19th May - Moscow :O)

19th May in Moscow

 

 

Breakfast in the room before we head off on our next Moscow adventure!

 

We are getting pro’s now metro tickets bought, let’s get going!   Today is supposed to be 27degrees C again!

 

Entrance to Red Square

 

This little colourful building we didn’t realise was a little church.  Amy is listening and watching a Priest reading just inside the door

 

Wowee!!!

 

Church just before Red Square

 

We are now walking on Red Square – Red in Russian means beautiful, not much red around here other than the Kremlin walls, Historical Museum and St Basil’s Cathedral but you can’t see all those in this photo as Red Square is quite large.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in Red Square but I was expecting a bit more other than a bog standard massive cobbled area.  You do have the Historical Museum at the top, Kremlin wall down the right, Gum shopping centre on the left and St Basil’s Cathedral down the hill a bit at the bottom but they are quite a distance from each other

 

 

Historical Museum in the background

 

This is Gum shopping mall where all the Kremlin wives are supposed to shop, we went in and it was all designer shops and they even had an Armani café, never seen a designer café before!

 

We stopped at Lenin's Mausoleum and it turned into a  

job opportunity for Colin …..

 

So a dude asked Colin to take a photo of him in front of the memorial.  Will Colin become a photographer eh not going by this experience that is for sure as the guy had no English and was only wanting from his waist up in the photo lots of signing going on and all of the memorial in the photo so after a few attempts Colin got the photo correct and the guy went off with a smug look on his face looking at his photo on his camera!!

 

Up and out early today but St Basil’s Cathedral doesn’t open until 11am!

 

Can’t wait to go inside…….

 

So we go in for a nosey into the Gum shopping mall

 

It is massive and just full of designer shops, the glass roof is making the place very hot though and it is only 10.45am!  Each shop has a security man in a suit waiting for you to open the door!

 

Here we are it is 11am, woop woop!  Surprising the ticket office only deals in cash so we now need to wait for Colin to go to the ATM as we don’t have enough cash!  Looks like the cathedral was built in 1561, wow!  Colin goes and gets money and then the lady sells us a family ticket that isn’t advertised so we did have enough money after all!!

 

I didn’t realise that each dome represents a separate church inside!  Our mission is to try and find them all!

 

Thankfully you are allowed to take photo’s inside so we can share what we have seen!  This is the shrine and canopy of St Basil the Blessed 1896

 

Air channels throughout the building are cute little archway shapes!

 

Ceilings!

 

 

One of the many domes

 

A brick dome but even this is beautiful in its own way

 

Small arch window letting sunlight in!

 

 

Exhibition piece as part of the museum on the lower ground

 

Part of the original dome

 

Walls and ceiling paintings are amazing

 

Everything is so colourful

 

Ok then we start climbing up into the different churches, the steps are so high they are nearly as high as Amy’s knees.  We are puffing and panting by the time we get up as it is hard work climbing up steps that high but boy was it worth it!

 

We were having a look in each room and then realise that each room has a dome and each room is one of the churches this is The Church of the Entry into Jerusalem.  Some of the spaces are so small I am struggling to get all of the paintings, Iconostasis, scriptures etc in but I did try!

 

The Church of St Gregory of Armenia

 

The Church of St Varlaam of Khutyn

 

The Church of Velikorestky Image of St Nicholas

 

The dome of this church

 

The Iconostasis

 

The Church of Alexander of Svir

 

The dome

 

The paintings in the corridors that join all the churches

 

The Church of Holy Trinity

 

Part of this ceiling has been restored to its original colours

 

Sneaky look at the bell tower

 

 

The Church of the three Patriarchs of Constantinople

 

The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin

 

The dome of The church of SS Cyprian and Justina

 

I felt like we were going round in circles and not finding all the churches but I think we only missed 2 which wasn’t bad really!!  As we were heading out 5 male choir started singing and it carried through the whole building it was amazing to hear them!  They were similar to Il Divo, WOW!!

 

Family pic xx

 

Sun shining brightly again!

 

Lunch time me thinks!!

 

Sandwich time!  She looks really gummy in this photo!  Amy’s teeth at the top are growing through, the two incisors are just bursting through the gums and have been bothering her L

 

Our view at lunch stop J

 

Away to catch the Hop on Hop off bus or we thought we would catch the bus to take us round to number 1 stop and then jump on the other route but the bus drivers stop for 45 minutes for coffee breaks so heaven knows maybe it is their lunch break and how long would they get for that!!  Anyway we walk across the bridge instead and we are actually closer than we thought!

 

Other side of St Basil's cathedral

 

One of Stalin’s buildings

 

Looking at the walls of the Kremlin and the Grand Palace

 

Swapping sunglasses messing about waiting for the Green route bus!

 

We are back on the bus now and pass this unusual building

 

Where some of the Royal weddings have taken place over the years

 

Government buildings

 

 

This government building had clock tower on it but they changed it to the Russian Crest instead

 

Coming towards another one of the seven Stalin buildings – called the seven sisters in Moscow – this one is the Radisson Blu 5 star hotel with 34 floors and heaven knows how many rooms!!

 

 

The lights on the lampposts got in the way of this photo!

 

Wow just amazing the building and its stature but I suppose that was the whole point when they were commissioned to be built!  Stalin ordered the buildings to be built and an architect based it on designs from New York

 

British Embassy

 

Pretty design of flowers on the River Moscow bank

 

Europe Square architecture based on iconic buildings from throughout Europe

 

Funny the car and ball moved up and down as if they were lining up a shot and then scoring a GOAL!!

