Today was the only full day I had in Moscow. Hence, I needed to make sure that I got around to all of the major sites I wanted to see.
Unfortunately, it was cold and drizzling from the morning. ARGHHHHHH. Good thing I brought a sweater and a rain jacket along with me for the week.
(Only later did I realize that the jewelry, especially the diamonds, are the things to see here. Big ooooooops!!!)
A fortified complex, the Kremlin is now the seat of Russia's government. Of course, tourists can't go near those buildings, but we're able to see the many cathedrals and palaces (serving as museums) within. As usual, I did my own self-guided tour with the Lonely Planet bible and Kremlin brochure in hand. 
A fortified complex, the Kremlin is now the seat of Russia's government. Of course, tourists can't go near those buildings, but we're able to see the many cathedrals and palaces (serving as museums) within. As usual, I did my own self-guided tour with the Lonely Planet bible and Kremlin brochure in hand. I have to admit that nothing really stood out. Like many Russian things, the complex is enormous, but other than that…nothing too special. The interior of the cathedrals were intricately painted with religious motifs (obviously), but I think I've seen better. Like the churches/monasteries in Romania. But I did enjoy gazing at the bell-shaped domes on the cathedrals, characteristic of many Russian architecture.
And for some reason, these toilets, for their "toi toi" cuteness. Not sure about inside…(Hey, I never said I wasn't weird):
Reminded me of a European train station.
After spending a couple of hours at the Kremlin, I walked towards the Bolshoi Theater, hoping to score a ballet ticket. On the way, I passed a line of massive fountains and a shopping mall with a packed McDonalds. Very popular with the Muscovites, it seems. I haven't eaten at a McD in a long, long time…and since I felt like a cheeseburger and fries, I joined the crowd for a quick bite. Tasted the same as anywhere.
Finding the ticket booth at the Bolshoi proved to be a challenge, with major constructions taking place. It was like a hole in the wall, and quite dark. And again, I encountered some "friendly" Moscow attitude, with an old woman insisting that only the priciest tickets were available. Annoyed, I walked out, and faced a couple of ticket scalpers. Very tempted…but the entire ticket was written in Russian, and there was no way for me to decipher neither the accuracy nor the "realness" for that matter. So, I gave up on seeing the world famous Bolshoi ballet production. Booooooo. Oh well : ( Plus, it turns out that the main Bolshoi theater wasn't even open due to the renovations - they were using a separate complex.
Finding the ticket booth at the Bolshoi proved to be a challenge, with major constructions taking place. It was like a hole in the wall, and quite dark. And again, I encountered some "friendly" Moscow attitude, with an old woman insisting that only the priciest tickets were available. Annoyed, I walked out, and faced a couple of ticket scalpers. Very tempted…but the entire ticket was written in Russian, and there was no way for me to decipher neither the accuracy nor the "realness" for that matter. So, I gave up on seeing the world famous Bolshoi ballet production. Booooooo. Oh well : ( Plus, it turns out that the main Bolshoi theater wasn't even open due to the renovations - they were using a separate complex.
Back in the rain, my next destination was the Red Square. Unfortunately, didn't time it for the Lenin Mausoleum, so had to bypass that one.
My main target here, was St. Basil Cathedral. That funky, circus-like structure symbolic of Russia. Love, love, loooooove it!!!!!!!
Paid 150 rubles to go inside - mostly religious motifs and colorful wall designs.
A choir was performing in one of the central rooms, which was a delight to listen to. I regret not tipping them...
But I have to say that I honestly think St. Basil looks much better from the outside. Fun and photogenic : ) Just puts a smile to my face. Too bad it wasn't sunny and I couldn't get good lighting.
By this point, I was worn out from all the walking. Needed some drink and snack time. I headed towards the GUM, an ultra-high-end mall from the old Soviet era with supposedly awesome architecture:
A choir was performing in one of the central rooms, which was a delight to listen to. I regret not tipping them...But I have to say that I honestly think St. Basil looks much better from the outside. Fun and photogenic : ) Just puts a smile to my face. Too bad it wasn't sunny and I couldn't get good lighting.
By this point, I was worn out from all the walking. Needed some drink and snack time. I headed towards the GUM, an ultra-high-end mall from the old Soviet era with supposedly awesome architecture:
Reminded me of a European train station.No plans to shop, but hopefully, they'll have some normal price cafes. Italian food, ice cream parlors, chic cafes. I settled for what appeared to be a more frugal, franchise store option. Happily gulped down my fizzy red lemonade and munched on some cottage cheese pancakes. Not one of my favorites:
On the ground floor, I found an ultra-high-end supermarket with outrageously priced caviar and some other imported goods. Surprisingly, there was a rack of Japanese food. Also outrageously priced. Packed miso soup for about $10. WOW.
Tired and getting cold, I thought I'd call it a day. Well, almost. At least head back towards my hostel, located in near the Old Arbat Street, a rather touristy (ie. lots of souvenir shops) pedestrian street.
Walking back, I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to some street musicians, ranging from purely classical to band music. So talented, too!
On the ground floor, I found an ultra-high-end supermarket with outrageously priced caviar and some other imported goods. Surprisingly, there was a rack of Japanese food. Also outrageously priced. Packed miso soup for about $10. WOW.Tired and getting cold, I thought I'd call it a day. Well, almost. At least head back towards my hostel, located in near the Old Arbat Street, a rather touristy (ie. lots of souvenir shops) pedestrian street.
Walking back, I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to some street musicians, ranging from purely classical to band music. So talented, too!
After making a roundtrip of Old Arbat, I stopped by a local supermarket and bought some instant noodles for the night. Never got around to eating it though…tired, tired, tired.
Fell asleep.
Fell asleep.
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