travel secrets e4mj

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WIP Travel Secrets by E4mj - T

Discussion in ' Almost Recommended ' started by Perspicacity , Jun 30, 2015 .

• author: e4mj
• time travel

Perspicacity Destroyer of Worlds ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

Title: Travel Secrets: First (and Second and Third) Author: E4mj Rating: T Genre: Drama Library Category: The Alternates Pairings: hints of eventual Harry/Luna Chapters: 17 (first); 27 (second); 29 (third) Words: 50,973 (first); 87,314 (second); 164,802 (third) Updated: June 28, 2015 (third) Published: Aug 23, 2013 Status: First and second, complete; third, WIP Summary: Harry Potter is living an unhappy life at age 27. He is forced to go on an Auror raid, when the people he saves are not who he thinks. With one last thing in his life broken, he follows through on a plan for Time-travel, back to his past self. Things were not as they once seemed. Slytherin!Harry. Dumbledore and order bashing. No pairing YET. Book one. (The world belongs to Jo!) Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9622538/1/Travel-Secrets-First I debated whether to put this up for Review since the first two books in the series are not particularly good and the summary won't win many DLP converts. The third in the series is decent enough and fits the description of the Almost Recommended category, sitting "well within the realm of guilty pleasure." It's also actively updating, which is a plus (and a novelty nowadays). The pairing is heading toward a credible Harry/Luna. The basic premise is that Harry learns that his parents are still alive, that Dumbledore was lying all along, i.e., the standard angst kit, and goes back in time because he apparently didn't get enough of this the first time. He gets sorted into Slytherin and proceeds to do what pretty much any talented twenty-seven-year-old would do if cast back into his eleven-year-old self. Books 1 and 2 are bland. The writing becomes semi-competent by book 3 with a story that's Harry-centric. Luna gets screen time and is written decently (for fanfiction). There's a good bit of attention paid to Slytherin house politics, with students vying for top spot (named, creatively, "King" or "Queen") and trying to establish themselves in the hierarchy. Harry's interaction (one can't really call such a curbstomp a 'rivalry') with Hermione is amusing. His interactions with his professors are hit or miss. Some different takes on magic are explored that will make many on DLP cringe, but at least the author seems to be serious about fleshing them out in a somewhat novel way. He makes a big thing about dark and light magic and how this affects spellcasting (charms being "light," transfiguration, "dark," which is a bit odd) and how one's magic can manifest as auras that can be used in all manner of dominance/magical-peen-measuring games (a Slytherin specialty, apparently). Parseltongue and its use is extended from canon. There's a good bit of time spent on flying and Quidditch, which is a bit meh. Some ritual magic is tossed in as well (with a somewhat nontraditional teacher), though this has had little effect on the story so far. There are a few WTF moments, such as... .SpoilerTarget"> Spoiler Harry revealing to Snape that his mother is alive by taking polyjuice and dropping in a lock of her hair. At the end of the scene, he French kisses Snape for no reason whatsoever, except perhaps as a social experiment on the part of the author to see how many readers he can lose. The story reminds me of a mash-up between a less angsty Chris Widger Grey Queen (Slytherin Harry ostracized by his peers in the early years, dark and light magic, overt political and magical power games) and Oblong/MrJoe/Fettucini/SerpentSannin Knowledge is Power (Quidditch and magic prodigy, self-assured Harry who maintains an apathetic detachment from much of Hogwarts, save for when he's establishing himself as top tamale). I'm perhaps being generous by tagging it 3/5, but it is enjoyable enough of a read that I still check updates.  

The DarIm Groundskeeper

I've read this and I agree with everything Pers said. 3/5 because it is an enjoyable guilty pleasure.  

IBG Seventh Year

The latter half of the third book is a 4/5 easily, but the vast majority of the earlier content is really really shitty. Since it's still updating and getting better I'll tound the 2.5 it's currently worth up to a 3/5. One other thing in its favor is that at least as far as I remember, since I read the first 2 books ages ago, there's a lot less focus on the angst than one would expect, and Harry is much more concerned with consolidating himself and his future instead. Dealing with his parents are still very much a secondary and so far background concern.  

Grubdubdub Supreme Mugwump

Can I skip books 1 & 2 then?  

Mordart Slug Club Member

Yes you can if you want, I think there's parts of book 2 that are ok, but the third is where the writing start going up in quality. I thought this was dead, the latest update was back in December last I checked. Apparently there was some free time, though if you look at the times for each subsequent book it's taking longer and longer to get out. I expect this series to never finish. 2/5 for overall quality, though I'll admit it's a guilty pleasure read.  

Rayndeon Professor

Perspicacity said: ↑ .SpoilerTarget"> Spoiler Harry revealing to Snape that his mother is alive by taking polyjuice and dropping in a lock of her hair. At the end of the scene, he French kisses Snape for no reason whatsoever, except perhaps as a social experiment on the part of the author to see how many readers he can lose. Click to expand...

