Day 39: The Kreme of the Kremlin

Monday, October 24, 2016

On my last day in Moscow I had two goals -- the Kremlin and the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center -- before my night train to St. Petersburg. 

The first goal was easy to accomplish. A 20-minute walk from my hostel to the Kremlin, an entry fee of 500 rubles (less than $8), and I splurged and paid an extra 250 rubles to climb to the top of Ivan the Great Bell Tower. I always enjoy a view from above.

I just found out that Kremlin means "castle" in Russian. It's a walled fortress, the most famous being in Moscow. Somehow I thought it meant "government palace." I also didn't realize that there are many kremlins all across Russia, like the beautiful one in Kazan I visited.

Of course, the Kremlin in Moscow is the most important. The walls as they appear now were built between 1485 and 1495. That's more than 500 years ago, for people who don't do math. I live in a country that was founded less than half that time ago.

I was not so lucky with the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. Rossana, my Italian guide from the two previous days, was busy moving into her new apartment, so I set out on my own to conquer the metro system and maps. She had offered to call and make sure the museum was open, but I was confident it was. It wasn't Shabbat (Saturday) or any Jewish holiday and I'd reviewed directions and hours on the map. But when I got there around 3:00, even though I saw Jewish people coming and going, one of the six Russian guards at the entry told me it was closed. I tried to get an explanation, but his English was too limited. Finally he just said, "bye bye" and they all laughed. 

So, that means I'll have to go back to Moscow someday. I heard their Jewish Museum is excellent. I've been to many Jewish Museums, Holocaust memorials, old synagogues and Jewish cemeteries around the world, but I was really looking forward to this one.

Back out in the cold, I made my way home to my hostel and prepared for my trip to St. Petersburg that night.

I remembered to bring my selfie stick, the one I bought in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Tsar Cannon with school kids.

The Tsar Cannon is the stockiest, thickest cannon I've ever seen. And take a look at those balls!

Church of the Nativity built from the 14th to the 17th century.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower on the right is where I climbed up for a better view, and met two new friends from Uzbekistan.

Everywhere you look are fabulous buildings. The Grand Kremlin Palace is now the official residence of Vladimir Putin, the current President of Russia.

The Tsar Bell looks like it has a slight defect.

I was surprised that my ticket to climb the bell tower included a headset tour which explained every single anthropological relic inside. 

View from the top, looking out at the many churches (7 in total) within the Kremlin walls.

The Moskva River flows along one side of the Kremlin. Red Square is on the other side. And the Alexander Gardens to the front. It's like one-stop shopping for tourists.

A Korean friend, from Uzbekistan, who now lives in Russia. Her friend lives in Germany and speaks excellent German and English. I hope to see them again in California someday.

One of few sunny days I've seen since leaving the Philippines a month earlier. I used this picture as my Facebook profile and got about 200 "likes" for it.