dacha outing
today's one main event was a
generous offer to enjoy a picnic at simon saradzhyan's uncle's dacha about 20
kilometers northwest of moscow.
After a late night last night
(Monica and I didn't get to bed until about midnight) Ingrid woke me at 4:30
a.m.. I put her into bed with us and as usual, she quickly switched from
parallel to perpendicular; which means her little feet were kicking me while her
head was butting Monica. There was nothing for it but to abandon the bed so I
tried to resettle into the living
room.
It didn't work. Try as I might I couldn't get back to sleep. Amazingly, construction was still going on (loudly) across the street.
So I puttered until Sam woke up at 5:45. We watched the Spongebob Squarepants movie together. Monica and Ingrid got up at 8:00 a.m.; and I went back to bed soon after (Sam went to sleep with me and we slept for two hours, until 10:30).
Monica made bread pudding for breakfast and it was unbelievably delicious. After that it was time to get ready for our big trip out to a summer dacha, the home of an uncle of our friend Simon Saradzhyan (news editor for Moscow Times). The plan was for us to take either a cab or the metro to a metro station where Simon would meet us and drive us the rest of the way to his uncle's dacha. But we were very late, and after an amazing ride on the metro (it goes very fast), we arrived at the appointed metro station. After a bit of a fuss we met Simon, who's brother Eduard drove us out of Moscow to the dacha.
The trip was our first out of Moscow itself, so we were interested to see (so much as was possible from the highway) sub-urban Russia. The scenery reminded me of Mexico with less color. We drove by a lot of dilapidated homes and small cottages; but for all their disrepair they each had considerable charm.
The dacha itself turned out to be a condominium-style building near what was once the training center for Russia's cosmonauts, including Russia's most famous cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. This building had been home to four heroes of the USSR (the plaques on either side of the doorway below commemorate two of them).
Ingrid seemed to settle in the best, and she was very popular with Nabi's daughers, Dzhanet and Sherifa. Sam was sociable, but the other children took longer to warm up to him because of the language difference.
The real trouble with our outing turned out to be time. Monica and I had tickets to see Eugene Onegin in the old theater of the Bolshoi at 7:00 p.m.; but to make it we'd have to leave the dacha no later than 5:00 p.m.. At first we had the idea that we'd just cut our time short, but after we arrived and after we began to socialize, it became impossible to think of leaving early.
We ended up driving a short distance to a spot near a quiet river. Mosquitos swarmed in unbelievable numbers, and we quickly broke out the bug spray and doused ourselves and the kids. We walked and chatted while the menfolk chopped wood and set the fire. Later the women helped prepare roasted vegetables and a feast was lain. The grill was soon ready, and steel rods with salted pork (shashlik) was laid on.
As the food cooked we drank and chatted and swatted mosquitos while the children played. Simon's oldest boy, Artur, climbed to the end of a fallen tree and Sam was determined to follow. He got about half way before falling (well, I might add), and gave up the effort for at least an hour before trying again.
Artur had a toy pistol and toy binoculars and Sam wanted to see both. Artur was reluctant at first, but after a time Sam (with Artur's father's help) wore him down and Sam got his chance to play with it.
Just as the meat was complete, it began to rain, and then it began to pour. Somehow none of us seemed to mind that much. The only risk was that the falling water would wash enough of the bug repellant off of us to give the swarms of mosquitos an opening. But even this prospect didn't dampen our spirits, and very soon the food was served.
Of all the meals we've enjoyed in Russia, this one rated the best by far. The meat was perfect, and served with bread, vegetables, amazing cheese, and delicious wine and Armenian brandy. So we ate and drank in the rain; and by 6:30 p.m. we decided we'd best head back. Simon's brother Eduard drove us back, and kindly offered to take us all the way back home. I confess I was so tired and tipsy that I dozed on the way home. After about an hour, Eduard delivered us to within a block of our apartment, and we gratefully said our goodbyes.
