Tag: park

Rockets

SDSpivey

I decided that if I only have a 3 day metro ticket, I might as well get the items on my list that are the furthest away. Why waste a day walking around “local.”

I headed out to visit a botanical garden. I don’t know if there is a difference between garden and botanical garden.

After exiting the station, I walked down the road. I crossed a river, then took a turn onto a new road. Problem is it didn’t have a side walk, just a bare patch where others had walked.

I see a small path through the trees and I see a bridge, so I do the dumb thing and follow the little path. It took me down to the creek. The rivers and creeks I’ve seen are small, but fast.

There is nothing special, just an area where kids probably hang out breaking rules if not laws.

The creek has a large metal pipe running across. Do I dare to cross it, or do the sensible thing and go back? It is a challenge and I must conquer.

It was easy, until I got almost halfway. There were some tabs welded on it, on top of course. meaning I had to step over them, putting me out of balance.

I made it and continued to follow the path. I expected the path to return to the road, but it diverged further out, until I was walking down a paved path going through a semi-natural park.

It was quite nice, the wildness of everything, the flowers blooming willy-nilly. This was despite the path only being 30 feet from a roadway.

A check of the map showed I needed to turn and head away from the “wilds.”

I passed a small lake and made a detour to pass around it. You could rent paddle boats, but you wouldn’t want to get to close to the fountain. The Zolotoy Kolos fountain sprayed water in a 75 foot circle. Further up, there was a former ski ramp, but I don’t see how there was enough room to get up to speed.

There was an area with sunbathers, with clothes thankfully, it was mostly older people. The younger would be at work or university.

Multiple sand boxes for the tykes, but there seemed to be a “canal” meandering though them. I can’t quite figure out what they were for. They had “locks,” but I saw no way for water to enter or exit. If they were just for sand, then what were the locks for? Curious.

There was a giant climbing rope park, just for the kids, dangit.

The area had an “Eco bridge,” which was an elevated walkway through the trees. Isn’t the ground more “eco?” It was only 6 ft off the ground, so you really wouldn’t see much extra anyway.

An acre or so of cherry(?) trees surrounded a statue of someone I’d never heard of. Wait… What is that? I see the top of a freaking rocket.

Yep, there is a Vostok rocket surrounded by a Vertolot helicopter and Yak-42 and SU-27 airplanes. They all still had the original CCCP and Soviet flags painted on them.

Elsewhere they have a Buran Space Shuttle, which NASA obviously stole, even if no Buran ever left the planet. They have a tour, but the ticket office wasn’t open at the time.

Nearby, there is the remains of a 1938 agricultural exposition, initials VDNKh, which covers an area larger than Monoco. It was similar to the World’s Fair, but just Soviet Union countries. The Pavilions are still mostly intact, but some are currently under repair. Even walking by food courts, the flower’s aroma dominates.

Stone Flower Fountain sums up the Soviet philosophy: If you can’t make it good, make it big. If you can’t make it good looking, make it sparkle.

I see a Farris wheel, so I head towards it. You wouldn’t think it would be hard to find the location of something that big, but I came across a lot of dead ends and loop-backs, but finally go to it.

Normally, I wouldn’t consider going on a Ferris wheel, but I supposed I could get some good photos of the area and possibly find something else cool to visit. Checking the price, at an auto-kiosk, they want the equivalent of $30, plus it is card only, so I can’t buy one. Thanks Biden.

New York’s Central Park is a huge single park. This area is covered in smaller parks, sort of a Park Central. I headed off to another, to see the Museum of Cosmonautics.

I entered and headed to the ticket desk, but it was a “free day.” That’s my favorite type of day. There were plenty of groups of kids being taken on tours. I noticed quite a few had cameras on their watches. I don’t know if I ever seen that before, not even Apple watches do that, do they?

There were a lot of scale models of Russian and Soviet rockets and space capsules, and some USA’s including a Saturn V.

They have a Soyuz capsule that you can walk through and a Sputnik reproduction. They provide plenty of the era’s propaganda, as well as a horde of photos.

There is a large sphere with the globe illuminated on it, showing the launch trail of one of the Soyuz. I point out Florida to a couple next to me, the woman points out Cuba. We’re neighbors. I didn’t think of it at the time, but they might be one of the only people I meet that I might be able to chat with. Poorly, of course.

They have a display showing all the Russians who have gone to space. There’s still room, so I suppose they add new photos as needed.

Getting hungry, I headed back and went to the market. I’ve given up. The Russians don’t eat Russian food. All I find are kebab, shwarma, Chinese, and American restaurants.

I got sliced meat and cheese and some peanut butter and a pouch of raspberry jam. Yes, a pouch, just about every sauce here comes in a pouch with a twist cap. Cheaper to manufacture I suppose.

Went back to the kitchen and made some sandwiches. The peanut butter is more like the “natural” types in America, you have to re-stir it before use, also it is a bit paler, although that could just be the type of peanut used.

I went to my room, to check on my money, doing good, I still have some. Then started to pass out,  but I didn’t want to sleep, so I set an alarm for 30 minutes. Just enough time to recharge my iPad and myself.

