It's been another wonderful day of Indian summer, sunny and warm - nearly 23C! Unusual tenperature for late September. I went for a walk to the city center and took this picture at Tverskoy Boulevard so you can see the way some Moscovian spend their weekends.

Belltower

Another piece of Kolomenskoe ensemble is the belltower. It was build in 1530's, survived several reconstructions and lately was restored to looks as close to original design as possible.

Autumn berries

I'm not sure whether it's haw or rod, but looks nice. Its taste is doubtful, though.

Apples

As I already told you, this year is rich with apples.

The Church of Ascension

Built in 1532, it was the first tent-roofed temple in Russia. The church is justly considered one of the best specimens of early Russian architecture. It was just open after years long reconstuction and can be seen in all its white beauty. I haven't been inside, though. More information can be found here.

P.S. Watch a wave story on my Cyprus Photos site.

Kolomenskoe

Kolomenskoe is a conservancy area within Moscow. It contains a number of landmarks and a beautiful park on the bank of Moscow river. First mentioned in 1339, Kolomenskoe was a summer residence of Russian rulers unless legitimates moved to Petersburg four centures later. There are several special things about this former estate, and one of them is the church you see in the picture.
(to be continued)

Yellow spot

Speaking of Indian summer, I should admit that this is the most beautiful season in Moscow (from the sight-seeing point of view). Usually it lasts for a coupls weeks, and now we're through a half of it already. Anyway, we have one more week to go, and I'm going to enjoy the full ot it!

Indian summer

Indian summer has finally settled in Moscow gifting its residents with perfect autumn days, warm and sunny. I went to Kolomenskoe park today and took a lot od photographs which I would definetely share with you. Let this picture be an introduction so I could tell you more about that beautiful park later.

Pastry

This is just a showcase in one of the pastry shop, but looks mouth-watering, doesn't it? All those doughnuts, muffins, rolls must be delicious. I'd like to attract your attention to the round pies with white stuff in the center. These are called vatrushka - traditional Russian sweet pies with cottage-cheese filling. It's not like cheese-cake but rather like stuffed doughnut, and very special thing about vatrushka is that stuffing should break a surface on the top. Well, it's not good for your waist but what a feast for your mouth and stomach!
Bon appetite!

baby-limo

Don't laugh, this is the real limousine! Just a small one.

In fact, that limo-version of small Russian car is a joke made for of two entities the purpose of advertising. The origin model was the cheapest and the smallest in former days of Soviet Union, so it was very popular even though a car was pathetic.
Nowadays it is hardly possible to see any of the kind in Moscow streets.

Leaves in the puddle

It was a rainy day but surprisingly warm.

Swans

You might be surprised but there are swans in Moscow! I caught those ones at Patriarshie Ponds which are in the very heart of the city. Anyway, the weather gifted us with unexpected warmth today. Sun shines, and that's enough to enjoy the day.

And more photos on my Extension Site.

Church at Nikitskaya

Sorry about having you waited, it's just that I was extremely busy. I hope this photo of a church in Nikitskaya street (central part of the city) will do for apologies.

P.S. Another view on my Extension Site.

Gorky's house

To distract you a little from sad thoughts about advancing autumn, I'll show you a picture of the house where famous Russian writer, Maxim Gorky, used to live. It's located in the very center of Moscow, and this is one of my favourite building in the city.

While my umbrella dries out in the warm safety of the room, I'll answer your comments regarding my way to work and back. It's rather long daily journey but some people who live in suburbs have worse. It would be great to get paid for the time one spends on his way to work but there is no such thing in Russia yet. If you don't like your commute you have a choice: change either job or home so get them closer to each other. In my case I like my work too much to leave it and I don't have an opportunity to get another home, so I have to deal with my 2-hours long trips. In fact, I do read a lot (provided I was lucky enough to have a seat). The worst part about these journeys is that I have to wait for a bus, sometimes up to 40 minuts, and the weather is not always fine. That is why I've got a considerable stockpile of warm clothes. It may sound terrible to you but I'm kind of used to those things.

As a reminder of better days, there are new posts on my Cyprus photos site.

Morning sky

When the weather can't decide if it should to rain or may be not yet, the sky gets a curious texture, like this one.