Rahkesh Asmodaeus THUNDAH Bawd Admin DLP Supporter

'I love you with all my heart and being my sweetest moonchild.' Harry too was crying, but with resolution turned and strode out towards the stone circle at the edge of the Rookery's fields. He didn't have the heart to turn back and watch Luna crying on the doorstep, but he knew she was there. Click to expand...

xvector Second Year

'Mention wha-' Snape began in a sarcastic tone, but Harry cut him off, leaning in almost too fast Harry kissed Snape. Click to expand...

Ghosthree3 Unspeakable DLP Supporter

IBG said: ↑ I'm really enjoying the recent chapters of Travel Secrets: Third by E4mj https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10139565/1/Travel-Secrets-Third It's a shame you have to read 2 and a half stories worth of garbage to get there, but the author seems to have hit a bit of a stride now that Harry seems to be entering the real world and finding he can't just muscle through it like schoolyard politics. Harry's still absurdly OP, but Voldemort was seemingly just as good at his age without the time travel so hopefully it translates to a more powerful villain also. I'm not sure how recommendable the story is but I'm pretty sure I originally picked it up from this thread so if anyone else managed to soldier through the start then it's picked itself up quite a bit. Click to expand...

Agravaine Seventh Year

Is this another one of those skeevy stories where an adult Harry assumes a younger body and grooms an eleven-year-old girl for a romantic relationship? (Fuck that/5, if so.)  

Agravaine said: ↑ Is this another one of those skeevy stories where an adult Harry assumes a younger body and grooms an eleven-year-old girl for a romantic relationship? (Fuck that/5, if so.) Click to expand...

Hero of Stupidity Villain of Sensibility ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

The whole kissing Snape scene is really weird. I mean really weird. But still The fic and even the first two are better then the 99% that you can find. So there is that.  

... why did Harry kiss Snape?  

arkkitehti High Inquisitor

Harry was using polyjuice with a strand of Lily's hair Snape had treasured to prove that Lily is in fact still alive (the premise being that polyjuice doesn't work on dead people's hair), and decided Snape deserved to get at least one kiss from the woman he was obsessed about. Yeah, it was weird. But as said, definitely in the top 1% of FFN, and something I was able to read through again after long time, so 4/5 from me at the moment, though there's definitely potential for it to go way down in the future, with even a possible good!Riddle in the cards. Keeping fingers crossed and a alert active.  

What the fuck.  

Ankan Professor

Begun reading the series and really didn't like it but I trudged forward which I now later on regret. I could not bear the to read the entire series so I did as someone previously mentioned and skipped to the third one. Yes quality is somewhat better but it is wasted on shit Dumbledore was not god, and needed to learn that. Click to expand...

Stan Order Member

Harry Potter is living an unhappy life at age 27. He is forced to go on an Auror raid, when the people he saves are not who he thinks. With one last thing in his life broken, he follows through on a plan for Time-travel, back to his past self. Things were not as they once seemed. Slytherin!Harry. Dumbledore and order bashing. Click to expand...

Anarchy Half-Blood Prince DLP Supporter

Reading tens of thousands of words of shit just to get a few nuggets that are okayish doesn't mean the story still isn't shit. Definitely not worth it.  

Krieger Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

Read it, third story was definitely better but still not great, cant even call this a guilty pleasure because without the knowledge the third book would be better I would of dropped it before I got far in. Typical stereotyping of Gryffindors in the first couple books, if not toned down in comparison to other Slyhterin fics. But it's still there. Three books in and still getting the 'Harry my boy' 'It's Mr Potter you old goatfucker' shit. Seriously if the author sees this just stahp. That shit should only be used once in a fic if you must, not every fucking interaction. The sad part? I'm invested now, and the third book was signifcantly better so I will probably folow this story. Overall 2/5, third book might scrap a 3/5. There are some good interactions in here outside of the typical Gryffindor/Slyhterin bullshit.  

Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

Review I put on FF.Net: This is an interesting fic. It has enough hook to keep you reading, and the writing (especially dialogue) improves a lot in the third volume, but at the same time the story is deeply flawed. Despite these flaws, my main impression having finished the fic is one of entertainment and enjoyment, with an undercurrent of frustration at what could have been. Let’s start with what I like about it. The main pull of the story is the “Slytherin politics” element. There’s a certain level of “just suspend your disbelief and enjoy it” about this, because it has kids acting not at all like kids, but once you do suspend your disbelief it’s quite fun. The way Harry emulates Voldemort (like taking the middle and not the head of the table) but puts his own twist on things (like ignoring the lounge) is enormous fun to read. I love all these little details that seem innocuous but have significance for people in the know. That leads us on to the second main thing I like about the fic, which is Harry’s Riddle-esque character. Tom Riddle while at school has always been fun to read, and that extends to Harry here. It’s very satisfying to see the development from outcast to having both students and (some) teachers increasingly wrapped around his finger. The first time Harry gave a command to a peer drew a small cheer. The third thing I like about the fic are some of the secondary characters, and in particular Grace and the Malfoys. The Malfoys have been fleshed out in interesting ways, and Grace occupies a unique position which I’ve rarely seen done in fanfic. Interactions involving these characters are always fun, especially when they also involve Cornelius Fudge. Now for the negatives. As I said above, the fic has some major flaws, so brace yourself. I’m not going to go into detail about the absolutely absurd set-up of the Potters and Dumbledore being alive, the Ministry and Shacklebolt going evil and forcing Harry into a contract, “Goblin Friend”, etc. All I’ll say is that it stretches disbelief beyond the bounds of suspension, that motivations are not clear, and that is takes interestingly complex characters and turns them into cartoons. Fortunately, despite being the “main plot” of the fic, it has very little impact on the content. This is the fic’s saving grace, as every time it rears its ugly head the reader is reminded of how absurd it is, and wtf moments quickly follow (Snape kiss). Arguments against bashing and cartoonish villain Dumbledore are well known, so I won’t rehash them here. Speaking of rehash, this brings us to what is probably the fic’s biggest problem: it commits the cardinal sin of rehash, which is to arbitrarily force events into occuring in the same ways, even where there are numerous good plot and character reasons why they should occur differently. Sirius always running away from Harry is one such example. Harry not using his Patronus during the Quidditch match is another. Harry not doing anything with Pettigrew is a third (all he would have to do is dump the petrified body somewhere near Amelia Bones). This is just lazy writing, and significantly reduces interest in the main storylines. It’s fortunate that the Slytherin politics sub-plot is substantial enough to take the place of the central plot, because the central plot doesn’t have the strength to carry the fic. Another problem is that this barely feels like time travel. Harry very rarely uses his future knowledge to solve problems, nor does he ever really use his future magical ability. Most political problems are solved by Harry’s newfound political skill, not his knowledge of future events (with him commonly forgetting that X is going to happen, only able to quickly get a good result on the fly, simply through wit), and Harry’s magical problems are solved not with his advanced knowledge of Hogwarts magic, but with the AU magics being introduced like auras. In fact, pretty much every magical problem in the fic is solved by auras. You wonder why any other magic exists if you can get everything you want just by showing people your magical dick. I must confess I am not a fan of the magic presented in the fic. It feels overly simplistic (e.g. with ability in Charms and Transfiguration being determined largely by a single binary factor), it lacks the eccentric charm of the HP system (which also gives HP magic much of its potency, because it defies physical analogues), and leaves too much to be resolved by sheer power, as opposed to the much more interesting skill. Power is innate, skill is earned. Power is fixed, skill can develop. Power is uniform between people and differs only in quantity, whereas skill is multi-faceted. Power can lead to easy rankings of characters, whereas skill leaves more to doubt. Power is arbitrary, whereas skills reflect a person’s character. I would much prefer it if conflicts in the story were resolved via the application of skill than of power. It’s far more satisfying. Another problem with the fic is Harry’s character. Yes, I know I also listed it as a pro, but the problem is that, while Harry is indeed fun to read, believability is an issue. This is supposed to be post-canon Harry, i.e. it’s the same Harry as canon, only with more bad things happening to him after DH. Yes, Harry would react badly to the “Potter betrayal” issue. But we’re not seeing an angry canon Harry. We have an almost complete character transplant, replacing Harry with this Tom Riddle-esque character. It comes out of nowhere. Now, all of these problems point to a single conclusion. Let’s recap: there’s an absurd set-up which is later largely ignored; future knowledge is not exploited, with events following their original paths too closely; problems are not resolved with future knowledge; the magic used in the fic is largely AU magic, not traditional HP magic; Harry doesn’t feel at all like Harry. The conclusion from all this is obvious: this shouldn’t be a time travel fic. It should be a 7 year Slytherin Harry AU fic with a prodigious Tom Riddle-esque Harry. You’d get rid of the absurd set-up, and without future knowledge, there would be stronger reason for events to follow close to their canon path. A prodigious Harry would be able to resolve conflicts in exactly the same way as the fic, because Harry in the fic has avoided using future knowledge of magic too much. It wouldn’t feel like a character transplant, because it’s straight-out stated from the start to be an AU Harry. I do have other problems, but they’re small compared to this main conclusion. The greatest of them is that there’s basically no real conflict in the fic, given Harry is so much more powerful than everyone else, including Dumbledore. This is incongruous sometimes, like Harry’s duel with Marcus Flint, which was much closer than it should have been. This is the Harry who, we’re told in chapter one, could beat 30 Aurors before he was caught. The same Harry who was able to actively hold off Dumbledore in chapter one. (This lack of conflict would be another reason to go the 7 year AU route, as it would mean that Harry didn’t have his future magical knowledge to fall back on, and therefore was taking greater risks). Other problems include the lack of character development of Harry’s closest friends (do we have any impression of how Blaise will react to something, compared to Theo, for example? A test for good characterisation is if the reader can predict with moderate accuracy how characters will react to different situations). Harry’s snake is arbitrary. We know why the author wanted Harry to have a snake (for use in later Slytherin politics), but there’s really no reason why either Harry or the snake should have wanted to team up. Also, boa constrictors are pretty huge, and the image of Harry sneaking out with one wrapped around his waist is hilarious. Then you have the wtf moments like Harry and Snape kiss, Flint and Oliver wood romance. Just why? Anyway, some things for you to think on as you continue the fic. I look forward to future updates. Click to expand...

