Marathon in Moscow

Photos I made during marathon of Athletics championship 2013 in mid August.  
Not many spectators, but a lot of security.

And press transportation truck:

Posted by Irina.
www.irinapictures.blogspot.com

Cafe Window

Least summer I was sketching this exact view, sitting in the cafe and drinking coffee at Solianka street.
I hope you like this view too, as I did.

Posted by Irina

Under the Bridge

I keep on posting the geometry of the city. Today the geometry is under the bridge at Andreevskaya Embankment. These massive piers hold the lately constructed highway, 3rd transport ring, that's how it looks from above the bridge:

Posted by Irina.

Souvenirs

These treasures are shining in the showcases in the passages of Expocentre, exhibition complex. You can buy or be blinded by glitter or make a photo, as I did.


Expocentre (ENG).

Posted by Irina.

Markets

Markets of building/decorating materials are located around the city and are very stimulating and popular, as the city's construction activity is so high and quickly developing. Besides prices are reasonable and stock is wide.

I do not happen to be at these places often. But usually am mesmerized by the chaos and order of the place.
Posted by Irina. 

Reading and Drinking Tea

Reading and drinking tea. The paradise life for many people.
The window of the big bookstore resembles the Russian life in the beginning of 20th century. Samovar's (samo-self, var-boil) hot water is almost ready, the armchair is comfortable, the books are everywhere. At the background are the names of famous "Three sisters" by Chekhov and "The Lower Depth" by Gorky.

Posted by Irina.

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate, French style, from one of my favorite cafes in Moscow.

They serve a bowl of steaming milk with a small cup of hot cocoa (semisweet, not milk chocolate),
and you pour the cocoa into the milk and mix it yourself.
Always delicious, but even more so when it's got a chocolate picture drawn on it! The waiter drew it himself :-)

posted by Ashira

Colorful

I found this building on my walk on Friday. It makes me think of a beach house, and it's very, um, colorful! 

I wonder what the were thinking when they painted it this way? Maybe they had leftover paint from other jobs, and decided to save some money and use it up on this house? Anyway, I like it - just another fun discovery in my city!

posted by Ashira

Slice of Life

Today I decided to make post in Steffe's (link to his blog "Photos from Haninge") style, show people I meet.

This is Vladimir. He is the chief of tires repair shop. As you see the shop is very small but well known as located in busy place. The peak of Vladimir's activity is beginning and end of the winter, when the huge lines wait for him to change seasonal tires.

Vladimir lives in other part of our large city, but likes to go to work by bike. It takes him 1 hour to get to the shop (and I can tell you I would drive this route much longer because of the traffic). And once his bike speed was 53 km/hour. Do they put speedometers on the bikes?

I know him for ages and today he helped me again when I "caught a nail" - as Vladimir named it.
He took of the wheel, patched the hole, presented me the nail and put the wheel back in half in hour and 22 US dollars later.

Why Vladimir is out of focus? He suddenly became shy and told me he was too busy for posing. Next time.

Posted by Irina.
 

Melons

This is a watermelon cage  - a sure sign of summer in Moscow. They're all over the city right now. They sell other types of melons too, but as you can see, watermelon is their main business. To get the melons, the seller will literally climb on top of them to get the one the customer wants!

posted by Ashira

Car

I have to say, it's the first time in my life that I've seen a car with eyelashes! I think it's a clever little detail :) 

You really never know what you're going to find here in this city - and I absolutely love that!

posted by Ashira