St Petersburg to Moscow

We left St Petersburg before daybreak on the 6:30 AM express train to Moscow. The four-hour train ride took us through the countryside and forests. Juggling coffee on a bouncing train was quite a challenge. Bob managed to spill his on trousers; Peggy’s plates went tumbling in the aisle; you can see by the focus of this picture how Ellen is trying to keep her coffee in the cup. The train attendants were used to this and mopped up and re-supplied us with nary a nod.









In Moscow, we walked along Tverskaya Ulitsa to the Pushkin Café for lunch. As we were studying the map, two Americans stopped to offer aid. We were just a few steps from the restaurant!



At the restaurant, Ellen noticed an unusual dessert being served at the next table. We finished our own lunch with this splashy crème brulee. The crème was encased in a birdcage-like confection that dissolved when the waiter poured flaming brandy over it. After that, Bob and Peggy went back to the hotel for a nap.








Ellen and Jan continued their walk after lunch. They encountered this chamber orchestra in an underground pedestrian crosswalk.








Historical State Museum at Red Square











St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square













Lenin's tomb















A wedding party at the church in Red Square












Ellen and Jan eventually returned for naps too. Later, we walked to Red Square to see it lighted. The moon was near full. It was quite a sight. On our way back to the hotel we stopped for a small supper at a rooftop restaurant. Just as our food was served, a big rain came up which moved us inside rather quickly. It was not terribly cold so this was hardly an aggravation and we were still able to walk back to our hotel.




Across the street from our hotel is the NetLand Internet Café. It looks like quite a hopping place, with flashing lights and people of all ages, though mostly younger than we, coming and going all the time. Its WiFi address came up on Peggy’s computer and that’s what we are using for our internet connection. Amazing.