WIP Ginny Weasley and the Chamber of Secrets

WIP Harry Potter and the Ticket Backwards by viciousmouse - K+

WIP The Bureaucratic Error by Iniga - T

WIP Something to Live For by Grey Silver Hawk - M

WIP Turning of the Times by thenoacat

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• General Discussion
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• Fanfiction Discussion

The Best Damn Fics You've Ever Read.

• Thread starter Phearo
• Start date Oct 13, 2015
• Discussion  
• Tags recommendations completed stuff only trash

Recent threadmarks

FractiousDay

• Jan 8, 2016

So I've just read Seventh Horcrux, it was pretty good, but it falls into that trap of unrealistic reactions that crack fics can get into you've got VoldeHarry swanning about but a lot of the plot was a bit off.  

Player of Games

I've got a few classics. My favorite Halloween Fic: I Am What I Am , where Xander dresses as himself for halloween, and gets 60 years worth of his own future memories dumped in his head. A randomly good System Shock fic: Shocked , essentially a dramatic retelling of the events of System Shock 2, with a few changes . Very well written. And my two favorite NGE fanfics: Children of an Elder God - NGE/Mythos crossover, an excellent pairing. The website was never updated with the final chapter, which is here . Neon Exodus Evangelion - Rampant crossovers in classic Eyrie Unlimited style, but not as 'everything and the kitchen sink' as some of their other works.  

Genuine Nerd

• Jan 9, 2016

I cannot in good conscience recommend TGWP. I found it to be Jaune in name only, RWBY in name only, a total power trip and it never fucking ends . I don't like it and I will not recommend it. A RWBY fic that I did enjoy is @XCVG 's Emergence , where team RWBY winds up in Real Life and has to deal with the fact that they are considered fiction in this world. It does have a lot of OCs, but I find that it doesn't hurt the story. The characters are believable, the plot twists are plausible, the prose is rather beige but it keeps me interested. The authorities are actually competent here, which among other things includes the Russians dropping an entire Spetsnaz team on Weiss within a few days of her showing up and the US and Canada cooperating to rescue Yang which admittedly does end with the primary protagonists of the first series ending up obsolete. I still rather like it, even though the update schedule has slipped considerably. I would also like to second Aleph's and Earthscorpion's writings; they are genuinely some of the best authors that I know of. Of their fics, I like ES's Overlady and Aleph's Of The Stars best.  

Random Asian Person

Reading Revergence by Fallacies has reminded me just how fucking good his world building is. It will be a lot of work, but if you can stand working your way through it.... Sword Vector by Fallacies One of the most interesting fic's I have ever read. Difficult but just comprehensible enough for one to enjoy. Nasu-babble at it's finest. It's quite unique in just how much it packs into a relatively short story.  

seconding sword cector  

• Jan 13, 2016

Captain Pronin Superstar

• Jan 14, 2016

One by One by CourierNew " "You can decide when it ends." The world is saved, but that wasn't enough. Asriel remains lost in the dark. To retrieve him, Frisk is ready to crack apart time itself. As he turns back the clock again and again, undoing every happy ending, Sans reluctantly confronts his own past in the most secret corners of the underground. Together, they must overcome their regrets, recover the last soul, and give the world back its future. Hold your friends close. Seek the broken man. Beware the whispering shadows. Be kind. Be brave. And above all - stay determined." Honestly this is by far one of the best undertale fics I have read. I can't get into it too much without going into spoiler territory (and there are BIG spoilers) but believe me it has fantastic writing and characterization One criticism is that Frisk and I think Chara are gendered  

[Verified Girl]

