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!