Izmaylovsky Park & Moscow Metro

Izmaylovsky Park is one of the largest parks in Moscow, and was originally known as Stalin Park until the 1950’s. At the entrance of the park is a huge open-air bazaar, a shopping mecca for all things Russian such as Matryoshka dolls, chess sets, amber jewellery, lacquer boxes and much more. Jen and I spent some time wandering the stalls checking out all the wares, and then suddenly it started to pour with rain and before we knew it the vendors, and all their stalls, disappeared! We did manage to make a few quick purchases before the ensuing rain.

Given the continuing rain, we spent the afternoon exploring Moscow’s Metro. It spans almost the ensure city, and is the world’s second most heavily used metro system carrying over 7 million passengers per day! It is well known for the ornate design of many of its stations, which contain great examples of socialist realist art.

Red Square & St. Basil's Cathedral

Red Square is the most famous city square in Moscow. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod. As major streets of Moscow radiate from here in all directions, and the Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and all of Russia. The name of Red Square derives neither from the colour of the bricks around it nor from the link between the colour red and communism. Rather, the name came about because the Russia word Krasnaya can mean either “red” or “beautiful”. The work was originally applied to the St. Basil’s Cathedral and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square in the 17th Century. During the Soviet era, Red Square maintained its significance, becoming the main square in the life of the new state. Besides being the official address of the Soviet government it was renowned as the location for military parades. Kazan Cathedral and Iverskaya Chapel with the Ressurection Gates were demolished to make room for heavy military vehicles driving through the square (both were later rebuilt after the fall of the Soviet Union).

St. Basil’s Cathedral is a multi-tented church on the Red Square that features the distinctive onion domes. The cathedral is traditionally perceived as symbolic of the unique position of Russia between Europe and Asia. The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan IV (also known as Ivan the Terrible) to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan. The cathedral is named after Basil Fool for Christ, a Russian Orthodox Saint. It is located at the southeast end of Red Square, just across from the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin.

The Moscow Kremlin

My first Russian adventure today was to some of the major attractions in Moscow - the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square. I met my tour guide at Pushkin McDonald's with Jacqui (the busiest McDonald's in the world!) and we walked from there to the Kremlin, about 10 minutes away. Before entering the Kremlin, we walked through Alexander Garden (or Александровский сад in Russian!) which was one of the first public parks in Moscow. It occupies the whole length of the western Kremlin Wall. The Neglinnaya River once flowed through where this park now stands as a Moat to the Kremlin, but the River was encapsulated into an underground pipe in 1974 after extensive flooding, and the former riverbed was turned into a public park named after the reigning emperor, Alexander I. The present day ponds are not Neglinnaya River, but an imitation as the real river now runs too deep to be properly displayed. It is dotted with statues from the Russian fables by Zurab Tsereteli.

In 1967 the Tomb on of the Unknown Solider with enternal flame was constructed in Alexander Garden as a war memorial dedicated to the Soviet Soldiers killed during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. In 1997 a Guard of Honour was restored at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider by federal law. The changing of the guard occurs every hour.

The Moscow Kremlin usually referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking Moskva River (to the South) Sain Basil's Cathedral and Red Square (to the east) and the Alexander Garden (to the west). The complex serves as the official residence of the President of Russia.

The existing Kremlin Walls and Towers were built by Italian masters over the years 1485 to 1495. Originally there were eighteen Kremlin Towers, but their number increased to twenty in the 17th century. All but three of the towers are square in plan. The highest tower is the Spasskaya, which was built up to its present height of 71 metres in 1625. Most towers were originally crowned with wooden tents; the extant brick tents with strips of colored tiles go back to the 1680s.

Cathedral Square is the heart of the Kremlin. It is surrounded by six buildings, including three cathedrals. The Cathedral Square is famous as the site of solemn coronation and funeral processions of all the Russian tsars, patriarchs, and Grand Dukes of Moscow. Even today, the square is used in the inauguration ceremony of the President of Russia.

The Cathedral of the Dormition was completed in 1479 to be the main church of Moscow and where all the Tsars were crowned. The massive limestone facade, capped with its five golden cupolas was the design of Aristotele Fioravanti. In 1547 the coronation of the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, too place in this cathedral. From 1721 it was the scene of the coronatin of the Russian emperors. The ritual installatin of the metropolitansa nd patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church also took place in this cathedral, and their tombs are found here. After the transfer of the Bolshevik government to Moscow, services in the Kremlin cathedrals were prohibited. In 1990 the Dormition Cathedral was returned to the church, although a large museum still operates within it.

The gilded, three-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation was completed next in 1489, only to be reconstructed to a nine-domed design a century later. Formerly, the cathedral was a home church of the Muscovite Tsars. Its abbothas been a personal confessor of the royal family until the early 20th century.

On the south-east side of the sqaure is the much larger Cathedral of the Archangel built in 1508. Victories of the Russian military were celebrated in the Cathedral of the Archangel. Russian Tsars and Grand Princes were buried within the Cathedral until the 17th Century, who remain there to this day (including Dmitri Donskoi, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Terrible). There are 54 burials in the cathedral and 46 ornamented whitestone tombstones. There are also a fretted wooden gilded iconostasis 14 metres high with icons of the 17-19th centuries and church candeliers of the 17th century.

There are two domestic churches of the Metropolitans and Patriachs of Moscow, the Church of the Twelve Apostles (1653-56) and the one-domed Church of the Deposition (1488). The Church of the Twelve Apostles is a minor cathedral commissioned by Patriarch Nikon as part of his stately residence in 1653 and dedicated to Philip the Apostle three years later. The Church of the Deposition was originally used by the Patriarch of Moscow, but during the mid 17th century it was taken over by the Russian royal family. It was badly damanged in a fire in 1737, but has since been restored and now houses a display of wood sculpture from the 14 - 19th century.

The other notable structure is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower (above) on the north-east corner of the square, which is said to mark the exact centre of Moscow and resemble a burning candle. Completed in 1600, it is 81 meters high. Until the Russian Revolution, it was the tallest structure in the city, as construction of buildings taller than that was forbidden. Its 21 bells would sound the alarm if any enemy was approaching. The upper part of the structure was destroyed by the French during the Napoleonic Invasion and has, of course, been rebuilt. The Tsar bell, the largest bell in the world, stands on a pedestal next to the tower. The bell, weighing 216 tons, was never rung, and during a fire in 1737 a huge slab cracked off while it was still in the casting pit.

The final part to the Kremlin history, was a tour of the Kremlin Armoury, which for me, was the most interesting part of the day. The Kremlin Armoury is one of the oldest muserums of Moscow, established in 1808. It originated as the royal arsenal in 1508. Until the transfer of cour to St Petersburg, the Armoury was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewelery and various hosuehold articles of the Tsars. In 1700, the Armoury was enriched with the treasures of the Golden and Silver chambers of the Russian tsars. The current Armoury building was erected in 1844-1851. Nowadays, the Kremlin Armoury is home to the Russian Diamond Fund - a unique collection of gems and jewellery dating back to the Russian Crown treasury instituted by Peter I in 1719. It boasts a unique collection of Russian, Western European and Eastern applied arts spanning the period from the 5th to the 20th centuries. Some of the highlights included the Imperial Crown of Russia, the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible, the Orloff diamond, the Imperial Carriages (fully intact) and the famed largest collection of Faberge Eggs.

Moscow

After a quick transit through Frankfurt, I arrived in Moscow for my week in Russia. Moscow, is the capital and the largest city of Russia, actually it's the largest city in Europe. Moscow is the country's political, economic, religious, financial, educational and transportation centre. It is located on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the pre-Imperial Russian state. It is also the site of the Moscow Kremlin, which serves as the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia. Moscow is now a major economic centre and, would you believe, is also home to the largest number of billionaires in the world. In 2007, it was also named the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row... so far I'm guessing it will probably take this credit for 2008 also!

After a relatively painless customs experience, I somehow found my driver in the crowd at Domodedovo Airport, and we set off on the 1 hour trip to meet Jacqui at her office. This actually turned out to be a fairly tame Russian traffic experience, but I was later to learn this is because peak hour doesn't start until around 630pm. I met up with Jacqui and went back to her place where I met the latest addition to her life... her puggle Charlie Brown. He was super excited to have a visitor, and took a lot of calming down! After taking him for a walk, we stopped at a local restaurant for some dinner, and by this time it was 11pm and time for bed!

London

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Canadian Rockies

On Friday, we had an early start as Matt dropped me off at the airport so I could catch the shuttle bus up to Banff, in the Rocky Mountains which is about 90 minutes away. I had booked on an afternoon tour out of Banff to Lake Louise and Johnson Canyon. The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. Five national parks are located within the Canadian Rockies, four of which interlock and make up the Canadia Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site - including Banff.

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Canadian Rockies. The park is 180km west of Calgary in the province of Alberta and encompasses 6640 square kilometres of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers, ice fields, dense coniferous forest and alpine landscapes. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff in the Bow River Valley. After arriving in Banff I took a walk around the town centre, and part of the national park. There is much wildlife in the park, and I stumbled across some Elk just hanging out by the Bow River. The landscape is just incredible, and the pictures certainly don't do it justice.

First stop on my Rocky Mountain tour was Lake Louise. Lake Louise is a small village located 54 kilometres west of the Banff townsite, is home to the landmark Chateau Lake Louise at the edge of Lake Louise. The original Chateau was gradually built up at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a vacation destination to lure moneyed travellers into taking trains and heading west. It has since had many renovations and additions, and is now a fully operational Hotel open all year round. The picturesque location on the edge of the Lake provides and idyllic backdrop for visitors and hotel guests.

Second stop on the tour, was Johnston Canyon. The Canyon is a popular hiking trail which follows the gorges and the Ink Pots (a series of ink-coloured spring ponds). Johnston Creek forms part of the Canyon and originates in the glacial valleys of the Banff National Park at the feet of Cascade Mountain, and flows through a series of gorges to the confluence with Bow River. The Canyon was looking especially beautiful at this time of year, as the Ink Pots start the melt, and the creek flows underneath the melting ice. The colour of the water really is indescribable, and given the recent snow, we had to wear spikes to hike the track to the Cascade Waterfalls.

After my tour, I met up with Matt and Sherry who had driven up from Calgary after they had finished work, and we met a drink at the Fairmont Hotel in Banff. We then had an excellent dinner at the Maple Leaf before driving back down to Calgary.

My final morning in Canada, and what better way to spend it than having a true Canadian style diner breakfast. We stood out in the cold 6 degree morning (yet warmest it’s been all week) to wait for a table at Diner Deluxe. And it was well worth the wait after I saw the menu – it was so hard to chose! After much deliberation about the bacon stuffed French toast, I decided on the potato pancake with double smoked pork chop. And before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Matt and Sherry. A great but snowy and cold trip to Calgary.

Calgary, AB, Canada

I arrived very late on Tuesday night into Calgary and was met by... snow! Snow in April! For those who don't know, Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, approximately 80 km's east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. And being located to close to the mountains, comes the unpredictable weather! Matt was kind enough to pick me up from the airport, and we headed back to his place for some much needed sleep.

On Wednesday, I had a lovely sleep in and leisurely start to the day. Just the way a birthday should be! I then caught a taxi into downtown Calgary, and spent the afternoon exploring the city. Matt works in one of the office towers in downtown Calgary, so I briefly met with him for a quick rundown of the city and then headed off to explore it all myself. Basically you can get around downtown using the +15, which allows you to get from building to building without going outside. Considering is was -4, that was a good thing! After a walk around the shops, and braving the cold to get some great snow photos, I then met up with Matt who had finished work, and we headed to his old work, The Tribune, for a glass of birthday bubbles. The Tribune is a beautiful restaurant/bar on Stephen Avenue. After that we headed to a cowboy bar, for my first truly Canadian experience. Matt ordered me a “Caesar” – a Calgary originated Canadian cocktail. I’m glad he didn’t tell me what it contained before I drank it... it’s kind of like a Bloody Mary, except that instead of tomato juice, they use something called “clamato” juice. Basically clams and tomatoes blended together... ewww! But, surprisingly tasty when you don’t know what it is! Here I am at the Palomino Cowboy bar with my first Caesar.

After the Palomino, we picked Sherry up and headed to the Laurier Lounge for my birthday dinner. One of the guys that Matt worked with at the Tribute now owns the Laurier Lounge so we were well looked after. We had some very yummy tapas and wine. And Sherry bought birthday cupcakes from a bakery near her work for dessert when we got home. A lovely birthday spent in the snow with friends!

On Thursday I had another great sleep in and leisurely start to the day. Again I caught a taxi downtown and met up with Matt when he finished work. We then went for a drive out to COP – the Calagary Olympic Park. The park is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. During the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 the Park was the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh and luge. These facilities are still maintained for training and competitve purposes. In the winer the park is also used for downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. After this we made a stop in a Bowness Park, one of Calgary's most popular parks for picnics in the summer and ice skating on the frozen lagoon in winter.

After arriving home, and with the snow starting the melt, Matt and I took the opportunity to make a snowman in the front yard.... complete with snowman making kit!