Xward said: One by One by CourierNew " "You can decide when it ends." The world is saved, but that wasn't enough. Asriel remains lost in the dark. To retrieve him, Frisk is ready to crack apart time itself. As he turns back the clock again and again, undoing every happy ending, Sans reluctantly confronts his own past in the most secret corners of the underground. Together, they must overcome their regrets, recover the last soul, and give the world back its future. Hold your friends close. Seek the broken man. Beware the whispering shadows. Be kind. Be brave. And above all - stay determined." Honestly this is by far one of the best undertale fics I have read. I can't get into it too much without going into spoiler territory (and there are BIG spoilers) but believe me it has fantastic writing and characterization One criticism is that Frisk and I think Chara are gendered Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Benevolent Bystander

Can we also suggest completed fics, but that get sequels because i want to point to Hindsight Is Not Perfect by Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet Or Travel Secrets: First by E4mj Or for complete works, how about something by Sarah1281 For instance if you like fan fiction An Apostate? Me? - 135k words I didn't link anything because i am not sure if anything in them breaks the rules  

Within 1 AU of you!

webxro said: Can we also suggest completed fics, but that get sequels because i want to point to Hindsight Is Not Perfect by Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet Or Travel Secrets: First by E4mj Or for complete works, how about something by Sarah1281 For instance if you like fan fiction An Apostate? Me? - 135k words I didn't link anything because i am not sure if anything in them breaks the rules Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Boring Person #5883781345

Orange Estus Kitteh

You know guys, it would really save us a Google search if you copy paste the description and link, especially for current mobile users.  

• Jan 15, 2016

Xward said: You might wanna put the sites they're hosted on and a short summary Click to expand... Click to shrink...

argent said: Travel Secrets: First by E4mj I like this story but I don't think it belongs on the list. It is well written but hits a lot of the cliche that have been to death and Travel Secrets didn't really do anything new. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

should there be a list of reccomended but not quite at three votes in the OP as well? In case some people miss fics they'd second  

• Jan 16, 2016

kestrel404 said: Children of an Elder God - NGE/Mythos crossover, an excellent pairing. The website was never updated with the final chapter, which is here . Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Salbazier said: Sadly, most of my 'awesome fic' list are in the unfinished category. Hmm, perhaps I'll suggest A Green Sun Illuminates the Void by @EarthScorpion . Exalted cross with Familliar of Zero where Louise exalted as an Infernal. I got into Exalted from this. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Starfield said: This is a conflicting one for me, I would like to endorse it, but I can't. Since, I either have to exclude the last chapter, and then the story is incomplete. Or, I include it, and the story is no longer awesome. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Grey Rook said: Could you elaborate, please? I haven't read the story, but I would still like to know why you don't think the last chapter is good. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

The Zog said: I'm going to rec Those Lacking Spines Chapter 1: If He Wasn't Bishonen, a kingdom hearts fanfic | FanFiction by Organization VI. It's an utterly hilarious crackfic where Xaldin, Vexen, and Lexaeus have to save their universe from the disturbing forces of the Gutless thanks to their lack of being shipped...it makes sense in context. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Klondike Bar

• Feb 3, 2016

Sudden Contact Chapter 1: Interception, a StarCraft + Mass Effect Crossover fanfic | FanFiction has got to be one of my all time favorite fan-fictions out there. It is the first MassEffectxStarcraft fanfic ever finished on Fanfiction.com. The only problems I can think of are a few grammar mistakes scattered through the story.  

Klondike Bar said: Sudden Contact Chapter 1: Interception, a StarCraft + Mass Effect Crossover fanfic | FanFiction has got to be one of my all time favorite fan-fictions out there. It is the first MassEffectxStarcraft fanfic ever finished on Fanfiction.com. The only problems I can think of are a few grammar mistakes scattered through the story. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

moon so bright

Chief minion.

Fallen, by Confusedknight on Fanfiction. It is a Protector of the Small fanfic done absolutely right, with over 400k words, however, it is a titan. It has over 11k reviews to its name. The main character becomes badass in a completely different way from canon, and becomes a spy, a warrior, and a revolutionary in the process. No link, because I haven't figured out how to do that yet.  

The Laurent

moon so bright said: Fallen, by Confusedknight on Fanfiction. It is a Protector of the Small fanfic done absolutely right, with over 400k words, however, it is a titan. It has over 11k reviews to its name. The main character becomes badass in a completely different way from canon, and becomes a spy, a warrior, and a revolutionary in the process. No link, because I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Keladry is the main character. In this, Wyldon didn't let her continue her knight's training, and she is sent to the convent. After that, she saves Wyldon's daughter/neice from a tauros, and ends up leaving Tortall, and working as a spy and swords woman for the Scanran rebellion against Maggur.  

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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The bridge over Zolotoy Rog Bay in Vladivostok

The views of St. Petersburg from the TV tower >>

Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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One frequent flyer website offers a full list of airlines and available fifth freedom flights.

