Go Instead to Novopasky

Back to the Georgian restaurant we’d my younger one and I’d visited on our first evening.  We’d tried to find the shopping area of the Red October, former Chocolate Factory, but there didn’t seem to be much for sales, beyond food.  We had food.  It’s great food.  Not one of these dishes did we recognize.

My wife ordered dumplings.  They came late, and looked like xiaolong baozi for a giant with long stems and a grenade-like bag.  The bread has a dollop of cheese in the middle of its two long twists like an open calzone and it is wonderful.  The vegetarian seems happy with the eggplant.  I’m enjoying my soup.  A Japanese couple walk in and are escorted to another room. 

Having failed to find anything else worth considering at Red October we walked down and over the bridge to the towering new Christ Church that was apparently going to be a Stalin project that winded up being a swimming pool for a while.  It’s austere inside, with no nave, no seats and towering mosaics and paintings.  Walking then, from there along a street to shop the kids burn out and we catch a cab home.

Rest then.  You are free to look at laptops.  I have a meeting I must go to.  A friend has arranged a business meeting.  Before I go I want to see a monastery.  I head to what I think is the Novodevichy Convent a UNESCO world heritage site, but somehow I have my wires crossed and go instead to Novospasky Monastery.  Along the way I check the GPS and become confused as we are heading to the right place geographically, though Novodevichy is obviously plotted as in a different part of town. 

This is a living church with worshipers and the person I assume is the priest all standing, speaking.  It becomes clear, having considered the second such place of worship that, that this must be the tradition: to stand for service.  I’m trying to piece together the rudiments of the Greek Orthodox service, in the short time that we have.  Later, walking outside I imagine that this was a monastery for court women, put to rest and imagine them walking about.  Later it becomes clear that Novedksi place was located elsewhere and would need to be viewed on my next trip to Moscow 

Monday 7/02/18