Hi



(Marcie, Priscilla, etc...please post. Keith, Martin, please share).



Some more free down time for us, as Helskinki greeted us with winds and intermittent rain. However, this didn’t deter us from a tour of the city, and visits to the outdoor market and Rock Church for a brief concert. Helsinki is a beautiful city that we hope to re-visit when we go through our list of places to see.



The crowning jewel of our cruise was our visit to Moscow. Our day began very early – 7:15AM. There were approx. 62 people on this excursion. Everyone was as excited as we were to experience this incredible city. We were split into two groups. We were police escorted from the Voyager to the small airport in St. Petersburg. The flight took an hour and was uneventful. We were shuffled from the Moscow airport to meet with our tour guide, Tania and our driver, Alexander.



I won’t get into tremendous detail, as time will not allow. I will say that Moscow was a sight to behold and not what we expected. It’s not what I would consider a beautiful city. It was a teaming city; at first glance, much like downtown NYC. The traffic is horrendous. This is a real understatement. The drivers are the worst; not giving way to anything whatsoever. Parking is pretty much any place you can find to “plant” your car – and that includes the sidewalks (the same goes for St. Petersburg). As you drive further through Moscow, you come to realize that you ARE in Moscow and NOT in a city such as NY. The golden domes and spires jut out, validating that you are in Russia, seeing sights that you’ve only witnessed on TV and never dreamt you would ever be able to visit in your lifetime.



Our first stop was the Kremlin and a tour of the Armoury. We could have spent days in the Armoury. The wealth and richness of what we viewed was mind-boggling. Fabarge eggs, attire, jewels, carriages, armour, gold and silver pieces, swords, religious artifacts, and so on is a living and preserved testimony to periods of Russian grandeur and extravagance.



We dined at Café Pushkin. Lovely restaurant and one of the finest in Moscow. We had heard, prior to our cruise, of people experiencing some “tummy problems.” We, therefore, were selective in our dining. A very good lunch.



Lots more touring (too much to really get into), with our final destination Red Square and the magnificent view of St. Basil’s. The sight of St. Basil’s will leave on breathless.



So much to see in so short a space of time. All made to come alive for us through our guide, Tania. Tania is a 68 year old woman. She has lived through so much history and change. From the moment we met her until we kissed her goodbye at the airport, she never ceased to share the history of Moscow, history of Russia, political and social commentary, everyday life in Russia, what the past was like, and what kind of future the people of her city were hoping for. Her passion, humor and love of her city and country were apparent with each word she uttered. She made Moscow come alive for us in a way that we never dreamed possible. She was by far the best guide we’ve ever toured with.



Our drive back to Moscow Airport was harrowing. The drivers never yield to the police instructions to move out of the way and are downright defiant. In fact, one small car intentionally cut our bus off and we came within inches of plowing into him. Another driver came to a dead stop in front of us and gave both the police and our driver the “Moscow Salute!” The police were giving defiant drivers the finger! It was the ultimate E ticket on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. All of us were gasping and laughing at the same time.



We boarded our flight back to St. Petersburg. About halfway through the flight, a woman I had become friends with during the tour got up to ask the flight attendants how much longer it would take for us to arrive back in St. Petersburg. She was told that there was a huge electrical storm in areas of St. Petersburg and pilot feared we might not be able to land there. We might have to turn the plane around and go back to Moscow for the evening rather than attempt to land! Those of us who knew about this held our breathes as we safely landed.



Our day was one grand experience after another that will last a lifetime in our memories of this trip. For anyone planning a trip to the Baltics, I STRONGLY urge to you visit this city, if only for a day. You will never forget this day and what you learned and experienced.



There you have it in a very large nutshell. I’m sure there will be more thoughts and impressions to share once we return. However, I wanted to give you a good installment of our trip.



I have our Moscow guide, Tania’s phone number. She does not have email, unfortunately. For anyone planning a trip, it would be well worth the investment in a phone call to arrange her services. She made this trip for us!



I guess I need to get off this thing now. Lots to do in the next two days on Voyager and it’s now trivia time.



Take care!


DENISE