Moscow

After the glitz of St Petersburg, arriving in Moscow gave us a glimpse of what was perhaps a grittier side of Russia, but a side that I absolutely adored. We had been warned that Moscow would be unpleasantly dirty and challenging but what I found was a much more honnest and intriguing facet to this seemingly endless country.

Once again the language barrier was significant but we more than managed and when you get down to it, it's amazing how far a basic phrase book, some serious charades and a smile can go. While the tourist attractions were well worth the time, what I loved the most was the hours spent wandering the back streets, exploring quirky little neighbourhoods and stumbling across street art, pop up exhibitions and forgotten monasteries. Russia's communist past was also far more obvious here with hammer and sickle symbols popping up everywhere we looked.

The city itself is completely inspiring but completely crazy. Cars weave through roads the width of five lane highways with absolutely no lines or road markings, while the skyline is dominated by beautifully intricate domed cathedrals and churches which I just couldn't take my eyes off.

It was amazing to see the kinds of people that an epic city like Moscow attracts. While we were from every corner of the earth, we had all be attracted to the sense of mystery and harsh honesty it seemed to exude and even while feeling the wrath of a serious night of Russian vodka, I still couldn't get enough of this truly incredible city.