Hello/Goodbye

Hey Folks! So here we are at the end of our happyfun Russia times, and I thought I might sum up some of the exciting things we discovered during the daytimes, before our nightly theater excursions and assorted other group activities.

Moscow
Red Square - You can't come to Moscow and not see Red Square. It's just now allowed. The Kremlin, of course, is the main event, and though it's a bit of a trek around the wall to get into the compound, the six or seven cathedrals inside are definitely worth seeing. If you're lucky (which we were), you might even catch a choir of monks in one of them. St. Basil's Cathedral, outside of the Kremlin wall, is very exciting to wander through if you like stone stairs, towers, and lots of twisty passageways. It feels like a castle, only with stuff painted all over the walls. Lenin's tomb is very impressive as well, in a creepy, intimidating way. Sooo much marble for such a tiny little man. There's also a really ritzy mall next to the Square... underground.

Tretyekov Gallery - This art museum has a pretty sweet front door, and is about twice as big as it seems. We went carefully through the main floor (lots and lots of portraits at the beginning), but then discovered a whole second level underneath it once we'd run out of time. Sadtimes.

The Circus - The circus in Russia is definitely worth the ticket price (we paid about $16). The show we saw was a special Christmas Eve (the Orthodox holiday) event, with an exciting adventure involving Santa Claus (Grandfather Frost), a bright young heroine, and a naughtly top-hatted man who (we think) stole television. Along with the story we saw some trained dogs and monkeys, a fancy-stepping horse (and one dressed as a unicorn), and some incredible trampoline and trapeze work by people dressed as princes and pirates, respectively. We thought one young buccaneer was going to snap his neck when he finished his group's routine with a head-first dive into the net from the apex of the circus dome, but he landed it with a beautiful sommersault. Also, the ice cream they sell at the circus is DELICIOUS.

Christmas Party! - A bunch of us showed up at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Christmas Day, expecting to watch a bit of an Orthodox service, but after a quick look through the cathedral, what we found outside was a rousing stage show, with singers, sword-dancers, a magician, and a story about a princess. After a while, the crowd did some dancing of their own, which we participated in, and a grand time was had by all, even though it was horribly COLD out.

The Metro - Okay, we didn't really discover the metro, but I think it's worth a mention. Seeing some of the stations, you would never guess that it was just another stop in the largest and probably the cheapest ( about 40 cents a ride, including transfers) public transportation system in the city. They. Are. GORGEOUS. I bought a whole pack of Metro Postcards... I don't think any of the subway systems in America can boast of being postcard-worthy.

Teremok - We love Teremok. Delicious, satisfying blini with stuff in them, cooked up fresh and hot for you for less than four dollars, on practically every other street. Amazing.

Business Lunches - If you think the Dollar Menu is a great idea, you should explore the world of the Russian business lunch. On weekdays during the early afternoon, cafes all over the city have three-or-four-course meals that amount to about half the price of ordering the same food off the regular menu, usually under 8 dollars. We even got one at a fancy-shmancy Indian restaurant with candles everywhere and mirrors on the ceiling. Sooo yummy.

Okay, time to get off for now. Novgorod and Petersburg to come!