inspired
Charlottetown, the birth place of Canada, is the capital of Prince Edward Island. It’s difficult for me to think of a word other than quiet to describe it. I’ve been to tropical islands and rugged islands. P.E.I. felt like a nearly uninhabited small town island. Driving through Charlottetown we saw tiny villages, harbors, rolling farmlands, and stunning seascapes. It felt like I’d been transported a hundred years into the past.
Visiting French Canada had been a dream of mine for some time. The architecture and vibes of small Parisian neighborhoods is what I was most excited for and Quebec City did not disappoint.
Oh, Moscow. My second home. I know some people call places they’ve visited their second home but I actually mean it. I’ve spent countless summers (countable by my mom because she has a freakishly good memory) and one winter in Moscow since I was an infant. I feel like my post on Moscow should be some big epic tale of my life and all the times I’ve spent there. But knowing me, I’ll probably go back again and again so I could make future blog posts full of stories and facts about my past lives in Russia. This first one we can keep more like my other destinations. A little story maybe, a picture or two, some random facts, another picture. You know. Typical travel blogger fashion. The pictures in this post will also all be from my most recent trip in Moscow.
The Red Square is home to many famous places in Moscow. Probably the MOST famous. It is also right in the center of this huge cosmopolitan city. Which is nice for travelers since no matter where you are staying in the city, it wont be too far from you.
On the day we went, the square was celebrating the history festival. There were rides, food stands, lots of souvenirs and cool decorations.
I didn’t get a chance to go inside any of the museums or churches in the Red Square on this trip, mostly because my mom didn’t want to wait in line and pay for something she’s already seen, but I did get to go inside GUM. GUM is pronounced like goom and it’s a huge mall with famous designer stores from all over. My mom’s bought some of her favorite clothes from there way back in the 80’s and 90’s. We bought some gelato while we were there, but that’s about it this time around.
I hope next time I go to Russia it’s in the wintertime. I would love to see the beautiful ice sculptures and holiday lights in the Red Square like I did when I was eight.
I don’t always remember the history of the places I visit but the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was easier to remember since my mom was the one telling me about it.
It’s the tallest Christian Church in the world, which is hard to tell in photos, but it was complete destroyed by Joseph Stalin and turned to a massive swimming pool at one point. My mom actually swam in the pool when she was 10 years old. Obviously, it was later rebuilt and is once again the tallest Christian church. When you’re walking around, it’s hard to imagine it was once a swimming pool.
The area inside and right around the Business Center isn’t that nice (maybe because there was construction and cars), but from a distance, it’s a cool place to take pictures. It’s also right on the Moscow River so it’s worth walk around the area and along the river. But I wouldn’t go out of my way just to see the Business Center.
Kuskovo was far from where we were staying in Moscow but it was worth all the subways and buses we had to take to get there. It’s a beautiful estate with a palace, museum, pond and cute buildings. We saw a lot of Russian girls having photoshoots in the park and a few people painting views of the palace.
What’s great about many of the parks in Moscow is they aren’t just ponds, gardens and rides. There’s museums, art, royal estates, stores, restaurants, aquariums and more! You could spends a weekend just walking through one of these huge parks.
VDNKh Park, or VDNH, or Vystavka Dostizheniy Narodnogo Khozyaystva, or All-Russian Exhibition Center, is one of these parks. There is SO much to see, do and learn in this one park. It’s a park which has the purpose to teach its visitors Russia’s achievements in language, culture, history and even space!
I was very excited to get the chance to go inside the Museum of Cosmonautics. I mean, it was the Russians who basically invited outer space, right? Jokes aside, they did make groundbreaking discoveries and inventions when it comes to space and space travel. Going inside a museum that shows you some real life inventions and machines from the Space Age was incredible. I don’t have dreams of going up into space, but going inside this museum made the thought of it so cool. Sometimes it even felt like I was in a real space station.
Besides the space museum, we also walked inside the aquarium and basically the entire park. Our feet hated us by the end of the night.
I hope you enjoyed seeing and reading a bit from my 2016 trip to Moscow. I’m trying to convince my mom to have us go in winter next time. Fingers crossed she misses the snow and ice enough to say yes!
-Ayla♥
It was a few years ago when I went to Russia, so it may be a little difficult to remember some of my experiences and places I visited. A few things have stuck in my head over the years, and some of these photos definitely …
Carmel-By-The-Sea
This small beachside city is known for it’s scenic ocean views and art galleries galore. I’m not surprised countless films and television shows have used Carmel as their backdrop. It’s gorgeous and charming to say the least. Make sure not to miss it when in Monterey or driving on Route 1. Here are a few of my favorite spots in this can’t miss city by the sea:
Point Lobos is a hiking trail through beautiful Cypress tree covered paths that lead to incredible ocean views, coves, and sea lions.
We started off our hike right at the Point Lobos State Reserve sign. From there, we went down the Carmelo Meadow Trail that brought us to the Whales Cabin and Whaling Station Museum. I wasn’t expecting much but there were lots of interesting objects to look at and learn about in relation to whales and the history of whale hunting.
We kept heading on the trail around Whalers Cove towards Bluefish Cove where we saw some sea lions down on the beach. I almost missed them because they blended in so well with the sand.
I have been to a few missions in Northern California for school field trips, but this was my first time at the Carmel Mission Basilica. We went on a whim and I’m so glad we did. It is a beautiful mission. There is a small fee to enter and you cannot get inside the Mission gates without going through the gift shop and paying for a ticket.
On the day we visited, there was a wedding inside the church. We were told we couldn’t go inside until the reception was over but I didn’t mind much. It gave me a chance to take photos of the outside and gardens. Plus, it was kinda cool seeing everyone after the wedding taking photos in their fancy attire. I’ve only been to one wedding, so I find the traditions and decorations of different weddings intriguing.
Carmel-By-The-Sea is my dream city to live in (right after London). The homes, views, and weather are gorgeous. It may not be warm enough for the typical Californian, but I prefer the overcast and grey skies that are the norm for this city. What do you think? Could you see yourself living in Carmel-By-The-Sea?
-Ayla♥
