ulitsa O.G.I.

Can't quite believe how many new sights/sites I have fitted into this trip. N and I took me to the Ulitsa OGI bar, which I thought had closed down, but it is still there, nicely hidden in a yard. This is sooo famous, designed by one of Russia's most radical art-architects, Alexander Brodsky, and I think one of his best pieces of interior work, being both strong conceptually (as part  of his ongoing commentary on the difficulties of making architecture in the Soviet Union/Russa) and a comfortable, easy to occupy bar.

I managed to take quite poor photographs of this interior -so go to Yuri Palmin Photography for great pictures of both this and other Brodsky projects. 

a lovely walk (oh and where do you get the best coffee in Moscow?)

The area across the 10-lane Sadovaya (Garden) ring, away from Kurskaya and towards the centre is one of my favourite parts of Moscow. There are certainly other nice parts of the city within this 'second' ring road* - such as around Patriarchs Pond - but I guess this eastern side has always been my patch for happily idle strolling. 


There aren't any special landmarks, just the usual muddle of pre-revolutionary, soviet and post-soviet buildings, in varying stages of decay and renovation. Yesterday I walked along подоссенский/Podossenskii pereulok which runs parallel between these rings, and then further in the same(ish) direction, which - with a certain amount of getting lost, shortcuts through yards, and some serious zig-zagging - ends up (after coffee in the Coffee Bean on покровка/Pokrovka ulitsa) at Lubyanka metro. 


I rank Coffee Bean as one of the best places for coffee in Moscow, but there is lots of choice on both Pokrovka and on, or just off, the other key radial road down to Lubyanka, called мясницкая/Myasnitskaya Ulitsa. I also paused at the Art Lebedev cafe and shop (Ul. Myasnitskaya 22, bldg. 1 (Bankovsky per.5)) and thought about visiting the Red espresso bar, further up Myasnitskaya, towards Chisty Prudy, but stopped myself. 


As you may guess, I am a coffee snob - so would really like recommendations for the very best coffee in Moscow. Beanhunter only lists 2 for the whole of Moscow (the other Art Lebedev cafe and Coffee Mania, which is okay but screamingly expensive), so I think it is time to add some more....
 

*The innermost one is called the Boulevard ring. The Garden ring was built where the old city ramparts had been, and originally had trees down its centre (as the Boulevard ring still does). These were cut down in the 1930s, opening it up for soviet military parades and more recently post-soviet traffic jams. There is also another ring, further out, which as far as I can tell, has no name, err, just the fourth ring. And then a fifth called MKAD, which stands for Moscow Automobile Ring Road.  

Unidentified packages (7)

One last thing from the Extreme Room, before I leave Perm behind. I can't really blame the package this time; I just did not bother to turn the lights on when I got back to my hotel and took what I assumed was a small bottle of wine out of the mini-bar for a (very) late evening drink.

Er, it was cognac. 

soup time

There is some kind of soup kitchen near the station (provided I presume by a charity) which is, as you can see, well-attended. There have been various - mainly desultory - references to problems with poverty, both as part of the national elections and from the new mayor of Moscow as he settles in. In fact, the Moscow News recently reported a city Poverty Plan. To quote the report (by Nathan Toohey), Vladimir Petrosyan, head of Moscow's Social Welfare Department, said: 

that a “social contract” had been agreed with 26 Moscow families, while a further 84 families were prepared to take part in the program. The contract lasts six-month with the authorities obliged to provide work, place any children in day care and even “send grandmothers to a sanatorium, for example.”

So that should sort it. (Although I should add that things only seem a little better in Moscow, Idaho. I kept getting articles on poverty from the Moscow-Pullman Daily News when I was doing that Googling thing.)

everyday scenes 1

I don't write much about poverty, homelessness and drunkenness on this blog. Living near a major railway station (linking to the south east of the country and Ukraine, so an entry point for many economic migrants) the size of the problem is just far too obvious; particularly at this time of year when it is still warm enough to sleep out. So, I end up doing the same as everyone else, just ignoring these people.

