Travelog for: Arwen

Hi to all toyvoyagers and toyvoyagerists! 

I´m quite new here, because it was only today my new mom Henna
rescued me from a circulation center, where I had already been
quite a long time waiting for a new home and life! 

So today when a human picked me up and watched me I became
very exited!
And when she asked me if I would like to get a new home, and to travel round the world visiting other peoples homes and to get a lot
of new friends, I was so happy I could only nod! 



So she took me to home, and there she asked
if I´m hungry.
Of course I was, specially seeing the wonderful, ripe banana! 




Then Henna gave me warm clothes, and
now I´m getting to know my new home, and after that I´ll
find out more of this toyvoyagering thing!

I would be happy if you would help me! 

Hug from Arwen!

Hello Henna and everyone!

The first place that I visit is Novosibirsk, the 'capital of Siberia'! I had arrived today to the post office and have met Dasha, my first host. (I am her first guest too ) She thanks you for the wonderful postcard and Moomi-goodies.



The weather here looks like... that. Winter is late - there is so little snow, although it usually comes in October!
The dull window view to the outskirts:


Anna Potapovna Bear welcomed me. I came right for the dinner, so she regaled me hot mushroom soup and rye bread with mustard. No bananas yet.



Then me and my new friends had raspberry tea and some sweets.



Now we all are going to have a forty winks after dinner. Tomorrow I'm going for a walk, hope it will get colder during the night!

Many hugs!
Your Arwen.

Привет всем!!! (have started to learn Russian  )

Today we haven't had enough time to walk because my host had a competition. But Dasha took me with her and I could see a bit.

Fast breakfast:



Going by bus...



Then by subway. To get to it, you need to buy a token in a special machine.




By the way, there are some token machines which gives your subway token not for 18 roubles but for 32 up-and-down squats!!! You see, Olympics, sports, stuff like that...

In the subway.



Passing the central Lenina square.



This blue triangle is the countdown clock to Sochi 2014 Olympic game. (These are in every city in Russia). Now the Olympic torch is travelling through the country, so they're waiting for the moment when it arrives to NSK.



Finally Dasha and me reached the building where City Competition for students in Geography took place.



I secretly helped her to answer some questions, for example about Finland.

After that, we went to a nearby Italian restaurant.



Toom-toorooroom... Banana Split dessert!!! I love it!



On the way back I saw that stylish pub called "Liverpool". Sing! "Weeee aaall live..."




New Year is the favourite holiday of Russians. Somebody has already started to do decorating.



If I stay until January I'll able to see how it's being celebrated here. But I don't sure if I do. How do you Henna think?

Much love! С любовью!
Arwen

Здравствуй, дорогая мама Хенна!
Hello, dear mom Henna!

Today I've walked down the Red avenue (Krasniy prospect). It's the longest street in the city, I could pass only the half of it.
Started from the Lenina square again:


("Sochi 2014 countdown clock" says it's 75 days left until the Olympiade).

Some soviet posters



The Opera and Ballet Theatre - is the largest theatre building in Russia.



The Museum of Siberian History... and a taxi



This is a floral clock. In summer different kinds of flowers bloom in certain hours, thus showing the time. Now it's just a big clock under the snow.



Monument to the heroes of the revolution.



I've got hungry and have had some pizza and hot chocholate in New York Pizza. (Camera has got hungry too and it turned off, so we had to take photos with the phone).



Window view from our table.



Here you can see well what is Novosibirsk looks like. The prerevolutionary-time brick building next to a modern business center, soviet-type building on the left and a little chapel in the middle of the road. All is random.



Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the last building on the Red avenue.



When we finally reached the Ob' river, the sky was almost dark. We enjoyed the great view of shining skyscrapers, bridges and slowly floating barges... It's one of the most beatiful places in the city. But can you imagine?.. The phone battery was low too! (Russians usually say "the phone got hungry" or "the battery sat down" ). I used the camera of Alina's phone, who is a friend of Dasha. But the quality is very low. (It's all because Dasha's improvidence )



Just believe that it's me



I think we'll wait for good snow and go there again. With good camera and full battery charge!

