life_of_glamour | Moscow. Part 2 of Day 1

(Note: Part of a series of entries from my handwritten travel journal.)

Wednesday, 24 July 2013.

After a nap from 7-9pm we woke up and decided that we weren't likely to get another chance to be in Moscow anytime soon, so instead of laying about in bed like we were inclined, we got up and went out. It was still light out so that was a good start! First thing we did was head over to the most ornate and astounding gourmet grocery store you have ever seen for some picnic dinner items.

I snapped a couple of quick pics inside the store as Cathyn was checking out, the quality isn't great because I wasn't sure if taking pictures would be frowned upon by the security guard at the door. Hopefully you can get a sense of the baroque splendor in which we were shopping:

grocery2

(Note: Here are some better images.)

We got some burnt-orange colored cheese, some bread that had a baked-in handle, some 6% milkfat milk (that was for Cathyn, I'm not a milk person), some chocolate-covered...something, and headed back to the Kremlin to see it at night. On the way I snapped this pic for

freewaydiva. That sign says "Master Bank". Masterbank. That's right - I read just enough Cyrillic to giggle like a 12-year old!

And then we were at the Kremlin walls. At night. Glorious!! Pictures really aren't panoramic enough to capture the majesty, but I've tried!

kremlinatnight1

And here's us in front of a statue in front of the Kremlin walls.

usatstatue

Then we went back into Red Square and walked all the way around St. Basil's Cathedral and got pics from every angle. Red Square is being set up for a big concert to celebrate 1025 years of Orthodox Religion. I imagine they are making rather a big deal of it as they probably couldn't celebrate 1000 years properly.

Anyway - St. Basils, from every angle:
basils1

When you're standing at St. Basil's you can see some very nice views of the city. Here is the moon rising over one of what they call "Stalin's Towers" - 7 large towers built by Stalin. They really are quite beautiful.

Also, the Kremlin. What up they got a big clock!!
kremlin big clock

And then we departed Red Square and wandered along darkened streets lined with enormous 18th Century palace-like buildings and shopping arcades.

palace

It was finally dark around 11pm. We headed past the Bolshoi Theater all lit up:

bolshoiatnight

And finally made it back to the hotel around midnight, to have a picnic in bed of all the delicacies we'd picked up back in the beginning of our walk, at the Eliseevsky grocery store.

(Editorial note: Reading back over all we did in that first day in Moscow, I see now why our feet hurt so badly the next morning!)