Had one very drunken and dissolute character knocking about in our apartment corridor for several hours last night; down to his underpants and banging on all the doors, roaring about something. Just lucky (and relieved) that he still had his pants on.

on compote

One of the regular visitors to the dacha was a biologist, who brought me many samples of herbs and plants and described their medicinal qualities. She also made several variations on Russian compote - a catch-all phrase without any English equivalent as it seems to cover everything from various forms of fruit pureed desserts, to a drink I often have of tepid, boiled up fruit in a (relatively) liquid form, to the  fruit- tasting wetness of boiling water poured onto a melange of fruit, leaves and whatever. The latter perfect for both freshness and immediacy.

grubby

Don't know if it is because I am grumpy with a cold, or because as the snow melts accumulated detritus - buried for several months - is now exposed, but the air smelt oil-stained today and I was reminded of just how polluted this city is. The local railway station too, which is a natural haunt for the homeless, the poor and stray dogs,  seemed grimmer than usual.

But maybe its just me feeling stupid. I have been wondering for ages what these old women do all day, standing aimlessly around with their trolley bags in the cold. Except that they occasionally rummage for, and then hand over, plastic bottles full of a clear liquid.

life is a bowl of...

Whilst still not being organised enough to buy basics efficiently (light-bulbs, washing powder, saucepans (!)) I am getting better at buying fresh fruit and vegetables from various markets. I agree with a fellow blogger that you can eat healthily this way; in fact really beginning to get into seasonal produce (although I might say something different come the depths of winter.)

So right now, of course, it is berries and mushroom time. Shown are dogwood or cornelian cherries and I have been told just to add a bit of sugar, leave for ten minutes and then boil up quickly with water to make a drink, with the combined taste of cherries and cranberries.

It tastes good and fresh and has already put me off buying readymade fruit juice in a box. Any other recipes welcome, before the berry season ends....

another unexpected drink..

This is Baikal, which really confused me when I first tasted it, since it tastes just like Coca Cola (well not just like, but quite close). Then I found out that that is what it is, a deliberate Soviet version, first made here in the 1960s, and named after the famous lake. It even gets its own page on Wikipedia, telling you exactly what is in it.

Meanwhile Baikal lake, which was famously pure and healthy (Pearl of Siberia, the Sacred Lake etc.,) is currently at the centre of a big environmental campaign to do with the local paper mill....

Dairy product of the week 4

In an attempt to beat my addiction to condensed milk with expresso (and it is definitely that way around!) I recently bought some Toplyonoye moloko (baked milk). This was following the advice of the Moscow Times and its "best 15 milk products" article, already mentioned on this blog. The author said he preferred both the taste and the lower calorie content to condensed milk - since without additional sugar - of Toplyonoye milk. It is produced by simmering milk on a low heat for more than eight hours, making it a beige colour.

Well, I have to absolutely disagree. What it is, is UHT milk by another name - but browner looking - boiled stale and tasting like just what it is, milk ruined just so it can last longer outside the fridge. Horrible.

Handy hints for travelers 9: Don't drink the water!

A visitor asked me recently if it was okay to drink the tap water here. Illustrated is the bowl in which I - being typically English - put water on my radiators to try and cool/humidify the dry, hot interior air created by Moscow's unturnable-off district heating system. Look and learn. Do not drink the water!

Dairy product of the week 1

Rather than ignoring the huge and confusing range of what are (to my palette) a limited array of pallid and tasteless milk products enjoyed here, I have decided to work my way through each one, with the aim of experiencing their best qualities.

Stupidly started with condensed milk to which - with expresso added - I have already become addicted. And maybe invented a new drink? And am going to get very fat....

Unidentified packages 5

This fluorescent green drink - Tarkhun/тархун - is non-alcoholic and tarragon flavoured, and very yummy. Saw it mentioned in my guide book when I first arrived (along with other 'flavoured lemonades') but have somehow missed it sitting quite obviously on the supermarket drinks shelves. Surprising really considering how very green it is.