Nizhny Novgorod in a Messy Afternoon

i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. honestly i'm still half asleep after wandering around nizhny novgorod for a few days and i feel like i need to spill the mess in words. the city sits where the volga meets the oka and the view is kinda gritty but oddly soothing. i wandered up the hills of the kremlin and tried to find a decent coffee that didn't cost a fortune. the air is cold, like, -16°c right now, so bundle up if you plan to explore. if you get bored, kostroma and dzerzhinsk are just a short drive away, so you can hop on a bus and chase another vibe. someone told me that the kremlin is the fifth or sixth largest in russia and it feels like a tiny fortress with over six hundred historical spots, which is insane if you think about it. i managed to snap a few photos, but the lighting was weird because of the low winter sun. the river looks like a steel ribbon and the old churches line the banks like stubborn spectators. i ate something that tasted like fish soup but i can't remember the name, maybe it was ok. the locals seem friendly enough, though they speak fast and i had to ask them to repeat a few times. the weather today is a mix of snowflakes and a weird sun that tries to break through, so i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i also saw the shukhov tower in dzerzhinsk from a distance, a weird metal thing that looks like a giant spider web, and it made me think of old engineering dreams. if you love history, the pechersky monastery and the smolenskaya church are worth a look, but they are closed on some days so check ahead. the city's vibe is a mix of old trade fair energy and modern industry, which is kinda confusing but also kind of cool. the population is over a million, so you won't feel alone, but you might get lost in the hills and gullies. i think the best part is watching the sunset over the volga while the city lights flicker on, even if it's freezing. anyway, here's the map:

i keep forgetting where i parked my bike, and the bus schedule seems to change every five minutes, so i just end up walking past the same statue three times. the market stalls smell like smoked fish and cheap perfume, and i can't decide if i love it or just hate it. someone told me that the local festival in august is a wild thing with fireworks and dancing bears, but i missed it this year. the only thing i know for sure is that the river never stops moving, even when the temperature drops to -16°c, and that makes me feel a little better about my own stagnation.

here's the map:

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