Moscow

We had a great time in Moscow catching up with Pedro/Peter who is over here working! 3 slightly homesick Aussies took refuge in a backstreet basement Bruswick Rd style cafe for an afternoon of friendly banter and swapping of news! We where in awe at Pedro's linguistic skills after only three months in Russia ... whilst we could only get our tongues around hello, good-bye and thank-you, even those simple phrases put us to the test!

Nicole fulfilled a dream and saw the Bolshoi Ballet which was magical and beautiful! Our other sight seeing excursions where slightly hampered by the cold drizzle we experienced (I know, we did choose to travel in winter!) and the fact it is off peak for the tourist season so a lot was closed (particularly in The Kremlin).

We have come to a conclusion about Customer Service in Russia ... predominantly there is none, in the majority of shops and markets we where in, the staff out numbered the customers considerably, maybe this is a hang over from the communist rein where everyone was employed no matter what their skill/attitude/enthusiasm ... but we managed to get served for the most part (patience helped) and pick up a few trinkets for our memories!

We leave Moscow with fond memories and a giggle that the forefathers of communism such as Lennon, Stalin, Trotsky and the like have their graves on Red Square which now boarders a shopping mall. The windows opposite the monuments to these leaders showing the capitalist wears of Gucci, Prada & Dior … kinda ironic we thought!!!