Preserve the luxury of open, green spaces

In June 2017, we went for a family vacation to Russia. Moscow was our first stop where the distance from the airport to the heart of the city itself was a master class in empty, green spaces, industrial and residential expanses, gregariously flanking the entire length of the straight road.

With lush parks and greenery exceeding 40% of its total land cover, Moscow is considered one of the greenest capitals. We stayed at Hotel Aquamarine, a spacious and wellequipped accommodation a few minutes’ drive from the Kremlin and the Red Square. Having travelled extensively in Europe for two years, my husband and I have come to appreciate a basic feature – often lacking along the roads lesser travelled but lending a sense of adventure nonetheless – the joy of open spaces.

After an enjoyable stay in Moscow, we boarded a train to the picturesque city of St Petersburg. A sight for sore eyes, buildings adorned with Baroque, Neoclassical and Soviet-era architecture, each one more breathtaking than the next, we were enthralled. With wide roads and more greenery lining the parks and sidewalks, welcoming the hordes of tourists, we set off excitedly for our pre-booked hotel to hastily check-in and then start exploring the city.

At the outset, Dashkova Residence Hotel resembled a typical Soviet-era prison style enclosure with a wide courtyard at its centre. As we climbed the steep stairs to the reception of the hotel to check in, we couldn’t help but notice the lack of elevators. To our dismay, it was revealed to us that we would have to climb the steep staircases with our luggage to make our way to our rooms. With family members ranging from five to 70 years, this was evidently going to become problem number one. Nonetheless, huffing and puffing we made our way to the rooms only to be further disappointed. The sizes of the rooms were claustrophobic and certainly not in line with what the websites promised.

With hungry, tired children and parents in our midst and fast-approaching darkness, we decided to make the best of what we had and switch hotels first thing in the morning on the off chance that we managed to get a refund on our booking. The breakfast brought down the gavel on our decision and after much coaxing and managing to retrieve our refund, we flew out of Dashkova, hailed some taxis and were soon at the entrance of a Holiday Inn. It’s an old favourite that will never disappoint. The children were soon running around in their suite-size room, overlooking the Narva Triumphal Gate and a short drive from Nevsky Prospekt, the city’s main thoroughfare.

After the horror of the first night, the rest of the trip was enjoyable. But the stories echo in our homes even today as we put our feet up in the evenings in the capacious verandahs of our house in Chandigarh with lawns to boast – a luxury that is amiss for urban dwellers living in apartment buildings in concrete jungles and metropolitan cities around the world. With our children being able to run around amid blooming, colourful flowers and greenery, an important privilege for a country in the throes of a pollution problem, open and green spaces are fast becoming a coveted feature on the verge of extinction.

My time here will end and I will soon be back with my husband in our apartment in Kuwait. As urban lifestyles and accommodations become more spacious and comfortable with time, it is often at the cost of natural open spaces. Hotel Dashkova was our space nightmare but for thousands in our own country, it is their reality. We must appreciate the luxury of our open spaces.

WITH OUR KIDS BEING ABLE TO RUN AROUND AMID BLOOMING FLOWERS , AN IMPORTANT PRIVILEGE FOR A COUNTRY IN THE THROES OF A POLLUTION PROBLEM, OPEN AND GREEN SPACES ARE FAST BECOMING A COVETED FEATURE