Notes from our round the world trip part IV
23 May 2007 Wednesday. Moscow
After a brief lie down our host, Alex, walked us to Ploshad Kievskovo. There we changed some money, found the kiosk for Metro tickets and walked around a huge mall. In it are very up scale shops, a super market, many restaurants and fast food places and shops of many kinds. Nancye again tried to find a sleep mask but the only ones we found were about $28. Too dear. We ate at Vinagrete Cafe. Nancye had beef stroganoff and potatoes and I had a couple of fish cakes and mashed. Elegantly served and very tasty. I don’t think I have ever had better fish cakes. Afterwards Baskin and Robbins ice cream. Nancye sounded out the cyrillic lettering and exclaimed, “Baskin and Robbins!”
We bought some water and hoofed it home. It’s about a five minute walk. Slept fine but not long enough.
5 pm Our guide, Anna, picked us up at 10 am. We walked from our guest house all the way to the Kremlin. We took in Arbat Street - very touristy, but with some restaurants we may want to visit. We walked around the Kremlin to Red Square - saw St. Basil and Lubianka Square and back to the Kremlin. After lunch in an underground mall we tried to go into the Kremlin but it was closed on Wed Afternoon. So instead we had our first experience on the Moscow subway. With no signs in English we managed to find our way. We took two different lines and went to the Bakrushin Theatre Museum. Very disorganized entrance. The woman at the desk could not sell us tickets, we had to wait for the ticket seller who was off somewhere. Guides in each room tried to explain things to us and often went on at length even though we said we did not understand. But they were very kind and I used my little Russian. They had mainly stuff from the 19th C. Opera and ballet. Because they were filming in one room one of the guides took us through a back hallway so we could see things in some other rooms. One little lady kept getting up and showing us things and speaking in Russian, but we got some of what she was saying.
We were hot and tired so we got the Metro home , buying flowers for our host on the way.
We got home about 4. Cooled off. Had a drink and went looking for supper. We were cross with each other, but wound up with a sort of gyros and a beer sitting in the grass in a public park watching people go by. A full day of sight seeing for tomorrow.
24 May 2007 Thursday. Moscow
A good sleep. It gets light so early. We have to wait until 9 am for breakfast because the family had to get their kids and the wife off to school and work. But nothing opens until 10 or 11 am anyway.
List of Places we saw today.
Alex, Sasha, took us to an overlook of the city on the SW of the city. Then to Novodevichii convent and cemetery.
By Metro to center city. We walked to the MAT - Moscow Art Theatre which was not open. Then we walked up Tverskaya ulitsa to Yeliseev’s Food Hall and bought chocolate. Down Tveskoi Blvd to eat lunch at the Mill. This is probably the best meal we have had to this point.
[Note from June 19, the bill came today $138!!!]
In the afternoon we visited Stanislavsky House Museum, Gorky House Museum and Chekhov House Museum. Then to Patriarch’s Pond. Could not find the American Express Office. We bought water and vodka at the supermarket. We can’t seem to get travelers Checks cashed.
Now some details.
The best time today was at Stanislavsky’s home and Chekhov's home. We walked where they walked and lived. Stanislavsky had a theatre in his house as did Chekhov. Stanislavsky’s had a weird stage with two big pillars, but right there in that room he coached actors and rehearsed. In his study he wrote An Actor Prepares. A and Ch each died in those houses. Why I am moved by being in a place an important person was I don’t know.
The Gorky house is/was designed in style-modern with odd shaped windows, stained glass , a marvelous bannister.
Yeliseev’s Food Hall is like a small Harrods. Nancye bought some chocolate. Lunch was expensive because we had four glasses of imported wine. I had a very nice piece of salmon grilled and Nancye had salmon en croute.
Tonight after relaxing we went to an outdoor restaurant. I got red caviar as an appetizer. It came with a huge mound of butter which had been squeezed through something that made it look like spaghetti. I don’t know why they don’t serve it with crackers or bread. We had to order that separately Even ketchup had an extra charge.
We have seldom seen anyone wearing a hat - some few young people wear caps - especially baseball caps. I also have seen very few men with beards. Many young women in western fashionable clothing, heels, bare midriff and many nice clothes. I am sure we are not seeing the poor.
Moscow is pretty clean. We don’t see much litter except for plastic bottles.
This evening Alex and Lena invited us to sing with them to their kerioke machine. Fun.
25 May 2007 Friday Moscow
After breakfast, Alex drove us to his bank and convinced them to cash some American Express traveler's checks. I am not sure we will buy any of these again. AE travelers checks have not been useful. And mostly our credit cards are not accepted. We have purchased some gifts and an occasional meal with plastic.
