Fun ideas for a date

[mendeleyev]

Another excellent date idea when in Moscow is Kolomenskoe park, a UNESCO preserve. Kolomenskoye village dates back to the early 1300s as a country retreat, sort of dacha area, for Moscow princes. It is now a district within the city of Moscow and there are three sections to the park: one holds the wooden palaces (restored) along with orchards and gardens, there is the famous Kremlin and churches including the Assension Cathedreal, and a village area with small cafes and gift kiosks. A lunch or dinner at the cafes includes strolling musical entertainment--perfect date spot.

[SANDRO43]

Nice bike Sandro!

Thanks, it's an Umberto Dei Imperiale, an old-fashioned style that I bought some 35 years ago mainly because I was looking for a bike similar to the one I had as a teenager, where the chain was not fully exposed - I did not want grease on my trouser legs and did not fancy putting clothes-pegs on them .

In this bike the chain is totally enclosed, and the 3-speed Sturmey Archer gear is located inside the large rearwheel hub:

[Gator]

How about horseback riding?  I did it once in Moscow.  It was fun, although not inexpensive.  Our horses were not spirited, nor were they nags.

[Misha]

Definitely a nice bike Sandro! Where is the current for the light generated? Is it integrated in the hub or do you have a roller on the side of the wheel?

[SANDRO43]

Where is the current for the light generated? Is it integrated in the hub or do you have a roller on the side of the wheel?

The latter, you can see it just under the tip of the front-wheel mudguard - surprising how much energy that drains from one's pedalling .

As a kid I discovered a motorcycle headlamp and its mounting brackets among my father's odd and ends, and conceived the idea of installing it in lieu of the normal headlamp : the bike mechanic I consulted for the job discouraged my ambitious initiative, saying I'd also have to install a much larger roller and use most of my energy just to get some very feeble light from it .

[SANDRO43]

How about horseback riding?

I did that, too, for some 4 years in my younger days, and came to the conclusion that horses are much dumber animals than I expected .

[ML]

How about horseback riding?  I did it once in Moscow.  It was fun, although not inexpensive.  Our horses were not spirited, nor were they nags.

This can be great foreplay (and even finish play) for the woman.

In fact, they may prefer it to going back to your place later.

[mendeleyev]

On the first Sunday of June those visiting Moscow can take part in a new tradition, a "Lambada-market" which is a cross between a fair, vintage bazaar, yard sale and modern flea market in the city.

Participants bring their own stuff and sell to those who attend. This will draw several thousand and a great time to find bargains in an area complete with neighboring shops, showrooms, cafes, restaurants. Items sold will generally be vintage and second-hand, with lots of European items and the latest fashion collections, antiques, life, musical instruments, vinyl, books and comics.

The program includes a food court and cocktails from the bar Strelka with summer music from favorite DJs and amateur musical guests.


FREE ENTRY

If you need to Google directions, search for Strelka Bar.

Address: 14 Bersenevskaya Embankment, Moscow

This is perfect for a casual date as it combines walking around and seeing lots of people with great food and entertainment all in the same spot.

[mendeleyev]

So you're tooling around Kiev and need some city info....




(photo: city of Kiev)


This old tram has a new job as an "info tram" and sits inside Shevchenko Park. Free Wi-Fi inside too!

[Gator]

This can be great foreplay (and even finish play) for the woman.

In fact, they may prefer it to going back to your place later.

To protect her from such temptation,  I had ordered a sidesaddle for her. 

[ML]

To protect her from such temptation,  I had ordered a sidesaddle for her. 

Very inconsiderate man!! 

[Anotherkiwi]

So you're tooling around Kiev and need some city info....




(photo: city of Kiev)


This old tram has a new job as an "info tram" and sits inside Shevchenko Park. Free Wi-Fi inside too!

How long has that been there, mendy?  It certainly wasn't around when I visited the park in 2010.

[mendeleyev]

AK, I'm not certain and it could be as recent as this year. Large cities such as Moscow, Peter, Kiev, etc, are really trying to spruce up for tourism. I'm not sure how much "trickle down" will be realized from Sochi2014 but it will certainly generate interest in the entire region.

