We had already sat down at our regular café for a nice latte and croissant when we realized what time it was. No time for mints! as my former boss would say in the frenzy of her annual Christmas shopping. So we leapt up and grabbed a quick donut and coffee-to-go at a Krispy Kreme nearby. Our hurry? Trying to get in line for tickets to the Armoury at the Kremlin which we missed yesterday. We arrived 30mins. early, just as the wicket opened, but it was still 35mins to get our tickets.
This is a shot of the outer wall of the Kremlin I didn't manage to get yesterday
The Armoury is really an OTT museum of imperialist Russia. We started in the Diamond Fund showroom which started with a display of handfuls and handfuls of uncut diamonds, progressed to cut stones of up to ??? carats, to the most absolutely jaw-dropping, gob-smacking, eye-bulgingly gorgeous tiaras, brooches, drop earrings I've ever seen. Most were fashioned in the last 100 years and so were imminently wearable! The center of the room had case after case of gold nuggets, ingots, bars, boulders - how boring!
After we went into the Armoury itself - a fascinating physical display of the wealth of the 1600-1800's. Jewel-encrusted gold platters, swords, snuffboxes, bibles, breastplates, chalices, harnesses. You name it, it was bedazzled. They had a whole room of incredibly painted and gold-leafed carriages given as gifts to Catherine the Great and Empress Elizabeth. Carriages which were the size of Hondas, with back wheels taller than me - how many dozen horses were needed to pull such behemoths? Cassocks and priest robes and coronation gowns from the 1700's. Thrones and chairs and intricate cradles made for a king. If you have the chance, go. Amazing.
Worn out from the splendor, and disheartened by the rain, Mom decided we needed to go back to the hotel to dine.
No complaints here!
Just a few more sights to cross off our Must See in Russia list so we hopped on the Metro to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. I had just completed an short art appreciation course on the French Impressionists, so we chose to visit the 19th & 20th C. European and American Art wing.
Such a dedicated art fan. Mom? Mom, where are you?
Fav pic - Van Gogh
Mom needing a drink after all that culture!
One last touristy thing on the agenda - a tour of the subway! No, wait, it's really cool. Almost every station is itself a work-of-art. Decorated in its own theme - generally militaristic or "isn't Russia grand" type of motif but really really cool. We hopped in & out of 9 before Mom started asking again about that drink!
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