A day on the Dacha

Today, I took an elektritschka to Zhavoronki in the west of Moscow to visit my friend Alla. The first train I took was not going the whole way which I found out only after standing for 10 minutes at a stop and my connection passing by. I got off and changed platforms and hopped on a later train.

 elektritschka

Alla picked me up at the train station from where we took a marshrutka (minibus) to the Dacha. A dacha is a home either for weekends, the warm season or the whole year that is located just outside the big towns in the country side. Most of them are made from wood and lack some luxury of modern life (warm water, indoor toilets/ bathrooms) but they bring you back in touch with nature. The garden around them gives space for planting fruits and vegetables of your choice. It reminded me a lot of the weekend home of my childhood days.

old dacha

Alla's grandparents live in the old dacha all year round. Behind it, Alla's parents built a new one for themselves and Alla, her husband and the little baby Leo. They just use it for the summer and will return to the city by the end of September.

Alla in front of the new dacha

Alla's mom and grandma fed me well with home-grown fruits and vegetables and I drank several cups of tea. In between, we talked in German, Russian and English - whatever suited us. After lunch, Alla and I went for a stroll in the nearby wood and she took some nice pictures of me.

me back in touch with nature

 lake

Leo, Alla's son, spends a wonderful time here being taken care of by three generations and so he smiled a lot at me.

garden flower 

In the evening, I bid farewell to all and promised to return the next time I come to Moscow.