Обнимаю и целую! Hugs and kisses!
Your Arwen

Привет, мамуля! Hi Mommy!

Happy First Winter's Day! We cheerfully celebrate it now, because everybody was afraid of not coming snow at all. It has never been so late before! This would mean bad soil and dim New Year, and we couldn't go to the ski resort in Sheregesh. But fortunately it's snowstorming today!

Snow must go on!


Walking on porch, I realised that I have warm cap and scarf, but my feet are bare! I asked Dasha to give me any boots, and she taught me how to make Siberian "valenki".

At first, we need a plastic template of my feet. It's called "kolodki"



Some wool and soapy water.



Soak and wrap it that way...


Then start to felt it. "To felt" is for "валять" (valyat' ) in Russian, that's why they called "valenki" - "made by felting"


Finally it needs drying on the "pechka" - the special stove. They don't have it in the flat, so we used an usual radiator.


My boots will be finished tomorrow morning. So Henna, don't worry, now I will not freeze!

Yours,
Arwen

Привет всем! Hello everyone!

A week ago I went to the river Ob' for the second time, but it was so dark that we weren't able to take definite photos again.(




TV tower seen on the way there.



...and "winter fountain".



On 6-7th of December there was the Olympics torch relay. I saw the real Olympic fire! It went through the city and now is going to Omsk on troika. The people met it with big celebration.




Watching the firefork =)

It's 21 days left to New Year... waiting.

Hugs to everyone!
Arwen

Hi!!! С Новым годом! Happy New Year everybody!
I'm so glad I'm finally can write here. We have bad problems with Internet. So sorry for long silence. Hope you had a good Christmas!

Orthodox Christmas Day is celebrated on January 7th, and it is not such great as New Year celebration, that will be tomorrow.
That's how we are preparing for.

Paking presents...


Eating ice cream in a shopping mall


Tree Bazar.


Last years real fir-trees aren't popular in Novosibirsk. They are much more beautiful alive, growing in a forest all together. Besides, artificial tree is much easier to use




Anna Potapovna, Kori, Tyunya and me decorated a little New Year tree too.



This set ёлка-малютка ('yolka-malyutka', little New Year tree) is about 50 years old, even Dasha's granny decorated it with her dolls, but the most of balls still look like new






The traditional figures of New Year are Дед Мороз and Снегурочка (Ded Moroz and Snegurochka). Ded Moroz (can be translated as "Grandfather Frost" ))) brings gifts to the kids, and Snegurochka ("Snow Maiden" ) is his granddaugther and helper.
The little...



and the big ones.


Dancing khorovod around the tree


I wish you happiness, health, luck and love. Let every your wish come true, and let each day of new year bring something magical! Smile and create, enjoy every breath your take. Don't forget that world is huge and life in it is wonderful. Happy New Year!

Hi! Hi! Hi!!!
3% of year 2014 complete. While loading I have a good time, hope you are too!
This is how I met New Year in Russia.

Helped a bit with cooking.



While cutting salads everybody was watching the traditional New Year comedy - "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" Do you know the phrase "There won't be Christmas unless Kevin stays home alone"? The same here, "New Year won't come unless Zhenya confuse Moscow to Leningrad".



Blinis, caviar canapes, salad as a horse (the symbol of year), pickled vegetables and fried fish on the table, and the whole family together: ready to celebrate!



It's almost midnight. Everybody in the country turns on TV, pours champagne and prepares a piece of paper, pencil and matches.



After president Putin finishes the congratulation, the chimes of the Spassky Tower strike twelve. 1, 2, 3, 4 - write your desire on the paper; 5, 6, 7, 8 - burn it and stir the ashes in champagne; 9, 10, 11, 12 - drink! If you manage to, your wish will come true this year.

Then the fireworks started, and they sounded here and there until 4 AM.



Both Dasha and me wrote the same desire: 'to travel a lot'. Can you imagine? It's already beginning to be fulfilled! By the chance, tomorrow we are going to Omsk, another big Siberian city.

Have a great and significant year everybody!
Your Arwen

Hello again!

Our trip to Omsk was quite good

In Novosibirsk, on the way to the train station we passed the exhibition of snow figures (most of them weren't finished) and the ice rink.






We were lucky to catch that colourful train in the subway, it's dedicated to the Olympics.



Near the station.



The way from Nsk to Omsk takes about 8-9 hours. Our train left in 2 am and arrived in 10 am, so we had a good sleep to the sound of wheels and lulling swaing of the wagon.




It was a bit cold in Omsk, so I haven't walked a lot Although I've seen some of its main sights:

Irtysh river and the magic tree =)



monument "Locksmith Stepanych",



the beautiful church,



fire tower - the place, where the city began its life,



the huge library "Of Pushkin",



and the cinema museum.



One interesting fact: there is ONE subway station in Omsk. Not two, but only one It's not finished and it's used as an underpass now.

The return train.


Now it's time to say goodbye to Dasha and to Russia My next destination is Germany! Hurray!

Hellooo!
I'm on my way to Germany and all is ok. I can't see from my pocket, but according to the post website and to the sounds around me, I successfully passed through customs control and will arrive soon.

Happy Valentine's Day, Henna and everybody!
Love you
Arwen

Gooood Moring my dear Mummy,

yesterday I finally arrived in Germany, after almost one month in that envelope. And now I am with Susie's.
She told me to send a big thank you to Abdysh for all the sweets she send along.
But uhm I must admit something.... There was that round box of chocolate sitting right next to for so long and I couldn't resist it...  So I opend the box and munched away that chocolate. When Hostmum got me out of that envelope yesterday there were just some crumbs left and I was covered in those. So Susie's made me take a bath in the evening. And now I'm neat and clean again and ready for new adventures. 

Sending you a biiiiiig hug

Good Morning Mum,

I'm afraid there is not much I can tell you about so far.
Yesterday Susie's, her Mama and me drove to the town of Bad Kreuznach to visit a friend. The plan was to spend the night there. But after just a few hours Susie's Mum got sick and we had to drive back home in the evening.
But I can Show you some photos of the friends house and tell you that they had a very famous visitor last year. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel herself visited this building.    I Promis, it's the truth! This house is part of a very special Project. They call it: More Generation house. Which means that People of all Ages and different Generations life there together and spent their free time together and help each other....

But now I have to go. Cause hostmums wants to take me out. But she's not telling me what we will do..... Hmmmmm....

Helau, 

since our weekendtrip ended after just a few hours, hostmum took me out to see something very special today. Something that is typical and traditional German. A carnivals Parade.
Lots of Music and dancing Groups, floats and what not. Of course everyone was wearing costumes and they gave away free Sweets.
But we just picked up a few and let the Kids that were around have the rest. 

That was lots of fun.

XOXO

Yours Arwen

PS Helau is a special greeting during carnival.

Dear Mum,

spring has sprung in Germany. We had sunshine all day long.
In the morning we spent some time in a park (with Susie's nephew) in Frankfurt which is made for Familys with Kids. There is a huge playground, a Basketball courd, miniature golf and what not. 

And in the next travelog I will tell you what we did in the afternoon.

Send you hugs and kisses

Arwen

.... in the afternoon we drove to the town of Gelnhausen. It's a very nice place with lots of half-timbered houses. And today it was even nicer. Cause they had a medieval market there. Very interesting. 

Sending you lots and lots of suneshine

yours Arwen

PS I wonder what is so medieval about a ferris wheel...
PPS In the blue house that you see in the 1st and 2nd photo, Phillip Reis was Born. I'm sure you know who he is. Just in case you don't, here is a hint: ring ring....