According to Condé Nast Traveler, fifth freedom flights are often cheaper because they’re connecting flights, meaning there may be more empty seats on one of the legs for the carrier to fill.

Additionally, the planes are often “much nicer” than the ones flown by local airlines.

“These routes can sometimes be flown by much nicer (and bigger) planes than local airlines might offer since these routes are usually extensions of another long-haul flight,” the publication explained, saying there may also be “better food and more comfortable seats.”

Additionally, fifth freedom flights sometimes offer extra points and upgrades.

“To help fill seats on shorter sectors with less demand, airlines release more award availability — which helps them cover the operating cost of adding these additional fifth freedom stops,” Condé Nast Traveler declared.

Potter agrees, saying: “For travelers with credit card points and airline miles, the upside is even bigger.”

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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See how jamón gets made in the heartland of Spanish pork

In jabugo, travelers can visit ibérico pigs in the pasture and learn how to carve some of the world’s finest cured ham.

ARACENA, Spain — “How do you like the ham?” asked Manolo Romero de la Ossa, the owner of Casas, a popular restaurant here in Andalusia.

All week long around the village of Jabugo, my wife and I had been eating jamón Ibérico de bellota, the sweet, nutty, salty and creamy product of black-hoofed, free-range pigs that consume a special diet.

“It’s great,” I said. Then I mentioned just how much ham we’d been eating.

“What does that matter?” Romero de la Ossa said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “You’re in the ham capital of Spain, even the world, and when it’s this good, you can’t stop. You eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

He was right. To mistake cured Spanish jamón (pronounced “hahm-ohn”) with the packaged, sliced ham you find at your local supermarket would be like comparing a fast-food burger to a wagyu steak, or Pabst Blue Ribbon with a Czech bottle of Pilsner Urquell. Even Italian prosciutto is not in the same league.

Jamón Ibérico de bellota is a whole other beast. For about three months out of the year, Iberian pigs graze on acorns (or bellotas in Spanish), giving the jamón a rich taste that some Spaniards have likened to a drug.

Jabugo is synonymous with the highest-quality jamón in Spain — and, some would argue, the world. I came here because my Spanish friends would whisper in irreverent tones when anyone uttered the phrase “jamón de Jabugo.” I felt like I was let in on some culinary secret: the best cured ham on the planet comes from a village of about 2,200 people nestled in the mountains of southern Spain.

Pasture tours and jamón museums

Is there such a thing as pork tourism? There is in Jabugo.

The town is so ham-centric that the main square is called Plaza del Jamón, and there is an array of bronze sculptures of jamón-cutters. There are also museums dedicated to Spanish jamón in Jabugo and Aracena.

Jabugo boasts a handful of jamón producers. The most famous is Cinco Jotas. The company offers several services for visitors to literally get their hands dirty and have their palates dazzled. I signed up for the full experience, including a visit to the oak tree-studded pastures to hang with the hogs, a tour of the 19th-century ham-curing cellars, a lesson in how to carve jamón like a pro, and, of course, a tasting.

It all gave me a much better insight into how much time and effort it takes to nurture an unparalleled product, and why it’s so expensive. A leg of black-label jamón Ibérico can cost as much as $1,700 . Acorns are rich in fatty acids and nutrients. You could say they are a porcine superfood.

Spain has a handful of main jamón-producing regions, including Salamanca, Extremadura, the Los Pedroches Valley and Jabugo. But not all jamón Ibérico is created equal.

In 2014, the Spanish government created a color-coded system to inform consumers of the percentage of the pig’s Iberian ancestry. A white label, for example, means the breed of pig is at least 50 percent Iberian; it eats mostly fodder (a random mixture of grain, hay, and vegetables); and is not free range.

On the other end is black label, meaning the pig is 100 percent Iberian (or pata negra), it feeds from November to February on acorns, and is free range. There are also dozens of strict regulations about weight, size and the amount of free-range space the pigs should have, among other factors. Only 6 percent of the jamón Ibérico produced in Spain gets a black label designation.

Iberian pigs have fewer offspring than other breeds, produce less meat and take longer to mature. For those reasons, many ham producers in Spain crossbreed them. Cinco Jotas only uses 100 percent Iberian pigs, making it one of the few jamón-producing companies in Spain that gets the black label designation.

What makes jamón de Jabugo so special

People have been curing jamón in southwestern Spain for a very long time. Even the Romans recognized the area as particularly beneficial for the task of curing pork.

In A.D. 77 Roman writer Pliny the Elder wrote of Iberian pigs , “There is no animal that affords a greater variety to the palate of the epicure; all the others have their own peculiar flavour, but the flesh of the hog has nearly fifty different flavours.” On Christopher Columbus’s second voyage, in 1493, his ships were said to be loaded with Ibérico pigs as they crossed the Atlantic.