Anyway after we got some rubles in cash we took the Metro back to the city center and spent about an hour or two in the Kremlin and St. Basil’s.
The highlight of the Kremlin was a group of five singers in the Cathedral of the archangel. They sang a short a cappella tune and we bought their CD. They call themselves Anima or Bokalnii Ansambab
We walked from the Kremlin to Arbat Ulitsa. A kids bazaar of some kind was going on down most of the street. Entertainments, clowns, people in large animal costumes, singing. Very festive. We tried to eat lunch at MOO MOO, but it was very crowded with a long line so we went next door and had a calzone and some mushrooms. Beer.
Nancye bought some amber ear rings for herself and Alice. Then back to the apartment for R and R and get ready to take the night train to St. Petersburg. Our passports had to be registered when we got to Moscow, but the they have not yet been returned.
26 May 2007 Saturday. St. Petersburg.
The train from Moscow to St. Petersburg was very nice. More comfortable than the Mongolian Trans Siberian, but about the same size. Beds already made up 2 packets of food including a roll, caviar, cheese spread, biscuits, some salami, tea, coffee, orange juice. Plus magazines and newspapers in Russian and a kit that included tooth paste, ear plugs and other necessaries you may have forgotten.
We got into St. Petersburg about 9:30 am.
After getting into our homestay we chose a car tour with driver and guide which cost us over 1000 rubles. But we were taken all over the city including into two churches where services were going on. It was a little boring, but I was tired. They left us at a nice cafe where we had shaslik - lamb kebabs with some tomatoes and cucumbers and a glass of wine. We then walked from Vailevskii back across the Neva river intending to spend the afternoon at the Hermitage and cash checks at American Express. We had to go a long way around because of a big parade on Nevskii Prospect celebrating the anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. Huge crowds. American Express is closed until Monday. So we went next door to St. Isaac’s cathedral. It is a museum, but what a beautiful place. We are amazed that after decades of atheism and the siege of Leningrad that so much of the beautiful art is left.
It was raining as we left the cathedral so we took a taxi home. Cost too much. 1110 rubles!. Well over $40. but it was raining and we would have gotten soaked getting back to our homestay.
After a brief lie down our host, Alex, walked us to Ploshad Kievskovo. There we changed some money, found the kiosk for Metro tickets and walked around a huge mall. In it are very up scale shops, a super market, many restaurants and fast food places and shops of many kinds. Nancye again tried to find a sleep mask but the only ones we found were about $28. Too dear. We ate at Vinagrete Cafe. Nancye had beef stroganoff and potatoes and I had a couple of fish cakes and mashed. Elegantly served and very tasty. I don’t think I have ever had better fish cakes. Afterwards Baskin and Robbins ice cream. Nancye sounded out the cyrillic lettering and exclaimed, “Baskin and Robbins!”
We bought some water and hoofed it home. It’s about a five minute walk. Slept fine but not long enough.
5 pm Our guide, Anna, picked us up at 10 am. We walked from our guest house all the way to the Kremlin. We took in Arbat Street - very touristy, but with some restaurants we may want to visit. We walked around the Kremlin to Red Square - saw St. Basil and Lubianka Square and back to the Kremlin. After lunch in an underground mall we tried to go into the Kremlin but it was closed on Wed Afternoon. So instead we had our first experience on the Moscow subway. With no signs in English we managed to find our way. We took two different lines and went to the Bakrushin Theatre Museum. Very disorganized entrance. The woman at the desk could not sell us tickets, we had to wait for the ticket seller who was off somewhere. Guides in each room tried to explain things to us and often went on at length even though we said we did not understand. But they were very kind and I used my little Russian. They had mainly stuff from the 19th C. Opera and ballet. Because they were filming in one room one of the guides took us through a back hallway so we could see things in some other rooms. One little lady kept getting up and showing us things and speaking in Russian, but we got some of what she was saying.
We were hot and tired so we got the Metro home , buying flowers for our host on the way.
We got home about 4. Cooled off. Had a drink and went looking for supper. We were cross with each other, but wound up with a sort of gyros and a beer sitting in the grass in a public park watching people go by. A full day of sight seeing for tomorrow.
24 May 2007 Thursday. Moscow
A good sleep. It gets light so early. We have to wait until 9 am for breakfast because the family had to get their kids and the wife off to school and work. But nothing opens until 10 or 11 am anyway.
List of Places we saw today.
