A Visit to Red Square

I should first like to point out, that traveling is just not the same without my favorite travel partners. Here is what I look like when I start traveling without my peeps.

One of the benefits of working in Switzerland, is the occasional business trip to a new and previously undiscovered place. This last week, work took me to the Russian Federation; specifically Moscow. One of my colleagues, who was also going on the business trip, proposed that we take a few extra days for sightseeing in Moscow and then head up to St. Petersburg for a few days. I must say that I had quite a bit of apprehension about going to Russia. I guess I have seen too many movies and heard too many tales about the country that I began to even fret the trip. This was further exacerbated by the proposition to take the overnight train to travel between the two cities. As you will see, however, I not only survived, but also had a good and safe trip.

I think that this trip is best described in pictures than in words, so I'll let them do the speaking, with a little commentary here and there.

This is the view from my hotel looking onto Red Square.


This is red square to the left and the Kremlin to the right.


Inside the Kremlin looking at the government buildings.


One of the cathedrals within the Kremlin.


St. Basils Cathedral on Red Square.


Lenin's tomb on the Red Square.


I had the terrific opportunity of being in Moscow for Moscow Day. They had closed down the Red Square for ten days, and the only way in was to by a ticket to the concert. So I shelled out a few hundred Rubles for the show, but mainly to see the square.



Straight away after the concert, we headed to the train station and took our places on the overnight train bound for St. Petersburg. You can actually read it on the train (A C is and S, and H is an I, K is N, and T is T...N is P, P is R, etc)



Now I should mention, that we booked our hotel at the Deluxe Hotel in St. Petersburg. Here is the grand arched entrance that leads to the hotel. At the bottom left you can see a tiny yellow sign. That is the hotel's sign.

Now we get a little closer, and things don't look as promising. Where is the entrance, we wondered?

A little fuzzy, as were our minds when we found the entrance.


Now to the heavy metal reinforced door that leads to the 2nd floor where the hotel is located. You have to buzz to be let in.


What a lovely hotel courtyard. Very deluxe if you ask me.


Now for the second steal reinforced door to the hotel on the 2nd floor.


Overall, the hotel was actually decent for the price we paid. It was secure, but in a dumpy little building, and the location was pretty deluxe. We were a short walk to most places.

Here is the Versailles of Russia. It was built at the order of Peter the Great.


Here is a nice Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The interior is just as stunning as the exterior.


The entire inside is covered with pictures. Don't be fooled, though, because these walls have been entirely done in mosaics. The tiny mosaic tiles are about a centimeter or less in size, so you can imagine the enormity of this project.


This angles shows you that it is indeed all mosaic.

A museaum.
A great sunset over Peter the Great's Fortress.


The Hermitage (it is purportedly the 2nd biggest museum in the world. I actually got lost inside.


The Hermitage also served as a palace. So there are many palacially decorated rooms. This is the throne room, but don't mind the guy with the wedgie, he just wishes he were on the throne to release the pressure.

I thought that this was one of the coolest rooms in the museum. Now that is deluxe!


So it was a fun trip, albeit in the absence of my small family. I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures, and will one day (if given the opportunity) will seize upon the occasion to visit Russia, as it is a beautiful country.