Ok, Ok I know I missed a couple of days out but hey it’s my blog
So back to this Metro Mantra
So why would we say that, given there are so many options to use, Taxi, bus, tuk tuk, car ?.
Well in my experience a metro has never tried to take me to its brother’s carpet shop or its uncle’s jewelry shop. Neither has it got lost and had to ask the way or tried to charge me extra for the time it took. It never needed two photocopies of my passport or a $450 deposit or decided to take a different route or declare this is the terminus and take a nap.
Metros just go back and forth or round and round.
So off on a reconnaissance mission to take a look at Chistye Prudy. Judi had already eliminated it but at that time it was covered in snow and ice and now in 70 degree sunshine it might look better. Now this means a metro trip hence the comment.
When you are in a place you don’t know with an alphabet you don’t understand you learn to just count the stops. Get on at Paveletskaya, Taganskaya, Kurskaya then Komsomolskaya, just count the stops 1,2,3 and get off. Now the Moscow metro has 173 stations and something like 9,000 trains and the stations are a wonder to behold. No graffiti, no dirt, no harassment just lots and lots of people going back and forth.
The place I get off is where three main line railway stations end and the guide book describes it as “Dubious and Diverse and the hairiest place in town” I can only concur with that and I have seen a few in my time. Anyway navigating my way out of the throng and down the slope into town is pretty straightforward. Just head toward one of Stalin’s seven sisters (more about them in a later entry).
Chistye Prudy has a pond and a tree lined walkway which is full of people on this bright sunny day. I note a couple of places which might be considered backups if we get stuck in the next couple of days and go and find lunch in a pavement café. I know Thank you and very good which seems to work whatever the situation as long as you smile and whilst the menus are rarely in English there always seems to be a way of me getting something I recognize.