Scottish & Irish Dream Tour

I'm back in the U...

Back in the U...

Back in the U.S.S.R.

(Sing along with me....or else Google the Beatles!)

Lenin.  Stalin.  The Cold War.  Detente.  The Evil Empire.  Rocky 4 (haha)!  All of these things define what was the former Soviet Union.  On December 25, 1991, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag lowered for the last time over the Kremlin and Mikhail Gorbachev resigned his post as president.

You would think after we got rid of all those commies Russia would eventually learn from its mistakes and make peace with the West.  Nyet!  Just open up any newspaper these days and (if you believe all the fake news) Russia allegedly rigged our 2016 presidential election and is hacking your computer as we speak.  Holy bychit!

For the next two days our port of call is St. Petersburg, Russia.  Well, lucky us....the cruise ship offered us the opportunity to book an exclusive trip to Moscow during our first day in port.  This would ultimately allow us to see both cities while docked in Russia.  The Moscow journey wasn't cheap....nothing ever is!......but it would kill two birds with one stone on this trip (and save us from having to come back again in the future).

There were a total of 25 people from the cruise ship with us on the trip to Moscow.  We all caught an early morning flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow.  From the airport the bus took us to the infamous Red Square and gave us some time to explore and take photos.  Considered one of the most breathtaking man-made wonders of the world, Moscow’s Red Square is on every serious traveler’s bucket list. It is also considered the epicenter of Russia, all of Moscow’s main streets – and Russia’s major highways – originate from here.  It’s also at the heart of many of Russia’s (and the world’s) great historical events.  So we strolled the cobblestones for a while and took in the incredible sites all around the Square (St. Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, State Historical Museum, and GUM shopping center).

I've got to tell you right away that every important building in Moscow is massive and the Tsarist architecture is nothing less than extraordinary. All of these buildings definitely have the WOW Factor! These Russians certainly don't mess around when it comes to extravagance!

Jenesa and I were just in time for the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It is dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. It is located at the Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden in Moscow.  This ceremony takes place at the top of every hour just outside the gates of the Red Square.

Next, we rode the metro over to the Kremlin.  WAIT A MINUTE!  Let's just point out the fact that this is not your typical metro system.  It is actually one of the largest and oldest underground railway systems in the world.  Its grand stations are remarkably beautiful, with their grandiose architecture, intricate mosaics and dramatic sculptures and chandeliers.  Every station is different....but, again, extravagant!

The Kremlin is a fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Gardento the west. It includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.  Pictured below you will see (yellow building) where President Vladimir Putin holds court in the Kremlin. This is not his residence, but his working office building.