Privet! (That's Russian for hi). I'm completely burned out from my weekend of travel in Moscow, so I'll keep  this short. It was cool to go back to the big city, and it certainly felt familiar. The second I stepped into the metro station after getting off the train from Vladimir, I knew I was back: The hustle of people, the rumble of trains, the particular oily smell of the metro--they are all firmly imprinted in my memory. We saw Red Square, GUM (the huge, historic, and insanely expensive department store just off Red Square), Moscow State University, Tverskaya Ulitsa, and the Patriarch's Ponds. I met up with quite a few of my friends in Moscow, too. It was great to see those places again, and I had a great time with my Russian friends.

But I have no idea how I lived in that city. The noise, the smells, the people, the prices--they were all too much. I'm actually surprised by my reaction: I love cities, and I've always considered myself a lover of the hustle and bustle of urban life. But I was so happy to leave that crazy megapolis and get off the train this morning in quiet, old, provincial Vladimir. Of course, our trip to Moscow was hectic: We had just 7 hours to see a city of 15 million people (the rest of the group didn't spend the night). I was on my feet for that whole time, walking, riding the metro, navigating filthy train stations (We had some train-station misadventures and run ins with very unhelpful members of the Russian "service" industry--more about that later). That sort of travel--coupled with a big sleep deficit--wore me out.

Here are a few pictures. The first is our train and the train station in Moscow when we arrived. Next is me in front of St. Basil's Cathedral. Next is a selection of wine that costs--no joke--more than $1,000 per bottle. Next is Patriarch's Pond. And finally, the last picture I took from the train window on my back to Vladimir--it's a good shot of how the countryside looks around here.