Apologies to you all. The energy to create thoughtful entries for this blog has ebbed.
We have been beaten down by “the tyranny of the itinerary”. This has been our first trip using professional tour guides. They have been well-meaning, knowledgeable, helpful and charming…….. but it is just not a comfortable way to travel. Rushing from one “tourist site” to another, enduring a constant commentary on dates and statistics and being shuttled like a herd of Shropshire sheep…. all of this has taken its toll. We will not do it this way again.
In the interest of completion, however, and in hopes of providing you with perhaps another interesting image or two….. we continue nonetheless.
Okay – Stalin was – as one illustrious pundit might put it – a “bad hombre”. None badder. Many hundreds of thousands of souls beaten, banished, murdered, starved, imprisoned and intimidated. BUT, he also decided that Moscow needed some public works that truly distinguish the city today. Like the “seven sister” skyscrapers built in the 1930s that adorn the skyline…
(Please note the sheets of ice on the Moscow River…..)
And the subway stations (no two alike) that not only house a very efficient transportation system, but also provide uplifting artistry…
The Soviet era also had some fine automobiles for the privileged…..
The Russians have historically loved circuses……. we did a “behind-the-scenes” visit. Not entirely happy about how the animals are kept, but it could be worse.
No city visit is complete without the purchase of a couple of geegaws from street vendors….
Some faces and scenes from the Tretyakov art gallery…
And a ghastly pirouette in front of the Bolshoi Theater….
On to Saint Petersburg for the last chapter……..
Emerald Isle to the Norse Lands 
Thank you for taking the time to make an entry to your blog. It’s always a delight to read your descriptions of the people, culture and landscape. You have a knack for detail and the ability to make someone feel like they are there with you.
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