Half term

There has been no news till now. Half term started very quietly as I was so tired and the weather awful. It started to snow, fine but persistant with a wind. We went out for food and that was it. Monday we didn't even leave the flat having a day on the computer and watching the television. This is the snow on my kitchen window.

Yesterday was a much better day so we set forth. We went to buy tickets for the circus which is on the grey metro line, so we took the 27 tram in the opposite direction and explored new areas. Having got our tickets we set off towards the city. I saw this bronze statue which was interesting.

As we set off we saw young people in uniform lining up in the park in the middle of the road. As it was Defenders of the Fatherland or Men's day we concluded something was happening. It was a wreath laying ceremony, similar to our Remembrance Sunday.

We then spent the day walking round and treating ourselves to a snack lunch. We saw an amazing sight - snow being melted in huge boilers and then being discharged into the sewers. There are huge piles of snow being shifted in lorries. A foot fell at the weekend. Today we saw a traffic jam caused by snow lorries queuing to get into a depot.

While I was at choir Peter jumped at the sound of a firework display outside in the park. It sounded like someone banging on the window, which as we are six floor up was a bit disturbing. He took these photos.

Today we visited the Novospassky Monastery which is a living community. It was beautiful but rather shrouded in snow and cameras are not allowed inside. However I took these photos.

Finally we walked along the river. This another one of Stalin's seven sisters - the seven sky scrapers. This is an apartment block.

These is an island in the river neat the Kremlin and I saw these modern buildings which I thought rather interesting so photographed them as well as they are in a different style to the Stalinist and older buildings. Much of Moscow's architecture is rather mundane, but I felt these better.

The first is the International House of Music. I don't know what the others are.

The temperature has warmed right up and water has been dripping from the buildings. At times we were paddling. Is this the thaw? I wait to see. Every where is a bit of a mess at the moment. Snow in huge piles all over the place. Still the days are getting longer. I got all the way to Volkovskaya last night in light though it had gone by the time I got to the city.

Half term is half over, but I am getting a good break. More news later in the week.