After a short walk home we showered (ourselves and the kids) and after a short time everyone went to bed but me. We missed our concert at the Bolshoi, and that I very much regret, but all in all it was one of the best days we've spent in Russia.
Good night.
It didn't work. Try as I might I couldn't get back to sleep. Amazingly, construction was still going on (loudly) across the street.
So I puttered until Sam woke up at 5:45. We watched the Spongebob Squarepants movie together. Monica and Ingrid got up at 8:00 a.m.; and I went back to bed soon after (Sam went to sleep with me and we slept for two hours, until 10:30).
Monica made bread pudding for breakfast and it was unbelievably delicious. After that it was time to get ready for our big trip out to a summer dacha, the home of an uncle of our friend Simon Saradzhyan (news editor for Moscow Times). The plan was for us to take either a cab or the metro to a metro station where Simon would meet us and drive us the rest of the way to his uncle's dacha. But we were very late, and after an amazing ride on the metro (it goes very fast), we arrived at the appointed metro station. After a bit of a fuss we met Simon, who's brother Eduard drove us out of Moscow to the dacha.
The trip was our first out of Moscow itself, so we were interested to see (so much as was possible from the highway) sub-urban Russia. The scenery reminded me of Mexico with less color. We drove by a lot of dilapidated homes and small cottages; but for all their disrepair they each had considerable charm.
The dacha itself turned out to be a condominium-style building near what was once the training center for Russia's cosmonauts, including Russia's most famous cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. This building had been home to four heroes of the USSR (the plaques on either side of the doorway below commemorate two of them).
Ingrid seemed to settle in the best, and she was very popular with Nabi's daughers, Dzhanet and Sherifa. Sam was sociable, but the other children took longer to warm up to him because of the language difference.
The real trouble with our outing turned out to be time. Monica and I had tickets to see Eugene Onegin in the old theater of the Bolshoi at 7:00 p.m.; but to make it we'd have to leave the dacha no later than 5:00 p.m.. At first we had the idea that we'd just cut our time short, but after we arrived and after we began to socialize, it became impossible to think of leaving early.
We ended up driving a short distance to a spot near a quiet river. Mosquitos swarmed in unbelievable numbers, and we quickly broke out the bug spray and doused ourselves and the kids. We walked and chatted while the menfolk chopped wood and set the fire. Later the women helped prepare roasted vegetables and a feast was lain. The grill was soon ready, and steel rods with salted pork (shashlik) was laid on.
As the food cooked we drank and chatted and swatted mosquitos while the children played. Simon's oldest boy, Artur, climbed to the end of a fallen tree and Sam was determined to follow. He got about half way before falling (well, I might add), and gave up the effort for at least an hour before trying again.
Artur had a toy pistol and toy binoculars and Sam wanted to see both. Artur was reluctant at first, but after a time Sam (with Artur's father's help) wore him down and Sam got his chance to play with it.
Just as the meat was complete, it began to rain, and then it began to pour. Somehow none of us seemed to mind that much. The only risk was that the falling water would wash enough of the bug repellant off of us to give the swarms of mosquitos an opening. But even this prospect didn't dampen our spirits, and very soon the food was served.
Of all the meals we've enjoyed in Russia, this one rated the best by far. The meat was perfect, and served with bread, vegetables, amazing cheese, and delicious wine and Armenian brandy. So we ate and drank in the rain; and by 6:30 p.m. we decided we'd best head back. Simon's brother Eduard drove us back, and kindly offered to take us all the way back home. I confess I was so tired and tipsy that I dozed on the way home. After about an hour, Eduard delivered us to within a block of our apartment, and we gratefully said our goodbyes.
After a short walk home we showered (ourselves and the kids) and after a short time everyone went to bed but me. We missed our concert at the Bolshoi, and that I very much regret, but all in all it was one of the best days we've spent in Russia.
Good night.
Posted: Sat - June 18, 2005 at 10:59 PM
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Published On: Jun 19, 2005 06:04 AM
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Published On: Jun 19, 2005 06:04 AM