I was impatient to go through the main gates into Red Square but Galina held us all up with some unnecessary commentary and so I wandered off ahead of the group and towards the Resurrection Gate (demolished by Stalin in 1931 and rebuilt in 1995) and into a cobbled area next to which on one side was the green and ochre Kazan Cathedral (demolished by Stalin in 1936 and rebuilt in 1995) and the red brick Russian historical museum (which for some reason Stalin didn’t demolish) and in front of me Red Square, a place that I had never dared to imagine that I would ever visit.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
It’s all so colorful! On my bucket list of places to visit!
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It should be on everyones!
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Epic architectural photos!!! Cheers Nonoy Manga
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Russia has such beautiful architecture! Thanks for taking me along!
Michelle
http://www.indiegogo.com/bellegroveplantation
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That is the worst thing about coach tours..being told where to go and when to go and what to see…good thing that you went off on your own. I suppose it gives someone a job but that is about all…. I would rather get lost than be jollied along by a tour guide
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Thank you and Agreed!
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Beautiful and I never get sick of it. Coach tours are a bit of a bother when you can’t wait to run through the historical gates but they’ll tell you to look at ____ brand’s boutique store instead =( . This is an exaggeration but you get the idea.
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Lovely post Andrew. Agree with the others about escorted tours. They take you to more places than you might get to on your own, but leave you with no time to really see them!! Would you say Russia is easily doable on our own?
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Yes, I would say that it is, no different from visiting any other European big cities. If I go back I will certainly make my own arrangements.
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I was a amused to find a wall of Walker’s shortbread in one of GUM’s food stores, it was a lot more expensive than Edinburgh though!
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Yes. Yes. I will make it to the Red Square one day…..
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Excited to be here again! Lost my WP reader for a couple of days so catching up to do. What’s Russian food like, Andrew? Or have you covered that already? I’ll backtrack.
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Food was fine, not unlike Latvia, Poland, Hungary etc. I was expecting cabbage and beetroot but there was none of that. Cakes in Moscow were wonderful! WP reader has been a nightmare but it has been working fine on Google Chrome – how strange is that?
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Ah, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll try that in case of future problems.
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If you’re interested in reading crime stories about Moscow, try Martin Cruz Smith whose “Gorky Park” was made into a movie some time ago. He’s kept up w/ changes in Russian history and his protagonist, Arkady Renko, is still a detective investigative crimes involving the hooligans, homeless, and Russian mafia. Recommend them for their commentary on modern Russian life.
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Thanks Jack
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I LOVE the architecture!
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No doubt about it Russia has some beautiful buildings..I must get there and look for myself..it’s only just up the road and turn right in Romania..it can’t be that far! Thank you Andrew for sharing such lovely stories and pictures
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Thank You for your kind comments!
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definitely on the bucket list!
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sounds like it’s worth a visit.
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