Ruslan’s Dacha is situated around 20 kilometers away from Moscow. With the ice and the snow it took us around an hour to get to it but the Russian roads are really good. Then again I am comparing them to the Indian roads and that is no benchmark.

We must have reached his house at around 11 pm but his parents were up and waiting for us with a warm cup of tea and an even warmer welcome. Ruslan’s father did not speak English but his mother was fluent. She lost no time in making us feel at home. I think our first glance at the Russian dacha did not do it justice since it was night. As Kristina took us around the house we were amazed. What Ruslan modestly called his small Russian dacha was actually a mansion in Indian terms.

The whole dacha was made of wood. It had two floors and a basement. That isn’t counting the actual ground floor. I think what I loved about it the most was the comfy family feel that you get the moment you stepped into it. It is a warm house with a family that welcomes you into their midst as if you are one of their own. Our initial nervousness melted away very quickly.

The previous night I had mentioned that I always loved the top rooms in wooden houses and I had never had a chance to stay in one. Like I said Russia is a country full of surprises. Ruslan and his family fulfilled my dream. I absolutely adore the slopping roof and the glass sky roof. Waking up to it in the morning was amazing.