Аксаково, Aksakovo

Aksakovo is the village where Denis lives and where we spent most of our time this trip. It is about 32km north from the center of Moscow and depending on traffic can take you anywhere from 30 minutes to 2+ hours travel time! The whole family work or go to school in Moscow (although not all in the city center) so they spend lots of time in the car. It really was an eye opening experience for us all to be stuck in traffic, in the middle of the day and for the cause to be just traffic. There are apparently 3+million cars registered to the city of Moscow which do not include vehicles from outside the area so you can only imagine the traffic jams.

Vasily lives just a little bit north of Aksakovo, in a village called Katuar. It isn't large enough to have made it on this map but it is across the main highway from Marfino, at the very top (if you click on the map it will enlarge for easier viewing).

Like most places in Europe there are signs when you enter a village and signs when you leave. I think Dad got an awesome shot and I like that the sign looks lit up because of the reflectors on it.

We had to take a quick run to the grocery store in the village. It was especially challanging since no people fluent in Russian where around to help. We started out with my parents, Sophia and I but when the snow got to be too much for Sophia, we sent her and my Mom home, on a shovel ride! Sophia thought it was the best way to travel:)

Somehow I did manage to get what we needed at the store (spaghetti sauce for lasagne) without too much trouble and I must say, Mom made the best lasagne that night!!!

A view of Denis' house from the main village road. They have a magnificent oak tree in their front yard that they specifically designed the house around. I have seen it once in full bloom and it was a gorgeous sight!

The back of the house. The little balcony is the library where Max and I stay and the full wall of windows is the stairwell going from basement to the third floor.

The heating in Russia is done by hot water through radiators. I think it is the most wonderful type of heat. It isn't so dry like the forced-air we are used to and it is such a cozy heat with no temperature fluctuations. Mmmm, would that be nice right now since the temperature outside here is -30!!!

On our walk to the store we walked by these houses which I thought looked so pretty with all the new snow on them.

Despite it being such a different country, there are so many similarities to Canada (and that I have a wonderful extended family who make it so easy for us), that in a strange way it feels like home for me too!