Day 1 – 2nd of August 2017
Departed by 4 am flight from Bangalore to Moscow via Dubai in Emirates Airlines. 1 pm landed at Domodedovo International airport Moscow. When you peek through the window of your flight you can’t miss the really dark Red rooftops, it’s beautiful. Yes the colours in Moscow are always dark. Add to it the astonishment to see in an airport the AeroPlanes are parked casually on grassland like an old car garage. Had a 90 minutes drive to check in to our Hotel Azimut Smolenskaya, Moscow, a new hotel, right in the heart of Moscow, getting ready for the world cup 2018. Few rooms just got opened during our visit. Stay was normal. Lift can be challenge had to wait long. At 7 pm left for the cruise on the Moscow River. First came the sky scrappers and then came the historical buildings. After some Russian beer, (Secret of beer master, Cikret bivovara) and Russian vodka, whisky we dined. Manoj, Pawan, Abhinav, Anu along with Bhawani & Deepak Sharma and also a few other Metlifers chatted away to glory and came to the hotel at around midnight and just crashed like a dead log.
Day 2 – 3rd of August 2017
After Breakfast at 9.30am we all headed in the bus to the day tour. Got dropped at St Basil’s Cathedral at Red Square. The apparent anarchy of shapes, crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is a unique Russian architecture. Red Square is a guaranteed awe-striker. Walked and kind of tried to immerse in the ambience. At the Gum Mall we checked out the historical toilet paying 150 rubles each. Sad, but do it and comment the same on your own. The Khamovniki (Russian Beer) @ Bosco Café served with huge green olives as you look at the endless people at the square is fun. People lining for Lenin’s tomb, the Christmas trees, Kremlin right behind the huge red walls, the 2 Green tombs and what not. You will keep discovering new thing every minute you stay here.From there we did the Tour of the Metro on our own. Got the metro pass for 55 Rubles and from Smolenskaya we got into Park Pobedy, Kievskaya and finally at Arbatskaya. Walked to ul Arbat. It is filled with souvenir shops, portrait painters is like an art market. Walked to our hotel and got ready for the Gala night. It was amazing to reach the Napoleon Hall. The Table No 1 was heavily decorated in all golden, and sitting along with The Mr Bhawani Singh Patania was a royal and privileged experience. Anuradha, Manoj, Sanjiv Puri and myself along with Mr Bhawani Singh Patania was an experience never to forget. Whistled and clapped for the performance of Russian dancers on Bollywood numbers added to it the LED lit up stage was splendid. After the gala night, most of them danced on the happy moments of PNB Metlife. Went back home and slept
Day 3 – 4th of August 2017
Had to relax after two grueling days and nights. Did nothing in the morning. Later walked to the Arbat ui and had lunch at Hotel TajMahal. Before that I tried the royal Thai massage. Made me a happy man ☺. After a nap we joined the group for the Rainbow Circus. Reminded us of our childhood days. The performance of the jokers was fun. It was adjacent to a lovely lake and again missed family seeing other people enjoying family time.
Tried some couple of nightclubs and one needs to see newly designed Loft. No details ☺
Day 4: 5th of August 2017
After the breakfast in the café next door, which had impressive interiors, we proceeded to the railway station. 70 of us reached at 1.20 pm and were in the train at 1.20 pm on our designated seats after the security check. The train runs at 220 Km/h. Had some snacks and beer in the canteen. At 5.30 pm reached St Petersburg. Was drizzling and got a feel of a more casual place. Was crowded. Drove and checked in at Angleterre Hotel. Good Rooms with a lovely view of St Issac’s Cathedral. Went for a cruise. St Peterburg is one the most beautiful places with more than 500 bridges and 41 islands and enjoys sunshine for just 67 days an year. The river is black, and you cannot help but keep clicking pictures because it is so picturesque. Every moment there was a new structure or a monument or a bridge to make one wish and the wonderful colours in the sky creating the perfect backdrop. We got high on the chill wind. After dinner at the Indian restaurant all of us headed to the most happening Dumskaya ul. Did some pub hopping. Has some live music joints, jazz venues, dance clubs, karaoke places. More of a hipster hangout. Walked back to the hotel. Was so chill and on the way we had ice cream, whisky shots and hot corn. Strange combination just did what came by but everything sunk in so beautifully because of our happy friends.
Day 5 – 6th of August 2017
After breakfast went for the City Tour. Every corner had a palace, a museum or a monument or sculpture. Above all this you had the endless beautiful Russians and loads of tourists walking around. You are bound to get romantic and re-energized. After some lunch at the Indian restaurant we went to the most famous museum The Hermitage. Personally I feel it could be the best museum of the world. It embodies the opulence and extravagance of the Romanovs. We walked for a couple of hours and gaped at the Golden rooms, the prehistoric artifacts, mummified human corpses, the Jordan staircase and the golden peacock and thousands of other items.
Was truly a Roman experience as we walked back and we discovered the Craft Café. Was wonderful. Was so good that after a rest all of us along with Deepak Sharma landed back there for a sit down dinner and shots of vodka, Russian beer and Whisky. By the night it got chill and we chilled.
Day 6 – 7th of August:
Did some last minute shopping at the shop in our hotel and we checked out at 12.30 in the afternoon and went to the airport. The Mercedes Benz Lounge at the airport was wow and we hogged before we boarded Emirates flight to Dubai, then Bangalore. From Bangalore took Jet Airways Chennai and then to Coimbatore. Coundn’t be more happy to see Vansh on the 8th of August 2017.
Hope to see you once again!!!!
Do svidaniya, skoro uvidimsya !!!!!!