I would walk 500 miles...

Monday, July 27

Went to get registered in the morning. Mom got quote of the day when I pointed out that she had dropped something on the ground. She said, "Oh! Good thing you noticed or we would be up that well-known creek!!" (pronounced crick). I laughed and laughed! Something about the way Lake Powell and other trips go totally justify this comment!

We bought the little girls barrettes and grabbed some almonds and dried fruit at a little shop on the side of the road. We then met up with Tyler and Ryan. Tyler took us out to the BEST schwarma place I have ever been to! SO YUMMY!!! We were sure we would be going back for more and had found our favorite Russian food. This was the most delicious shwarma I have ever had--they put the meat and veggies into a pita and toasted it--so so so so good! Mom loves it!!!
We then walked about 500 miles around the city so mom could see something other than the metro. We went to the American embassy where we got in trouble for trying to take a picture, then down to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. I bought the icon that Eli and I had found in St Petersburg and were so sad we didn't have time to buy (fortunately, he had seen them at the cathedral in Moscow when his family came in to town. They had bought them all out, and it had taken the cathedral a while to replenish them!). The icon is of Christ. I also ended up buying an icon of the Virgin Mary and Christ.

We then went to Grabli so my mom could see what I've been talking about for months. I ordered up my usual--grechka (buckwheat), a heaping bowl of self-serve borscht, and a blinchik with banana and raspberry sauce. I also got Turkey in a french cream sauce. My mom got beef with mushroom sauce which turned out to be really good.

Then it was off to Kolomenskii park, where mom took a nap down by the river, and Tyler and I talked in Russian about what we would miss about Moscow. We took lots of pictures, and then made our way back to the metro. On the metro ride home, mom and I were sitting across from Tyler, and he and I were making faces at each other. He winked (he can only do this with one eye), so I winked back at him with both eyes, then twisted my tongue around (I have only met one other person who can do this in Moscow--I didn't realize it was that rare to be able to do that!), and then touched my tongue up to the tip of my nose. About at this point, I noticed the guy sitting next to Tyler look at me, then look at Tyler. He saw mom try to touch her tongue to her nose, then he tried it, then I did it again, and he gave me a thumbs up. Then he turned to Tyler and asked why he was speaking in English, and if he knew me. It was hilarious!! The guy apparently thought that I was just some random girl who had started making faces at Tyler. He explained that he knew both of us. Mom and I totally cracked up at what this must have looked like to this guy--some girl comes in, sits down, starts winking at a guy she doesn't know and twisting her tongue around--sounds pretty sketchy to me! Just another day on the metro.