russia 1 September 2008
We took a stroll around Moscow today and noticed a few changes since we were there 6 years ago. Everything is swisher now. I’m glad we saw it when it wasn’t so slick. It’s wonderful of course but quite Westernised now, and very expensive in places. When we were last there it snowed hard and the weather was very very cold indeed, so today with just a nip in the air and a bit of cloud it was all a bit more accessible. Weirdly Red Square was closed to the public – which seems like a contradiction in terms to me. We still got a good look at the Kremlin and St Basils (my niece Ellie has made a papier mache version of the latter for Richard and I will collect it from Saff Landahn on Thursday evening).
Richard did well with speaking Russian but not up to his exacting standards (he is very hard on himself) and I learned a few new letters of the cyrillic alphabet. i am hooked enough to want to learn more, I must admit. Also it’s a thrill to be understood in another language no matter how ham fisted your efforts.
And, as I pointed out last night, I need a party piece too. Russians sing at the drop of the proverbial hat and are great company and entertainers. We need to raise our game.
More pics of Putin in the papers today being very macho – this time shooting a gun (no change there) but it was a tranquiliser to knock out a tiger which was then tagged and re-released. According to the papers he kissed the animal and said goodbye and went back to doing whatever it is he does officially these days – ah yes, a man’s man, a ‘strong’ man and unafraid to show his gentle side….
