Moving on to Moscow (8th to 9th December 2008)

We arrived in Moscow slightly dazed at 4.45 am and in our typical disorganised fashion had no idea where we were going or even the address written down and no way of accessing it as it was saved online. Our guide book didn’t have the hotel in it and after an hour of wandering around bleary eyed I ended up ringing another top notch hotel to get the number for the Ritz Carlton, which luckily they gave us. We promptly rang them up to get their address and ran out of credit just as they were about to give us the metro station we needed to go to so we made a not particularly educated guess and jumped on the metro. By some stroke of luck we got off the metro just metres away and so walked into the most glorious hotel looking more than a little bit dishevelled - we are making quite the habit of turning up at luxury properties looking like hobos! Fortunately they not only let us in but also let us into our room, where we promptly showered and fell asleep. When we woke up the weather was still atrocious - wet, gray and thoroughly miserable and we had little if any inclination to head out but of course we were in Moscow so head out we did. We headed straight for the Red Square which was just seconds away. It was actually rather like entering Disney World as there was a big ice rink set up in the middle and at the end of the wide square was the iconic St Basil’s Church, which if I didn’t know better I would have thought was a modern day made up fairy tale castle - I half expected Rapunzel to appear out of a window! Inside was the most lovely interior, with impressive frescoes adorning the maze of corridors and rooms. The church, nicknamed the Pineapple Church, by Victorian travellers, was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and apparently he was so happy with the results of the completed church in 1561 that he gauged out the eyes of the architect so that he could not create anything more beautiful - a story not quite as beautiful as the building itself.

Still the rain persisted so after a quick walk past Lenin’s Mausoleum, the surrounding walls of the Kremlin, and a moment at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier, we headed for the GUM (Generalny Universalny Magazin) the most glorious of shopping malls I have ever been to. It used to be an old market that was torn down for health reasons. After the revolution it was nationalised and turned into a huge department store, which now helps to make the city of Moscow a shoppers paradise - full of designer and high end boutiques. We actually spent a little bit of time wandering around and then even more in the underground shopping mall just opposite, trying to avoid the hideous weather and looking for some smart shoes to help see us through the dinner we were having in the hotel as well as future five star places we were staying. I picked up a pair or not as bad as they sound pink patent heels and Stu some as bad as they sound tan slip ons - we weren’t going to spend good money on them and Moscow is not remotely cheap - there is no “Primarni” here!

Back at the hotel we went to the cub lunge and gorged on food and then after I was shown around the hotel, cocktail included, we headed downstairs for dinner, which was divine (thank goodness for the new shoes, the trainers would not have cut it). We had seven delicious courses, prepared by a Michelin starred chef, with beautiful wines.

On our second day in Moscow, we sadly didn’t see much more. We went for a wet and windy walk around the walls of the Kremlin, though decided against going in (something to return for) and instead walked to the Church of Christ Our Saviour, where we waited for about an hour in the pouring rain to witness the funeral procession of the Orthodox Patriarch - a glam way for Stuart to spend his birthday! We expected a huge and dramatic affair, particularly with the incredible display of police and blacked out secret service vehicles whirring by for ages before the procession. No one seemed to know what was happening, when the procession would start or any other details and everything and everyone was in confusion. The streets were not so heavily lined with mourners as we thought they would be and there was none of the wailing or crying, that we expected. In fact, it was such a low key procession in the end that we didn’t even realise the hearse had actually gone by and those who had bought flowers to throw didn’t get the chance as they missed it too. So totally soaked and rather disappointed in missing out on what we thought would be a true moment in history we briskly walked back to the hotel for a Russian lunch of pickled veg; cow tongue (I wish I never asked what it was); Russian salads and a scrumptious soup for Stuart.

Full to the brim, we took it as the right time to attempt to buy our Trans Siberian ticket, so we crossed back to the main station via metro and sought out the actual station we needed (there are nine possible stations in Moscow). Now - this we thought could be real fun. The first attendant pointed us to another. The second was fast asleep and the third, in true Russian style was none to interested in serving us and was happy to show her contempt. Somehow we managed to get across what we were after (a good bit of foresight from Stu and writing things down, in Russian helped us out) and by the end of the relatively harmless affair we had even gleaned a smile from her. This was a result!

Then, seen as it was Stu’s birthday we popped to the hotel spa for a spot of pampering and then a quick final shower before dragging our bags up and down a multitude of metro stairs and having a few doors slammed in our faces.

We had picked up a few supplies for the train journey - some fruit; plenty of chocolate; biscuits; water; and what we thought was soup but would later (after thinking it just very thick) would realise was in actual fact instant mash!

So there we found ourselves - on the famous Trans Siberian train in winter - and still no snow...