train, but it was a bit of a scare.
Dinner was really good the night of the trip to Pskov. Maybe the foil-wrapped salmon was exceptionally well-cooked, or maybe it was just getting to finally relax with my girlfriend and have a nice meal, but that may well have been the second best meal I have had here (after a lovely Valentine's Day dinner at a restaurant named Family Floor in the Tverskaya region). After drinks and a few desserts, it was time to get to sleep. I found that sleeping on the train was much easier than I had imagined, although it was still quite difficult when I had a Russian woman reminding her inebriated boyfriend every 2 minutes that the next station was theirs at 2 in the morning.
I suppose the couple wasn't too much of a bother, because I had enough energy to make it through the day, although I may not have had enough clothing. There was a lot of walking and the weather in Pskov was pretty typical of Russia during this time of the year: around 8 degrees (Celsius) below zero. The town was really nice. The people seemed to all be rather friendly, especially after more than a month in Moscow, where manners don't seem to be as important as most places. We visited a couple of churches, a memorial, and a monastery. We walked through the city center and ate lunch at a small cafe. We had drinks and met an interesting guy named Dimon. After a quick dinner (and cheap for a change), we had to head back to Moscow. The train left at 6:30 and most of us didn't get on before 6:25. The ride back was a lot of fun. We ended up in the restaurant car celebrating someone's birthday. At one point, everyone in the restaurant car was dancing, which was quite a sight to behold.
It was quite a long night so I slept exceptionally well that evening, but unfortunately I was woken to the sound of Russian pop music, which was about as unpleasant as you are probably imagining. We made it into Moscow yesterday morning. Monday was a holiday here, so I had the day off of work. February 23rd is Defenders of the Russian Fatherland Day, or something like that. It was originally a day to celebrate the efforts of Russian soldiers, but has since turned into a day to celebrate all men in Russia, since they are all eligible for the draft. In honor of my contributions to the Russian fatherland, a nice bowl of curry was prepared for me.


Some of you have been asking for some more pictures. Here are a few:


Here is a view of my apartment building from the street. The balcony in the top left corner of the picture is mine.


I pass this church every day on the way to and from the metro. It looks pretty nice, but I haven't been inside yet.


These are a few of the stores located right near my Metro station. Kofe Xaus (Coffee House) is the Russian Starbucks. They are pretty much everywhere in Moscow. The Produkti next door is where I do some of my shopping, although I prefer to shop at the supermarket, Perekrostok.


Kiosks like this are everywhere in Moscow. The kiosk on the left is where I get my chicken. I always have good luck with this location and the woman who runs it is quite kind for a Muscovite. The left window is full of chickens roasting on spits and the right window is full of pastries, hot dogs, sandwiches, and an assortment of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is easily available just about anywhere in Moscow. You are rarely further than 100 meters from a store or stand that sells beer. The kiosk to the right sells blini, which are kind of like crepes. You can have them stuffed with something savory (meats, cheeses, and vegetables) or a something sweet (fruits and jams).


Here is the outside of the Shabolovskaya Metro station. This is the station I generally leave from in the morning.

You can find pictures of Pskov ((HERE))

Well, I guess it's back off to work!