Moscow is so hot that you feel you skin prickling with sweat almost as soon as you step out of that house and all you want to do is throw yourself into a cold shower most of the time.
We have been hoping to beat the heat by getting to one of Moscow's few pools, but this has not turned out to be a straightforward task. To start with, you need to get a note from the doctor certifying that you are healthy enough to be all owed in the public pool. However, in my past experience they don't actually examine you or ask any question, but just charge for a note. Most pools have a doctor on site you can provide this.
Then there's actually finding and getting into one of the things - my friend Seraph and I spent about 45 minutes tramping out on a boiling hot main road, and eventually discovered it was hidden under some sort of massive underpass. There was one club which had ads about it's pool splashed all over the outside, but of course, it could never be that easy. The grumpy receptionist took some considerable joy in telling us that the pool was for members only, did not volunteer any information about how one might become a member, and also didn't tell us that the actual public swimming poll was in the same building. Luckily, one of the club guests overheard our conversation and pointed us in the right direction, but when we finally got there it turned out the pool is closed for repairs. For all of August. But of course.
But it wasn't all bad - just as we were sitting despondently on a flower pot, a chap approached us and asked if we spoke English. We were happy to oblige,and he turned out to be none other than one of the roadies for the huge Madonna gig at the nearby stadium, and regaled us with tales of life on the road. Apparently the show looks better than it sounds, but he said Moscow (and Russia) would be getting something to talk about. Duly, it turned that Madonna had out spoken against the prosecution of Pussy Riot at her gigs, and also roundly criticised a new St Petersberg law banned the 'promotion' of homosexuality. She was subsequently told she faces a fine of some several million dollars, so I guess she will not be back anytime soon.
Anyway, I finally chased my no swimming pool blues away with the purchase of a pair of extremely Russian, somewhat see through leopard-print palazzo pants. They are somewhat incredible, though I am not sure they would travel well to less spectacular and cooler climes...
