Mitino

To begin, I want to list some of my favorite things about the metro in Moscow.

1. There is no division of classes.
Although the politicians and 'mucky-mucks' ride around in limos and black sedans with blue lights, the rest of the population uses the metro. This could be your average homeless guy (who may or may not be an alcoholic depending on the smell) or the CEO of some major company using his smart phone to do business.

2. If you miss this train, there will be another one in a few minutes.
At the front of each tunnel, there is a timer that counts down when the last train left. I have rarely seen the timer go past 3 minutes. If a train is too full or we don't feel like shoving, we just wait for the next one.

3. Rides cost 28 rubles and kids are free.
I know I've mentioned this before, but for a family of six, there is NO cheaper transportation. Technically kids over six years-old are supposed to pay, but we have found that the guards often have pity on such a large family and allow all of the kids to go through free. If I have only one or two of the older ones, we pay for them. The fare is not based on amount of stops or destination. You simply pay 28 rubles and ride until 1am if you want. Once you go up to the surface through the gates, you would have to pay again.

4. The interior of some stations are lovely enough to be in museums.
Yes, some of it is methodical and rigid, but some of it is colorful and breathtaking.

5. I can read my Kindle and skip the traffic.
No honking drivers, no crazy six lane mergers, and no sitting with miles of cars in front of me. It's a peaceful feeling.

So with that, I would like to share with you my favorite station and why. This station is called Mitino (pronounced Mee-tee-na although some insist on calling it Mit-no) and is among the very few stations that don't end with "skaya". It is my favorite because it is our "hometown" metro stop. I have been here more than any other stop and it is new, clean, and very accessible. When I hear the announcement over the loudspeaker for "Stansiya Mitino" I know I'm almost home.

Metro Madness

I apologize for not writing much lately. I have a bad case of "senior-itis." I'm not a senior in high school or college, but I am a homeschooler and the Spring time brings promise of projects getting finished, hours of the kids being outside, and simply put; no school.

Officially my husband's contract ends in August. This doesn't mean we're leaving, but we are behaving as if this is our last summer in Moscow. My husband is the master of hair-brained schemes. I have found myself reluctantly following him to the ends of the earth only to discover that the results of his ideas are profound and wonderful. His latest idea---visit and photograph every one of the 185 metro stations in Moscow which span 305km (190mi). The best part about this plan is that a metro ride costs only 28 rubles (about $1) and we ride as long as we want.

So every weekend, we run off for a couple of hours to tour the underground greatness that is the metro. We are struck by the beauty of the stations and also intrigued by the people who use them. They are intrigued by us as well. Standing in a metro station taking pictures tends to draw attention in such a dismal routine.

Last Saturday we left our house at 7am to travel a particular line. We forgot about the Russian holiday the week before and the strange arrangement that it requires of employees. It's like this. If there is a holiday on Tuesday, you get the day off, but you have to work Saturday to make up for it. It begs the question, why have a vacation day at all? What's the difference? Anyway, what we thought would be a leisurely ride turned into a cutthroat, shove-all to get a standing spot inside the moving wagons. As I flexed every muscle in my stomach and legs, I discovered, for the first time, why it is Russian women have such nice legs.

As of today, we have completed 44. To begin, I am posting a picture of the metro map itself so you have an idea of what we're trying to cover.