Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

We have tried for the last two days to go to the Planitarium in Moscow.  Yesterday, it was closed (we left here at 1pm, drove to the planitarium which was closed, had a quick lunch and drove home getting here at 6pm.  That is how bad traffic is!), and today there was a two hour line up just to get tickets!  Needless to say, we have not yet made it inside (I guess it has just reopened after being closed for 17 years).  Instead, we had lunch with Vasiliy before heading off to the Kremlin and Red Square.

 After we finished, Sophia went and asked Vasiliy, in Russian, if she could sit on his knee.  I am so glad that she is very comfortable with all of our Russian family.

 This is called Tarhoon or Estragon (English translation is that it is like tarragon).  It is an aromatic perennial of southeastern Russian and was made into a sweet, carbonated drink.  I loved the color of it, as did Sophia and after she got past drinking something green, she loved the taste too!!  Everyone here is amazed that Sophia will try pretty much everything when it comes to food.  She had some of my 

Сациви (Satsivi) which is a Georgian appetizer of cold chicken that tastes almost like a curry.

After lunch, we decided to head towards the Kremlin and Red Square.  On our way to buy tickets for the Kremlin, we stopped by the interesting fountains for a quick photo.

Right after the fountain, Sophia decided to pose, very nicely, in front of one of the Kremlin walls.  The gardens here are gorgeous and the flowers smell wonderful! 

 On the ramp into the Kremlin.  Sophia was amazed at how high we had to walk to get inside.

This is called the Tsar Bell, which is right outside of Ivan the Great Bell Tower.  This bell weights 200 tonnes and is the second bell of this size.  Both were destroyed or almost destroyed in two fires of the Kremlin.  This one was doused with cold water during the second fire to keep it from being completely destroyed. 

 As a result of the cold water, a large piece (which Sophia is standing beside), broke off.  She was very excited to see this bell and I think she was amazed at the size of it.

 After I took the first picture, Sophia decided she must 'pose' and I had to take another one.  Here you go Miss Sophia...

 This is Ivan the Great Bell Tower.  It is called 'the Great' as in 1600, it became the tallest building in Moscow.  It holds 21 bells, the largest (at 64 tonnes), which rang 3 times when the tsar died.

 One of the beautiful entrances to the Cathedral of the Assumption.  This was one of the most important churches in Moscow as it is where princes were crowned and patriarchs of the Orthodox Church were buried.

 This one is the Cathedral of the Annunciation.  The icons in these Cathedrals are amazing and beautiful.  We didn't enter either one of these, (remember, I am touring with a 4 year old), but we did go into the Cathedral of the Archangel.  Again the Icons were amazing.  This Cathedral was the burial site for Moscow's princes and tsars from 1340 until the capital city was moved to St. Petersburg in 1712.  My best explanation to Sophia as to what we were seeing 'There are dead people in all of these boxes!'  By the look on her face, I should maybe have said something different... She did come around after a minute and actually seemed interested in what we were looking at.  We even got to see an exhibition of Faberge, eggs, jewellery and other art with stones.  Sophia, while very fast when looking at everything, seemed to enjoy herself.

 Of course afterwards, we got some ice cream and headed to Red Square.  The square consists of St. Basil's Cathedral (pictured above), Gum (a very expensive department store), a Historical Museum (pictured below) and the Kremlin (which Lenin's Mausoleum is beside).  This part of Moscow is so beautiful and has so much history behind it (Red Square is called such because in old times the word for red (krasnoe) meant beautiful (krasiva) so it is sort of called Beautiful Square).

 I love this particular red color.

Where does my child get all these pose ideas from?  She decided, again, that I should take her photo, while eating her ice cream in Red Square.  St. Basil's, Lenin's Mausoleum and one of the towers of the Kremlin behind her.  I think the highlight for Sophia was eating the ice cream in Red Square not really 'being' in Red Square.  Our first trip to Russia, 6 years ago, we were able to tour all of the Kremlin and the Cathedrals and with an interpreter.   However, after 4 trips here, I still have never seen Lenin, nor to I have a desire to ever see him.  

For the next few days, we will be avoiding Moscow.  Traffic on Fridays is always worse than other days as people escape the city to their dachas (cabins) and after spending the last two days in plenty of traffic, I think we all, Sophia especially, need a break.  Maybe we will tour another city close by or stay home and rest...