Moscow 2008.

[Scrat]

Well I have finally took the time to load my photos onto a site to share them with others.

This is my trip to Moscow in June, it was very nice weather and a lot of fun to just walk around and not have to work while there. These are places where me and my wife visited and where I just strolled around. The pics are not that high of a quality and I haven't labeled them yet but I'm sure you will enjoy them, something for everyone. Any questions please ask.

http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc263/Scrat335/

[RedGlitter]

Scrat, these are wonderful! Well worth waiting for.

I have some questions!

Is St. Basil's Cathedral as beautiful inside as it is on the outside?

What are the big white buildings with the towers and gold roofs? They're beautiful. Is that the Kremlin?

Is that your wife standing by the fountain? She's lovely. What (or who?) are the gold statues around the fountain? That's an awful lot of gold leafing!

Is that you by the cannon? If so this is an extra treat! Now I have a face to the friend I talk to!

What is your favorite thing to see when you're there?
What is the weather like? Is it dry? Humid?
What foods do you like to eat when visiting?

I really enjoyed seeing your pictures Scrat....especially the architecture. It's just beautiful. Thank you for sharing these!

[Scrat]

Is St. Basil's Cathedral as beautiful inside as it is on the outside?

I have never been inside of it. The time I had an interest there was a long line and this time it was closed. I have been in other churches and I guess you could say they are, to me they are gaudy and not well lit with pictures of saints and maybe some caskets/sarcophgi in them. The one in Kiev was exceptional, very pretty inside. To me they are always much nicer outside.

[quote]What are the big white buildings with the towers and gold roofs? They're beautiful. Is that the Kremlin?/quote]

Yes they are inside of the Kremlin. All of the interiors were being redone it seems, only 2 buildings were open. I'm still trying to take that cannon seriously. It couldn't have been of any use.

Is that your wife standing by the fountain? She's lovely. What (or who?) are the gold statues around the fountain? That's an awful lot of gold leafing!

Yes that is my wife Maria. The statues are not covered in gold leaf, I don't know what it is, probably pyrite or cadmium. The statues represent the different states (oblasts/krays) of the Soviet Union. So do each building in this park, its nice to see, free to the public and is financed by sales from vendors and rent ect. We went into the Karalian building and they had beautiful needle work for sale on pillows quilts and even pictures. The price was not bad either. There is also an amusement park, botannical gardens, circus, zoo, Ostankino palace and the monorail. The place is huge, food vendors are everywhere but it is expensive. You can go into another park and there are picnic tables and food vendors that sell beer and kebobs. This is where the street dogs hang out mostly. Where the food is.

People ride bikes/skateboards in the parks, plazas, trails you name it. Dogs run free of their owners. There are no rules and I didn't see one cop there or security people.

[abbey]

Beautiful images Scrat,
I was there in May for the football but not long enough to see more of the buildings.

[spot]

I enjoyed seeing those, thank you.

[RedGlitter]

Thanks Scrat- see I wouldn't have known that about the cadmium and stuff. I just assumed gold leaf. I always learn the coolest things from you.

I really enjoyed your pictures a lot!

[pantsonfire321@aol.com]

I went to Moscow donkeys years ago when i was a teenager...still have photos somewhere ...went there on a school journey spent a week there ..it was a Feburary time if i remember rightly..lots of snow ...and plods with REALLY big guns.

Do they still have open air pools and bendy buses.

[Chezzie]

Great pics, fab quality too...Your wife is lovely on the eye Scrat...and there was me thinking you were in love with a mammoth