To Russia with Love

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Well our Russia trip started with successfully getting our visas. This was no mean feat but could have been a lot easier if we knew the information we needed before we started to fill in the visa form. So all you travel agencies out there why not give people who are booking a flight a fact sheet it would make our lives a lot easier.

So we arrive in Moscow airport and it is a bit intimidating as you are herded into lines and you are not sure you should be in that line but we were so no bother there. The immigration is a bit daunting as your passport is really scrutinised which I have never seen before. Once through immigration everything goes swimmingly. We meet our guide who takes us to the train and we are off on our first adventure to our hotel or so we thought. Once we got into Moscow our guide gets us into a taxi and now the real adventure starts. Have you seen children cartoons where a car can half its width to get through a small space in the traffic - well our driver is better than that he just squeezes through no wonder the taxi has a windscreen that is cracked from side to side and there is no back bumper left - I think that should have been a bit of a clue when we got in.

Anyway we get to our hotel the Metropole and it is grand and splendid just as you would have expected. We decide to venture out as our first guided tour is not until tomorrow and what amazing architecture.

After a walk and seeing the Kremlin from the outside we decide to go back to the hotel and have a drink - so I decide to get a drink called "a stranger in Moscow" to be honest I will not be having one of those again! Cannot wait until tomorrow when we have a guide showing us around it is all so exciting.

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