So, we flew back from St Petersburg last Sunday, via Amsterdam (always a mistake), at the end of an utterly memorable visit to the Russian Federation. Still not convinced that Putin is, on the whole, a good idea but a wee bit less anti than I was before I went. People wonderful, language interesting, sites and sights epic. We will go back.
First five days spent in Moscow, a short walk from the Kremlin. Even shorter walk on the first night to the Bolshoi Theatre where we had tickets for a chamber orchestra performance which was seriously stonking. Mrs M is still slightly besotted by the cello soloist in the third piece. To be fair, I was not totally unaffected by the third lady from the right in the Second Violins. She seemed to me to be a very nice girl.
The next morning we set off to visit my personal pick Moscow-wise. I know you all recall Bravo22 from the heady days of MyT and of the Chariot in its prime. His photos all seem to have vanished from the Chariot but I still remember being blown away by the ones of his visit to the ‘Quietly Flows the Don’ monument. I had to go.
It’s on the Boulevard Ring Walk just up the road from the Russian National Cathedral. When we arrived, Russian commuters were walking past it like it wasn’t there. It was a bit like what I do when I stroll down the Royal Mile or look up at Embra Castle from Princes Street.
OK, it ended up that I now have far more memorable memories of other parts of Moscow than said monument. Doesn’t alter the fact that I still miss so many former MyT/Charioteers who entertained us all in the Good Old Days.
And, I will always be grateful to Bravo for this particular heads-up.
John Mackie 