Followed a friendly Russian lady to the metro station close to the hotel and got a 3 day unlimited travel card for about £5, London shame on your tube prices. The metro is very clean some great architecture and no advertising like in London. Got off at Revolution Square and found Red Square rather surreal here I was in Red Square after seeing it in the movies and on TV. It was bloody cold hence need to wrap up well -12 C. We saw the Kremlin, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, State Historical Museum then we hopped on the Red Bus for a day time tour a must to do with a very good commentary. We did the circuit and then went to GUM department store well decorated inside for Christmas which some people love. Went into a Samsung store to look at a terabyte hard drive they wanted £200 then you but no thanks. They had a lot of ice cream shops selling famous Russian ice cream was not tempted with the out side temperatures.
Walked to the Bolshoi Ballet and queued up the Russians seem to queue up a lot. The ballet was on tonight at 7 pm asked about tickets and there were 2 left on the ground level but not sitting together and they wanted £200 pounds each, Penny and I decided against it and we approached the ticket tout out side the Bolshoi theater and purchased 2 tickets together 5th level up seated in the front of the balcony for £100 each. I asked the ticket tout as we are dressed in travel trousers multiple pockets thermals and jackets is this dress code acceptable he assured me yes it is okay.
We had 4 hours to wait before the ballet started and we did not what the ballet was the main thing we were going to the ballet. So went to the Moscow train station and purchased tickets for Tuesday travel to St Petersburg about £10 cheaper than buying on line. Went and hopped on the Red line bus again to look at Moscow at night quite impressive a lot of cars on the road. Got off at the Bolshoi Theater found our entrance and walked in got speaking with some mature Russian ladies and they showed us to our balcony they had a great sense of humour. Got to the cloak room off with the arctic jacket I am well dressed for the ballet travel trousers thermal top and walking boots and Penny is dressed similar and no one was bothered. Asked the people next to us what is the ballet? Raymonda, my introduction to the ballet, a drop of culture. It was fantastic what a building could see where Putin sits he apparently comes here once a year. Some of the dancers were amazing and the Russian lady near us filled us in with the ballet and life in Moscow between the acts. Seated next to Penny was a Chinese lady from Hong Kong just flown over for the weekend a corporate lawyer. Penny told her we were in Hong Kong back in March and we had got engaged there. Told her that her son’s one of his best mates works there as a lawyer been there just over a year and his name is James and this lady said I know James I work with him and had lunch with him 5 days ago. What a small world?
Back to the hotel around 11 pm a long day stopped off at Burger King had a burger was not nice at all. Penny had a kebab again not the best.
Maurice's Travel 