Until the late 19th century, ham production in Jabugo was small-scale, limited to a few small family-run slaughterhouses. It was only when a jamón-obsessed businessman, Rafael Sánchez Romero, recognized a growing demand for the high-quality ham from Jabugo that the product started to spread to cities like Seville and beyond. He started Cinco Jotas in 1879.

In 1994, jamón de Jabugo got DOP status — Denominación de Origen Protegida (literally “Protected Designation of Origin”) — a European Union certification that ensures a certain product comes from a specific geographic zone. The zone in question here extends beyond Jabugo to 30 other villages in the surrounding area where the ham produced is officially “jamón de Jabugo.”

“One of the most important factors in shaping the taste of jamón de Jabugo is the microclimate here,” said José Antonio Pavón, the Director General of DOP Jabugo, an the organization that maintains Jabugo’s DOP status. “We get 1,000 liters of rain here — that’s far more than any other ham-producing region in Spain.”

To add to that, something called the Foehn effect — a meteorological term for what happens when there’s a warm, dry condition on one side of a mountain and a cold, wet condition on the other, resulting in extreme temperature change — is caused by the wind from the Atlantic Ocean hitting the high-altitude mountains in Jabugo.

“The daytime temperature in summer can be at 105 degrees, and then at night it can go all the way down to 65 degrees,” said Maria Castro Bermúdez Coronel, the director of communications for Cinco Jotas. “This affects that taste, compared to other jamón-producing regions, in that the warm weather creates a strong flavor in the meat.”

The pigs are slaughtered — or “sacrificed” as Spaniards prefer to say — when they’re around 22 months old. Then the back legs (called “jamón”) and front legs (called “paleta,” or shoulder) sit in salt for a few weeks (one day per kilogram).

Next, they spend time in the drying process, hanging in a temperature-controlled room before being moved to a windowless cellar for a few years. The entire process can take up to five years before a leg of jamón is ready to be sliced and savored.

How to get your hands on jamón Ibérico

Look around your local supermarket — or pretty much any supermarket in the United States — and you likely will not find jamón Ibérico de bellota.

It’s not particularly hard to find jamón serrano, the most commonly produced jamón in Spain, which is good but does not possess the “wow” factor compared to black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota. If you want it, you have to go to a specialty food shop, buy it online or, like me, come to the source.

Antonio Cabrera, a sales manager at Covap, a jamón producer in Los Pedroches Valley near Córdoba, and the grandson of the company’s co-founder, said, “Italian culinary culture is so cemented in the United States, especially on the East Coast, that many people have a cultural attachment to prosciutto.”

Jamón Ibérico was approved for import by the U.S. government only in 2005 , and its emergence in the United States — particularly the black-label variety — has been crawling at a Mediterranean pace. “We have some catching up to do,” he said.

If you’re in Spain and you want to bring back some black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota (or other pork products, Spanish or otherwise), you might want to think twice: It’s illegal.

However, there are plenty of ways to buy it online: You can go straight to the source at Cinco Jotas or visit the websites for Spanish gourmet websites for the U.S. market, including La Tienda , Campo Grande or Despaña .

For a 3-ounce packet of sliced black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota, expect to pay around $40. If you want to splurge and get your own leg, prices vary depending on the weight and if it’s the front leg or the heavier back leg.

Where to go

Our favorite destinations: These 12 destinations are at the top of our wish list for where to go this year, without crowds. In 2023, we explored an Alaskan bear paradise, Brooklyn’s famous pizzerias and a hidden gem in Italy, among other highlights .

Travel like a local: Residents share their favorite places in our top city guides: New Orleans , Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City .

National parks: This comprehensive guide has details on all 63 U.S. national parks. For a deep dive into five of the most well-known, you can listen to the Field Trip podcast . Then explore tips from locals for visiting Yosemite , Glacier and Everglades .

Tales from the road: Dolly Parton has opened a new resort at her theme park complex in Tennessee, while “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new hotel in Waco . Road-trippers may be just as excited to see the cartoon beaver at Buc-ee’s , and bargain-hunters should consider a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Ala.

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How to Fly Your Kid Solo, Free of Stress

By Alexander Nazaryan

For many parents and guardians, putting a child on a flight alone may seem terrifying. Belligerent passengers, delays, turbulence: All loom large in a caregiver’s imagination.

Life sometimes leaves no other option. Hudson Crites , 17, of Marshall, Va., was 10 when he started flying unaccompanied to visit his father in Kansas and later Georgia, said his mother, Chelsea Tippett. But the extra attention from airline staff made Hudson “feel special,” Ms. Tippett recalls. Other than a single tarmac delay, he has had no problems.

