On our final match day, we saw Neymar Jr. The party had started 500 meters away from the entry gates, two hours before kick-off. Obviously, with Brazilian fans around, the atmosphere was going to be cracking and we were not disappointed. Lastly, in Saint Petersburg, we got to see the five time World Champions - the Samba Boys taking on Costa Rica. The Sombreros and Mexicans songs/chants were the flavor of the day at Luzhniki Stadium that evening. On our third consecutive day of live World Cup football, we saw the then reigning champions Germany crashing to a 1-0 defeat to Mexico in Moscow. ![]() Best part was, I saw fans from both nations embracing the outcome with a handshake and "good game!" as they walked back from the stadium. Argentina supporters were relentless in cheering their heroes even in the dying minutes of 1-1 draw but Viking clap by the Icelandic fans stole the show. To our disbelief, we witnessed, none other than, Lionel Messi miss a penalty. The very next day, we were off to Moscow to see Argentina play Iceland. And, not just that, we got to witness one of the greatest midfield playmakers of modern football, the Spanish legend, Andres Iniesta! We got to see a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in a World Cup match - where else would you be on that particular night! I thank my stars, for I was there and how surreal it was. Then came the grand clash between Portugal and Spain live at Fisht Stadium in Sochi. There were high fives all around but when the fifth one went in, one of the big boys from a group beside us gave me a, what I'd call, almost-bearhug. And boy, Russians came to party in style with a 5-0 win and the local supporters went berserk. We went to FIFA Fan Fest, located beside the Black Sea in Sochi, to watch the game. It all began with the World Cup opener featuring home side Russia, taking on Saudi Arabia. Believe me it was, as expected, nothing short of a ' Memory of a Lifetime' experience. In fact, we reached there even before the World Cup had kicked off. The country hosted the biggest sports event of the world, for the first time ever. It was the ‘Summer of 2018’, the FIFA World Cup summer. Our trip was right in the middle of Russian Summer and it was not a regular summer in the world’s largest (area-wise) and one of the coldest nations. My friends and I were there from 10th-23rd June 2018, and stayed in Moscow for six days, Sochi two days and Saint Petersburg five days. Over to Saurabh: When did you go to Russia and to which cities? So read on about a Great Russian Summer and plan your own trip. He was planning this trip for months, hence, he had acquired a great insight into planning a thorough Food & Travel Guide for a week long trip to Russia. Saurabh and I munched on many Korovka - Milk (Russian Chocolates), while he narrated his fascinating tales about his Russian Summer to me.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |