Total Eclipse : A pictorial review of the Tradewinds Transatlantic crossing 2015

[scubacruiserx2]

If you visit Russia and want to take a break , the proper way is ask is " May we stop for tea " . Alina said that we were near a good place and took us to Schastye ( Russian for happiness ) .

 

 

 

 

The previous photo was from the internet . We were given place mat / connect the dots puzzle with more dots than pages in War and Peace .

 

 

 

After placing our order I began the daunting task of connecting the dots . I don't know why I couldn't see the forest for the trees , but my vision became as blurry as the previous photo . Taking a break from my labor I scanned the room and noticed something that I had missed . Not only was I the oldest guy there , I was the only guy there ! :eek: With the sense that I had accidentally invaded a Ladies room , I suddenly felt like I needed a cigarette - a habit that I gave up almost 40 year ago . A large group of young ladies seated near us became quite animated and drew my attention toward them - and then I noticed , they were all pregnant and some , full term . As my grandfatherly and retired paramedic instincts kicked in , I suddenly felt more comfortable . When I look at the photo below now , I don't know how I couldn't see the big picture .

 

 

 

 

Here are some other reviews of Schastye :

 

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g298484-d3756507-Reviews-Schastye-Moscow_Central_Russia.html

 

 

Next : The Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer .

Edited November 9, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

I just read this story on the AP , Weak ruble makes Russia more accessible for budget travel :

 

 

:) :D

 

Weak ruble makes Russia more accessible for budget travel

Associated Press By CARA ANNA

4 hours ago

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This Oct. 31, 2015 photo shows souvenirs, including the famous Russian nesting dolls, for sale in St. Petersburg, Russia. Other stalls feature fur hats and T-shirts showing President Vladimir Putin. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — The ruble's weak. The warnings about a complicated visa process were wrong, at least with a travel agency's help. And current geopolitical tensions make this a good time to temper headlines about Russia with everyday people and places.

 

Consider the prices, at least outside the summer tourist rush: A round-trip air ticket between New York and the lovely St. Petersburg this fall was less than $600, and winter prices are looking about the same. Hostel beds start at around $6. A balcony ticket to the ballet at the famous Mariinsky Theatre is about $10. Tickets for most runs of the high-speed, four-hour train between St. Petersburg and Moscow are around $55.

 

Three weeks of exploring western Russia left me with the following impressions, along with a number of useful words and phrases. By the way, make the effort to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, which doesn't take long. It helps in getting adjusted and in buying tickets for the train, which is the best, and most social, way of getting around.

 

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GDYE? (WHERE?)

 

St. Petersburg makes for a soft landing in Russia. Peter the Great's vision of a Europe-facing nation plays out here among the miles of canals, the fantastic art-filled Hermitage overlooking the Neva River and a younger generation more comfortable with the world abroad.

 

View galleryThis Oct. 17, 2015 photo shows a bowl of borscht in …

This Oct. 17, 2015 photo shows a bowl of borscht in Moscow, Russia. Trying the hearty traditional be …

The Soul Kitchen hostel, which overlooks one of the city's waterways, has both dorm and private rooms and thoughtful touches like freshly baked apple cake in the collective kitchen every morning and classical music playing in the bathroom. Highly recommended.

 

A nice surprise was Kaliningrad, a fragment of Russia tucked between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea for which I found same-day flights for as low as $40 from Moscow. I easily filled a couple of days with a bus tour for about $17 to the Curonian Spit, a fragile sand dune peninsula on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and with places like Kvartira, a cafe-art spot in an apartment building that would hold its own in Brooklyn. Don't be surprised if people try speaking to you in German, as Kaliningrad was once the German city of Konigsberg.

 

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CHTO? (WHAT?)

 

Art, more art, Orthodox churches, urban exploration and cherry dumplings. A bluff overlooking the Volga River is about as much altitude this part of Russia offers, so go for the culture instead of the sweeping views.

 

View galleryThis Oct. 25, 2015 photo shows the line to enter a …

This Oct. 25, 2015 photo shows the line to enter a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. …

Moscow has plenty to offer beyond its high-end shopping and nightclubs. Be prepared for long weekend lines of art lovers at both branches of the State Tretyakov Gallery. And there's always the Kremlin.

 

In St. Petersburg, the Russian Museum is a worthy afternoon if the Hermitage left you wanting more, and the Erarta museum is a good collection of more modern art with the rare benefit of detailed descriptions in both Russian and English.

 

The word "hipster" has entered the Russian language — just aspirate the "h'' and roll the "r'' — and you can feel like one at places like the Red October cultural complex in Moscow or the Museum of Soviet Lifestyle in Kazan. The owner aspires to make the collection of late-Soviet-era cultural items a kind of Russian rock-and-roll hall of fame as well. Also in Kazan, as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can fill your pocket with old 15-kopeck coins and play at the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines.

 

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POCHEMU? (WHY?)

 

View galleryThis Oct. 13, 2015 photo shows a subway station in …

This Oct. 13, 2015 photo shows a subway station in St. Petersburg, Russia. The station's ornate …

Need more reasons to go? Consider the historic small town of Suzdal outside Moscow. The stunning changing skies over the Neva in St. Petersburg. The Soviet-era "pishki" donuts and sweet coffee (25 rubles, or about 35 cents, a cup) at 25 Bolshaya Konushennaya in St. Petersburg. The caviar on buttered bread at the Mariinsky Theatre. The chandeliers. Your first view of Red Square from the Resurrection Gate. The inexpensive but classy stolovaya, or cafeteria, at the lavish GUM department store in Moscow. The ubiquitous color red, from meaty borscht to creaky-old trams. The collection of old Soviet statues in the park near the new Tretyakov gallery in Moscow. The honey-spiced hot drink called sbiten. The old Lada cars here and there. Near-strangers gifting you books.

 

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KOGDA? (WHEN?)

 

If you're a budget traveler, fall and winter are when you'll find bargains. Of course that also means bundling up in gloves and down jacket. Hot drinks and ever-warming vodka help too. Hard-core travelers wrap themselves in blankets to cruise the St. Petersburg canals on the decks of small boats in fall and at night as well. Being near the sea keeps St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad temperatures more moderate than places like Kazan and Nizhy Novgorod in the interior.

 

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If You Go ...

 

It's useful to download free apps like SpeakEasy Russian and iTranslate, add a Russian-language keyboard to your smartphone and even get a Russian SIM card to stay online and benefit from Google Translate. Most locals appreciate the effort.

 

The Man in Seat 61 website offers a useful beginners' guide to Russian train travel, http://www.seat61.com/index.h

 

 

We hope to return there next June on the Escape with our grandson .

[MicCanberra]

So is it a rabbit with a love heart belly?

[scubacruiserx2]

So is it a rabbit with a love heart belly?

 

Good one Mic :) I thought that it was one of those inkblot tests .

[MicCanberra]

Good one Mic :) I thought that it was one of those inkblot tests .

 

So it was a naked woman with butterfly wings after all.:p

[perfect match]

Thanks Mic , sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction . I do love the hazelnut , but couldn't find it online . But I did find almond ! :) One smile only because Pat's not allowed to eat chocolate with her condition . :( :(

 

A slight correction :

 

I didn't allow Pat to see what I was writing on post # 1440 until I had submitted it . After reading it , she went and found the 35 year old T-shirt , which I thought as gone ! So here's a photo of the old T-shirt with a photo from 1958 on the front, of my little Alyonka , Pat - 6 years before the candy was first created in Moscow . ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Next up: The last stop in Moscow

 

Love: the tee shirt photo! I really do see the resemblance now. :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Love: the tee shirt photo! I really do see the resemblance now. :D

 

In my rapidly fading memory , my recollection was of a closer resemblance of the two - until Pat produced the evidence . I guess that I need to take my memory pills , but I keep forgetting where I put them ! :confused: And in it's faded condition , the T shirt now just looks like another inkblot test . :)

[MicCanberra]

In my rapidly fading memory , my recollection was of a closer resemblance of the two - until Pat produced the evidence . I guess that I need to take my memory pills , but I keep forgetting where I put them ! :confused: And in it's faded condition , the T shirt now just looks like another inkblot test . :)

 

You think your memory is bad I just read your comment and had to say somethin......???

[scubacruiserx2]

Our last stop was at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior .

 

 

 

 

It has a long and and interesting story which can be read at this blog :

 

http://io9.com/5981106/the-strange-history-of-the-moscow-cathedral-that-couldnt-be-destroyed

 

 

Or seen on this video :

 

 

 

 

 

Basically , it took 44 years to complete the cathedral which was opened in 1883 . It was blown up by Stalin's orders in 1931 to build the tallest skyscraper in the world , with a giant statue of Lenin on the top . The plans were changed when the USSR was invaded by Germany in WW II . After the war had ended , it became the world's largest swimming pool . With the end of the Soviet Union in 1990 , the cathedral was rebuilt by the will and donations of the people , including a large gift from Mc Donalds . We saw the plaques in the church recognizing the gifts of various donors . But we were not allowed to photograph the inside , however , the video shows the interior .

 

 

The front view

 

 

 

 

And the rainy view

 

Edited November 10, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[MicCanberra]

Certainly an impressive building with an interesting history.:)

Edited November 10, 2015 by MicCanberra

[scubacruiserx2]

Certainly an impressive building with an interesting history.:)

 

Yes it is ! At 103 meters tall and able to hold 10,000 people , it's the largest orthodox church in the world .

[scubacruiserx2]

Over the doors and window arches are larger than life statues .

