My First Trip

Sunday 3 September 95...Moscow

Moscow. I still can't believe I am here. Some first impressions: It looks like home in terms of the trees and flowers. As we landed, the first tree I saw was a white birch. The flower gardens are brilliantly planted- with flowers I know -marigolds and dahlias.

Yesterday at the Armory in the Kremlin I saw massive sleighs and carriages of the Czars. One was painted a la Marie Antoinette with flowers- purple morning glories, roses, pansies and ones with tiny familiar red trumpet flowers. Some of the later carriages (1700?) were very European looking, opulent in the Cinderella-gilt style, beautiful with beveled glass windows. If I were a lowly serf and I saw that carriage go by, it would be hard to mask resentment, and not let a stone sail merrily through the window.

We are getting around the city quite well on the Metro (a subway train) and are doing lots of walking. The Metro is clean, no graffiti, all the glass globes on the lighting fixtures are intact. Some stations have tiled mosaics. Maybe the police are undercover, but no vandalism is evident. I feel safe when I am out...but have not been out alone. I want Russian food, so far I have been overruled and at dinner for the first meal we had a burger and fries. Last night we had Mexican food---a cheese burrito. Breakfast at our hotel is included- meat, cheeses, eggs to order, fruit, tomatoes and cucumbers. We are drinking bottled water and avoiding veggies that are not peelable. I think I will have tomato today and slowly inoculate my system with some Russian microbes!!

Steve Piert, our veteran, is thankfully a whiz at the Metro. We went to Red Square yesterday. We set out early and arrived before the crowds... and it was crowded yesterday, maybe in celebration of City Day. At first the square was cordoned off, which was initially disappointing. But after a minute or two, it was nice to see the Square without the people hustle-bustle...the buildings really stand out then.

From our first position you could see the Armory, red buildings and Lenin's tomb...but not St. Basil's Cathedral. We walked through Alexandra's gardens to the tomb of the unknown soldier, which is a solemn monument....low profile with an eternal flame. Between Steve and the Fodor's guidebook we did quite well figuring out what we were looking at. Next stop was the Armory Museum. I was prepared for its wonderfulness because of the St. Petersburg, Florida exhibit I visited last summer. That show was like the tip of the iceberg treasure trove when compared to the Kremlin exhibit. We were told that we were lucky to see the entire collection of 9 Faberge Eggs, as they are frequently loaned to other museums for exhibit. The eggs were intensely beautiful-delicate and exquisite in detail. Saw the Trans-Sibera egg, 2 eggs with exact copies of favorite royal yachts. One Yacht was a masted sailing ship. One ship was made of gold and the other of silver.

Getting tired of writing, but so much to remember. I still can't believe I'm here. It seems very European here. A Muscovite that I met on the ferry boat, who spoke English with a perfect British accent, said that Moscow is like a little Europe now. So may Westerners are here to take advantage of the onset of Capitalism--i.e. make some bucks. Yet on the street, by dress appearance, we stick out like sore thumbs. Few others are in sneakers and shorts. It's hot here and dusty and I dread the thought of panty hose for tomorrow's meetings.

I heard some English being spoken, but all the signs are in Russian. Daunting! Also passed the Bolshoi Theater, the Stature of Karl Marx in the Revolution Plaza, the White House which was stormed a few years ago, St. Basil's and many other cathedrals. St. Basil's is GREAT! The epitome of Red Square. We didn't tour the interior, it was too neat being outside in the Square and we heard that inside was very dark.

All day yesterday, especially being in the Square I had that "pinch me" feeling, of how can I really be here?! We saw a few tanks on the city streets, many men in uniforms, but it all seems low-key. Hard to believe the fall of communism was only about 5 years ago.