Smoothies, Sunshine, and Stalin

When it's sunny out and you find yourself with a long lunch break, the Moscow exploration opportunities are endless. But when I found myself in said situation today, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. So I grabbed a smoothie (and maybe a delicious raspberry tart to go with it!) and headed to the Park Kultury metro.

Fallen Monument Park

When the Soviet Union collapsed, many of the statues of Soviet leaders and symbols were torn down and dumped in this park. Someone put them upright (for the most part) and many others have been added so that there's quite an expansive collection. So what about this park screams Moscow?

It's HISTORIC...

 ...ECLECTIC...

 ...displays RUSSIAN WOMEN in HEELS...

...offers BREATHTAKING VIEWS (especially if you look the right direction)... 

 ...occasionally FEARSOME...

 ...somehow MOVES at its OWN PACE (scrunchies, anyone?!)...

 Nope. No words for this one. But it had to be included. Let me know if you've got something...

Finally, it's filled with PLEASANT SURPRISES where you LEAST EXPECT them!

Lilacs are my favorite flower. Expect for the days when I like roses better. But somehow I had missed seeing any in Moscow...until today! We had a lilac tree in my childhood home that I would play under, making "perfume" out of its flowers and day-dreaming away. Today I found them at the AND was greeting by a babushka holding one single bouquet of lilacs coming out of my metro. It was clearly fate and I bought them without thinking twice!

If you jump on a travel site, this park might not make it near the top of the list. But if you've covered the main sights and are looking for some true Moscow character, this is not to be missed. Especially if there's an available swing and some sunshine to be had!