Still getting the hang of "blogging" hence premature end to last blog!! (Also still learning how to post pictures so may have to just do this via FB at the moment
Anyway yes we went to Kazanskiy station instead of Yarolavskiy. At least they are near each other so we decided to get a taxi rather than trying to navigate what we found was a very confusing metro system (everything is in the Russian alphabet - Cryllic with no equivalent translation into our Roman one). That evening went to the traditional type of Russian cafe in the other large department store (GUM) off Red Square. More like Soviet than Russian as very clinical and stark but the food was simple, tasty and for Moscow cheap
In the morning went to visit Lenin's tomb. Nearly didn't get in as something had occurred in Red Square but after they cordoned it off, we were allowed in. It was quite surreal seeing Lenin, mummified body. Apparently to keep it restored they wash it down every 3 days and then was it in chemicals every month. One hell of a job to be on your CV! Later went to the newly built major Orthodox cathedral, Christ the Saviour. Stalin has the original one demolished in the 30's, Kruschev then built a swimming pool on the site and then after the fall of the Soviet Union a new one was built in the same design as the original 16th Century one which was completed in 2010. Rest of the day hung around at the hotel lobby for a taxi pick up at 2130 to go to the (correct) train station for the Trans Mongolian. Very excited but a little trepidation as what to expect. Found the right platform and waited in the coffee shop for the 2345 departure of our Chinese train bound for Beijing. The compartment was quite small but snug, so after a couple of bottles of Chinese beer, sold by a very entrepreneurial guard for a reasonable 100 roubles each we bedded down for our first night on the train.
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