Monday, November 06, 2006
Russia With Love -- Moscow I -- Day One
I will apologize for some of the poorer quality, some were taken from the window of a moving bus, others used telephoto mode, and various other excuses.
For more detail, you can click on any picture for a full screen view. Use your back button to return to the blog.
.
.
This was our first bus stop for a photo shoot. Russia has churches all over the place, Moscow is no exception. This one is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Isn't it elegant?
It was built to commemorate the Russian victory over Napoleon in 1812. .Construction was started in 1839 and was completed in the 1880s.
.
.
This monument in the middle of the Volga River, a gigantic (300ft tall) new monument to Peter the Great is truly awesome.
.
.Single and approaching age twenty-six? Better get married off fast or you'll get sent here! That was in the old days and included even the royalty and ladies from high-ranking families. That's why it's so big!
Here I'm standing at the edge of the lake, across from a huge old convent, the Novodevichy Convent (write-up). It was founded in 1524 to commemorate the 1514 victory for Moscow [Smolensk those days] from the Polish and Lithuanians. It has been a World Heritage UNESCO site since 2004.
.
..
Our next bus stop was across from this Olympic Stadium, used for the 1994 Olympics. Most Americans didn't get to see those games because we boycotted it and did not allow it to be televised. Mrs. Jim, Karen, and I did get to see it because we were in Europe and they all were going for the Olympics gung ho.
.
.
Across from the Sports Complex is the main building of Moscow University. From the 1930s through the 1950s high rise buildings were the favored architecture. They were of high artistic quality and is now called Neo-classical style. A lot of these type buildings are still in use today.
.
.
The tourist season was just closing. These die-hard vendors were having a last stand. The background here is along the river, just to the left of the Sports Complex.
.
.
Most major European cities have some sort of Arch de Triumph (Paris) or the like. Also notable is Berlin's (photo link) which was used as 'Check Point Charley' during the cold war.
.
.
Our next item was a ride in the famed Moscow Metro (mostly subway). In Houston ex-Congressman Tom Delay prevented us from ever having a nice public transportation system in the Houston metro area. We have jillions of busses that pollute and break down instead.
The Moscow Metro's first line was started in 1932, construction has been ongoing ever since. Today the Moscow Metro covers over 200 kilometers of track and serves 9 million people each day (reference).
.
.
Getting to the Metro from the picture above one must get on this escalator. It is the longest escalator in the world. It's a wonder Texas didn't figure out how to have a bigger one.
At the bottom of every escalator there was a guard in a little house watching out for problems. [A link to some nice Metro pictures]
.
.
You wouldn't believe how clean these terminals are! Drop your gum and you'll pick it up of course [KGB might be watching?] and maybe be thinking the five second rule.***
.
.
I couldn't find the name of this mural and didn't even get very close. Mostly I didn't want our train to come and be left behind down there.
.
.
I did get back in time for this fine ride. The cars were almost as spotless as the station. No graffiti anyplace either!
.
.
This station had chandeliers. The motiff and lights were different at each stop we made.
.
More modern than most of the art we found in the Metro, these guys and other sports figures were repeated all over this station.
.
.We are back above ground now. Our next visit that first morning would be to Red Square and the G.U.M. department store.
.
.
*** The five-second rule states that if dropped food is on the floor less than five seconds it is safe to eat (or dropped gum, to put back in your mouth and resume chewing). This rule can also involve dogs, if dropped food can be picked up before the dog gets it, it will be safe to eat.
Photos Russia travel+and+places Travel Life Art travel+and+places Culture Monuments Tour Cruises Viking
.
Note: We began our visit on October 15, 2006, but I did not have my camera set for Moscow time the first day. Some pictures will say October 14 in error.
Labels: Jim Does, Russia, Travel
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Ruby (Red) Tuesday -- Russia still looking a little red?
.
Red Square, with Lenin's tomb on the right and St. Basil's Cathedral at the west end. It would be our first of many cathedrals we would visit.
.
.
The Kremlin Wall, behind which is the Kremlin. (dah)
.
The whole city of Uglich seems to be in the process of being remodeled. This chappel, the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood in Uglich, Russia, housed military equipment and operations back quite a few years.
Note: Blogger was not liking me to upload pictures tonight. If you have seen these previously please forgive. Click here to see my other Russia posts.
I thought I'd tell you about the rules of RUBY TUESDAY.
They are real simple:
On Tuesdays you can post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that contains the color RED.
Your photo can contain lots of RED or a little bit of RED
AND (please) post your link here with MaryT
I will might post a NEW Ruby Tuesday each some Tuesdays.
Labels: Places, Ruby Tuesday, Russia, Things to know, Travel
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
My Alphabe-Thursday (5th), the letter "M" — Some places I've been starting with "M"
- Countries:
Mexico
Monaco
- States: (I've been to all 50)
Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana
- Large Cities over 100,000 population I've liked:
United States:
Manchester, NH (I lived here for three years in the early 60's)
Memphis, TN (my 2012 blog post)
Miami, FL
| Milwaukee, WI |
Montgomery, AL (our car windshield wipers broke, I fixed in a park)
Mobile, AL
Mesquite, TX
Midland, TX
Montgomery, TX (not 100,000, more like 676--we live outside town)
Foreign:
Madrid, Spain
Melbourne, Australia
Moscow, Russia
Munich, Germany
So, here goes:
Madrid, Spain -- Been there several times. The first time we went our oldest grand-daughter, Megan, had turned 16 and was traveling with us. On that trip we drove from Paris up to Normandy, France down through France, Spain, Gibraltar, and back to Albacete, Spain, where we turned the car in. We had no advance reservations and at a few places it took us quite a while to find a place to sleep. We always did, but I think it made Megan a bit uneasy. Madrid was one of those places.
Melbourne, Australia -- Not a pleasant town for older tourists, city information center people were of no help and seemed annoyed at us. We were there for a day in 2013 as a stop of our Princess cruise ship.
More than half of my Russia posts talked and showed Moscow (link).
We went day and night. As we had a Russian Visa we could have gone out on our own except that Viking had made provisions to fill our time very nicely.
That last one, the airport experience, I had gone through Security and remembered that I had not mailed a post card I had prepared. So I went back through Security to the mall-like airport, mailed the card, but came back to the wrong terminal. Then I couldn't find where I should have before departure time.
The pilot waited the plane for me but he embarrassed me really bad. He said over the loud speaker that it was a shame we had to delay departure, 300 plus people waiting for one late man. I was glad to be on the plane and also was glad that Mrs. Jim didn't get lost in the airport looking for me, but rather stayed close.
Oh yes, those were the days before cell phones (and heightened 9/11 prevention Security).
Labels: Alphabe-Thursday [5th], Jim Does, Jim's Life, Travel 2
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
My Alphabe-Thursday (5th), the letter "R" — Some places I've be,en starting with "R"
- Countries:
Romania
Russia -- been there twice
- States: (I've been to all 50)
Rhode Island -- such an interesting state. I like Providence and the seeing of the first Baptist Church in America. It and a new religion were founded by Roger Williams. We studied that and him in our high school history class.
- Large Cities over 100,000 population I've liked:
- United States: (larger to smaller)
Riverside, California -- where Chuck Swindoll the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California hung out until he moved to Colorado.
Rochester, New York -- went in passing on the way when moving to New Hampshire.
- Foreign
Rouen, France -- There we visited the Church of St. Joan of Arc. It was also on our way driving from Paris other times, to Etratat, to Mt. St. Michael, to Normandy, to Honfleur, and to Bruges, Belguim.
So, I'll pick Russia. The first of the two times we were there was when we took a Viking River Cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The second time we stopped at St. Petersburg for a day trip while on a Princess Baltic Sea cruise.
To get to Russia on the river cruise we needed a Russian Visa. That was easy to get but it cost each of us over $100. This was necessary because, unlike some tours, we were free to wander around without a guide. Most stops along the waterway we did this as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
We had a nice three days in Moscow, mostly on different tours although we did take advantage of one day's free time where we visited the Kremlin, Department Store, and other touristy places. Each night we returned to the ship which meant a nice breakfast and evening meal. Also we only had to unpack our suitcase once, at the ship.
Labels: Alphabe-Thursday [5th], jim, Jim Does, Jim's Life, Russia, Travel 2
