Travelog for: Morado

Today we visited the big commercial center, which is called Krasnaya ploshad' - "Red square".
There are lots of boutiques there and cinemas and people of course.

Ah! I loved the fountains there


And look! I think this fish (it's really huge) liked me...

THen I found more fish...

and more!

And after all I saw red fish, which have really short memory!

So we strolled a bit inside...

And came back home...

And today it's International Women's day. I think it's not celebrated as much as it is in Russia. All men and boys congratulate their women and girls and the flowers got really espensive on that day. Miss_Nadinealso got lots of gifts and chocolates and as the day was really sunny...we decided to go on barbeque - "shashlyki" it's called in Russia.
And they again expluatated me, those Russians!  I had to cook meat...


Here I am tasting...I am not sure that rabbits are allowed to do that...But just out of curiosity!

And then drink French wine from strange cups...

And this is Hottie and Nottie - another toyvoyagers Just_married. We had lots of fun together!

It's very good, that Miss_Nadine lives in the part of the city, near the river Kuban and you can go and relax on the sand any time! so did I!

Last days were very fast and full of different adventures for me...But today I had to leave  sunny Krasnodar and go to Siberia! To the next host on RTVT Oksana Just imagine!  I am sure it will be a nice city to visit too. Miss_Nadine told me, that Novosibirsk was called also as "the city of academicians" cause in the soviet times there lived lots of scientists and they improved the city a lot. There is even metro and...Well! Let's wait and see!


yours always,

Morado 

Hello! Today I've  arrived in Novosibirsk to my new host Oksana. Here I met  3 more toyvoyagers- Rangler, Mousy Mouse and Budd. I have such a good company here! By the way Budd has also just arrived.
At first Budd was a bit afraid and didn't want to leave his package, but I calmed his down.




Oksana had a meeting with her friends in the cafe, so she took Rangler, Mousy Mouse, Budd and me with her.

When we came into the cafe we saw many girls and women- Oksana's friends. It turned out that they all (including Oksana) make handmade teddybears. It was so-o interesting!



Look, what a funny bunny!

See you later! Tomorrow Oksana promised to take us for a walk and perhaps we will go to the movie!

By the way HAPPY EASTER! Oksana told me that in Russia  they would celebrate Easter later- on April, 27.

Today we all have gone to the movies. We watched a cartoon about an elepant "Horton" and a fantasy movie "The Spiderwick Chronicles". We liked both films very much!

And after that we went for a walk. The day temperature was about +6'C, so the snow was melting and there was lots of deep pools.

Yesterday I had my birthday and Oksana took me, Rangler, Budd and Mousy Mouse into the Irish pub. At first we had our lunch there and after that we were playing while Oksana and her friend were chatting.






Then we went for a walk, saw a very beautiful church- Voznesensky Cathedral and bought a very tasty ice-cream.
When we returned into Oksana's office we ate our ice-cream and played. Everything was great! I liked my birthday very much!

We have such a nice weather now in Novosibirsk- it's sunny and about +5'C. Yesterday our host took us us for a long walk about the city. We enjoyed it very much!
Look, we could see these birds:



The streets are still full of puddles, but if such sunny weather stays longer, the roads will be dry soon.





Here I'm in front of some Novosibirsk institute (university). At first I thought it was some theatre, but Oksana said that I was wrong.



We could find a pine forrest. It's  situated not far from the main road- the Bogdan Khmelnitsky street. We envied those people who lived near that forrest- they could walk there everyday.

We could see there many houses for birds!


And here I'm near the monunents of some women.
There are 3 monuments in fact-




Here I'm near the Stadium "Sibiria":



Some iron sculptures:


We passed by the cinema-house "Cosmos":


Look what a huge umbrella! It was standing near some shoe shop:


And here it is a sculpture of  a crow from the famouse fable of Ivan Krylov "The Crow and the Fox":




Then we saw a drag-store with a sculpture of Doctor Aibolit
(Doctor Doolittle) in front of it:








The Palace of Culture:



I liked these old green buildings very much.


We could find the House with the yard where we could see some sculptures from Lewis Carrol's book "Alice. Looking through the looking glass"











The sculpture of a poet:



The sculpture of a clown:

Yesterday Oksana went to the post-office to send a traveling notebook to the next participant and we asked her to take us with her. We went to the post-office by the Metro. It was very interesting!



Near the post-office:




When Oksana sent her notebook, she took us to the Pervomaysky garden for a walk. She likes that place very much.
By the way do you know what temperature was outsides in the morning on Sunday-April,6? It was -10'C! 






We could find a very old tree in the park with a deep hollow. We thought we could use it as our hiding-place 


Here is the newly-weds' tree. It's a new tradition in that park for newly-weds. After the official wedding ceremony they go to Pervomaysky gargen to hang a ribbon and think of their wish.


It's a stone sculpture of a mother and a child.
We like it very much!


Stone heart- one more symbol for people who are in love. At first it was clean, but then young girls and boys wrote their words of love on it



Our small company on the bench


I'm with the wooden sculpture of an elk.


