Loft Café

Hello from Russia

Food

Service

Atmosphere

People here seem to be a strict bunch, not smiling often and keeping to themselves on the streets and in the metro but when interacting on a personal level the Russians are generally friendly and warm people.

Moscow is a fascinating city a mix of the old preSoviet buildings similar to those you might see anywhere in Europe combined with the Soviet era constructions and then overlaid with the showy commercial feel. Red Square is a good example of how the three worlds fit together to create this new fascinating Russia. The Red Square is the original foundation of Moscow the Kremlin, St Basils Cathedral that celebrates Ivan the Terrible victory over Kazan. Then there are the childhood memories of nukes being paraded on May Day in the Red Square and Lenins crypt outside the Kremlin walls. Across the crypt and East of the square there is an old and beautiful building now turned into a mall. This it is a shrine that celebrates all that capitalism and consumerism has brought to Russia. Moscow traffic is terrible driving is scary and the speed is outrageous. While I don’t feel very comfortable in a car or even crossing a major street I do enjoy watching the mayhem safely from the sidewalk. The weather has been a jumble, It jumped from 21 degrees to -2 degrees in a matter of 12 hours and has snowed 4 times since my arrival. The scariest part is that in Moscow it snows in May and I am the only one who seems to have a problem with it.

I haven’t had that much vodka, but I have learned about it during a venture out one evening. I was informed that when you agree to drink vodka with a Russian what you are agreeing to drink is a minimum of 100ml of vodka per person. You shoot the vodka eat cured salmon, drink beer, shoot the vodka again, talk, eat more salmon, drink your beer and then end by shooting vodka again. At this point you're a bit more intoxicated that you planned on being when you thought you were agreeing to a shot of vodka