Andrea & Ryan do Moscow

Andrea & Ryan do Moscow

November 2017

I don't remember how it first came about that we learned Andrea was coming to Moscow, but once I knew they'd be here for 3 nights I tried to put together an itinerary for them to make the most of their time here. They were staying at an Airbnb in a very convenient location on Starry Arbat Street. The main purpose for their trip was to use the wind tunnel in St. Petersburg. Moscow was an add-on to their Russian experience.

They arrived late Friday night and at 9:30 Saturday morning we hit the ground running. 

First stop... showing them a few of my favorite metro stations.

Below is Kievskaya on the brown line.

Novoslobodskaya Metro station (brown line) with the beautiful stained-glassed panels

My favorite of all... Komsomolskaya (also on brown line). First of several firsts for Craig on this day.

 From the metro we arrived at Red Square where we waited in line to see Lenin's tomb (1st visit for Craig also). On the path there we stopped to take a photo with the bust of Stalin. As you can tell, it was rather cold outside and these Atlanta, Georgia folks were freezing their butts off.

Nice shot of the pathway to Lenin's tomb that shows the Kremlin wall, the clock tower of that wall and St. Basil's on the left.

Next stop... St. Basil's (another 1st for Craig). Since I had already been in there 3 times, I opted out. The price to enter is now rather steep at 500 Rubles per person. Back when Stephanie & Jens were here I am sure it was about 300.

Craig taking their picture inside St. Basil's. It's hard to believe, in 1812, when Napoleon arrived in Moscow and settled in Red Square that he used St. Basil's as a stable for his horses and thankfully didn't destroy it as he had planned to do with all religious monuments.

Inside the GUM (goom) Mall off Red Square. They're trying the very popular 50R ice cream from here.

Standing on "kilometre 0" point with the Resurrection Gate and the teeny Iberian Chapel

Standing in front of the Bolshoi Theatre I asked them to give me their best ballet pose... where's yours Ryan?? 🙆

Enjoying lunch at Varenichnaya Restaurant - a traditional chain restaurant here in Moscow - a place where they have several varieties of vareniki (kinda like a pasta with various fillings).

 

Lubyanka Building Moscow - former KGB headquarters.

Jump shot at entrance gate to Gorky Park.

Weird monument in statue park by Gorky Park

Zurab Tsereteli statue of Peter the Great on the Moscow River with Christ the Saviour Cathedral in the background. 

Ahhh... the newlyweds

It was a bit of a hazy day; cold and cloudy, but here's the Kremlin shot from Patriarch's Bridge

Back at our place for vodka shots

I think Ryan's diggin' Craig's hat!

Andrea rocks it better though!

We tuckered poor Ryan out... 😴

Sunday we hit a random spot - one I never would have gotten to without Andrea's interest in the space dog.

Laika was a soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. She was a stray dog who was on Sputnik 2 launched on 3 November 1957. Laika took one for the team as little was known at the time of the impact of spaceflight on living creatures and de-orbit had not yet been developed. It was a suicide mission for poor Laika - she was never expected to survive. Sadly, Laika died within hours of take off from overheating. 😢

She was a cutie

Laika also appears in the "Monument to the Conquerors of Space" in Moscow (below)

 

From the monument we hailed a taxi to take us to Izmailova Market for some souvenier/Christmas shopping. Above, having a little fun...

We tried this concoction brewing in this big caldron... not sure it was exactly sanitary or good for us, but it was warm and tasted fine (berries & honey).

It was about -7, but felt more like -15. Brr....

Teeny car with creepy little dolls inside.

Andrea buying a little painted snowman from this VERY animated and talkative lady. She doesn't look animated in this picture, but trust us, she was! Really!

Andrea & Ryan, on their own did an Airbnb Experience and with that came a photographer. They got a lot of great shots of them out and about town in the old Red October Chocolate Factory district that now has a bunch of bars and restaurants. 
 

 Cool shot - interesting perspective

And then they were off on part II of their Russian adventure to St. Petersburg.
It was awesome to see you again Andrea and to meet you Ryan! Hope you had fun in Moscow! Looks like you did. 👍