We had done pretty well ticking things off the list in Moscow but there were a couple of things left. Obviously walking around was going to be involved and it had “warmed” up to about zero degrees so still wasn’t exactly pleasant but off we went anyway. First stop was going to be the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and as we walked towards it we could see it in the distance even when we were over a kilometre away.
It wasn’t until we got close though that we realised just how enormous it was! It absolutely dominated the block it stood on and we were excited to get inside. The interior was amazing (unfortunately no photos) but the paintings stretched all the way to the domed roof and we wandered around craning our necks upwards in wonder and delight! It was a very impressive sight but it puzzles me as to why there can be a shop inside a Cathedral but you can’t take photos?
We decided from this point onwards to utilise the magnificent metro system rather than suffer in the cold. The metro system is not only cheap and regular but the stations are works of art in themselves. They are marble clad and have an opulence that is so unusual to see in public transport. Unfortunately there is only cryllic written but we managed to make our way around fairly easily and considering $1 got you anywhere it wouldn’t have mattered if we took a wrong turn somewhere.
Gorky Park was one of the other items we wanted to see before we left and it must be said that a cold and grey day is probably not the best time to see a park but we didn’t have much choice. I would love to say that we strolled through the park enjoying all the various sculptures on display but we must have visited during a rebuilding stage and so we got diverted to the riverside and didn’t really see much other than a construction site. Oh well.
We continued our wandering over a bizarre footbridge over the river which was covered in gold glass and then got back underground to see some more metro stations. We had a wander down Arbat street which again unfortunately wasn’t overly inspiring and so made our way home. We thought on the way back to our hotel that two or three days was probably enough time to spend in Moscow. While it’s been great to see a few of the sights it hasn’t really been a city we have fallen in love with. It hasn’t been unenjoyable by any means it just hasn’t been absolutely encapsulating but I wonder whether our terrible hotel hasn’t tarnished our experience a little.
But on to Saint Petersburg! T

It’s difficult to show how enormous the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour actually is.

That’s me at the door from the previous photo.

Stately buildings on the river in Moscow.  The bridge on the left is the unusual footbridge we crossed.

Still smiling even in the bitter cold in Gorky Park.

Some more shots of the work of art that is the Metro in Moscow.  Amazing beauty.

Now this is luxury, even including the kitchen sink!

Fashionable and comfortable!

Ready for a good nights sleep!