On rare occasions, children have had troubling experiences. In December, Spirit Airlines accidentally flew a 6-year-old to Orlando, Fla., instead of the intended destination of Fort Myers. Spirit apologized, fired the gate agent responsible and offered reimbursement to the boy’s grandmother for her travel to Orlando. But while the boy was unharmed, his grandmother expressed worry that he had been kidnapped .

If you decide to fly your child unaccompanied, you’ll discover that each airline has its own procedures, fees and routes open to children. While some may find the process complicated, flying alone may be exciting for your child, instilling some independence. Here’s what you need to know.

Before you book, know the process

Regardless of the airline or route, flying an unaccompanied minor differs from an adult or a family catching a flight. Airlines require a trusted pre-authorized adult to be at the departure and arrival gates, and will ask you at booking to provide contact information for those adults. They will also need to present identification at the terminals.

The journey begins at the originating airport’s airline ticket counter. There, airline staff will check your identification and check in the child, perhaps handing them a lanyard or wristband to wear. The agents will provide you with a pass to get through security with your child. You will accompany them to the gate, where you will hand them off to a gate agent. You must stay at the gate until the plane takes off.

In the air, the flight crew will keep watch — but will not babysit, or sit with, your child. If the flight has a connection, a crew member will walk your child off the plane and a gate agent will take him or her to the next gate.

At the arrival airport, the child will be handed off by staff to the authorized guardian or parent who should have already checked in at the ticket counter with proper identification, gone through security with their gate pass and be waiting at the gate.

To learn more about this process, read the Department of Transportation’s online guide, “When Kids Fly Alone,” followed by the website of your selected carrier.

Choosing an airline and paying an extra fee

Before purchasing a ticket, experts advise you to consider an airline’s on-time performance. “Solid on-time performance is hard-earned, and signals a carrier that has tight control of its operation,” said the Ask the Pilot author, Patrick Smith. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has those numbers.

Booking procedures vary. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines require you to call. United Airlines allows bookings online. JetBlue Airways does online bookings, too, but asks for three printed copies of its forms upon arrival at the airport.

International flights may call for a notarized consent letter describing where the child is traveling, with whom they’ll stay and how long they’ll be there.

On top of the ticket fare, flying an unaccompanied minor can be pricey.

Southwest Airlines charges $100 one way for each child, regardless of distance. Alaska Airlines charges $50 per child if the flight is nonstop; a connection adds $25. On Delta, one $150 fee will cover up to four children, and American’s $150 covers all siblings, with no cap on number. United charges $150 for one child, or two children flying together.

Restrictions: There are plenty

U.S. carriers allow children to fly as unaccompanied minors once they turn 5 and before they turn 18. But regardless of your child’s age, make sure he or she is ready by discussing the trip details and your expectations of their behavior. No policy can replace your judgment.

The low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air don’t allow unaccompanied minors, Other airlines have restrictions that, in the broadest terms, differentiate between young children and teenagers. American and Delta restrict children under 8 from routes requiring connections. Both airlines allow children between 8 and 14 to take some connecting flights.

On American, no unaccompanied minor is allowed to take an overnight flight requiring a connection, or a flight that includes a connection on its final leg that also happens to be the last such flight that day (“unless it’s the only flight,” the company adds). Minors are not allowed on code-share flights.

United and Delta have similar rules. Southwest, JetBlue and Spirit don’t allow unaccompanied minors on connecting flights.

JetBlue prohibits minors from flying to Europe, and limits the number of unaccompanied minors in one party to three. Spirit does not allow children on flights to Central or South America. Southwest doesn’t allow children on any international flights. American, United and Delta let minors fly abroad, but restrictions on connections, code-shares and overnights limit options.

American and Delta allow children to opt out of flying as unaccompanied minors once they turn 15 — that is, the child can fly without the assistance of airline personnel. JetBlue ends unaccompanied minor service at 14, while Alaska has an opt-out option at 13. Southwest boasts the lowest opt-out age: 12.

However, you should be able to accompany your child to the gate even if they’re not flying unaccompanied. American requires that you do so for teens between the ages of 15 and 17, even if they’ve opted out.

What to pack

Have a plan to head off your child’s hunger, boredom and thirst. If they are older, make sure they have emergency money and a charged phone.

When her two daughters, then 9 and 11, flew to Denver, Joey Conover of Charlottesville, Va., had a long list for their carry-ons.

“Pack a backpack with iPad, headphones, lightweight book to read, a pad of paper and colored pencils (markers might smear), a small travel game, water bottle (bring empty and fill in airport), snacks, some kind of surprise fidget or animals to play with, hoodie, and a lovey,” she wrote in an email.

“Write your name and phone number on the inside of their arm in Sharpie and put a parent’s business card in a luggage tag on both suitcase and backpack,” Ms. Conover said. (A sheet of paper with all their identification, and their guardian’s contact information, also works. Simply stick in an easy-to-access pocket.)

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .