Obviously, having been struck by the curse of low battery at the most inopportune moment, a return to Red Square was inevitable the following day. This time, however, we went a few steps further and ventured into the Kremlin itself. Within this enormous walled area are numerous chapels at various stages of restoration, as well as the 'armoury', a museum which simply reinforced my impression that Tsars really did have far far too much money and time on their hands. Classic, original suits of armour were impressive enough, but the ceremonial sets and arms were of such flamboyance that if anyone had actually worn them for a battle, they would have been targeted and killed immediately by anyone with even an iota of sense. In summary, this level of opulence is just silly.
Back down to earth with a bang, we dined in a food court (though a lovely shopping centre's food court). Soup was prominent as with many Russian eateries, and thisnwas accomoanied by a chicken kiev and a bizarre starchy couscous hazelnut mixture. Again, all very lovely, but this did little to assuage the irritation I felt when I realised that Lenin's mausoleum was closed for the day. Hence, the following day seemed destined to be rushed! Instead of the planned mausoleum visit, a sobering visit to a gulag museum ensued. No jokes here, just a recommendation that at least once in a lifetime, one needs to experience something along the lines of such a museum.
The evening brought more lighthearted activities as we ventured to a CSKA Moscow ice hockey match. For those who don't know me well, I have a deep-seated love for all things hockey which was instilled in me during my time living in Toronto, Canada. Needless to say, this opportunity got me very excited indeed. The advertising blimp, costume changing cheerleaders and stereotypical hockey food almost had me in a frenzy, especially as the home team waltzed through the opposition. All together, an excellent evening- and I've started a collection of wristbands/bracelets... more on this later!
Determination to see the late great spark of the Bolshevik revolution brought us to Red Square one final time the following day, before the train's departure for the frozen lands of Siberia. To be honest, after all of the hype around Lenin, I was a bit disappointed. He looked like a waxwork- or indeed, *very* well preserved considering the decades he's been entombed in very public view. Whilst still wondering about this, we didn't actually achieve much wandering- and consequently, a mad dash to and fro to collect bags and get to the train station followed.
Loaded up with supplies for a 4+days journey to Irkutsk, we, the intrepid oz-brit combo, boarded the train with no idea of what to expect...