Here, now

Autumn morning

It's early morning, and millions of people are heading to work. I live in the city outskirt, and the only one way to get out in the morning is to take a bus, because there is no metro in walking distance, no local trains, no trams and I have no car (though, many people don't drive their cars on weekdays since traffic is terrible). So I take a bus, then have 45 minutes long ride by metro, then another bus - and nearly 2 hours after I left home I would enter my office.
Those people at the bus stop in the picture, like me, are waiting for their bus to come.

Stylish dog

Just for your information: this season the top of fashion is colourful knitwear, and all clothes-conscious dogs are alrealy in!

Fontain

When hope almost died, the sun showed up and brightened the world around. Then a fontain, so cold and unfriendly before, bursted with thousand light splashes.
It's still extremely cold in Moscow but not so gloomy, at least.

Autumn street

One more view of autumn street.

Autumn street

Today I present you a very simple photo: the way Moscow streets turn to as autumn steps forward. The truck you see in the picture is one of those that farmers (to be exact, farm unions) use to bring vegetables to the city for sail.

The weather is getting worse over here: today the highest temperature was +9C and it's been raining since very morning. Not very inviting for early September, hah?

It was a typical Moscow balcony till someone washed his toys and hung them outside.

A closer view on my extension site.

Kremlin, panorama

This is a final photo in the series made on the riverside by Kremlin wall. I'm sure now you're able to recognize all the buildings in this pictures.

We are going to have a cold and rainy weekend over here so enjoy a nice weather in your city on my behalf as well.

Today the world lost one of its best residents. I was desperately sorry to know that Luciano Pavarotti died of cancer at the age of 71. Any words would be too few to describe his merits. So let us remember his great personality for he was a legend of our days.

Kremlin, view from Moscow-river

May be, this view is not as recongnizable as yesterday photo, but still this is a very 'tourist sight'. I was surprised myself when I saw the brightness of gold onions against the cold blue sky and clearness of white colour behind a wall of greens.
So those buildings are: the green-roofed palace on the left-hand side is the Persident's Residence. Built in 1838-1850, it used to be an Emperor Palace as part of Great Kremlin Palace.
The high white building on the right-hand side is famous Ivan The Great's Bell Tower. Built in 1505-1508, it's considered one of the oldest and most beautiful items of Moscow Kremlin.

Vasilevsky spusk

More postcard photos today: this place is also liked by tourists and, in fact, is a kind of 'backyard' of Red Square. The square between St.Basil's and Moscow-river is called Vasilevsky Spusk (The Basil's Downhill), and in the left part of the photo is Kremlin itself.

Also, today I present you my new blog where I will publish photos taken beyond the Moscow area. I started with my Cyprus trip (which would last for few dozen posts, I'm afraid) but I hope it wouldn't be limited with that trip only. So welcome, my friends!

Riverside

This is the riverside of Moscow-river boardered by Kremlin wall. As you can see, the road is quite busy during business hours, although it might be a wonderful place for a night walk.
The weather is getting a bit better but it's way too cold still, especially after Cyprus holidays.

This weekend Moscow celebrates its 860th birthday. It's nothing comparing with Rome or Paris but still the city is of considerable age. For that reason there is a lot of decoration all over the streets, free concerts, fairs, festivals and other entertaining programms for masses in which I take no pleasure. The weather is not in favour with residents either: the air is not warmer than +15C (and it was colder yesterday!). So I would rather stay inside, and that's exactly what I did.

This photograph present the Kremlin wall, a view from Moscow river.

Theme day: street lights/signs

Today is the Theme Day, and participants are to present a photo of street lights or signs. So I couldn't find anything better but to republish a collage I made back in April.

Anyway, today is also a Knowledge Day which means that all the Russian students, should they be 7 or 17 years old, start their classes. In Russia children go to school at the age of 6,5-7 and study for 9 or 11 years. To be allowed to the university an individual should complete all 11 grades, 9 years are enough to continue education in so called professional school (something similar to college, I guess). After 5-6 year in university (or in the insitute) a student gets his diploma and can apply for post-graduation education, alghough most people are satisfied with their diplomas. As one is done with post-graduation he usually gets Candidate degree and then Doctor degree. Most talanted (and stubborn?) ones go for Academic degree which is the highest possible in Russia. So this is how education system works over here, even though is has nothing to do with Theme Day.

Check out other cities participating: Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland - Cape Town, South Africa - Singapore, Singapore - Torino, Italy - Flagstaff (AZ), USA