[mendeleyev]

(Moscow red bicycles)

From The New Yorker:

“It’s not easy to ride a bike in Moscow,” cautioned Alexey Mityaev, the floppy-haired, jeans-wearing twenty-seven-year-old adviser to the head of the Moscow Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, as we headed out on a test run of the city bike-share program that just launched in the Russian capital. “Sometimes you have to jump!” he called back to me as we left Tverskaya Square. Dodging his first car, he demonstrated, yanking his bike onto the dilapidated sidewalk mid-pedal. “Sometimes you have to ride through pedestrians!”

For the next twenty minutes, Mityaev wove his way through Moscow’s impressively aggressive traffic. He raced lights and shot across lanes when a gap opened between shiny black sedans gunning their motors. An Audi failed (barely) to nick him. Suddenly, Mityaev reappeared right in front of me (I had fallen pretty far behind). “Don’t show fear!” he shouted, over the roar of traffic. “Cars are like dogs! They can smell fear! But if you ride like you aren’t afraid, they respect you!” Then he sped off, heading the wrong way up a one-way street.

Last week, Moscow installed, throughout its center, thirty stations containing a total of two hundred and twenty red city bikes. A Czech company provided the bikes, stations, and support. (“Because they are our brothers,” said Mityaev, with a smile, before adding that the city figured the Czechs had more experience with Eastern European-style vandalism than their Canadian competitors.)

Nonetheless, the system resembles the Citi Bike program launched this week in New York. The same basic rules and conditions, as well as general urban-planning principles, are at work, too; Moscow’s D.O.T. worked with its counterparts in New York, London, and Copenhagen as it developed its program. But in the Russian capital, bike sharing may not be as much an immediate step forward for commuting—the program is starting extremely small, both in terms of bikes and miles of bike lanes—as it is a small, concrete triumph for grassroots political activism.

There is more and our readers can access the rest of the article here.

[Vasilisa]

I love bikes, I had one in the US and I got one after coming to Russia!!!:) I ride it everymorning!!!

[ghost of moon goddess]

How long has that been there, mendy?  It certainly wasn't around when I visited the park in 2010.

It's been there since World Tourism Day (September 27) 2012.

If cycling is your lifestyle, welcome to Mariyins'kyi park (Kyiv, Ukraine) to enjoy riding GreenGoPub.   


The very first passengers who powered this vehicle were Swedish soccer fans - beer lovers, pedaling the pub-on-wheels around Trukhaniv Island (Camp "Sweden" they lived at during the Euro 2012 was set up on that island)

After the Euro 2012 the cycle pub moved from the island to Mariyins'kyi park to become a party bike.
(Hint: although beer is not served there, they say the passengers are allowed to consume it while riding). 

The party bike seats 10 cycling passengers, up to 12 non-cycling passengers and, of course, a non-drinking driver - to hold the steering wheel and to press on the break pedal, so I understand
The average speed reported for this vehicle is 5-7 kmph

[Anotherkiwi]

It's been there since World Tourism Day (September 27) 2012.

Thanks GOMG.

[Ooooops]

From special English speaking kiosks with guides and free maps to special 3-1 Metro-bus-tram cards. We've reported on the red tourist-only buses that run limited routes around the centre of Moscow too, but now comes the bright red bicycle rentals!

Начнем с велопроката. Вроде все запустилось неплохо. За неделю украли всего 6 велосипедов! Это именно украли с пунктов проката - вырезали, оторвали, отпилили защиту.

Вандалы тоже не дремлют. Они режут ножами седла, скручивают звоночки, ломают замки и воруют резиновые ручки с рулей. Зачем это делают - непонятно.

http://echo.msk.ru/blog/varlamov_i/1091188-echo/

[OlgaH]

<blockquote>Начнем с велопроката. Вроде все запустилось неплохо. За неделю украли всего 6 велосипедов! Это именно украли с пунктов проката - вырезали, оторвали, отпилили защиту.

Вандалы тоже не дремлют. Они режут ножами седла, скручивают звоночки, ломают замки и воруют резиновые ручки с рулей. Зачем это делают - непонятно.</blockquote>

http://echo.msk.ru/blog/varlamov_i/1091188-echo/
 

"... Следовательно, разруха не в клозетах, а в головах"

[Ooooops]

"... Следовательно, разруха не в клозетах, а в головах"

I promise, I accidentally ran into this info on another forum, I wasn't purposefully searching for "dirt" as "those who left Russia in the 90s" usually do.   

[OlgaH]

I promise, I accidentally ran into this info on another forum, I wasn't purposefully searching for "dirt" as "those who left Russia in the 90s" usually do.   

I believe you, more over such info is not something rear to search for