Alex, Sasha, took us to an overlook of the city on the SW of the city. Then to Novodevichii convent and cemetery.
By Metro to center city. We walked to the MAT - Moscow Art Theatre which was not open. Then we walked up Tverskaya ulitsa to Yeliseev’s Food Hall and bought chocolate. Down Tveskoi Blvd to eat lunch at the Mill. This is probably the best meal we have had to this point.
[Note from June 19, the bill came today $138!!!]
In the afternoon we visited Stanislavsky House Museum, Gorky House Museum and Chekhov House Museum. Then to Patriarch’s Pond. Could not find the American Express Office. We bought water and vodka at the supermarket. We can’t seem to get travelers Checks cashed.
Now some details.
The best time today was at Stanislavsky’s home and Chekhov's home. We walked where they walked and lived. Stanislavsky had a theatre in his house as did Chekhov. Stanislavsky’s had a weird stage with two big pillars, but right there in that room he coached actors and rehearsed. In his study he wrote An Actor Prepares. A and Ch each died in those houses. Why I am moved by being in a place an important person was I don’t know.
The Gorky house is/was designed in style-modern with odd shaped windows, stained glass , a marvelous bannister.
Yeliseev’s Food Hall is like a small Harrods. Nancye bought some chocolate. Lunch was expensive because we had four glasses of imported wine. I had a very nice piece of salmon grilled and Nancye had salmon en croute.
Tonight after relaxing we went to an outdoor restaurant. I got red caviar as an appetizer. It came with a huge mound of butter which had been squeezed through something that made it look like spaghetti. I don’t know why they don’t serve it with crackers or bread. We had to order that separately Even ketchup had an extra charge.
We have seldom seen anyone wearing a hat - some few young people wear caps - especially baseball caps. I also have seen very few men with beards. Many young women in western fashionable clothing, heels, bare midriff and many nice clothes. I am sure we are not seeing the poor.
Moscow is pretty clean. We don’t see much litter except for plastic bottles.
This evening Alex and Lena invited us to sing with them to their kerioke machine. Fun.
25 May 2007 Friday Moscow
After breakfast, Alex drove us to his bank and convinced them to cash some American Express traveler's checks. I am not sure we will buy any of these again. AE travelers checks have not been useful. And mostly our credit cards are not accepted. We have purchased some gifts and an occasional meal with plastic.
Anyway after we got some rubles in cash we took the Metro back to the city center and spent about an hour or two in the Kremlin and St. Basil’s.
The highlight of the Kremlin was a group of five singers in the Cathedral of the archangel. They sang a short a cappella tune and we bought their CD. They call themselves Anima or Bokalnii Ansambab
We walked from the Kremlin to Arbat Ulitsa. A kids bazaar of some kind was going on down most of the street. Entertainments, clowns, people in large animal costumes, singing. Very festive. We tried to eat lunch at MOO MOO, but it was very crowded with a long line so we went next door and had a calzone and some mushrooms. Beer.
Nancye bought some amber ear rings for herself and Alice. Then back to the apartment for R and R and get ready to take the night train to St. Petersburg. Our passports had to be registered when we got to Moscow, but the they have not yet been returned.
26 May 2007 Saturday. St. Petersburg.
The train from Moscow to St. Petersburg was very nice. More comfortable than the Mongolian Trans Siberian, but about the same size. Beds already made up 2 packets of food including a roll, caviar, cheese spread, biscuits, some salami, tea, coffee, orange juice. Plus magazines and newspapers in Russian and a kit that included tooth paste, ear plugs and other necessaries you may have forgotten.
We got into St. Petersburg about 9:30 am.
After getting into our homestay we chose a car tour with driver and guide which cost us over 1000 rubles. But we were taken all over the city including into two churches where services were going on. It was a little boring, but I was tired. They left us at a nice cafe where we had shaslik - lamb kebabs with some tomatoes and cucumbers and a glass of wine. We then walked from Vailevskii back across the Neva river intending to spend the afternoon at the Hermitage and cash checks at American Express. We had to go a long way around because of a big parade on Nevskii Prospect celebrating the anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. Huge crowds. American Express is closed until Monday. So we went next door to St. Isaac’s cathedral. It is a museum, but what a beautiful place. We are amazed that after decades of atheism and the siege of Leningrad that so much of the beautiful art is left.
It was raining as we left the cathedral so we took a taxi home. Cost too much. 1110 rubles!. Well over $40. but it was raining and we would have gotten soaked getting back to our homestay.
posted by Thomas Van Brunt | 6:29 AM
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