Christmas & NYE 2017

Christmas & New Year's Eve
 in Moscow (2017)

 Although we were not home in Canada with our loved ones, we enjoyed our last Christmas season here in Moscow (after our lovely trip to Vienna).
This is a little glimpse into our life here in Moscow with the lights, the food, the fun and our extended "family" abroad.

Lights by the European Mall - a large-scale (but mini) version of St. Basil's

The city lights up for the season

Christmas morning for breakfast at the Fisher's. Thank you so much, it was wonderful! Becca & Angie in their matching pj's.

Wonderfully enthusiastic gift opener!

That pink stuff is honey - well, it no longer tastes like honey, it's raspberry and it's super sweet like dessert.

Nice stash & sweater! That rum should keep you going for a while Dave.

Ooooh, ahhh...😍

Angie had a gnome out in the hallway that Craig kept moving around. Finally, she'd had enough and bribed him with chocolates so he'd stop moving it saying "it isn't an elf on the shelf"! Ok, so she didn't say it that nicely, but now her gnome has a new friend from Vienna.

In the afternoon on Christmas day we went to see the new Star Wars film (in English конечно) at the Pioneer Theatre

Craig had been really looking forward to trying this restaurant called чемодан (meaning suitcase). It's a Siberian restaurant featuring exotic meats from that region.

It's kitchy with an old-fashioned feeling, but we loved it and our waitress was awesome!

As a starter I had a king crab salad with avocado (delish) and Craig had a wild boar soup, which also was yummy

Craig's Yak steak, which was delicious! I ended up trading my Roe (wild deer) cutlet's for it. 😋

That's my roe cutlets and some fries

We highly recommend this restaurant. It's a bit pricey, but delicious!

Boxing Day skate

Boxing Day a bunch of us went skating at VDNha park. Craig & I, Angie & Becca, Laura, Bradley & their daughter Dylan + Christelle & her 3 kids. It was a beautiful, mild day with the snow falling to add to the festive atmosphere.

The sign says "Winter in VDNHa"

The Fisher's skates didn't make it into their shipment here, so they had to buy new skates. Becca was trying out hockey (instead of figure) skates ... it will take some practice getting used to not having picks. Angie was having fun, as always

Good job honey! I didn't think you could reach your foot! 😜

Having some more fun before all the little kiddies showed up. Notice "the punk" doesn't have gloves? Why do teenagers like being cold? 😕

Mama Angie had a tumble. 😆

You're a good sport Becca!

Christelle's gang in a rare moment all together. Craig, Becca & I took turns going around with the two older ones to keep an eye on them.

Charly was all smiles trying skating for the first time... that is until she did a face plant... then she was having no more of it!

After face-plant... unhappy, scraped and bloody

The gang enjoying some grub after skating

Dinner @ our place on 29th 
This picture was taken before Laura & Bradley arrived and we never took any more pictures. 😔

 NYE: ladies helping Angie with the food

 From here on, the pictures are all out of order as they're from different people and I really don't know the sequence of events. I was NOT drunk, I just have a bad memory! 😇

Love you Joey!

Craig doing a photo bomb in their selfie

These 3 REALLY REALLY didn't need vodka shots.

Told ya... they didn't need vodka shots. No wonder Dave woke up with a sore back... he was doing this to a few people by the end of the evening! Grrr... me the Hulk!

Angie, hostess with the most-ess,  bought these great props for selfies!

Good one! Grumpy cat keeps his reputation going right until the end of the year

Love you baby!

These two enjoying a night out together without the kiddies

You asked for it Dave!

Great to see Phillip & Isabelle out with us

Before it all went wrong - when they were not too drunk. Glasses weren't lost and nobody had puked yet.💗

The gang for the night

Playing "Head's Up"... fun game!

Out on the bridge for the fireworks. A balmy zero degrees with no rain. Wonderful!

Gotta love fireworks with the Kremlin in the background. We never tire seeing this view!

Our neighbour Judy with the Kremlin in the background (although blurry).

All over the city there are signs for the upcoming year. This one is at our metro station. Although these pictures were technically taken before it was 2018, I thought it appropriate to put them at the end of this post.

I tried to get a picture of Craig doing a jump shot, but I'm not an expert like him... plus he doesn't jump very high! lol

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!