Christmas is full of traditions and every country, city and home has their own. Year after year you have the same traditions: buy a big Christmas tree, decorate it with tinsel, have family meals, sing Christmas songs, etc. Fancy enjoying a different kind of Christmas this year? Next stop: Christmas in Russia!

The 21st World Cup kicks off on 14 June in Russia. It's the eleventh time it will be held in the Europe and the first time it is hosted by an Eastern European country.

How is Russia getting ready for the big event? What do we need to know about it? What are the 2018 World Cup dates? Since Russia was awarded the World Cup at the end of 2010, beating Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands, the country has been busy getting everything ready for the big event.

By Isabel Romano from Diario de a bordo

If you’re passionate about history and really want to know more about the recent and tumultuous history of Russia, you simply must pay a visit to this lesser-known museum in Moscow. Walking through its exhibition rooms is like taking a journey through the history of Russia, from the penultimate tsar and the events leading up to the Russian Revolution to the creation of Russia as it exists today. Particularly interesting are the rooms dedicated to the Second World War (some of the best in the museum) and those dedicated to the Stalin period, with all the commemorative objects dating back to the communist era.

Despite the fact that the museum makes no mention of the darkest aspects of communism, such as the gulags (Soviet concentration camps), the museum is still a very interesting place to visit. All the signs are in Russian but, luckily, there is a laminated leaflet in all the rooms with the English translation.

Museum of Contemporary History of Russia
21 Tverskaya ul., Moscow
Opening times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 18:00; Thursday from 12:00 to 21:00; Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00.
The museum is closed on Mondays and the last Friday of every month.

So, you feel like visiting Moscow, do you? Book your flights here!

Isabel RomanoTourist by trade, compulsive traveller and born organiser. Diario de a bordo.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and if you fancy getting away to celebrate this year, you should know that there is romanticism beyond Paris and Venice! If you don't believe us, read on and discover the most romantic destinations for Valentine's Day.