 

 

 

 

A closer look

 

 

 

Here's some photos from the Wikipedia article ;

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Christ_the_Saviour

 

 

A central dome photo photo from Brucke - Osteuropa

 

 

 

An across the river photo of a footbridge which was completed in 2004 . Photo by Alvesgaspar

 

[MicCanberra]

I am gobsmacked.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

I am gobsmacked.:D

 

Us too. We found it interesting that the modern structure was made to look old and it took only 5 years to complete , without borrowing the 200 million dollars which was the cost of the structure . The norm here is you have to borrow , to build .

 

 

Being that we were there on a Sunday , we went inside for a portion of the service . We circled the perimeter inside as the service continued before exiting at the same door . This video shows an Easter service with Putin and then President Medvedev in attendance , and what the service is like :

 

[MicCanberra]

The thing that gets me is that they all stand for the entire service and these can go on for hours.

[scubacruiserx2]

 

 

Facing East , toward the cathedral , on the footbridge with Balchug behind us . To our right , facing South , is the Moscow River , the Red October candy factory and in the distance , the park of the fallen statues .

 

 

The Peter the Great statue towers over the entrance to the park , scanning the horizon .

 

 

 

Here's the ' ugly ' story behind it from the BBC .

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11568878

 

 

 

And , facing North , the Kremlin .

 

 

 

 

In the close up , you can see St. Basil's , to the right .

 

 

 

 

Pat and Alina .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

A couple more photos of Moscow before we board the train to St. Petersburg .

 

 

 

The Kremlin on the left and the Cathedral on the right . Photo below , Red Square labeled .

 

 

 

 

The former Hotel Moscow , now the Four Seasons .

 

 

 

It's the building featured on the Stolichnaya Vodka label .

 

 

 

 

Here's a great story from Wikipedia about why there are 2 different wings on the Hotel Moscow .

 

The original hotel was notable for its use of two different designs for the wings off the central structure. The most popular (possibly apocryphal) explanation is that Shchusev submitted to Stalin a single drawing of the façade, with one half showing one design, and the other half a different designs for the wings of the building. However, Stalin put his signature exactly in the middle of the drawing, likely not observing the two choices. Afraid of informing Stalin that he had failed to select a design, the decision was made to simply constructed one wing of each on either side of the building. One included large windows and a more ornate façade, while the other maintained smaller windows and the simpler details of the rest of the hotel's façade.[1] The lobby of the original hotel contained an entrance to the Moscow Metro Okhotny Ryad station. The label of Stolichnaya vodka features a line drawing of the old hotel.[2] The hotel was expanded to fill the block with a 6-story wing facing Revolution Square, in 1977, for the 60th Anniversary of the October Revolution.

Edited November 12, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We choose premium class for our return which includes a smaller , quieter room from the main station , with internet .

 

 

 

And fewer people in our car

 

 

 

We left Moscow promptly at 19:40 . Here's the announcements :

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was served not long after

 

 

 

 

Followed by sunset

 

 

 

 

 

We swapped seats for a snooze and arrived in St. Petersburg at about 23:40

 

 

 

 

And hustled onto the Metro before they shut down @ 00:30 . The view from our apartment's bedroom .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The thing that gets me is that they all stand for the entire service and these can go on for hours.

 

Yes , a testimony to a patience and perseverance so different than the current American motto for many - I want it now ! ;)

Edited November 15, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Whilst it was nice to visit Moscow , it was great to be back in St. Petersburg in our warm , quite , apartment . A bath was in order after a long road trip .

 

 

 

A full bath running !

 

 

 

 

And both the bath and kitchen tile had this gadget . Heated tile floors !

 

 

 

 

Bathroom on the right , double door entrance , on the left .

 

 

 

The next morning , a living area with clothes drying rack .

 

 

 

 

And dining area

 

 

 

 

We loved the Eclipse , but we wished that our cabin on the Eclipse was this nice !

Edited November 15, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[cruise47]

Are your photos truly from a Russian hotel. They look awesome very nice digs!

[MicCanberra]

Nice home away from home.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

Are your photos truly from a Russian hotel. They look awesome very nice digs!

 

These are from the apartment that we rented . We have stayed here before and so the owner gave us a 10% discount - rental cost about $ 125 / a day . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Nice home away from home.

 

Very comfortable indeed . A few more photos .

 

The Red room .

 

 

 

7 - 3 " Steel bolts on the front door .

 

 

 

 

Wifi and the kitchen

 

 

 

 

Power up !

 

 

 

Double glass bedroom windows . The ripe strawberries which we purchased from a street vendor were delicious - and of course , bright red !

 

 

 

Building exterior .

 

[MicCanberra]

Nice, I wonder what happens in the red room.;)

Looks like the camera battery chargers plug straight into your adaptor/convertor.