Ahhhh Aruba...

Aruba was just what the doctor ordered....I believe our core body temperatures are now hovering around a rationale number as the combo or Moscow and Colorado was keeping us at something far below 98.6.  Aruba is fantastic - we highly recommend it!   We're taking kite boarding lessons in the morning....more to come!

From out balcony...bliss!

Snowboarding in Colorado...

Had an absolutely amazing time with the Moellering clan in snowy Snowmass Colorado.  Steve and I held our own as the only 2 snowboarders out of the family of thirteen.  Not too much hissing and booing from the ski squad as we reeeeeally didn't shear too much snow off the mountain for everyone else.

Arrived back in the ATL for several days to ring in the new year and heading to Aruba in the morning to thaw out!!!

Happy New Year!

The day arrived....

                                 
                       THE HAT HAS BEEN PURCHASED! 

When in Rome....and, quite frankly, you kind of stick out if you aren't wearing one of these.  Steve said he'd only wear one when hell freezes over - well, I reminded him where we were and that it's beyond freezing - so I guess there's a chance!!  (By the way - we are not in hell - Moscow is quite wonderful).

We depart today for the trek back across Europe and the pond to Atlanta.  Catch our breath for a day, then on to Snowmass, Colorado to team up with the Moellering clan for a week.  Glad we decided to pick a new climate to give ourselves a break....?  But we can't wait!

Here are some shots we took at Red Square on Sunday.  I was loving the fact the Zambonie and ice rink match my blog design...thank you Red Square!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

(To theme of “Annie”) "The Moon Will Come Out Tomorrow...”

Many have asked how many daylight hours we get in Moscow. This video quite sums it up:

It’s actually not nearly as tough as we thought it would be...and so on this, the eve of the shortest day of the year...

Our daylight hours have been in line with what we experienced on the east coast (closer to NY than Atlanta), sunrise at 8:57 a.m. and sunset at 3:57 p.m. (times for tomorrow’s shortest day).  You probably read that tomorrow will be unique in that the full moon will completely disappear from the sky early Tuesday morning for a total lunar eclipse.  The eclipse will begin at 2:41 a.m. and ends at 3:53 a.m.  Should you be out moon gazing at that hour, the moon will have a reddish tinge (not to be confused with Rudolph’s nose, as that will come a few days later).

The good news, from Tuesday on...the days get longer.  Yahtzee!  Now that speaks to actual daylight hours and doesn’t necessarily mean the sun will be shining in Moscow each day.  With that said, please grab ahold of the rope and help pull (we thank you).  ;)

Nippy Dip...

Received a notice today that the expat community is doing a fund raiser to help the homeless in Moscow.  It's an ice swimming, aka "snow bathing", event at the end of January.  I thought Steve would really enjoy this - so I signed him up - plan to share the surprise when we arrive in the parking lot the morning of...  It's my duty to make sure he takes in the Russian culture - is it not?  He's an Ironman for gosh sakes - he'll probably snap off 3000 meters of invigorated training!

Old Arbat!

I have to admit we haven’t felt the complete “crush” of the season - being miles away from all the commercialism of the holiday.  That’s not to say Moscow doesn’t have its share of the same but it has a bit of a different feel over here.  With that said, Steve and I agreed that the time has come to ramp up our Christmas shopping for the family...okay, so perhaps we waited a bit too long to get started - but this girl has been digging a hole to China with the path I’ve beaten to IKEA and OBI, our hardware store.  Side note - also just got turned on to Stockmann’s!!!  Pure heaven as it carries lots of US brands - oreos, ritz crackers, cheetohs (may make a whole dinner out of these little gems as the stove is sill kaput), Old El Paso, cake mixes, Nature Valley granola bars and so much more.  I seriously got a little choked up when I found our long lost friends...it’s the little things that make such a difference over here!

Headed to Old Arbat - a quaint part of town with a pedestrian street full of shops, bars, cafes, pubs, book stalls and galleries.  An artsy area teaming with locals and tourists - lots going on! Here's what I saw:

This is not Big Foot - this gal is uber prepared for the weather - very typical!

"Father Frost" in back of photo on the right and check out all the fur...

Not sure how the street vendors stay outside all day long...it was toe-numbing cold in single digit temps and these hearty souls hang out in this weather without so much as a mini space heater!  Tough as nails!

Shear Beauty...

Delay in blog action as this is week number 3 without Internet access in the apartment.  Really?  Really.  Cross-eyed with frustration but have decided to laugh about it as it is far better than the alternative.  Internet guys are coming tomorrow with new router...

This is in our front yard:

Christ the Savior Cathedral is literally right across from our apartment building and is one of the biggest attractions in Moscow.  Construction began in 1817 and took 45 years to build.   It took one day to blow it up - in 1931 Stalin ordered its destruction.  Some of the remains of the original cathedral can be found in several of the amazingly beautiful metro stations in Moscow (more on this in future blog).  In 1958, Khrushchev turned the grounds into the world's largest outdoor swimming pool.  After perestroika, a wooden cross appeared in the square by the pool, together with a box of donations.  Billions of rubles were collected and in 1995 the cathedral was rebuilt (completed in 1998).  It can hold more than 10,000 visitors at a time.

This is the foot bridge leading up to the Cathedral:

We walk across this bridge and around the cathedral to get to our metro station.  What I love most is hearing the faint sound of the cathedral bells in the morning.   Truly breathtaking...