Another Birthday Weekend in Moscow

August 6-7, 2016

Saturday morning and I am up and at ‘em early as I am meeting Jack and Craig at 7:30 am to head to Metro with my brand new membership card for my first "big shop" in Moscow. The three of us pile into Jack's SUV with a plethora of shopping bags and our respective "lists". My list includes a bunch of cleaning supplies requested by my new cleaning lady. Her first visit was Wednesday morning and we have have agreed on a weekly cleaning schedule. Apparently, she makes excellent spring rolls and other culinary delights so I am planning on a combination of cleaning, laundry and cooking for her 4 hour weekly visit. But I digress as usual ...

The Metro is a bit of a slog from our building but with Craig and Jack pointing out landmarks and regaling me with stories; the is very pleasant. I think the boys were worried that shopping with a woman would unnecessarily extend their Saturday morning ritual. I was given a five-minute grace period as a first-timer but I will need to be efficient in navigating this store that is the size of a parking lot! I find most of the things on Nenita's list, many of the things I need and a bunch of things I want including a few bottles of wine to start up my cellar.

When I finally made it to the foodstuffs, I figured I was running out of time so I quickly grabbed some "essentials" and headed to the cash. I was happy to see that Jack was just checking out which meant I wasn't unreasonably late. The checkout process was pretty efficient though paying not so much. One of the cards that I had called about earlier in the week was rejected twice. Luckily, the other card worked for both bills; alcohol is billed separately. Soon enough, we loaded our bounties into the SUV and headed home. 

After my haul was put away, I opted for a nap to start the lazy portion of my weekend. The laziness extended into the afternoon and evening and I had a relatively quiet day. Alexandra and I meeting to go tour the Kremlin tomorrow at 9:00 am so decided on a quiet night as well.

Sunday is another beautiful sunny day in Moscow and ideal for a touristy activity. Following the advice of colleagues, we didn't j-walk. Instead we walked a bit farther and found the underpass to "cross" the boulevard and make our way to the entrance to Alexander Sad (Garden). After securing our tickets, we  found a bench in the shade to people watch, chat and wait for the gates to open at 10. 

We had decided to come for the opening, as Russians do not appear to be early risers on the weekend. Not so for the tourists. My guidebook says that the Kremlin is Russia's most popular tourist attraction with 60,000 visitors a day and today apparently is not going to be the exception. The garden was jammed with folks waiting in small clusters and larger tour groups. We waited a bit after opening but the crowds seemed to get bigger so there was nothing to be done but join the queue. 
 

The entrance was mobbed like the last chopper out of Saigon, with people pushing, shoving and vying for position. These tourists are not polite Canadians saying I am sorry if they bump into someone! Eventually we made our way to the entry, through the metal detectors, into Kutafya Tower and through Trinity Gate.

Kutafya Tower

There is so much beauty to see all around but there are defined pathways to get from point A to point B. Deviations from these routes results in strident blows on whistles from the omnipresent security. My goal for the day is to "stay between the lines"! Since we have two years to see the sites and we knew it was going to be busy, we opted to purchase tickets to see the Kremlin Churches and grounds only. Leaving our visit to the Armory and Ivan's Bell Tower for a guided tour when there was less competition from tourists and more newbies to share the experience looks like the right decision. 

We caught a glimpse of the beautiful gilded onion domes of The Cathedral of the Assumption and made a beeline to a courtyard with not one but four beautiful churches within its walls. There were long lineups to enter each of the churches that we studiously avoided.  We did manage to get into the Patriarch's Palace to check out the opulence on display at the Museum of Applied Art. No photos allowed but well worth a visit. Back into the courtyard to goggle at the churches. Stunning!

 

 

Next stop is the ginormous Tsar's Bell which rests at the foot of Ivan's Bell Tower.  The Tsar's Bell is the world's largest (and most useless) bell again according to the guidebook. The bell was cast in 1735 but a big chunk fell off during the fire of 1737 when it was doused with water. The 20-ft/220-ton bell was never repaired but it is quite stunning nonetheless. And, it does make a great backdrop for a photo!

Then we were off to see the Tsar's Canon. I guess big countries make big stuff because the world's largest and most useless canon (the guidebook is relentlessly blunt) was cast in 1586. The canon was never fired though they did make some ammo just in case. Another great photo op!

The grounds are also quite beautiful featuring gardens, fountains and beautiful trees that shade many of the benches scattered about. As Alex opined it would be worth the price of admission (50 rubles - approx. $10) to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. A bit of a stroll around, a few more pics and we headed for the exit and Red Square.

It was Alexandra's birthday so we were headed to Papa's, a favourite Canadian hangout not to far from Red Square for a late lunch. After a few detours which included a view of the former KGB HQ, we found our way and ordered burgers and beer. 

My juicy burger was served on a black bun with roasted pineapple, fried onions and cheese. Alex opted for something a bit spicier featuring a chipotle sauce.

After enjoying our leisurely lunch, we walked out of Papa's into a wall of heat. If this was a prelude to hell, I think that I will pass! Wowser, what had started as a beautiful sunny morning ended up as a stinkin hot, stifling afternoon. We headed back home; Alex to receive birthday wishes and me to enjoy the comfort of my air-conditioned apartment. Along the way, we passed the Bolshoi Theatre. I am planning to see an Opera and/or Concert there so will feature it later but have inserted a couple pics below as a teaser. And in typical Moscow fashion, across the boulevard was a festival featuring a South American motif!

 

Birthday Girl - Alexandra

When I finally made it back home, it was time to cool off and grab another nap before my weekly one-hour of TV as I check out the recently downloaded episode of the new season of Suits (I love that show!). A quiet evening and an early night so I am bright-eyed and bushy tailed for the work week.