Carly C.WC '09.
Russian major.
Currently teaching English in Vladimir,
3 hours away from Moscow via local suburban train.
We started with a failed attempt to see a photo exhibit recommended by one of my Russian teachers at a modern art center called "Garage." Unfortunately though I was misinformed or my teacher was misinformed or there was some massive miscommunication as "Garage" is currently closed until March working on their reinstallation. Oh well. This kind of thing happens in Russia a lot.
Next, we explored the New Arbat a little bit. Carly took me to her favorite café from last year when she did this program, on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. The café is part of a design studio, so the atmosphere is lovely and they have tasty food to go along with their tasteful exposed brick walls. Carly and I both had "vareniki" which are Russian dumplings filled with non-meat -- Carly's had potato in them, mine had "tvorog" which is sweet Russian cottage cheese.
We also spent some time downstairs exploring the shop of the design studio. If you have ever been to "Black Ink" in Harvard Square, it is basically the Russian version of that funky little store. They sell all kinds of awesome things like felt keys and puzzles and tetris magnets:
Since Carly and I are both suckers for old fashion atmosphere, the next place we went was a café/bar in the attic of the Mayakovskii Theater, also on Bolshaya Nikitiskaya, called "Mayak." It is a swanky little place, decorated in an early-20th-century, Russia-wanted-to-be-France, kind of way. Smokey. Old fashion. We both loved it. We ordered fancy cocktails and soaked in the atmosphere for a while, before meeting up with one of Carly's friends from Smolny two years ago who is also teaching English right now in Moscow. He was with all of his Russian friends at their apartment, so it was a good evening of conversational Russian practice and watching You Tube videos (as every party I ever go to dissolves into).
The next day, Sunday, Carly and I went out to brunch at this great bakery right near the dorm. I had heard only excellent things about this place, and I was not let down. I had the "Greek Strudel" which was basically a pastry full of spinach and cheese wonderfulness, followed by the "Apple and Tvorog Dream" -- a big pastry of apple and Russian sweet cottage cheese. Moscow has so many more great places for food and atmosphere than St. Petersburg, I must admit, even if Piter will always hold a very dear place in my heart.
We then went back to the New Arbat, did some errands at the bookstore ("Dom Knigi") and went back to Mayak to try out their lunch menu. I had a soup of celery puree which was not at all like baby food which I had been worried about. By then it was already somehow nearing 6pm, and I had to see Carly off on her train back to Vladimir.
As for Sunday night, Aisling, Jess and I tried out the Chinese restaurant called "Friendship" which is near our dorm. The symbol of their restaurant is a Chinese panda bear and a Russian brown bear together (thus, "Friendship") so we were instantly charmed. Their food was good too, but their clientele also made for great people watching on a Sunday night dinner. Lots of awkward first dates.
Yesterday involved a Monday's schedule full of classes (ho, hum) and some dinner at another Stolle with Aisling, this one near the Belorusskaya metro, with some journaling and homework catching up after our busy and full weekends.
Hopefully Aisling/Jessica and Emmy will write posts of what they were up to this free Saturday and Sunday as well, and if you want to know of Galina's whereabouts, check her own personal blog.
-- E.B. (sadly, without Carly.)
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