I’ve decided that the only thing I don’t like about the hotel room is that the duvet feels as heavy as one of those lead coverings you have to wear when you are getting x-rayed. But I certainly can’t complain about the breakfast. I had American scrambled eggs, German cold cuts and French crepes. And TOAST, real toast. I can’t believe how much I miss toast. It just tasted so good. I really dove in and enjoyed everything. Them I went over to the subway station and rode downtown, heading right for Red Square.
Since a big holiday is coming up on Monday, they were putting up the reviewing stands where all the government officials will review the parade. It used to be the big communist holiday but they kept the holiday and just changed the name to Unity Day.
People were already forming a line to something and when I asked what the line was for, the told me they were waiting to get into Lenin’s Mausoleum. He is still revered and respected here, but you’ll never hear stalin mentioned anywhere.
Since I wasn’t interested in Lenin, I walked around to Czar Alexander Garden and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I came back onto RedSquare and visited the Historical Museum. Then I walked to the other end of the Square and went into St. basil’s Cathedral. That’s the one with all the colorful towers in the pictures. It’s amazing. It’s actually 4 churches all built on to each other at different periods. It’s a series of mazes and icons. Holy crow, just walls and walls of icons, one more beautiful than the next.
Then I went into GUM, the very famous department stores which borders Red Square. It is more than 120 years old, and looks like a 3-story mall in a mansion. Dior, Gucci, you name it. You just can’t afford it. And there were ice cream vendors in every hallway and people were standing in line to buy it.
I left the store and turned in the direction away fro m Red Square but realized it wouldn’t get me to my subway station so I reversed. But the police weren’t letting anyone back onto Red Square, I presume because of the holiday parade preparations. So I turned around again and kept walking. I was glad I did because I found a great little restaurant that served cabbage rolls. I’ve been trying to get some since I’ve been here. These were great, with a little sauerkraut with them. For dessert I had “pigeon milk”, a sponge cake layered with cream and topped with chocolate. Boy, was I glad I couldn’t back to Red Square. I never would have found the restaurant otherwise.
After lunch I headed for the Museum Of Moscow history. There are A number of building and you can choose how many you want to visit and pay accordingly. On my way there, I accidentally got off the subway one stop too soon. When I walked out of the station, I was staring at on of the most imposing cathedrals I’ve ever seen. I took a few minutes to take some pictures, then got back on the subway to get to the right place.
The part I enjoyed the most was an exhibit of pictures of Moscow taken between 1917 and 1923. There were juxtaposed with pictures taken from the same spot in the last few years. It was amazing to see what had survived and what had been destroyed. Some of the recent “contrast” pictures were even cameras on the street relaying actual pictures to a computer screen placed next to the picture from 1917. Very creative.
There was a nice young employee there who spoke English. I asked here if she could show me on my tourist map where the Jewish Museum was. She laughed and said she didn’t really know how to read paper maps so she pulled out her phone and googled it. Now I at least know where I am headed tomorrow.
By this time it was already 6 and I was getting pooped. So I headed home. Next to the MacDonald’s at my subway station some street musicians were playing. The singer was doing some Eagles stuff and the group was very good. There was one drunk there trying to breakdance to the whole thing. It wasn’t quite working out for him.
So now I’m in for the night. I watched a little of Russia Today. Boy, they are doing their best to convince the viewers that Russia didn’t interfere in the US elections. And they are certainly having an effect on some people. Several acquaintances have told me how scared they are of Hillary Clinton. It’s all very surreal.
Tomorrow I’m going to hit a few more museums. I want to see on of the art gallerys and the Jewish museum in particular.
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