I sincerely apologise for not visiting your blogs for a long while. I would really love to but have absolutely no time lately. Before then, let me introduce another very wintery photo and wish you a nice week-end!

Poor thing

This Mini looked so forlorn in yesterday snowfall that I countn't help taking its picture!

Moscow metro: Novoslobodskaya station

Novoslobodskaya station is believed to be the most beautiful one. Too bad this photo can't show all the magnificent stain glasses and mosaic! But this station as always incredibly crowded, so it's next to impossible to take a closer shot of stain glass, for example. Nevertheless, this picture can give a general idea of it.

What I hate about late autumn in Moscow is daily changes of seasons: after a week of great winter weather we have thaw and rains. Streets are the mix of soggy snow and mud, and you cloths get knee-deep wet before you got to the office.

The picture was taken in Maroseyka street, which is old and narrow one in Moscow center. The city looks extremely dirty when weather is like this.

Terem

This is one of tradtional Russian houses located in central Moscow. In the old times large and beautiful houses were called terems, and this one presents a good example of them.

This is a picture I see every week-day: got out of the train, people walk along the railroad. Where are they heading to? I have no idea.

P.S. Another version on my extension site.

Snowed bench

It was -10C yesterday morning, it was +1C today. And how we are supposed to deal with such up and down?

Anyway, here is one more of winter pictures. I'm afraid you'll get bored with them long before the end of February, but they will do so far.

Local train

Here is a local train, exactly like one I take every morning on my way to work. Those trains are far from being comfortable: non-airconditioned, noisy, crowded, with rigit bench-like seats - anyway, they don't depend on traffic jams and hence are most convenient transport quite often.

CoffeeBean

Cold winter day (or night) is a perfect time to have a cup of coffee in a cafe, especially on Friday. CoffeeBean is a net of coffee shops and is my favourite one because, unlike most eateries in Moscow, it's smoke-free. This photo was taken in one of their cafes not far from my office, that one is not very popular yet for it's a new one so it's almost empty most of the time. Considering reasonable prices, you can get a picture of a paradize for non-smoking coffee-lover.

P.S. Another version on my extension site.

It is still snowing over here. Last yellow leaves on trees are the only bright spots in the kingdom of white.

It'd been snowing the whole night through. It was still snowing in the morning. City services don't work properly so cars and public transport are stuck in snowed streets. This literally beautiful weather often turns hell for drivers.

Many of you sympathized with me about having winter settled over here, and Chuckeroon even told me a bloodcurdling story about freezing to window in the Russian railway car! Well, I have to reassure (or to disappoint?) you: it's not as bad as it seems :) First of all, the temperature slightly below 0 C is rather comfortable for a winter season (provided you wear warm cloths). Today the air is about -2C, it's lightly snowing and there is almost no wind - perfect weather for a little walk!
And as for Chuckeroon's story... Well, every kid in Russia knows that one shouldn't touch metallic things with bare skin during wintertime because you may stick to it. In the case you froze to something after all, you need to warm up that thing somehow: the easiest way is to use hot water, but your breath should also work.

So be safe and stay warm!

The weekend was too short! I wish it was a day longer, at least, but my work was waiting for me.

I took this picture while waiting for a train this morning. You can see what backyards of Moscow look like: rails, cars, construction works - and no people around! It is windy and snowy today, and I don't feel like going out.

Nikitskaya st.

This is one of the central Moscow streets - Nikitskaya. The building on the background is one of the famous Stalin's skyscrapers.

Frozen

Door in the wall

Winter has settled in the city. Weather is cold but dry, and pavements are covered with crispy ice.

This photo presents a traditional door in traditional Russian house built in 15-16 centuries. Looks a little bit like fairytale castle, doesn't it?

Bells

Today I'd like to take you back to Kolomenskoe and to show you the bells on the belltower. They were returned (or rather restored) relatively recently, and nowadays you can here their rich and tuneful sound.

We are going to have a long weekend for November, 4th is a public holiday. I don't have internet connection at my home yet, so see you on Tuesday!

P.S. Check out for updates on my extension site.

Theme Day: The Colour - Blue

Shame on me! I completely forgot about today theme day! Thanks to BrusselsDailyPhotoByGregous for bringing me back to reality :)

So here my Blue thing - a book store! This is 'A Book House' in New Arbat street, one of the largest shops in Moscow. It occupies double-stored building of extreme lenght and width. On the ground floor you can find stationary, calendars, posters and CD/DVD department; and the first floor presents books themselves (thousands and millions!). What else to say? I love book stores :)

And don't forget to visit other participants of the theme:Boston (MA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Portland (OR), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Arradon, France - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Stockholm, Sweden - Singapore, Singapore - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Toulouse, France - The Hague, Netherlands - Moscow, Russia - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Stayton (OR), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Detroit (MI), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Hyde, UK - Radonvilliers, France - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Saarbrücken, Germany - New Orleans (LA), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Forks (WA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Barton (VT), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Inverness (IL), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - Toruń, Poland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Le Guilvinec, France - Chateaubriant, France - London, England - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Sydney, Australia - Austin (TX), USA - Mumbai, India - Boston (MA), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Paderborn, Germany - Montréal (QC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Orlando (FL), USA - Grenoble, France - Cheltenham, UK - Forks (WA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - London, UK - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Belgrade, Serbia - Paris, France - Shanghai, China - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Montpellier, France - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Auckland, New Zealand - Evry, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Oslo, Norway - Minneapolis (MN), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Trujillo, Peru - Trujillo, Peru - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Durban, South Africa - Brussels, Belgium - Anderson (SC), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Wellington, New Zealand - Prague, Czech Republic - Saigon, Vietnam - Ystad, Sweden - Miami (FL), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Hong Kong, China - Melbourne, Australia - Baziège, France - Greensboro (NC), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia