So here's the deal: Jon's grad school program ended with a big International Study Trip. This year, it was decided that the itinerary would include Moscow, Prague, Bucharest and London. (We added a few days in Scotland on our own — so Jon could practice his left-side-of-the-road driving in a zillion crazy traffic circles.) Of the four cities, there are two I probably would never have thought to visit on my own. Just guess which ones.
A few things I remember about the trip:
If you are traveling to Russia, do not be surprised if your luggage is misplaced. A ridiculous amount of people on our trip were without fresh clothing and toiletries for at least a couple of days. And you don't get to deal directly with your airline; you have to deal with the government to try to track down your lost luggage. Fun.
And don't be surprised if you're walking down a street at 10:30 at night and it's still light out and there's a young woman strolling with HER HORSE right there next to you on the sidewalk.
Apparently, Moscow is the most expensive place in the world. THE WORLD. I learned the hard way: At lunch one day, I did the math and realized that I just ordered a $25 glass of mango juice. TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.*
Luckily, I didn't find much worth buying in Moscow, so aside from that juice order, I didn't spend much money there. London, however, was a different story. Damn the dollar for being so weak! (Or the pound for being so strong?)
Ever since our honeymoon nearly three years ago, I have harbored dreams of living in London. After noticing that a two-bedroom flat in Covent Garden rents for $900, that dream is so over. Yeah, that's $900 PER WEEK, people.
I was amazed that we didn't come across a single Starbucks in Moscow, Prague or Bucharest.
But Ikea is EVERYWHERE!
The mullet movement is still going strong in Moscow.
Prague is gorgeous. Even when you think you're lost, you'll probably end up on some photo-worthy street.
If someone ever gives you tickets to Wimbledon, you must go. (And don't forget to order strawberries and cream!) It's so much fun, even if the rain comes down in buckets for hours at a time. Even if it takes you 1.5 hours (instead of the 25 minutes it should) each way to get to the All England Club.
If you find yourself in the St. Andrew's (Scotland) area, be sure to stop by Anstruther Fish Bar. And if it's nice out — as it was during our visit — take your "haddock supper" (as I learned is the local way to order your fish'n'chips) to go and eat across the street, on a bench by the harbor. Oh, and save room for dessert! The ice-cream parlour next door is terrific (I recommend the vanilla-honeycomb). They have this thing called the "twin cone" which allows you to get your two scoops side-by-side instead of stacked.
* In case you're wondering what a $25 glass of mango juice looks like, here you go:
