Let me preface this by saying that there is nothing particularly sustainable about this trip. What can I say? We all have our indulgences.
And what an indulgence this trip has been so far! Yesterday I celebrated my birthday, which was absolutely wonderful. We started the day with a walk around Red Square, where we saw St. Basil’s Cathedral. The colors and shapes of this traditional church are fabulously whimsical, as you can see. Following that, we visited the Ostakino Palace, which was built by the Sheremetev Family in the 1700s to serve as a theatre and entertainment palace. Much of the palace has been restored to its original glory, including the theatre itself. It was fabulous!
At lunch I was surprised by a HUGE poppy seed birthday cake, made especially for me by the hotel’s pastry chef. It was filled and covered with a chocolate whipped cream, which was topped with glazed mixed fruit. It was fantastically messy and enjoyed by the whole group. After lunch we opted for the subway tour, where we got to see 3 very different stations, each elaborately decorated. We even got to rub the nose of the lucky German Shepherd Dog statue.
The highlight of the day was a behind the scenes tour of the Old Moscow Circus. Technically this tour was meant for the 18 and under crowd, but they had a few extra spots and let the birthday girl join them. It was by far the coolest tour I’ve ever been on. We got to stand in the ring, pet the animals (not the tigers), see dressing rooms, and meet some performers. The end of the tour was spent with a clown and a hoola-hoop acrobat getting a circus lesson. I hoola-hooped like a pro, and even managed to “juggle” 2 clubs. Dima (Dimitri) the clown was very patient with all of us, as we sent clubs, rings, and balls flying around the room. Photos will come later, they are on my mom’s camera…
After the tour, we joined the rest of our group to watch the Old Moscow Circus’ (in)famous performance, which was absolutely spectacular. There were clowns, dancers, tumblers, acrobats, a strong man, dogs, seals, ferrets, a fox, and tigers.
We finished the evening at a very nice restaurant, Barashka, where we were served by a waiter that I would like to put in my suitcase and bring home with me. He speaks (some) English, and Mom even approved! :)
Needless to say, it was the absolute best birthday I have ever had, and certainly one I will not forget. What a start to this trip!
PS: When we returned to the room today there was a gift from the hotel staff on the table—fresh fruit, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of champagne! It’s a day late but not a dollar short.
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