There have been many days that I have taken the umbrella with me - today was not one of them. It looked like it might rain, however it has looked like that many times. But today, as I was almost back to the apartment, thunder rumbled across the sky, lightning flashed, and the rain came pouring down.....on top of my head, without an umbrella. There was nothing I could do but make a run for it and laugh. The Russians I passed by looked at me as if I were a complete lunatic. Of course, they all had umbrellas and none of them were laughing. Because it has been so hot and muggy, the rain was actually a relief. Things are a bit cooler now and the air smells clean.
I did make it to the Russian State Library today and they are extremely efficient. I was registered for a library card in no time. Unfortunately, just like at home, the things I wanted to look at are in storage and will not be ready until tomorrow or Friday. I thought for sure I would be able to get Russian journals and periodicals from the 1950s and 1960s right away in a Russian library, but these are not highly requested items here either. No worries though as I'm sure I will be able to get these items.
Alla made us lunch today and it was very delicious - stuffed, baked zucchini. She hollowed the zucchini out and filled it with sauteed carrots, zucchini, garlic, and a little bit of onion. Then she topped it with a bit of shredded cheese (Russian white cheese; I think parmesan cheese would be perfect on this if it were not so difficult to find and expensive here) and baked it for about 20 minutes. It was very scrumptious and not too heavy. Perfect for such a hot day. Speaking of food, there is a grocery store in Gum (the over priced mall on Red Square) called "Gastronom No. 1" and it appears to be the Fresh Market on steroids. There are crystal chandeliers having from the ceiling, marble floors, and the smell of chocolate and pastries wafts throughout the entire store. The liquor section appears to be something out of a museum. Truly spectacular, but so expensive I have no idea who could shop there.
Tomorrow it is back to the archives and with any luck the documents that I requested will appear. I hope to look at the debates that Soviet composers had in the early 1950s on the nature of jazz and whether or not it was appropriate for the Soviet masses. How barbarian music, as they called it, could be appropriate for Soviet citizens is beyond me :) We'll see what the jazz fans had to say. Cheers for now and I will close with a pictures of Gastronom No. 1, a view from the Russian State Library, and just a random shot taken on my way home (before the rain.)
Gastronom No. 1
View from the State Library towards the Kremlin
Path on the way back to the apartment, just before the U.S. Embassy
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