We started the day by visiting the US embassy in Moscow where we learned about the politics, economics, and culture of Russia. All of this was fascinating and we had many questions for the embassy staff. Ask me about this when you see me.
We ate lunch at one of the many My-My (pronounced Moo Moo, with a cow as the symbol) restaurants. This is a food chain that is cafeteria style which was good for us because you could just point to the food you wanted and not have to speak much. Several of us thought we were getting a chicken leg. This thing looked exactly like a chicken leg. However, when we cut into them, there was no bone. The chicken skin was stuffed like a sausage casing with some sort of tasty mixture that probably included chicken. We still don’t know exactly what it was. It had to take a lot of work to make it look exactly like a drumstick.
We spent the afternoon in the area of the Kremlin and Red Square. I saw the changing of the guard and took photos in front of St Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square. Then, we had a guided tour into the Kremlin. The sites of the Kremlin are the most famous ones of Moscow. Archeologists have found evidence of settlements on this spot dating back to the late third and mid second millennial BC. In 1156, a fortress was built here which is considered the start of Moscow. The fortress and its interior have undergone many changes that time. Inside the walls, which you enter through large gates, there are palaces, museums, cathedrals, and the government buildings that house the modern day Russian government. (Note to my civics teacher colleague: We did see the building where Putin’s office is located.)
I was fascinated by the onion domes of the cathedrals…so different form the towers of cathedrals in France, Germany, and Spain. I had to take a lot of pictures. I especially enjoyed the Armory which is a museum that contains the crown jewels of Russia. Imagine a horse blanket emblazoned with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds!
We ended the evening with dinner in a Turkish restaurant after a walk down Stary Arbat, an old street which is closed to traffic. There were lots of interesting shops interspersed with recognizable American franchises including two (!) Dunkin’ Donuts shops with a few blocks of each other.
We ate lunch at one of the many My-My (pronounced Moo Moo, with a cow as the symbol) restaurants. This is a food chain that is cafeteria style which was good for us because you could just point to the food you wanted and not have to speak much. Several of us thought we were getting a chicken leg. This thing looked exactly like a chicken leg. However, when we cut into them, there was no bone. The chicken skin was stuffed like a sausage casing with some sort of tasty mixture that probably included chicken. We still don’t know exactly what it was. It had to take a lot of work to make it look exactly like a drumstick.
We spent the afternoon in the area of the Kremlin and Red Square. I saw the changing of the guard and took photos in front of St Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square. Then, we had a guided tour into the Kremlin. The sites of the Kremlin are the most famous ones of Moscow. Archeologists have found evidence of settlements on this spot dating back to the late third and mid second millennial BC. In 1156, a fortress was built here which is considered the start of Moscow. The fortress and its interior have undergone many changes that time. Inside the walls, which you enter through large gates, there are palaces, museums, cathedrals, and the government buildings that house the modern day Russian government. (Note to my civics teacher colleague: We did see the building where Putin’s office is located.)
I was fascinated by the onion domes of the cathedrals…so different form the towers of cathedrals in France, Germany, and Spain. I had to take a lot of pictures. I especially enjoyed the Armory which is a museum that contains the crown jewels of Russia. Imagine a horse blanket emblazoned with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds!
We ended the evening with dinner in a Turkish restaurant after a walk down Stary Arbat, an old street which is closed to traffic. There were lots of interesting shops interspersed with recognizable American franchises including two (!) Dunkin’ Donuts shops with a few blocks of each other.