Three years in Moscow: Bittsevsky Park

I have just got home and was thinking it was quite warm, despite the falling snow. I checked the temperature and it is minus 5 degrees. When one starts thinking of subzero temperatures as warm, I guess one has become adapted to the Moscow winter. Considering when I walked Wendy to the Metro station the last couple of mornings it was nearly minus 30, maybe minus 5 is just a little bit warm. Minus 30 is beyond cold - it's frigid.

Ten kilometres south of Red Square is an attractive park called Bittsevsky. At 7 kilometres long and around 2 wide, this is a significant area of forest, readily accessible by Metro.

Unfortunately, typing Bittsevsky into a search engine will bring up a string of items about a serial killer, rather than the natural attractions of this park. It is unfortunate that this forest park has had its reputation tarnished by one loony, because it really is a lovely place. I spent 3 days of last week exploring Bittsevsky on foot and on skis, and I’ll spend more time there in the future. I can’t wait to see it in the spring.

Bittsevsky Park - just made for cross-country skiing

Muscovites have a reputation for being sullen people. They rarely smile in the street and tend to avoid eye contact. But I wonder to what extent visitors to Moscow take particular notice this because it’s something they’ve been told to expect. Walking down the streets of Sydney on any working day I also see few smiles on the harried faces.

Nevertheless, I do wonder sometimes whether Muscovites have much of a sense of humour, they can look so morose. Then I encounter something delightfully quirky like this playground furniture in Bittsevsky.