Frankfurt Scenery

View of the "new" city from Sachsenhausen

Old City

Night Bridge

Alte Opern

The most adorable little boy looking into the Galleria Vitrine

There he is again, admiring a crystal cascade.

Protest in Frankfurt... um, yes, again.

Donut.

Hauptwache

My next spring dresses.

The Current, Basel Scene

What I found walking around Basel these past few days...

Awesome paper store in Basel (wanna go broke?)

Frank Gehry's local treat 

Nearby they're demolishing the old train station.

Some dudes over the Rhine ;)

Basel Herbstmesse - Autumn Fair

Yummy & warm!

The Church plays background to the Swings

The Ferris Wheel

Frank O.Gehry & Friends

Frank Gehry building (and others!!!) at the Novartis Campus, Basel

It felt like I was a miniature figurine walking in a model.

Ooooo!

Curvy!!
I've been told that hoarding is required around the perimeter of the building in winter because the ice shed can be dangerous!  Whoops! Did someone say design flaw? But I guess when you're this famous, it doesn't matter anymore...

Some tourists taking the unhappy loop-de-loop tour through the building.

Vase or 3 faces?

Love the colours! Love the human scale!

Tour guide and tourists.  I'll let you decide who's who.

Regulations...

I found some strange things about construction in Europe:
- Not a lot of hoarding most of the time;
- No warning signs or no "no trespassing" signs (if you break your leg too bad for you for being stupid enough to enter a construction zone) and
- NARROW lanes on the highway.  SERIOUSLY NARROW!!! The right lane is a whopping 2.2m wide while the fast (left) lane is 2m wide (rather, narrow).  Very freaky!!! My husband likes to go 100km/h in the 80km/h zone.  I think it should be 60km/h.

But the one I am going to write about is the crane zone.  In Canada, as far as I know and in my experience, loaded cranes do not sweep over non-construction zone.  In fact, I've rarely seen an unloaded crane sweep over the public.  Usually this area is hoarded off.  In Europe, nope... it's construction hoisting at any time, no matter who is wandering about ignorantly below.  Certainly things never drop on the unsuspecting!!?!

But just now, I witnessed the ultimate shocker! Just outside our apartment there were 2 men unloading an air conditioning unit from a truck.  I thought it was a bit odd seeing that these things usually go up on roofs.  The delivery truck left and the 2 men stood around for a while.  Then I heard a helicopter.  It nonchalantly dropped a cable to the men who hooked it onto the A/C unit in 15 seconds flat.  Then the helicopter flew off into the distance with said A/C unit swooshing along behind it.

I followed the helicopter around to the other side of our building where the A/C unit swung over the city and surely over many unsuspecting people.  Again, accidents never happen right?

Then as quickly as the chopper picked the unit up, they returned with just the cable for the same 2 men to disconnect.  To disconnect the cables the helicopter hovered over the ground for a mere 3 seconds.

Doing laps overhead...

So then I wondered.... How much does renting a helicopter for 30 minutes cost?  The whole thing can't have taken more than 5 minutes, but I suppose these things take longer as they prepare etc... And the trouble of coordinating this... was it easy?  Surely it was easier than renting a crane, organizing dates with TTC and hoisting an A/C unit over the Carlu in downtown Toronto in the snow on a stupid-early Saturday morning....???? Really!! We had to close the street down and get buses going along a street-car line which meant disconnecting overhead cables yadda-yadda-yadda....$$$$.... what a hassle!

Not to mention that our first attempt failed since the weather didn't cooperate.  I wonder if we could have choppered-in the units.  Probably not.  Oh well!

Air Raid!

We've been apartment hunting and recently I learned that all buildings have a bomb shelter for tenants to hide ~ if needed.  When I saw the giant doors I thought they were from an old bank safe or something.  But no.  Even new buildings are equipped with them.  They are often used as storage until such occasion should arise that a bomb shelter is needed.  Then you have 24 hours to remove all your junk from storage and move down into the bunkers yourselves.  Hummmm... old tradition, but still practiced.  If your building doesn't have a built-in bomb shelter, you are assigned one nearby. Hummmmm.

So Alex and I were playing in the apartment just now when suddenly I heard a siren that sounded like an air raid siren from the movies.  Then I thought: NO. It's just a fire alarm.  Then again: NO, that's for an air raid!!! A fire alarm would be sounding in the building and this is outside!!! FREAKY!!  So I quickly (stumbling the whole way) try to get my jeans on while mentally preparing what I need to bring for Alex and call E.

He said he thought he just heard something too (oh god, my worries are confirmed) but then the alarm stopped.  Okay, phew, false alarm whatever it was.  Then I remembered hearing an alarm once in France.  It was at noon on a Wednesday.  So I checked the time.  13:32 on Wed. Feb.1.  Okay, it's possible it was intentional after all.  And E assures me nobody is moving around at work.  So we hang up.

Again. It wails.

Is this for real!??!!! Freaky!!! So I called someone who has been helping us 'arrive' in Basel.  Yes, it was an air raid test. My gosh!  It's going again as I type!!! But now I know it's just a test that they do about 3 times a year on a Wednesday at 13:30.

