Travelog for: Lucy the sheep

I'm still at home and I can't wait to see the world and meet friendly people and toys from all over the world
My journey will start within the next few days and my road leads me to beautiful Russia 

The weather is getting colder and colder in Austria so my mother have knitted me a cardigan . I love it! It is so cuddly hihi

Hi, mom!
Yuppi! How wonderful it is, to stop travelling and to leave my envelope! Of course, it's comfortable, but... so boring! 

And now I'm slowly getting out of it and who is the first person I'll meet? It's Kioko - another TV! I hope, we'll become friends! He gives me a big hug and organizes an excursion in my new host’s house. Of course, it’s just a small flat, but I really adore a beautiful picture on the wall.  It’s an old Russian temple with so unusual and amazing blue domes. At once I says that I want to visit it, but unfortunately, this church is far away from Moscow. Well, it’s a good chance for visiting Russia again 
And another adventure happens today – Marticia (my host’s pet) probably think that I’m a puppy and was so happy about it! Or, maybe, she decided that I’m a chewing toy? Ohhh…. I’m scared! 

Hi, mom! This weekend my host invited me to one of the most unique museums in the World – the Memorial Museum of Astronautics! 
Wow, it was fantastic! You can know more about famous cosmonauts, consider different spaceships and meet scientists of the past!
So, let me tell you about wonderful excursion and guess what? Masha’ve also explained me, how to use Internet photo albums. And now I can leave a comment to every picture I show! Hurray!
Our journey started outside from a beautiful park with many sculptures. Dates of the most known events connected with a space age are named on these stars. For example: 20.08.1960 – return of the spaceship with 2 dogs-cosmonauts – Belka and Strelka (Squirrel and Arrow) 

You can see flowerbeds and they must be empty at this season. But park keepers threw some painted sawdust on the flowerbeds, it looks so lovely.

This sculpture is so unusual!  It’s like the sky, but in globe. And I don’t know some of constellations. 

And many other statues, as Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova - the first woman in space. She was selected out of more than four hundred applicants, and then out of five finalists, to pilot Vostok 6 on the 16 June, 1963, becoming both the first woman and the first civilian to fly in space, as she was only honorarily inducted into the USSR's Air Force as a condition on joining the Cosmonaut Corps.s.

It’s the Monument to the Conquerors of Space and it was erected in 1964 to celebrate achievements of the Soviet people in space exploration. It depicts a starting rocket that rises on its contrail. The monument is 110 m tall, has 77° incline, and is made of titanium. 

There is a soviet-style bas-relief on its side – Away, to bright and happy Future!!!

And a little Solar System!

Look at me – I’m inhabitant of Saturn!

The first a the most curious thing of main composition – the stuffed dog – Strelka. And also it’s a real spaceship Sputnik 5 – where they spent a day in space aboard on August 19, 1960 before safely returning to Earth. My host told me a real iterating story about Belka and Strelka – do you know that they were accompanied by a grey rabbit, 42 mice, 2 rats, flies and a number of plants and fungi? And all passengers survived. They were the first Earth-born creatures to go into orbit and return alive.
Strelka went on to have six puppies with a male dog named Pushok who participated in many ground-based space experiments, but never made it into space. One of the pups was named Pushinka (Fluffy) and was presented to President John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline by Nikita Khrushchev in 1961. A Cold War romance bloomed between Pushinka and a Kennedy dog named Charlie resulting in the birth of 4 pups that JFK referred to jokingly as pupniks. Two of their pups, Butterfly and Streaker were given away to children in the Midwest. The other two puppies, White Tips and Blackie, stayed at the Kennedy home on Squaw Island but were eventually given away to family friends. Pushinka's descendants are still living today. What a beautiful story! 



Besides Strelka there are some “stuffed people” – it’s a real survival suit of Gagarin – you can see his photo on a background. And real furniture of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev’s room. Can you understand calculations on a board?



Then we saw a huge collection of meteorites with data about places of falling and weight. Wow, these stones are so huge! And we remember that have strongly scorched, so they’ve lost most part of their weight!

I always want to know, how seas of Moon are called. And here in Moscow I can do it! It’s a giant Moon Globe! Do you know that Mare Crisium is the site of the Luna 15 crash in 1969?

We saw a stand with photos of all Russian astronauts. Now I know that there are 122 astronauts in USSR and Russia. And near you can have a look at an interactive panel with all over the World cosmonauts. Look! I choose Austria and here he is - Franz Artur Viehböck -  Austria's first astronaut. He visited the Mir space station in 1991 aboard Soyuz TM-13, returning aboard Soyuz TM-12 after spending just over a week in space. 

In spaceships experiments with vegetables were spent. It allows to study properties of weightlessness. Thus cosmonauts can not only use fresh products in food, but also improve atmosphere by the spaceship. After all so oxygen is developed and carbon is absorbed. Look at this poor facedown onion!

And some more words about food on spaceships. Of course, you can’t keep them on table – they would fly around you! So astronauts use a special refrigerator. This one is a working one – from a ship! And, of course, the thing that everybody heard about - tubes with edible paste! Don’t you imagine it, when think about space?





And last but not least object that I like is a bench where each visitor of the museum can sit down and feel himself among well-known cosmonauts! Hi, guys! Perhaps, I will become the first TV-cosmonaut? 

Hi, mom! There are huge snowdrifts here, in Russia. And my host told me that it’s time to buy a Christmas tree!  We decided to choose one of real fur-trees, in a small shop near our house. She bought there a tree last year. So, forget about snow and cold, let’s search some holiday mood! 

While we approaching to a building, we saw a beautiful fur-tree been dressed up - marketing works perfectly!

The detailed description hangs on a wall at office - how fur-trees as for them to look after are grown up. So we could understand that it’s an “official” firm - they don't cut down a fur-tree in an illegal place, but grow up them especially for sale.

There are hundreds of trees inside and some of them are packed into a grid, for convenience of storage and transportation so they are very compact.



Look at this one, it’s so huge! 

We have chosen this one, not so small and not so thin, perfect for our room. It’s my host’s father, Lev, on the photo. 

After choice of a suitable fur-tree, it was packed into a grid by this device. It is very simple - the fur-tree is just passed in wide end of the tube and leaves in narrow end already packed. Voilà! 

It is possible to buy supports under fur-trees at the same place. It is very convenient, as a tree trunk can grind at once for the necessary size.

We haven’t a car, so Lev puts a fur-tree on his shoulders and transports it to the main road. There is an electric train station nearby, therefore cars can't approach directly on a building. Oh, it looks very difficult! 


We get our support from a balcony and we put it on a rug. It protects our floor from falling needles.

I take a huge knife and start to cut packing. Oops, it seems that I forgot to remove a cover from the edge.

The fur-tree is almost free and becomes stout...

Oh, I even can see some little cones on a branch! This tree is so fantastic! 

Hi, mom!
A new TV has arrived today. Wow, he’s a little bit... huge! And he also brought a writing-book with him – to remember some beautiful moments, just like me! He thinks that touchable memories are very important too 
As the hospitable owner, I has offered the visitor a tasty chocolate. I hope, he will like it? And how wonderful it is that the bear will meet New year not in a box in mail-office, but in a warm and benevolent place, among new friends! It’s a Christmas miracle, isn’t it? 

Hi, mom!
It’s New Year's Eve today and I’m so happy! Me and my host will celebrate this holiday at home with her family and close friends. You know, in Russia New Year's Eve is now celebrated similarly to Christmas, just without the religious aspect of the holiday.
We have begun our day with a dinner in vegetarian restaurant - my host adores it very much and says all food there is unbelievably tasty.

At first - cream soup from a leek with saffron. Very holiday look!

Then cutlets with vegetable stuffing and special piquant sauce. Delicious!

And the last, but not least - a fruit dessert with soya whipped cream. I want to prepare it at home, so simple and tasty.

A bill was brought in this box, and I have taken visiting card! When  I am in Moscow next time, I will necessarily visit it again - cafe Sok (Juice), healthy and tasty. 

My host has been passed her exams till 30th December, so we decide to dress up a fur-tree today! Hooray! 
Fur-tree toys are stored in box on the top shelf of a wardrobe.

There are a lot of toys here, old and new, glass and plastic. My host told me that the oldest one - a toy glass alarm-clock, was put on a fur-tree by her great-grandmother! It is excellent tradition - to buy every year some new toys, but also to leave the old. You can feel proximity of generations. 
How beautiful!

OK, now let’s hang up electric garlands so the fur-tree will be sparkle beautifully in the evening. Oh, I’m a little bit confused... 

And other garlands, we should hang up them everywhere in the house, for holiday mood! So, let’s load it on my shoulders and drag forward! 

Wow! Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) have come to us for a party!

I already wrote that in Russia New year has no relation to religion, therefore Ded Moroz isn't similar to Santa Claus! My host has told to me that earlier, Ded Moroz was a wicked and cruel sorcerer, ruling over frosts. According to legend, Ded Moroz liked to freeze people and kidnap children, taking them away in his gigantic sack. Parents were said to have to give him presents as a ransom in return for their children.  However, under the influence of Orthodox traditions, the character of Ded Moroz was completely transformed, later adopting certain traits from Santa Claus.
And the modern Snegurochka is depicted as the granddaughter and helper of Ded Moroz. But in another story, she is the daughter of Spring and Frost, and yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like a shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms and she melts.
Oh, I see, Ded Moroz has a gift for me! Let's look what it is!
It’s Christmas-tree decoration! So beautiful! Hmm, it would be nice to collect toys from all over the World, what do you think?

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Happiness, good luck, love and more sweet surprises next year!

Hi, mom!
It’s really bad weather this weekend, rainy and grey behind a window, so we decided stay home till next weekend. And what can we do at home? Cooking, of course!! 
Our special Christmas dish – traditional Russian soup, solyanka!
It is very simple soup, but very tasty. It isn't similar to other soups, much more hot and sour because of pickled cucumbers. Such unusual taste!
First we take potato, carrots and onions.

We should cut them. Look, what a remarkable grater. My fingers are far from blades because of the holder.

Then we take pickled cucumbers and olives. They give to soup especial taste.

Cut them…

Then we fry vegetables and boil potato at the same time.

Put cucumbers and fry the mix some more minutes.

Finally we put everything together in a pan and cook some minutes so all products will mix up in a single dish

Bon appétit! 

Now let's prepare a dessert. It will be tastiest cakes with a chocolate stuffing. It is prepared very quickly. We take sugar, oil, milk (my host uses soya), and flour.

We mix everything in dough in one second.

We put all in beautiful forms, we strew with edible ornaments or sesame, and in the middle of each cake we put a chocolate slice. We bake it in oven within 25 minutes.

Mmmmm, delicious! 

I decided to write down this recipe in my notebook to prepare this wonderful dish at home. It is time to buy olives!

Hi, mom!
This weekend we have visited one of the most beautiful and ancient monastery in Moscow – Andronikov monastery! There are working churches inside, so we can’t take any photo, but my host tell me that it is consecrated to the Holy Image of Saviour Not Made by Hands and it is home to Andrei Rublev Museum of Old Russian Art, named after the most famous monk of this abbey.

In fact, there many buildings in this monastery are devoted to Andrey Rublev (the greatest medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescoes). Already during his lifetime some his icons were appreciated and esteemed as wonder-making. Here you can see copper monument to Andrey Rublyov working.

Near the monument there is an arbor, and there you can see a copy of the most well-known Russian icon of Andrey Rublyov - the Trinity. You know something about it? Trinity depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the oak of Mamre, but the painting is full of symbolism and often interpreted as an icon of the Holy Trinity.

The monastery was established in 1357 by Metropolitan Alexis as a way of giving thanks for his survival in a storm. Its first hegumen was Saint Andronik, one of Sergii Radonezhsky's disciples. The extant four-pillared Saviour Cathedral was constructed from 1420–1427. Andrei Rublev spent the last years of his life at the monastery and was buried there.

Newer and more harmonous church of Michael the Archangel (1690s) perfectly looks at my photo!

And of course there there is a small belltower where it is possible to ring by a bell. Oh, it seems, all Moscow could heard it! Icons are also represented on bells, probably, they help to sound better! 

Hi, mom!
Today we have decided to take a walk across old Moscow, to look how people lived there earlier. Despite the fact that Moscow is a huge megacity where the population is more than 11,5 million persons, some areas were not built up with modern skyscrapers, and have been left the same as they were several centuries ago.
Well, we begin all the same with a Stalin skyscraper (it means that have constructed it at the time of Stalin - 1952). This residential building, costs on Kotelnichesky quay. It consists of 32 floors and has height of 176 m. In a skyscraper 540 apartments are located. In modern films if want to show that the hero is rich, but has earned riches not on gamble, and occurs from dear family, he usually lives in this building. 

Later on our way we have saw the church of Nikolay Chudotvorets (Nicolay Miracle). It is said that it is last medieval building in Moscow. You know that in 1689 Peter the Great became the tsar in Russia. He has decided that Russia should follow Europe at all and within several years has changed everything - an economy direction, fashion, architecture, art. And this church has been constructed in 1697 under the direction of Osip Startsev. He didn't approve reforms, therefore has constructed the building in old Moscow style. And nobody after that has dared to contradict the tsar! 

We pass to street with a name of Alexander Solzhenitsyn which is entirely built up by buildings of 18-19 centuries. They are not inhabited, and are leased by offices of large firms. I don't know, how much it is prestigious, to work in this building, but it seems to me it is not very convenient - there can be drafts, a cold. Precisely in winter! 

There is a very beautiful church of Sacred Martin Ispovednik, the Pope, in this street. It has been constructed in 1806. It is said as one of the most beautiful temples in Moscow. It is well-known for a surprising event. During occupation of Moscow by Frenchmen, in 1812, when the city was grasped by the enemy, was plundered and was burned down practically entirely, this church remained untouched. It was so pleasant to Napoleon that it has given a platoon of soldiers for protection from marauders. This platoon has surrendered by a captivity of Russian armies entering into a city, left a temple in an excellent condition! Under a temple beats a spring from which priests take water for consecration.

There is another beautiful house in the street of Solzhenitsyn. In my opinion, again, not so comfortable. My host told me that Solzhenitsyn was a writer , who, through his often-suppressed writings, helped to raise global awareness of the gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system. Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970. He was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1974 but returned to Russia in 1994 after the Soviet system had collapsed. It was named as “prophet and conscience of an epoch”. He died on August, 4th, 2008 and already on August, 12th this street has been renamed from the Big Communistic street into street of Solzhenitsyn. It has broken the Russian law that says that it is impossible to name streets in honor of known people till 10 years from the moment of their death. However the government of Russia so wanted to underline that it is against communism (Solzhenitsyn struggled against it also) that have agreed with infringement. 

Oh, I am a little bit tired. Let’s make a break and take a bite? Look at me, I am the King of burgers!

One more small wonderful church in that area, constructed in 1659. It is temple dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (Uspensky temple). The main relic of the church is the wonder-making icon of the Virgin Mary - "Troeruchitsa" – “Having three hands”. The icon has received that name in honour of healing by Saint Mary the cut hand of sacred John from Damask. It says that, thanks to protection of this relic the Uspensky temple wasn't closed even in the difficult periods of the Russian history and has kept all its bells.

Wow, I totally didn't expect to see here such a modern and amusing building! It is a small wine bar constructed recently; it is so allocated in the general view! And the skyscraper which costs on a background forces us to forget that we are in the oldest quarter of Moscow.

And last temple that we saw today - the Temple of Saint Sergij Radonezhsky. It always was one of the richest temples of Moscow, with large quantity of icons, silver dishes. It was well-known for the chorus of the blind men. Interesting feature of this temple is that it is constructed in “old believe” quarter. Old Believers don't recognize modern orthodox religion and have their own little temples. Therefore the Temple of Saint Sergij Radonezhsky has been made such huge, light and ornate to entice parishioners to the Orthodox Church. 

Hi, mom!
Today we visited an exhibition of Japanese art not far away from our house. The excursion was very interesting, now I would like to visit Japan, to learn its culture better, because I like this exhibition very much! Perhaps sometime I will go there...
Our excursion has begun with survey of armor. I understand that many kinds of armors exist! On a photo you can see Hon-iyozane dou or Nuinobe dou. These are armors with improved design (in comparison with older variants), from the big plates and a small lacing. It is lamellar armor and consists of hundreds of small rectangular iron, leather, or bronze plates (scales or lamellae) which are pierced in various locations and laced together into horizontal rows to the proper length needed to construct a particular armor item. It is rather cheap variant of armor, but very solid and convenient. 

Later we have seen Bisjamonten – the deity most known and esteemed in Japan. He is one of Shitenno – «Four kings», keepers of four parts of the world. Among four deities – he is the leader, the others are his vassals. He is known as the god of War, the patron of people who is engaged in military arts, and also – as god of healing, who possessing force to protect emperors from deadly illnesses and to expel of demons of a plague. In the left hand he holds a treasury in the form of a pagoda. It collects and protects treasures, and also distributes it to worthy persons.

The following hall has been devoted kimonos. The guide has explained to me, that kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long, wide sleeves. Kimono are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial), and secured by a sash called an obi, which is tied at the back. Do you know, that today, kimonos are most often worn by women, and on special occasions. A few older women and even fewer men still wear the kimono on a daily basis. Men wear the kimono most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions. Professional sumo wrestlers are often seen in the kimono because they are required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever appearing in public.



One more hall has been filled by toys. You know, that Japanese dolls were initially created not for game, but for magic? They said that with them it is possible to ask mysterious forces to help people and bring good luck in hunting, good harvest, to provide a victory over the enemy, to relieve of harm and illnesses. There was an interesting custom of protection of fields from insects in May. Such dolls representing soldiers had protective function and were pledge of the future harvest. Interesting, this soldier would not like to be a toy-voyager? 

Near cafe there is a small hall where lessons on Budzinkan Budo were conducted. It is school of military arts and principles (ways) of Japan, created Hatsumi Masaaki (1931). Budzinkan - literally from Japanese language - a temple of the divine soldier - is a classical martial art. A main objective of its followers is to lead healthy life, without causing harm to a society, developing an interconnection between the Nature and Mankind through practice of military arts and principles. And, of course, it is remarkable possibility to interest somebody! This high and lean person, the teacher, easily consulted with the strong and brawny pupil! What girl won't like it?

And at last we came into a local little shop. Certainly, we have bought nothing, but have admired beautiful small lamps. I want the same one in my room as a night lamp, so cosy! 

Hi, mum!
Today we decided to be engaged in good business and to help birdies to live happily. You know, in Russia it’s really cold in winter, therefore wild animals in the city have problems – where to live and where to eat. My host lives near to park, so we solved to create a feeding for titmouse and sparrows - almost free, but effective!
At first we take a juice package, certainly empty. I like an apple one - beautiful green box, reminds of summer among white snow.

Then we measure distances accurately and line everything by the pen. Hm, it is not so convenient to me to hold the handle by my paws.

Now we take a knife and start to cut out apertures. Not so simply, when a knife is bigger than you!

We paste a paper over edges to help birdies not to wound when they would fly inside. Well we also can do more beautiful! What do you think?

We insert a branch so birdies could eat sitting. I have found chopsticks - excellent idea!

Last but not least - a tasty feed! For this case we bought the real delicacy - apples, peaches, grapes,  cherry, seashell crumb, seeds and cereals. Sounds good! Now in park there will be the thickest and healthy titmouse and sparrows.

Finally, we adhere a feeding to a tree and wait for visitors. Bon appetit! 

Hi, mum!
Terrible snowfalls still storm in Moscow; therefore we continue to visit museums! I’m waiting for spring, streams and birdies so much! =) Today we have decided to visit the Polytechnical museum – one of the oldest scientific and technical museums of the world that emphasizes the progress of Russian and Soviet technology. The museum was opened in 1872 and it is completely devoted science development - chemistry, physics, electronics, there are over 190 thousand museum subjects. Our excursion was very interesting and informative. Everywhere I saw tablets in English that has allowed receiving tons of new knowledge for non-russian tourists. And also there are interactive models which will make a science more fun!
The very first exhibit that we met is the Soviet nuclear bomb – RDS-1. Its non-official name is The First Lightning (Pervaya molniya) and it was used in the Soviet Union's first nuclear weapon test, code-named Joe-1, in reference to Joseph Stalin. It was exploded on 29 August 1949, at Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR, after a top-secret R&D project. At Lavrenty Beria's insistence, the RDS-1 bomb was designed as an implosion weapon similar to the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan; it was an implosion type weapon with a solid plutonium core.
My host says that we live in very strange world when for peaceful life it is necessary to make bombs. If the USA after the attack of Japan stayed monopolist in nuclear arms, nobody could know, what would be a destiny of mankind. Thank God that Cold War hasn't outgrown in Third World one.

Then we have passed in the huge hall telling about the oil industry in Russia. Can you believe, that earlier oil extracted from wells like water till middle of 19 century? And was transported by camels. So weird!

I have been very impressed by a huge platinum nugget more than 9,5 kg in weight. It was found in the Ural mines. Host told me that platinum has been found for the first time in 1819 in Russia. But it was very cheap and was called as "rotten gold", nobody needed it. You know, a word "platinum" literally means «small silver». Such scornful name can be explained by bad fusibility of platinum so it was estimated twice lower than silver. Well now this nugget costs more than 530 thousand dollars! Certainly, it is a model, because it would be too dangerous to keep it here.

In a museum it is possible to see development of art processing of stone, one of the first natural materials used by the men. Russian masters, unlike European ones, aspired to follow more unique natural drawing and beauty of marble, than templates. This marble mosaic table-top has been created in the Peterhof Lapidary Factory in 19th century. This well-known factory produced beautiful things for the Hermitage!

Look, there is a steelmaker's spoon It is made more than 40 years ago. So interesting that it is used not for the basic work of metal fusion, but for removal of tests. By this spoon a steelmaker scoops liquid metal and sends it to experts to find out, which components don't suffice the quality.

Here it is a first Russian TV with new, for the first time in the world applied standard of clearness in 625 lines  - "Moskvich-T1" (Muscovite – T1). I can't understand, what could be pleasant to watch it! Seriously, it is easier to listen to radio, than to crowd round the TV!

It is very amusing record player, isn't it? I saw many record players - they have these huge pipes which strengthen a sound. But this one has zither - the string resonator. Zither strings vibrate from a sound. Each string of a zither responds on a sound of "its" note, strengthening it. So unusual!

Also we saw different models of cars created many centuries ago. This one on a photo has been thought up in 1600 in Holland! Amusing, it is look like overland ship. Imagine, if such cars drive on streets today!

And in the end we have come into a hall of high technologies - computers! A group photo for memory! (There was very strict keeper who didn't like toys on technical devices) 

There is the main stage in working out of modern computers is presented – the machine tool which reads out punched cards. We have been told that at the beginning – in 1820 - there was a weaving loom working this way. The pattern which was necessary for weaving was set by them. Inventor Herman Hollerit has decided to use a similar method for processing of results of population census in America. Processing of results of last census has been counted almost seven years! And the population continued to increase … But the machine automatically processed results. Finally results have been processed for six weeks! 



And at the very end of excursion we have seen this remarkable gadget for electricity development. Looks like a bicycle connected with wires. You should twist pedals, and in a case a device that  is sufficed of electricity – the hair dryer, a mixer or even the TV - starts to work! What a pity, that my legs don't get to pedals 

Hi, mum! Today we have decided to visit a remarkable international exhibition that is going to be iin Moscow till the end of March. It is called the Golden Turtle and it is competition for a rank of the best photographer of the wild nature in the world. Look, what a beautiful building it is! The exhibition passes in the center of Moscow, near to the Kremlin. It is written on advertizing: Life is beautiful! Oh, look, I'm standing in the street only five minutes and  I've already covered by snow. So cold!

Right at the beginning we see this lovely fox. The photographer says that he has been made this photo the whole month. To create this photo at level of fox’s eyes, it was necessary to creep on snow on a stomach! 

Here I am attacked by an terrible two-meter rattlesnake from Texas. If people see this snake, they kill it at once; therefore the photographer had to try really hard to find it.

The next photo is called "the Guard of natural precious stones". Photographing was very difficult; the spider jumped over different blades of grass, threw off water drops and climb up the camera. But the final picture is excellent!

For getting this shot the photographer had to hang head over heels over a stream surface. But looks as a landscape from other planet, right?

In the spring at the height of building of nests, wool interests birds very much. The blue tit, found a scrap of cervine wool, gathers in a beak as much as possible hair. What if you return, and everything have been stolen already.

You will never guess what it is - the big dandelion! It looks like a pentagram.

And this small birdie is called redpoll – in Russian chechetka (a tap dance). It arrives to Moscow in  winter, to get warm. In its homeland, far in the north, it is absolutely cold. Though it is difficult to me to imagine where can be even colder than in Moscow.

This beautiful photo is made in Russia. In April the big gray herons have already made “the choice” and they can pay much attention each other. Soon they become parents and easy life will end 

The excellent shot with Elephant seal is called Big and small. Males of elephants weighs 3,5 tons and in comparison with me it is really huge!

And last but not least - tomorrow I will not be in Moscow any more! Guess, where? The host took me to Thailand! First we wanted to go to Maldives, but a boyfriend of my host has forbidden because of political problems. OK, we will visit Thailand! There are more sights and we will have more fun! 

Hi, mom!
At last I can publish amazing photos of my holidays in Thailand! I can warn you, there are more photo than one hundred therefore at me it’s a lot of work 
Hey, my very first day of holiday begins! You know, how long it takes to fly to Thailand from Moscow? 9 hours! And one and a half more to the small island Samui where we will enjoy everything. Add time at three airports between planes, and day passes. But of course, holidays are worth it!
Everything begins in Domodedovo – one of four airports in Moscow, the biggest and overloaded airport in Russia. It was opened in 1963 and sends more than 400 flights a day!

We approach to our table. We’ve chosen flight of Transaero Company. It is the leader among the Russian companies by quality of transportations. Well, and by the price of the ticket too.
Plus, we have a business class. It isn't necessary, but we are going to fly all night long. I couldn’t imagine, how it is possible to sit 9 hours long on inconvenient armchair, some people can't even extend a foot,  what to say about sleeping. Comfort is money!

So, it is necessary to be checked on the x-ray device. It seems, there are no metal explosive parts and water in me but who knows?

Well, we passed customs, before our flight it is 2 hours, than how we will waste our time? Let's eat. The last European food for a half-month – it is still unclear what we will find in Thailand …

The business class gives another remarkable priority – a special waiting room. It is awesome to relax in a soft chair with a plate of snacks. These luminous bubbles behind my back –it is so cool!

At last, we in the plane. I never saw such amusing chairs-capsules, did you? Now we can sit and read a book comfortably …

And by pressing one button they automatically turn into the real bed! Yes, in such armchair it is possible to sleep perfectly 9 hours long! And the back doesn't move, so nobody hangs over. Super!

Short stop at the airport of Bangkok. There is no time for photography – it is necessary to take away luggage and send to the following flight! But this mosaic on a wall I simply couldn't pass – so beautiful.

And certainly, always there is enough time for the most tasty coconut. Oh, it is necessary to drink directly from a nut? And the barman instead of using a shaker takes a sharp hatchet, does 3 strokes, a straw and everything is ready. Exotic!

Look, what a fantastic view from the window! It is simple to understand, where you are.

At last, cute small airport of island Samui (or coh Samui as local people say). Very small. Compare it with my first photo! But it is so lovely. There are many airports in picturesque exotic places worldwide, but the island Samui airport is known as the most harmonious with the nature of Thailand. Only two companies work there: Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways. An airport building has only one floor, in colors and flowers.

So, after our arrival we look in a map to reconnoiter the area. Such a tiny island! We are in the top right corner. And our hotel is on the right coast, between two "horns". Look, there is the only McDonald's on the island nearby. Mmmm, civilization!

My God, it is so pleasant to lay down on the real bed and to extend feet! Moreover on such beautiful one.

The first day of my holiday came, I shouldn’t hurry up now, I take a breath for a few minutes in our room, as there is a conditioner, and on the street it is really hot!