Moscow and Home at last.................

We packed up and left for the train station for a 4 and a half hour bullet train ride to Moscow, my first train ride ever and Tennyson ny nephew as well. All went well on the train. Through the countryside were many small farming areas with tiny rundown houses and many abandoned factories. Very sad! Shows you what communisum will do for you. I was told that my last post was negative, I did not mean for that just relaying the sadness I see here and my desire to get back home 11 days is too long to be away from my wife. 
Moscow is a little more of the same. The hotel gave us a room with one bed and I was supposed to sleep on a fold out, after several calls we got a room with twin beds. Thank you. Customer service is not in the Russian vocabulary. Thr hotel was located close to Red Square about a 25 minute walk. I took the walk and as you approch Red Square from the north you see why the call it that.  Two large red buildings in front of you and a red wall to the right. The funny thing is the Russian name means "beautiful" but translates to red.  As you walk into the square straight ahead across to the south side sits St Basil's Cathedral a beautiful church looks like a toy. I went and toured inside ST Basil's but it was unimpresive compared  to many of the Cathedrals I had already toured, small and cramped. On the right is the red wall that encompases the Kremlin which was closed so I came back with Rachelle and my new nephew on Friday and toured the Kremlin with them. The Kremlin was interesting place we just walked the grounds but did not go into any of the several Cathedrals inside or the Senate. Also inside the Kremlin was the Presidential Palace looks like many of the other palaces I toured. After walking these grounds it takes away all of the intimedation I wonce felt for the Soviet Union and these places.
A little more on the people here and there driving. First when the talk it remindes me of the chef from Sesame Street. LOL Not as quite as much of the beer drinking here as in St Pete but just as much smoking, I feel like I smoked a carton of cigarrets during these 11 days here. As far as driving the lines on the road are just a suggestion as well as which lane you can turn out of.
Finally time to come home. YES After loading the plane we sit and wait for United to check the brakes that heated up when it landed 3 hours earlier. That takes an hour then another hour for the Russian's to approve take off. Needless to say we mised our connection in DC to come home. Booooo. It was 5 pm but no flights to Houston tonight so another night in a hotel and another night before getting home. Booooo.

Home at last!

St Petersburg People and Places

Before I left for Russia my mom told me how proud the peolpe were of there city. I don't see it! There is graffiti on almost every building along with the empty beer cans and bottles as well as the ciggarete butts cluttering the streets and sidwalks. In fact one of the iterpriters asked what I thought of there "beautiful city" and luckly my not often used filter took over and I told her the things I liked. The city is young only 308 years old which they celebrated this past Monday, it does seem to be quite well planned out. The buildings are all very similar painted yellow with an Italian style. The city is built next to the Neva River and has many canals. It was built by the first Russian czar Peter the Great to defend against the Fin's.  It is also very expensive here and you do not get your moneys worth. A cheap meal is $15 with small portions and mostly terrible food water and soda will run $5 and liquor is also expensive around $15 a drink. So far I have not been full except when we ate at Pizza Hut. Yep Pizza Hut! It has been years since I have eaten at Pizza Hut but when you are hungry you do what you gotta do.
The people here don't smile at all. When we asked why they told us because they have not had anything to smile about. All over this town the Russian's come to the many museums and Palaces after there weddings for pictures and I saw countless numbers of bride and grooms and not a won was smiling as they took pictures. Bizzare to me since it should be the happiest day of your life other than one of your childrens births. The women here are very beautiful and TALL, the men not so pretty(OK they are ugly I fit right in here). My thoughts before coming were the men especially in uniform would be intimidating, the fear of the Soviet Union that was pounded into us growing up. Not so in fact the soldiers I saw lookind like 12 year old boys in costume. Now some of the women I ran into were unfriendly actually scary at least the ugly ones :) The peolpe don't smile or make eye contact, nor do they bath or use deoderant. Walking down the sidewalks they don't move either they will walk 4 wide and never attempt to let you have one inch of space. When visiting museums and the such the push and cut in line as if you were never there. After 8 days of this I have lost my smile as well. Give me a yankee any day. The roads are crazy basicaly no rules the drive and cuteach other off without thinking about it. There is no defensive driving you have to be on the offense at all times. In fact the drivers in Mexico are excellent drivers compared to this country.
I have visited several museums and Cathedrals in the city and two outside the city. The first was The Hermatige which was Peter the Great's Winter Palace now a museum it is located in St Peters Square a very beautiful arcitecture inside and out. I went alone while my sister was doing paperwork, Not much of a lover of art there were thousands of pieces in the place. Artists that you would deffenatly know and appreciate such as Monet, Da Vinci, Van Goug but the one piece that took my eye was a marble statue by Michael Angelo you could see the chisel marks very cool. Toured St Issac's Cathedral now a museum and climbed the 300 steps to the top for a view of the city. The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood was the highlight of all the places I toured. The inside was decorated completly in mosaics and was frankly unbelievably beautiful. It was biult on the spot were Czar Alexander II was assassinated by a bomb in 1881. We took a hydrofoil boat to Peterhof the Summer Palace of Peter the Great on the Gulf of Finland. It is know for it's fountains which were incredible and it's vast gardens. At this point as far as palaces went you seen one you know you have seen them all so we declied to pay more money to tour the palace itself. Across the river from our hotel was The Perter and Paul Fortress which had another cathedral St Peter and St PAul Cathedral which I walked to twice once alone the with Rachelle and again seen one Cathedral you seen them all. The only thing we missed were the tombs of all the Czars were in inside. Last of all we took a tour to Pushkin or Cathrine's Palace the main attraction for touring this palace was The Amber Room. The Amber room was decorated entirely in amber quite beautiful. The rest of the palace well you know!
I decided since I was in Russia I should see a ballet as this is one thing they are known for. We went to see Swan Lake at the Winter Palace. The theatre was quaint seating maybe 250 people and don't ask me if it was great ballet how should I know? The orchaestra was very good and the main character or is it dancer was very good. The women dancers were extremly skinny and the main male part as showing way to much!
I was very disappointed last Friday when walking down the street I saw a poster Iron Maiden was here the night before. I am still not over it yet. One more night in this city before heading to Moscow for 3 days then home. I have never missed home this bad and now know why people kiss the ground when they get home. I can't imagine what a soldier being stuck in one of those far away countrys for months or years at a time. We should all pray harder for them and there families for the great sacrafices they make.
I have many fantastic pictures to share when I return, thanks for reading and I hope all is well with you and your families.

Across the pond to "The Red State"

Monday 6:30 PM leave IAH for St. Petersburg Russia to assist my sister Rachelle with bringing home her newly adopted son Tennyson. First stop Frankfurt, Germany after a ten hour flight longest for me. Thank you ambien slept on and off for most of th flight. Rachelle is a frequent traveler and had axcess to the presidential club which was very nice, serve yourself food and liquior(passed on the booze). Next a 2 and a half hour flight arriving in St. Petersburg at 7PM Tuesday. Picked up by adoption driver and she dropped us at our hotel then we had dinner at the hotel. I tried Beef Strouganaf as Russia is supposed to be where it was created, it was good but not great. Rachelle hit the sack and I went for a long walk down to river and walked about 4 miles around hoping to get a little tired so I could sleep. As I walked around the Russian people were haging out and all of them smoking and drinking big beers(which I found out later many were mixed with hard liquor). The city from what I see is very dirty they trow there ciggaret buts on the ground along with there empty beer bottles. My mom told me they were proud of there city I don't see it!
Tomorrow I start the Palace and Cathedral march. I miss Amerca already!