The monument of the USSR heroes:


We could see some birds in the garden:

Yesterday our host took us to her friend Guzel for a cup of tea with cheesecake.  We could see many interesting things in Guzel's house.
Guzel makes teddy bears and other toys, so we could make some photos with them:




And here we are with the woollen bag. Guzel bought it and decorated with woollen flowers. She made those flowers herself from water and wool.


Guzel brought us a wooden car and allowed us to play with it. It was so-o funny! ))



Guzel loves indoor plants so she has a lot of plants at home.
Here I'm with one of her plants and the wooden globus- Guzel decorated it with decoupage (I'm not sure how to write this word :


We also could play with a big bicycle. It stands in Guzel's bedroom.



We found an old clock- it was also rather big.


And here I'm with Guzel's cheesecake. It looks so-o tasty!
Guzel baked it herself.


By the way I liked the fridge in Guzel's kitchen very much, because there were many different toys and magnets on it's door


And this big cactus Guzel and her husband brought from Spain.


Some more plant. It has already reached the ceiling.


What a funny hedgehog! It's Guzel's first experience with oil paints:


We found some sports equipment and played there while Oksana and her friends where chatting.

Today is Rangler's last day in Novosibrsk with us. Tomorrow morning he will be on his way to England to Steve and Helly.
That's why we decide to have much fun today evening.
We played with Oksana's Guinea pigs and feed them with salad:


Then we watched the old Russian movie about children- how they were looking for the treasure. It was very interesting!


When the movie was over Budd offered to look for some treasure in Oksana's flat . We liked his idea very much!
And can you imagine that in the end we found the place where Oksana keeps her money! )) We were very happy, but then Oksana saw us with her money and we had to run away from her 8))


We found the scales in the bedroom and we sat down on it to see our weight, but perhaps that scales was broken, because it didn't show anything


After that we decided to read some very interesting magazine about teddybears:


While my friends were reading, I continue to examine
Oksana's flat. I saw this picture. I like it very much!
Oksana said it was a present from her friend. Her friend made it herself.


And here's the fish clock. Oksana made it herself and
now this clock hangs in her bedroom:


Look! Here I'm with the fairies. Oksana made them
of cotton wool:


And here Budd and me are playing the Turkish drum
It was extremely noisy, but funny


It's late already and we are going to sleep. We had such a nice time here with Rangler and we will miss him!
I hope we can meet someday again!

Today morning Rangler went to England... We already miss him very much!
Oksana took us to the post-office and after she sent Rangler we went to walk in the centre of the city. At first we were very sad, but soon we felt better. The whole week was rather cold- about-5'C and it was snowing much, so today is the first
day since April, 14 when we have +11'C. We enjoyed such warm weather very much!
We could the the famouse Vladimir Lenin's monument and the Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet:






The local museum:


Here I'm climbing up the tree in the garden near the theatre:




Me in snow:


And who left these marks?..


Oh, it's a dove!

Yesterday a new TV came here. It's a small teddy bear- Hellen. She lives in England. She is so-o lovely! We all like her very much!


Russians have their Easter today, so I wish you Happy Easter!


Yesterday we helped Oksana to cook cheese soup and to dye eggs for Easter.


There is a tradition in Russia to dye eggs with onion husks:


Our Easter meal:


One more tradition in Russia is to cook Paskha-special Easter meal made from curd. Oksana explained us that Paskha
means "Easter" in Russian. We didn't cook it, but Oksana showed us it's picture, so now we know how it looks like.



The traditional shape of paskha is a pyramid, symbolizing Christ's tomb. It is traditionally made in a wooden mould assembly called pasotchnitza that can be taken apart for cleaning, but more modern materials, such as plastics, are used nowadays. On the sides of the paskha are engraved (using the mould) traditional religious symbols, such as the "Chi Ro" motif (Labarum), letters "GW" (X and B in Russian letters, standing for Chistos Voskrese which is the Slavonic equavalent of the Paschal greeting "Christ is Risen!"), the Cross, eggs, and a lance, all symbolizing Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

Another traditional Easter food is kulich.
It is a kind of Easter bread, traditional in the Orthodox Christian faith — Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, etc.

Traditionally during the Easter service, the kulich, which has been put into a basket and decorated with colourful flowers, is blessed by the priest. Leftover kulich that isn't blessed is eaten with Paskha for dessert. Blessed kulich is eaten before breakfast each day.
It is baked in tall, cylindrical tins (like coffee or fruit juice tins), and when cooled is decorated with white icing (which is slightly drizzled down the sides), colourful flowers, and XB "Christ is Risen") is decorated on the side. Kulich is only eaten during the 40 days after Paskha (Easter) until Pentecost.


Today is our last day in Novosibirsk with Oksana, Budd and Helen. Soon Oksana will take me and Mousy Mouse to the post-office and send to Moscow to Kristl. We had much fun here and feel a bit sad about our departure, but Oksana promises that we will have nice time with Kristl too and we will see many interesting things in Moscow. Hope to meet all together sometime again! See you!

Morado has safely arrived to Moscow!

Morado walking along Varvarka street

Morado visiting Kremlin and the Red Square: