Russia, Day 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Eight 

I was really anticipating this day.   It was a day I felt I had thoroughly prepared for.  I had studied city maps and the metro guide.  My confidence was starting to soar.  Off we were to Gorky Park.  We arrived by metro and walked a five minutes until we reached the front gates.  We paid an entrance fee and walked on.  It was early in the afternoon and it was a bit overcast.  We had a nice breeze.  Gorky Park was nothing to write home about.  It seemed like a worn-out Dothan Peanut Festival, albeit much bigger in land area.  The grounds were not that clean and there were virtually no people apart from a few parents with their kids.  Perhaps the weekend would have been better?!?  I guess I just wanted a glimpse.  To say we had given it a better shot, we paid a bicycle “rickshaw” driver about seven bucks to ride us around the park.   We did get a better view of things.  The park is indeed big, but it’s in need of a monumental overhaul.  The best part seemed to be a few big rides next to the Moskva River.  We exited the park, walked across a bridge, took some photos and started searching for the Tolstoy Estate Museum.  My legs were already getting sore again and I started getting a feeling that finding the mansion was going to be a chore.  It was!  We opted to eat lunch in an area where we thought the mansion was.  That was a great decision.  The restaurant was serving a business lunch.  It couldn’t have been better.  We ate seared tuna with some sauce, potatoes, salad and a soup.  We drank some homemade fruit juice and a coke.  The food was scrumptious.  I was very hungry.  I noticed how quaint and clean the restaurant was.  Also, looking out the window I observed the neighborhood more carefully.  We were in a very historic area with lovely buildings.  It would be great for a stroll.  

I asked our waitress if she knew where the Tolstoy house was and she went “out of her way” – and I do mean that – to help us. She made phone calls.  She talked with some other customers.  She drew out a map.  And, to top it off, she walked us outside and explained – by pointing and with a bit of English – how to find the house.  We left her a nice tip!  After our meal, we felt more relaxed and reinvigorated.  Sure enough, we followed her directions and located the Tolstoy Estate Museum.  What a find it was!  After purchasing tickets and slipping on shoe covers, we walked around the house.  Leo Tolstoy was a fascinating character in Russian literature.  In fact, his greatness extended way beyond Russia.  The home was big and the exhibits were very interesting.  Later, we walked out back to the garden.   

After leaving the Tolstoy Estate Museum, we walked to the metro.  We were on our way to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.  After taking the long escalator ride up to the street level, we easily spotted the church.  It’s the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world and it has a fascinating history.  It was built to commemorate Napoleon’s defeat in 1812, only to be demolished during Stalin’s reign in the 30’s.  The big plan was to erect a large government building (with a giant Lenin on top) on the site, but those plans were scrapped due to the Second World War.  In the 60’s, the world’s largest outdoor pool was built on the spot.  Many years later, in the early 90’s, a decision was made to build an exact copy of the original cathedral.  That’s what we saw.  If you love huge ornate churches with religious frescoes, murals and icons, this is the place.  We walked the halls, peered up at the domes, admired the murals and then said, “Enough is enough.”  It was time for something else. 

Once again, taking the metro, we headed somewhere.  It was beginning to be rush hour.  That, in and of itself, should have been a warning of things to come.  For starters, we went one stop too many and ended up walking around an area looking for something that wasn’t there.   Then, we got back on the metro and figured out our mistake.  We located Kievskaya Station.  Boy, was it crowded!   The mass of commuters almost overwhelmed us.  We were feeling hungry and more than a tad disoriented.  Our despair was interrupted by a chance encounter with some Thais who were making their way out of the station.  I had spotted them!  We talked with them – a couple with their cute young kids and another couple.  They were as lost as we were!  We told them about the market we hoping to find and they asked about a mall they were looking for.  We parted ways.

We walked towards an outdoor market.  Kade posed for some pictures near a display of the most remarkable roses.  These roses were huge!  We continued walking, believing at any moment we would find the “domed” bazaar where Martha Stewart did her shopping on a recent visit to Moscow.  We asked a few people and they kept pointing in one direction, so we kept walking.  Our walking led to more walking and more walking.  I was walking towards what I thought was a building with a dome.  As it turns out, I was getting more and more lost.  Eventually, we got back to the main road that runs along the river.  By this time, I had lost hope that we’d find the market.  That was the second attempt!  We made the best of a bad situation.  We walked across some huge bridges, admiring the city skyline.  We also got up-close views of a Seven Sisters Tower and the White House.  Our next destination was Old Arbat Street, to try it in the day time.  A British Embassy security guard pointed the way.  We also had a nice chat with a middle-aged Russian lady with gold teeth who spoke very good English.  She pointed us in the right direction.

 

We found Old Arbat Street.  We walked inside a couple of souvenir shops to look at some laquer boxes and bronze busts of Soviet leaders.  Everything seemed so expensive!  We walked along the crowded brick pavement, amused at many things that caught our eye.  There were people having their picture taken with monkeys.  There were street performers surrounded by rows of people hoping to get a better view.  There were wax figures of famous people and cartoon characters.  The whole street was a carnival. It was much better the second time.  

Hunger started setting in and we located a Moo-Moo restaurant.  We got in line an ordered some great Russian fare.  The pork leg was truly delicious and the salads and drinks also hit the spot.