Answering where our favorite country was to visit is very hard but, there is no question that Russia stood out more than anywhere. After four visits to the Russian Consulate in New Zealand for our visa's, our first introduction to Russian bureaucracy was not endearing us to our holiday. But after landing in Moscow and being there for only a few hours it was evident our time was going to be memorable forever. It was a combination of many things, but mostly it beat any expectation we had.
Our first night in Moscow was magical. Our hotel was in an incredible part of town and walking distance from Red Square. We immediately headed over and during a light snowfall, the lit-up romantic Red Square was practically empty and we had it all to ourselves.
A few days later after absorbing the pulse and feel of Moscow (and the amazing Kremlin museum) we took a top-notch overnight train and arrived in the whimsical St. Petersburg. It was a city filled with culture and history, combined with beautifully restored architecture and lovely bridges and canals.
A few key things we learned, mostly about drinking.
1) When you take a shot of vodka, you must raise your elbow to at least ear level
2) If you are late to a party (or an event where drinking takes place) you must play catch up and drink as many drinks that you missed
Nastrovia!
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