(View of the north bank of Shibaevsky Pond)
For this long-weekend (in Russia) Friday we made a rare excursion to eastern Moscow for a trip to Kuzminki Park, which is clear across town but right on the Purple Line. The weather was nice, and Mila was in a good mood, so it was a nice family outing.
No matter what you do with a toddler, you are doing something with a toddler first and anything else a distant second. Kuzminki apparently has some interesting old estates and churches to visit, but we saw none of it. Most of the park is forest and lakes, and Mila took her time running around, blowing dandelions, and the like. We spent a good portion of our day at a simple playground where our kid discovered the unique fun of pushing her toy stroller up and down some planks.
Eventually, Mila actually wound down and decided to take a nap. This is a big deal, because lately she's uncovered some additional power source inside herself and has become increasingly convinced that she doesn't need to nap. She conked out for a little while though -- all that running up and down on the playground, obviously -- which was enough time for us to get shashlik...
I have to say that after all this time here, shashlik is probably my favorite thing about Russia. These are little chunks of marinated pork grilled over an open fire, with a side of piquante tomato sauce with cilantro, and often served with lavash, vegetable kebabs and some pickled goods...
A city park, summer, and meat grilled on sticks served on plastic is hard to beat (even if it may not look appetizing in pictures!)
On the way back, Mila fed ducks for the first time. I have to say, she's got quite an arm for her age.
(looking east over the pond)
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