This article is written by Neeta Aneja
My husband Madhur, who is with an MNC, travels a lot. But family vacations and family time still takes a high priority in his life. Our yearly vacation is always planned with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. We are quite discerning and passionate travellers. This time, our trip was a thrilling waking dream as we decided to venture to pretty unusual destinations: the interiors of Russia, Tallin in Estonia and Helsinki.
Our daughters, Shreya and Dia have also inherited our adventurous streak. We began our vacation with Moscow. Indeed, the most striking aspect of the city today is not Moscow’s much-publicised embrace of Western culture but its self-assured revival of its own traditions.
Ivan The Great Bell Tower, Moscow
Ancient cathedrals have been restored and opened for religious services, innovative theaters are reclaiming leadership in the arts and traditional markets are coming back to life. The city’s rich and varied heritage predates the era of Soviet rule.
Our memories are filled with the grand tour of the Kremlin grounds and the view of the Ivan Bell Tower and Grand Palace.
Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow
The grandeur and beauty of the famous Red Square with its St Basil Cathedral leaves you spellbound. A short drive to nearby Vorobyevi Hills offered an incredible view of the city. A visit to the Novodevichy convent and cemetary was quite interesting. Walking along the beautifully decorated graves with artistic headstones of the rich, royal and famous was an unusual experience. Other sights in the city such as Victory Park, Triumphal Arch, Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park and the drive along the Moskva river, reminds one of the amazing fusion of the ancient Soviet architecture with the capitalist present.
The trip to Moscow would have been incomplete without watching the famous Russian circus. Our daughters just loved the grandeur there.
The Cafe Pushkin, Moscow
My brand conscious shopping self came alive at the beautiful 17th century departmental store on the Red Square, called GUM (pronounced GOOM). Of course, I cannot miss mentioning the Moscow Metro system, one of the oldest and deepest underground Metros in the world. We ended our Moscow trip with a lovely dinner at Cafe Pushkin, one of the most upmarket and famous Russian cuisine restaurant We highly recommend their Blini pancakes with sour cream.
The ancient town of Suzdal
Our inherent nature to explore the unusual came alive when we decided to drive four hours to visit Suzdal. Exploring on your own, the interiors of a country where you are handicapped without local language skills was an adventurous experience. Suzdal is one of the oldest towns in Russia and a famous orthodox church religious centre. It is a picturesque green town where you can feel the Russian country life and enjoy walks around fairy tale dome convents. We felt as if time has come to a standstill.
Next on our itinerary was St. Petersburg, a two-hour flight north of Moscow.Popularly known as the Venice of the North with its numerous canals flowing through the city under the beautiful bridges, it is rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The magnificent Lutheran Cathedral, Helsinki
Our next destination was Helsinki, the cold Finnish capital. We visited the beautiful Lutheran Cathedral, the Senate Square, the Rock Church, Suomenlinna Island, Seurasaari Museum, Stadium Tower, various art museums, market square and the list could go on.
We took a one day cruise to Tallin in Estonia, leaving Helsinki early morning by a large cruise liner. We crossed the Gulf to anchor at Tallin, a small city with a population of four lakh.
Neeta Aneja
14 Nov 2011
http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travelogues/a-thrilling-holiday.php