Alarm goes off and I head back out. I go into the metro and scan my card and RED. I try the next one and RED. Crap. My 3-day ticket was only a single day’s. I don’t know if I was cheated or the old woman just misunderstood.

I have to then swim upstream against the river of commuters and the ticket office is closed. I don’t know how to use the machines, so no ticket for me.

Oh, well, I decide to just walk down the Arbat promenade. At the other end, is near the next station. Maybe they still have a office open.

Good, they do, so I bought one, but I don’t want to use it yet. The clock starts when I first use it, so I hold off. I can just walk back now, and save the time for later when I really need it.

Junk and a Zoo

SDSpivey2 Comments

It must seem strange that I traveled thousands of miles and spent a lot of money and then I purposely start off my day going to a junkyard.

This is Nelson’s Courtyard. Just an eclectic assortment of random items, that have been painted in bright colors, and have messages all over.

I find the address easily enough, passing through a drive area. Around the corner, I see first of the items.

There is a man (later find out it is Nelson) repainting one of the items, and talking with a couple ladies. While taking photos, a white dog comes ambling up, I presumed it was a stray, but now I believe it to be Nelson’s.

He came over and wanted to shake my hand. I said I was from America and Florida. He seemed impressed, I don’t know if any Americans had been there before. It is possible that with anyone I meet, I could be the only American they will ever meet. That’s a lot of responsibility.

He indicated a entryway down, which I thought was more of the exhibit. Nope, it was his home, a small bomb shelter someone had built in the cold war. I had to duck as I entered, because the door was only little over four feet tall. The walls and ceiling were painted over with numerous messages.

He sat and indicated he wanted us to sit also. He had a guitar and proceeded to serenade us with song. He performed several songs, speaking between some.

I see his name on his computer screen, in Cyrillic, so I know it was likely him.

After a bit, I guess he said something to upset the lady, she was a bit harsher sounding than a few moments ago. They got up to leave and I followed. I was really wondering how I was going to get out without injuring feelings or having to donate.

NOTE: After I returned, I see the page for the courtyard states it is permanently closed. The photos are of the same area, most stuff is gone. I don’t know what happened to all the other stuff. I wish I had noticed that beforehand, so I could ask. But If I had, I would not have gone.

On my way back to the metro, I pass by Leningradskiy Zoopark. Being Saturday, there are large numbers of people here.

Looking at the weather, I had chosen not to wear my jacket today. A good choice as it would reach 68F, cool but tolerable. But still all I see are people all bundled up. It makes me feel like a Yankee in Florida, despite these people should be used to the cold.

Saint Petersburg Mosque, one of the largest in Europe

Many kids playing in the grass or running on the paths. A group were playing with bubble wands. In one area, I find some bronze miniature buildings. I spot St Basil’s Cathedral and a couple others I’ve seen somewhere.

I also see a building I just saw yesterday. Outside the Heritage Museum is palace square and on the out side of the square it a building curves around it. I little girl was crawling through it as I tried to photograph it.

The park contains the Saint Petersburg Zoo. I consider, but I’m sure they have nothing I haven’t seen here.

I need to go find out information, so I decide to visit the Grand Maket Russia. Killing two birds, so to speak.

Several metro stops and a brisk walk later, I find it. It is a huge miniature of various Russian areas, including Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

The room is large enough, you can’t see the other end.

There are moving trains and road vehicles, flashing lights, a working geyser, construction vehicles, etc.

The people are so tiny, but still detailed. Everything is as accurate as can be. There were chickens that moved around, but only about 1/8 inch in size, crazy details.

I am also near the bus stop where I need to catch the bus to the airport, in a few days.

I already know I need the #39 bus, but I don’t know if I can pay as I get on, or do I need to purchase ticket in advance.

There are dozens of buses there. The stop is on the edge of a busy road, and buses keep pulling in just as another pulls out.

I already have my question typed into translator, but I notice right away that the drivers are segregated in their own little compartments. I have no way to ask the drivers anything.

Finally, go to a small stand and ask, she calls someone and the answer is I can use a card on the bus. Not a solution and I say so. She then takes me down to the other end of the block, leaving her stand unguarded, to a ticket booth. Yes, I will not have to walk all the way to the airport dragging my luggage.

Click here for images of Grand Maket Russia

As I was planning to return to my room, I decided to try John Lennon street again, it was early enough that I might have success.

I did, of a sort. I returned to the alley and the gate that stopped me was open.

No Beatles, though. Well there was an image of John along with some other artists who died young. There is an anarchist bar behind the gate also.

I still don’t know if I was in the right area, but I did find something interesting.

The artists are: Kenneth Hensely (Uriah Heep), Jim Morrison (the Doors), Mikhail Gorsheniov (Korol i Shut), Sid Vicious (the Sex Pistols), Cliff Burton (Metalica), Yuri Klinskikh (Sektor Gaza), Jimi Hendrix, Ronnie Dio (Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell), Freddie Mercury (Queen), Elvis Presley, Egor Letov (Grazhdanskaya Oborona), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Keith Flint (the Prodigy), Viktor Tsoi (Kino), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots), John Lennon (the Beatles).