Moscow, it’s your chance to shine!

Zdravstvuj,  or hello from Moscow! Today will you join me for a Russian wander? It’s only a game. No, it’s not! The FIFA World Cup 2018 was a chance to bring the world to Russia, and for those of us with tickets, to see what we really think.

Luckily for us, Mr Wren had studied Russian 40 years ago. Quite how a gorgeous young Russian female teacher ended up at an all-boys school and sparked mass interest in Russian Studies is material for another post, but it did come in useful. It was great having a smattering of Russian to say hello, thank you, and find our way out of the Metro stations!

Somehow whilst my youth engaged interest in Communism across the globe, with books on Marx and Lenin. I must have been asleep in the history lesson and missed the crucial point that before Russia found Communism, the Tsars built the most amazing capital.

Moscow was drop-dead gorgeous!

On every corner there was a wow, on every corner there was a church

on every corner was a cleaner….

Not only that, but at every stage, Moscow was determined to show its city off in the best light. I have already shown how the football side of the organisation was superb, but this city was cleaner than Salisbury after its clean-up operation. (sorry bad taste joke) but really not only was every pavement literally washed and scrubbed till it looked like marble. Any very slightly ugly, or building under construction or with renovations was shrouded in a cloth.

The city looked pristine. The city was safe, the city is one I love and will return to.

There is no doubt that I approached our visit to Moscow for the FIFA World Cup 2018 with some trepidation. I felt like a bit of a scaredy-cat, but in my defense, plenty of countries were issuing ‘beware’ warnings. They had sold 36,000 tickets to Australians – we love our sport! But the Brits were told to be careful of racial tensions…

My Russian friends just smile, with that enigmatic smile… They know Russia will pull off a surprise on and off the field, push them hard and they talk of being scared themselves of the football hooligans about to descend on their nation…

They didn’t have worried. The Europeans mostly stayed away whilst the South American’s never one to miss a party were there in big numbers.

I arrived in Moscow alone, my family already in the country to enjoy the delights of regional Russia, in Saransk. it had been a cheery flight from London Heathrow surrounded by a myriad of fans. I felt safe in the arms of the world’s football family. Let’s face it they did not look like murderous Hooligans – more like the middle-class rugby lads on tour. You can imagine the “Out of Office’ e-mails from a myriad of London professionals…

I did not spot any other single women. Quite how I became a crazy Soccer Mum escapes even me. Even though this trip meant that we missed our daughter leading her Women’s Premier League team into their Victorian Cup final,

Come with me as I show you around some of the things away from Football that we found to see and do!

TRANSPORT IN MOSCOW:

Getting around was more straightforward than I imagined.

Do take the Aeroexpress from the airport into the city. I arrived on my own and found it an easy and quick way to get into the city arriving at the railway station “Belarussiya.

Metro Tour:

http://moscowfreetour.com

Getting around on the Metro public transport, is part convenience, part museum tour. It has been said that the Moscow Subway is the most beautiful in the world they are full of mosaics and statues, it is worth the trip. Do not miss Revolution Square Station, Novoslobodskaya Station, Komsomolskaya Station, Kurskaya Station, and Mayakovskaya Station.

Moscow is a massive city pack decent walking shoes… we walked a lot

Red Square:

Loved it, not to be missed. Plan to go there for a couple of wanders there will always be something to see here.

Free Walking tour:

The free Moscow City tour with Moscow free tour was a good way to orientate ourselves around the Red Square area. Our Tour started at 10.30 we meet Anna at the Marshal Zhurkov monument at 10.30 am. The tour lasted nearly 3 hours. Price – pay what you want, you set the price! Click here for details

Best views of the city:

“Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow”. Most locals know it as “Hotel Ukraina” The Mercedes Bar on the 31st Floor has great views of Moscow, although drinks are pricey.

BOAT TRIP:

Boat tour: https://www.radissonblu.com/en/royalhotel-moscow/river-cruise

We took afternoon tea on board and really enjoyed the cruise and seeing Moscow!

Moscow State Tchaikovsky Concert Hall:

Go see a concert at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. This was amazing we bought tickets at the venue, the day before and loved it.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Moscow a little better with me. If you would like to read some more, I have covered our experiences here:

• From Russia with love:

An excerpt:

‘My son, at 6 foot 3″ sends a text saying ‘What the…. you’ve booked me into the middle of the middle seat????? ‘ (on Aeroflot)

‘Yep shut up son, we’ll have no complaints now about anything in Russia, it will all be just fine. Remember Salisbury’.

Scary or not scary, I’m up to see the Air Hostess within 5 minutes of the fasten seat belts being turned off to say:

‘Excuse me Miss, but some blokes pee’d all over the toilet seat’, 

She gives me a look somewhere between an ‘if you think I’m going to deal with it’ and a ‘what do you expect  – you’re going to the World Cup’ stare and I’m off without complaining further to find a cleaner loo…’

A birds-eye view of the FIFA World Cup 2018

An Excerpt:

‘Hello, I’m off to see my first matches in the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Would you like to be a crazy soccer fan and join me?

Yes, I know all the advice was to be careful and to think not once, not twice, but three times about going’ (Australian Deputy Prime Minister) but I for one was pleased we went…