Putin, Chicken Kiev and the Kirov
We are coming to a close of our visit to Russia and I have to say its been full of surprises. Our last few days in Moscow meant moving to the biggest hotel in Europe, a soviet monstrosity, but actually the most comfortable place we have stayed in so far. Strangely you can't say much for the food which was quite easily the worst food in the whole of Russia. We tempted fate with a dish called "chicken tabac" thinking that it might be Chicken Kiev, but found it to be some kind of chicken leg with a bit of salad. Interesting choice of title for the dish I think. To wash it down we tried Soviet Champange, which was almost as bad as drinking paint striper. Still we had to have it in this particular hotel because of the particular style of the lit up dance floor in the middle of the restaurant. Very strange.
I continued my visit to dead communist leaders of the world with a visit to Lenin's Morseleum. It was a horrible horrible place, dark and sinister and hardly fitting for the great man. The sooner they get rid of it the better, Lenin has just become a freak show for foreign and russian tourists and thats not what he was about.
The same day we visited the Kremlin which is very different to what I imagined. They only let you in to the courtyard which is just filled with churches. We didn't find this inspiring so instead we watched a number of KGB types talking into walkie talkies and trying to look important. We thought that some too bit russian actor had come to visit because as they rolled out the red carpet, the television cameras appeared. It was freezing cold that day and I couldn't be bothered waiting around to see some celebrity that I couldn't recognise so I convinced Jo to go and look at a cannon that has never fired ("nothing works in the Kremlin" a tour guide near by was heard to say) All of a sudden there appeared more KGB types who told us to move away from the cannon. Why? Because President Putin was walking towards us with King Juan Carlos of Spain. We were a bit stunned to say the least and got a close glimpse of the remarkably small Russian President showing the King of Spain around a cannon! We saw ourselves on TV that night looking more stunned.
So was a closing days in Moscow. We headed on the overnight train to St Petersberg, which if it wasn't for the starry man in the carriage, was the best train journey in the world. THey even give you snacks! St Petersberg is amazing but currently under construction. This means everything, and I mean everything is under scaffolding. Still we managed to scam tickets to see the closing night of the Kirov opera, some little known Verdi opera, which was absolutely breathtaking. I am now officailly a fan of opera. The theatre was very decandant and we were up in the gods with the rest of the russian audience, but still you can't complain. A highlight of the trip so far.
We have also been to the Smolny Institute and stood in the place where the Bolshevik government was proclaimed. We have done many Lenin things, seen his office in Smolny, been to the balcony he addressed the masses from and said hello to him every morning whilst out the front of the Finland Station.
We have even seen Finland, or the very edge of it.
Still its back to Moscow on Thursday then onwards to Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and France.
Ahhh life is grand.
We are coming to a close of our visit to Russia and I have to say its been full of surprises. Our last few days in Moscow meant moving to the biggest hotel in Europe, a soviet monstrosity, but actually the most comfortable place we have stayed in so far. Strangely you can't say much for the food which was quite easily the worst food in the whole of Russia. We tempted fate with a dish called "chicken tabac" thinking that it might be Chicken Kiev, but found it to be some kind of chicken leg with a bit of salad. Interesting choice of title for the dish I think. To wash it down we tried Soviet Champange, which was almost as bad as drinking paint striper. Still we had to have it in this particular hotel because of the particular style of the lit up dance floor in the middle of the restaurant. Very strange.
I continued my visit to dead communist leaders of the world with a visit to Lenin's Morseleum. It was a horrible horrible place, dark and sinister and hardly fitting for the great man. The sooner they get rid of it the better, Lenin has just become a freak show for foreign and russian tourists and thats not what he was about.
The same day we visited the Kremlin which is very different to what I imagined. They only let you in to the courtyard which is just filled with churches. We didn't find this inspiring so instead we watched a number of KGB types talking into walkie talkies and trying to look important. We thought that some too bit russian actor had come to visit because as they rolled out the red carpet, the television cameras appeared. It was freezing cold that day and I couldn't be bothered waiting around to see some celebrity that I couldn't recognise so I convinced Jo to go and look at a cannon that has never fired ("nothing works in the Kremlin" a tour guide near by was heard to say) All of a sudden there appeared more KGB types who told us to move away from the cannon. Why? Because President Putin was walking towards us with King Juan Carlos of Spain. We were a bit stunned to say the least and got a close glimpse of the remarkably small Russian President showing the King of Spain around a cannon! We saw ourselves on TV that night looking more stunned.
So was a closing days in Moscow. We headed on the overnight train to St Petersberg, which if it wasn't for the starry man in the carriage, was the best train journey in the world. THey even give you snacks! St Petersberg is amazing but currently under construction. This means everything, and I mean everything is under scaffolding. Still we managed to scam tickets to see the closing night of the Kirov opera, some little known Verdi opera, which was absolutely breathtaking. I am now officailly a fan of opera. The theatre was very decandant and we were up in the gods with the rest of the russian audience, but still you can't complain. A highlight of the trip so far.
We have also been to the Smolny Institute and stood in the place where the Bolshevik government was proclaimed. We have done many Lenin things, seen his office in Smolny, been to the balcony he addressed the masses from and said hello to him every morning whilst out the front of the Finland Station.
We have even seen Finland, or the very edge of it.
Still its back to Moscow on Thursday then onwards to Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and France.
Ahhh life is grand.
posted by Paula at
8:21 AM