 

Across the traffic you can see different shaped glass structures on the foot bridge

 

Across the bridge to another one of the Seven sister Stalin buildings, this one was supposed to be designed with a flat roof but when the drawings were sent to Stalin to approve it for it to be built he changed the top to have a spire instead!

 

Another view of the glass structured pedestrian bridge

 

You can see the spire on this Stalin building is made of different material as Stalin instructed

 

Crazy driving in Moscow!

 

The temperature is 29 degrees!!

 

Our next stop is Hard Rock Café for lunch

 

Thirsty work!

 

Rock on dude - our lunch is here, I have Haystack salad and it is lovely!!

Yummy yum yum :o)

 

They have a drum kit and guitars for you to have your photograph with, soooo cool!!  The guitar is too heavy for Amy to carry

 

Ballerina fountain

 

 

So we are walking along the largest amount of souvenir shops we have seen and we go into every single one and still a NO for a sticker L

 

How cute is that restaurant?!

 

Mooooooooo

 

 

Statue at the start of a park now we are heading to a cathedral that was supposed to be on our Hop on Hop off tour yesterday!

 

 

More beautiful tulips they looked like material with the edges

 

Amy walking through the park with her Hard Rock Café balloon

 

Strange fountain with the horses’ heads sticking out?

 

And then a playpark in the middle, seesaw!!

 

 

Here we are nearly at Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

 

So Amy puts on her cardigan to cover her shoulders as some churches you have to have your ankles and shoulders covered and this is one of them.  We go to the security men and then we are refused admission to the Cathedral first of all it was the balloon but when we pointed at the balloon they started speaking in Russian about something and then pointing  to our ankles but I had my socks covering my ankles!!  Oh well they just don’t want us in there and I am certainly not arguing with them!!  So we sit outside and watch other people waltzing right in with shorts, strappy t-shirts and all sorts of fashion wear!!!  So they just didn’t like the look of us probably!!!  Never mind we don’t mind as we have been in some amazing places over the past few weeks!  Amy with her thumbs down L

 

Here we are now walking to Sculpture Park and Gorky Park across the bridge

 

 

The behind view of St Peter the Great’s statue in the middle of the canal

 

Amy happy now as we are on our way to Gorky Park

 

Shiny car and guess what Colin is admiring it, shiny bling!!!

 

 

The car was admiring parked in the middle of the car park!!  Are the cones surrounding it to say don’t park near my car ha ha!!!

 

Amy’s legs have given up for a short while!  But the miles we are covering it is not surprising and there have been no moans from her, she is so very good we are very, very lucky!

 

 

No wonder we were a bit sweaty today it is just after 5pm and it is 33 degrees C, hot hot J

 

We have reached Sculpture Park, amazing all the sculptures around the park, this place is COOL!

 

 

We stop for some shade, water stop and snack stop for Amy

 

Our happy smiling princess xxx

 

 

The last cookie and Amy has managed to get chocolate on her shoulder and her forehead!!

 

Come on Col the girls have been rejuvenated we are ready to get to Gorky Park!

 

How do you do Mr!

 

Pinocchio and the girls

 

Here is Peter the Great statue up close

 

To show how tall the statue is here is tiny Amy and I next to him on his boat!

 

We were impressed by the length of the bench you can see in the park even a section to recline on, amazing!!

 

Some cute baby sculptures at the end of Sculpture Park

 

Kaleidoscope on the walkway supposed to capture the buildings and passers-by in a different light and view!

 

 

Selfie with the camera ha ha!!

 

And then we come to this fountain water park area, Amy’s eyes lit up!

 

This is sooooo cooooool!!!!

 

People on bicycle’s, people walking through and kid’s playing in this area.  The jets of water are varying their heights and come as a surprise to Amy!

 

 

Amy is having a ball!!  And certainly cooling her down!!

 

That jet of water surprised you Amy here she is ringing out her shorts, oh dear and no change of clothes with us!!  But it is warm enough to dry soon!

 

The display of Agapanthus just beside the water jets!

 

Now we are just at the entrance at Gorky Park the water jets were in an area between Sculpture Park and Gorky Park!

 

 

Having a stroll through Gorky Park.  This park is absolutely massive and is nearly in the middle of Moscow

 

 

Massive display of pansies and tulips

 

How civilised comfy bean bag chairs in the park to lounge on!   There are different colours and varying sizes of bean bag chairs and sofas all over the park.  There are areas for beach volleyball, table tennis, grassy areas, loads of massive flower beds, fountains and lakes around the park!  We saw on the map that there is a cinema in the middle too.  You can hire bicycles, 2 seater carts, 4 seater carts and scooters, this place is just amazing!

 

Oh yeah and then they throw in a space rocket!!

 

 

Cool light sculpture, would love to see this in the dark but we are bushed and heading home, what another busy yet exciting day!!

 

Looking back at the park

 

The entrance that Colin was looking forward to seeing but unfortunately it is under renovations!

 

 

The metro stations are just so impressive, here we are heading home, 3 stops!!

 

Bit busy at the stations today but at least we got familiar with the stations and tickets etc yesterday so felt comfortable in the stations today thankfully especially in the crowds!

So we were anxious about arriving in Moscow and what the city had to offer but it has got to be one of our favourite cities so far!!  No wonder it is so hard to get into Russia the Russians want to keep this gem to themselves and we don’t blame them at all, the city is wonderful and was easy to get around even after all my moans and groans about the alphabet!  Everyone looks stern, serious and appears quite harsh but I think that is just the Russian culture.  Thanks Moscow we have been very surprised as we have had a wonderful time, loads of culture, history and truly amazing spots around the city ;O)

Tomorrow we are flying to Amsterdam and then we hit the USA, woop woop!!!