We do not plan to ) but I won't say anything anymore ). Yes, I came to Moldova by just taking a turn east from Romania for just a quick peek. It is scary how Moldovan we are now ). It was a truly awesome (and awesomely not planned) summer. And we have done so much stuff here that it makes it even better.
I so cannot wait to see Russia. The guys from the Russian village here tell me that one huge difference between say Moldova, pretty and cosy as it is and Russia is scale. In Russia a river can be 10 times the size of the whole of Moldova. Forests are the size of countries, rivers are so huge you cannot see the other bank, the fields are endless. The guy was so passionate about it, about "wherever you look it is so big and endless and there is so much air". I cannot wait.
Yes. But you should get to such places and not stay in horrible megapolises or criminal suburbs. This is the view from the town where I lived last years in the country (100km to the south from Moscow). Tens of kms of forests
This is Pushchino, the town of science (20000 citizens, 9 institutes of physics, biology and astrophysics, very advanced in Soviet times, half-dead now; I had nothing to do with this stuff, just lived in the place). It's on the bank of Oká river. Straight to the south from Moscow, about 100 km. The border of Moscow and Tula region, the end of forest zone and the beginning of semistep-semiforest zone (Oka is the border). Many nice places around. Oka is the best though...
This is an artificial town, one of the many built in 50s-60s for scientific purposes (and "for secrecy" they weren't in Moscow, but in 100 km radius from it). Most of them are about nuclear physics, Pushchino is the only one for biology (maybe weapons; and maybe also some prognostic view of importance of biology in future; a mouse was clonned there earlier than Dolly sheep). These towns have oficial status of "sciencetowns". Life there was very different from the rest of the country. It was a "refuge" of scientific and artistic elite (people of art moved to Puschino and other towns), a beautiful community, no criminality, and beautiful placement. Pushchino is a really successful project. It was the best place to live in Russia I have ever seen (if you have a job or another income). Now it's a bit depressive, half-dead.
One reason we have been putting off visiting Russia for so long is that is impossible to plan a trip so huge and diverse it is. Whenever we start planning a trip we end up with "OK, so we need 2348 days for this trip to scratch the surface. Cool."
To taste the sea, you don't need to drink it all. Several contrasting places (well selected) will be enough.
And, you know, Russia is not only big. It's slow. It gets to your veins very slowly. Quick tour maybe is not the best idea. To stay somewhere for some time will make a proper effect.
But I think you know all this, no need to tell you...
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:05 pm (UTC)It's the same here. It'll soon be all white here.
Athena
no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2016-11-13 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2016-11-13 08:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 08:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 08:29 pm (UTC)And, you know, Russia is not only big. It's slow. It gets to your veins very slowly. Quick tour maybe is not the best idea. To stay somewhere for some time will make a proper effect.
But I think you know all this, no need to tell you...
no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 08:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-13 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2016-11-13 10:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-14 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-14 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-14 08:17 am (UTC)