NoKipple - Official Thread

[Foxy2]

Sunday morning breakfast down the street in our favourite deli - Barcomi's...

The wife is happy...

Mother in law and I

Meanwhile, outside in the streets we had the Berlin Marathon going on...

...not a pretty sight!

Edited September 30, 2014 by Foxy2

[Foxy2]

ROAD TRIP!!!

...avec la grand dame.

[Foxy2]

So, here's the story:

My wife has taken the month off from work because she has her mom visiting from the states (Washington State) - that's why she and the in-laws are residing "home" in Berlin while the cat and I are in Moscow during the week...

Last weekend I decided to join them and we took one of the cars out to visit my old Dad on the country side.

He has an old, local-style farmhouse on the country around Berlin that they have remodelled.

The rooms are full of art and books...

Actually, thinking about it: I don't remember seeing much of the walls or wallpaper growing up - I always saw books, but no walls!

Edited October 8, 2014 by Foxy2

[Foxy2]

In the garden they have a little shed that houses my little collection of old sewing machines that I plan to get refurbished and running one day...

But we didn't come here to look at trees - we came here for the cake!

[Foxy2]

The cats were busy in the garden hunting mice...

...they even brought us one to play with (alive and well - it bit me).

(They don't like this type of mouse - they only eat the grey ones...snobs!)

Here are some action shots of the famous Dirt Denim:

Two bonus pics..

I'm already back in Moscow and this weekend I have some time to show you around...

[hectic]

Had a couple of great meetings this past weekend with some great new people, here is a few teaser pics, more to follow:

 

[ColdStorage]

Foxy_ Your parents house looks like an absolute paradise. Very inspirational.

 

Fit is in the eye of the beholder, but I dont thinks its too large on you at all. Very flattering actually.

 

Thanks for sharing!!!!

[Foxy2]

Going to see Xploding plastiX tonight...

[bradl]

Remember you saying your wife is into rebuilding cars, and damn that is a beautifully done car... 

[Foxy2]

Actually, this one turns out to be quite demanding - always something to repair...

First the gas tank being rotten, them water cooler being rotten, now it's the hydraulic fluids leaking. Most of these repairs have to be done with the dealer my wife bought it from.

But, yes - this goddess is quite a lady!

[Foxy2]

I went to concert during the week - the band is from Norway and they are called Xploding PlastiX. They've been around for a couple of years, but it was interesting to finally get a chance to see them live. Quite a good set given the set-up: live drummer & electronics...

After the show there was time for a chat and some autographs...

[Foxy2]

On Friday evening after work I stopped at my favourite watering hole: Delikatessen

Hidden and tucked away it is nearly impossible to find this place - lovely people, excellent food and great drinks. They made it onto the list of the top-50 bars in the world last year and their bar woman won the Bacardi Legacy Award, but most importantly they let me bring my own spirits for tasting and bespoke cocktails!

So, these where on tonight's list of poisons:

We started off with a dry martini based on an Australian gin.

Followed by gin tonic with this excellent German gin:

We finished with an aged one from America:

Edited October 5, 2014 by Foxy2

[ColdStorage]

Never heard XP but Hallvards other band KVIST put out one of the most underrated Norwegian blackmetal demos of all time. The album is incredible too. They used this incredible bass sound that makes it sound like an orb is floating in the middle of the room. (Check out

song for example). These guys deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as all the Norwegian pioneers but sadly they often get overlooked. I listen to the KVIST demo and LP all the time here so its a small-world-ism that the dirt denim would be "exposed" to different sides of the same artist during its travels.

 

Thanks for the updates!

[Seul]

Kvist = teh awesome... 

[Foxy2]

Who knew???

Given the fierce drumming not entirely surprising!

[Foxy2]

Last weekend I took some time walking through my adopted neighbourhood taking pictures...

For the past 3 years my wife and I have been living in Moscow. After nearly 4 years in China this has been an interesting change - exotic, but in unexpected ways. Another good thing is the fact that it has brought us closer to my home (Berlin).

But, back to Moscow - we live in the city within walking distance to the Kremlin, in a neighbourhood called Arbat. It is full of old, pre-revolutionary buildings that where used as embassies during soviet times and still are, in many cases still the residencies of the respective ambassadors...

Here is a really yellow building down my street...

Around the corner we have the residency of the German ambassador....

...right next to the Embassy of New Zealand.

The last house is actually known as the Mindovsky Mansion and is build by one of earliest architects of the new style (Art Nouveau) - Lev Kekushev. It is considered hist best and still most original, being build around 1903-1904.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Foxy2

[Foxy2]

Not far from it you'll see something from an entirely different period - one of the "Seven Sisters".

Build under Stalin between 1949-1954 this is one of the smaller sisters, but as a apartment building one of the most elegant sisters.

Can't tell you much about this one, but it is located a few streets further and I quite like the simplicity.

Here are a few more embassies...

Edited October 8, 2014 by Foxy2

[Megatron1505]

Loved that Foxy, your neighbourhood looks extremely interesting. Moscow has been on my visit list for a few years now, how is it for family visitors?

[Foxy2]

Often with amazing details...

...and this is just the mailbox!

[Foxy2]

Loved that Foxy, your neighbourhood looks extremely interesting. Moscow has been on my visit list for a few years now, how is it for family visitors?

Certainly, Moscow is on the spendy side - good hotels within the city limits are prohibitly expensive.

But once you manage to overcome that hurdle, it is an amazing place to see!

Edited October 8, 2014 by Foxy2

[Foxy2]

Here we have the former TASS building...

 

 

...looks like a conceived skyscraper (1977) with an intended extension that somehow never happened...

 

The opposite street corner - one of the many hidden, small orthodox churches:

 

 

A quick stop and chat with Oleg at his work place…

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2014 by Foxy2

[Foxy2]

Before we carry on to the Villa Rjabuschinski…

 

 

 

 

 

Build in 1902 by Franz Schechtel it is considered one of main examples of the Moscow Art Nouveau.

[summ3rhays]

Great updates Foxy. I really like all the architecture.

[Foxy2]

Next is another heavyweight in architectural history by Schechtel (or Fyodor Shekhtel): The Morozov Mansion

 

 

 

 

 

Both of these mansions have interior details that are way over the top – at least the Ryabushinsky Mansion is open to the public.

[Foxy2]

hopefully by tomorrow I find the time to post the second part of the stroll through the neighborhood that will get us to the Red Square...

[Foxy2]

Apologies, didn't manage to find time yet for the second part, but...

The jeans and I are now on the train to the airport. Get ready for a week of Scotland!

We are flying into Edinburgh and will take the scenic route through the highlands to the lovely Isle of Skye and then some...

Updates as frequent as possible.

[Broark]

I've seen a large part of Asia and Europe but I still haven't gotten the chance to visit Russia, definitely on my list.

I have a friend who grew up in Moscow and these photos look a lot like what he described!

[Foxy2]

Further down the street we can see the Kremlin wall approaching...

Kremlin, here we go...

Walking up to the Red Square...

[Foxy2]

That's the Red Square. Gum, the basilica, Lenin's Mausoleum...

On the way back home we pass this - officially, the first skyscraper of the then young Soviet Union. Obviously, a propaganda lie...

[Foxy2]

On the road in Scotland with my wife's family - here's a sneak preview, will post properly once I have some time for a proper report...