A Baltic boating adventure TRIP REPORT COMPLETED 11/19 - Page 80 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
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St. Basil's is always what I think of when I think of Moscow. It's like a cheerful gingerbread house, but in not so cheerful of a historic location. So very happy you got to see it and get good photos with it too! What a bummer the rain came so badly though! Too bad you couldn't have flip flopped that bit and done the Kremlin and St. Basil's first and then inside the mall! Oh well, hindsight.
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All caught up on Moscow. Too bad the rain spoiled part of your day. But your pictures of Red Square are amazing. I've been waiting to see St. Basil's Cathedral. I don't blame you about watching your guide's bag like a hawk, I would have done the same thing.
Great photos of St. Basil's and The Kremlin, even with the rain!
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St. Basil's is always what I think of when I think of Moscow.
Me too.
Quote:
It's like a cheerful gingerbread house, but in not so cheerful of a historic location. So very happy you got to see it and get good photos with it too! What a bummer the rain came so badly though! Too bad you couldn't have flip flopped that bit and done the Kremlin and St. Basil's first and then inside the mall! Oh well, hindsight.
Well, unfortunately we were stuck with what we could do that day - don't forget with it being Russia Day, a lot of things were shut, including much of the Kremlin.
As a special treat, I have a little bit of time at the airport (we're in Virgin Atlantic's amazing Upper Class Clubhouse lounge at Heathrow! ), so here's one more update for you...
Sunday 12 June – part eight: he’s smoking!
When we headed outside, the skies had lightened again, and we got some glimpses of the Kremlin without the rain.
I am fast learning this is what the weather's like around the Baltic - sunny and brilliant blue skies one minute, then tipping down with rain. It's certainly changeable and it does seem to be a theme with every place we've visited so far.
As we got back to the minivan, I saw a sight that frankly horrified me. Our driver was sitting there, with his window wound down a little, but not completely, smoking. I do not see how that is acceptable at all. If you need to smoke, then move away from the vehicle, and unfortunately even then we'll still smell it, as it stays with you. Every single person who boarded, without exception, all commented on the smell of smoke and how awful it was.
We then saw some of the city's museums almost opposite the church, including the Gallery of 19th and 20th century European and American arts (very specific ) and the Pushkin State Museum of the Fine Arts, which had a massive line to get into it. Again, I'm starting to see a theme here.
As we drove along, we finally got some better shots of the Kremlin. This is home to the Russian president, and covers a ridicolous amount of space. I can't remember how many hectares it was now (I want to say 28?), but it's staggering. We figured this would be the last view we'd get of it, but we were very wrong.
We then crossed the Moscow River, noticing the red, white and blue flags, representing the Russian flag, although of course we all pointed out those were the colours of many other flags, including the States, the UK and France. I suspect it was Russia they were representing here though.
We next passed Pashkov House, which was a private residence, dating from the late 18th century with commanding views of the Kremin.
The next building we saw was the State Library...
... although personally I was fascinated by more familiar names. Thomas Cook is a travel agent we have at home, and I just think it's amazing to see things like this on the streets of Moscow, when in our lifetime, there is no way that anything like that would've been thought possible under the previous regime.
We then passed some of those remnants from those Communist days. These buildings were apparently designed to be open books, which I can see, although my goodness, they are really ugly. To me, I look at this and I see Communism architecture. Sadly, of course, Russia is not the only country to have buildings like this. We do too at home. What people were thinking in the 1960s when they created these, I will never know.
As you can see, the skies were looking threatening once again.
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You'd think tour companies would have rules about drivers smoking in their vehicles. But then again, I think smoking rates in Russia must be some of the highest around. I would have been upset about that though as I do find the smell so awful.
ugh, so sorry about the smoking driver. Unacceptable.
We have many ugly 1950-60 buildings as well. Midcentury modern as it's called here is frankly ugly and boring imho. I don't like many houses built during that time either. I love victorians or colonials...houses with character!
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If you need to smoke, then move away from the vehicle, and unfortunately even then we'll still smell it, as it stays with you. Every single person who boarded, without exception, all commented on the smell of smoke and how awful it was. 
To me, I look at this and I see Communism architecture. Sadly, of course, Russia is not the only country to have buildings like this. We do too at home. What people were thinking in the 1960s when they created these, I will never know. 
I can't believe your driver was smoking n the van!
That is horrible! The views of the Kremlin are amazing.
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