Russian River Cruise & Finnish Drive Around: Tuesdy, August 2, 2012:
I'm hoping someone out there knows how to use blogspot...I'm thoroughly confused & just hope this gets to you!
Today was fabulous & we're thoroughly in love with Russia and the Russians! We spent the afternoon on foot, on the Metro & a bit by bus: 1:30-9:30 PM. The Metro, oh my goodness...even though originally built beginning in 1935, it's light & bright & the trains are old but run efficiently. Some of the stations are elaborately decorated including Mayakovskava in which Stalin held a meeting November 7, 1941 (actually my birthday!) when Hitler was attempting to take Moscow...above our heads were mosaics showing the bombing of Moscow.
In five stops, we reached the station closest to Red (meaning absolutely nothing about the Communists..."red" means beautiful, important and was named in 1434) Square, spending a couple of hours there: GUM department store which is really a collection of high end shops & is absolutely huge, fabulous St. Basil's Cathedral (built in 1555 to celebrate Ivan the Terrible's victory over the Mongol Tartars) with its golden domes & vibrant colors that some could call garrish, a beautiful white church with gold domes built to celebrate victory over the Poles, the solid red brick wall of the Kremlin (which we'll go to Saturday), Lenin's Masoleum which was closed, & the National Historical Museum. Tourists, including us, abounded but it was really easy to get around.
Following that, we went to the Old Tretyakov Gallery for an incredible classical folklore concert:: an orchestra composed of Russian traditional folk music instruments like balaikas, dormas, accordians (with a Russian name I didn't catch). Absolutely fabulous...yes, we bought a CD you'll have to hear sometime.
Tomorrow, we'll spend 9-1:30 on a private tour of the Jewish culture in Moscow. Should be fascinating!
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