Red Square

Luci and Sheri have arrived and we decided to venture over to Red Square.  Probably the most famous tourist spot in Russia.  It is a large beautiful area with great architecture.  But it is also massive.  We start making our way to St. Basil's Cathedral, but stop for food on the way.  We ate at Bosco Cafe.  This cafe is in the Frommer's Guide book.  While we are eating Luci spots the GUM shopping area and wants to detour.  Everything is very pricey here and requires two credit cards to complete a single transaction.  I guess I would say at 90% of the stores.  I was told by another expat that once you get past the sticker shock things will get easier.  I am in the process of doing that.  When I am shopping I look at stickers but have given up when eating.  You would starve and go thirsty if you didn't.  There were some cute stores but nothing we haven't seen so we head onto the Cathedral.  It happens to be the 450th anniversary of St. Basils Cathedral the day we decide to go.  We did not know this when we set out that morning, so it was a nice surprise.  We wait in line for about an hour and then as Owen starts to fuss because he is tired and hot a woman walks up to me and says that babies do not have to wait in line.  So some people behind us start beelining to the front so we follow quickly.  The officer lets us in and we wait at the church entrance for the next group to go in.  People crowd around to get inside like it is the last chance they will every get.  Owen is asleep and i am not up for pushing my way through like I normally would.  Finally a nice woman stops people to let me in.  The design detail in the cathedral is absolutely stunning.  Everything would have been even more spectacular if we knew what we were looking at.  Even though it is a tourist spot the information is in Russian.  So we look through the rooms quickly.  My sweet butterball is getting very heavy at this point so Sheri offers to hold him for awhile.  The swapping process does not go smooth and Owen wakes up.  Poor tired baby starts to cry, no big deal I can soothe him, but in the process a woman walks up and I am pretty sure cusses me out for the baby crying in the church.  I say cussing because she was quite angry.  I have no clue what she was really saying though.  One thing I have noticed here is that people will tell you what they think but since it is in Russian i just have a blank look on my face when they say it.  So obviously their opinion doesn't matter to me.  

Now in the process of this whole day pictures have been taken of Owen.  As I say this please be aware that these pictures are by strangers.  If you see Owen on the internet or in a magazine don't be surprised.  All these people see him and mimic to how cute he is and then take pictures of him.  Some ask but others do not.  I find it humorous because I try to imagine these people going through their photos when they get back.  I mean will they be saying "Ah that is the extra cute baby I saw."  I just find it odd.  I am extremely flattered but find it odd.  So my son is a celebrity.

We leave St. Basil's and decide to go see the Kremlin Armory.  The Kremlin is huge.  After we have walked two long sides to where we think the entrance is we realize the place has just closed.  So we will do the Kremlin another day.  As we are leaving we walk back through Red Square there are these people in a Shrek, Spider Man, and I don't know what else costumes.  Luci thinks it would be fun to get a picture taken with spiderman.  I express this is not a good idea and stay to the side as she goes up to him.  Well after the picture he wants payment, we don't know how much, we don't speak the language.  Luci gives him some change but this is not enough for him and grabs her by the arm.  Sheri is running up there and I run up with the stroller and say the only word I know in Russian.  Nyet!  He looks at me like I am weird but I keep saying it with force and he finally backs off and we take off up the street.  

From here we go and eat at a restaurant called Academia.  It was very good.  We chose to sit inside but it is much cooler outside with the breeze.  The only drawback to outside is the smoking.    Academia is in this great little alley way were we will be visiting much in the future.  And I guess from here we get a taxi back to the hotel because it is late.  

The time throws you for a loop here.  For example it is 10 pm as I write this and it looks like 6 pm outside.  It stays daylight until about 11:30 pm here.  So when you think it is 5 it is already late.

So this wraps up our first day of sightseeing.  It might be more detail than you want or it could be not enough.  You can let me know.