What an unnerving thing.

Swiss Real Estate

We've been looking for our next home for several months now.

It all started as a bit of dream to finally get our French home.  Before arriving in Basel, we were already on the hunt for that perfect home (whilst laughing at the ridiculous nature (design/price) of the Swiss real-estate).

We were determined that all the reasons to live in France were good:
- good health care;
- good school and preschool system (and affordable);
- comparatively affordable housing (i.e. in-demand areas approximately 1/2 the price of the Swiss counterpart);
- possible lower taxes;
- earning CHF while spending in Euros (current economic factors);
- French way of living;
- French food & drink

Well, the things we didn't take into consideration were:
- taxes in an additional country;
- it's not easy to live in a country you're not earning in (tax wise & legal implications);
- social isolation of a village in France vs. excellent expat factor in a multi-national place like Basel;
- Basel is CONVENIENT;
- Once you're in the Swiss system, it flows smoothly.  Dividing yourself over countries essentially puts you at a loss in so many aspects important to us except maybe financially.

So then we toyed with the idea of purchasing in Switzerland. Cough cough ~ it's outrageous:
 - People price property how they want (not value since the economy is so stable) and wait and wait, and wait and wait. They don't care how long it takes to sell.  It has no bearing on value or state of (ill) repair;
- Downpayment can be prohibitively expensive (20% or more);
 - purchase is more of a long term life style choice rather than an investment;
- and the design of most places is.... well foreign to anything I know to be right and practical and good.

For example:
- 2 washrooms should not be placed right next to each other unless they service completely different areas.  The way we've often seen it laid out, you can pick a toilet when the time comes as they are right next to each other.  "Eeny-meeny-miny-mo" style. It seems that plumbing would be the only practical reason to put them near each other.  Then there is some other funny stuff:
- having bedrooms off the dining or living room seems... impractical much like having a bedroom off the kitchen... And if we're going to do an ensuite w/c, for pities sake, put the door to the w/c in the bedroom, not in the hall outside the room.  Otherwise, by definition, it is NOT an ensuite!
- front door into living room...
- bathroom with balcony...
I digress.

And like I mentioned before, people price how they want - if they feel sentimental about a kitchen they've had while raising their children 2 generations prior, so be it.  It's still going to cost you!  And it doesn't mean you get a good deal on the house, renovate and eventually recoup your investment.  Unless you're really lucky.

And since design is so random here that the chances are, you WILL need to renovate after paying full price for a shall I say... a shabby? house.

Once you've purchased and renovated your house to your liking you now have the privilege of paying real taxes on the imaginary rental income you would earn if you would rent the entire property out (even if you're living in it, paying your first mortgage* and have zero tenants to share your burden).

Lastly, since we're not Swiss we'd have to sell our property within a year if we left the country.  This is not necessarily easy if you want to recoup the purchase price (and remember, you're not likely to make a profit) especially selling "quickly" in a chilled-out market.

So, Switzerland, we've been deterred from ownership.  For now.

In conclusion, we're like everyone else looking and looking for that perfectly balanced rental.  A funny market in it's own right.  Like many rental markets there are quirks. You have to note though, that no matter how modern and cool an apartment is, design is still everything.  The new places are just as liable as an old place to be ugly or poorly laid out or simply poorly designed in its entirety.  Such a strange waste!  Note: there are some nicer gems - we simply can't afford it (or they're geographically inconvenient).

We have found a couple of places we like (weighing drawbacks against each other) and will probably make a decision soon.  Perhaps once we've been here for a while, after we get the lay of the land (Basel Land to be precise) we will consider purchase.   We'll see!

*Housing can be so expensive that in order to pay a reasonable monthly mortgage it's common to have a second mortgage and a "third pillar" an RRSP type investment.  It works, it's just different than we're used to.  Your mortgage is amortized over 25 years**.  You pay reasonable, regular payments and any surplus you have goes into the tax sheltered third pillar.  When you hit retirement age, you've paid your 1st mortgage and you can probably pay off your 2nd mortgage with the 3rd pillar investment.  So essentially, you are doubling-up your mortgage payments monthly and 50% is held in a tax sheltered investment.

**A good thing: When you negotiate your mortgage period (25 years) it stays at 25 years.  Interest rates can change or be renegotiated over time, but your amortization horizon won't change.  This means you don't pay as much interest as when constantly re-negotiating the amortization period of your mortgage as it's done in North America.  Thanks again Banks.

Gehry!

Okay, so I probably should have posted this one first out of respect for my home town.  Another Gehry Partners creation!

Here's a concept sketch of the new AGO in Toronto!  Enjoy!

Gehry!

E has a project in Basel, Switzerland and they have a new Gehry Partners building on their campus!



Check it out, it's pretty cool!

Barcelona in 5 days ~ May 2010

I must say that although I’ve been dreaming about going to Barcelona since about 1994, it has become a bit of a running personal joke at how impossible it has been to organize. There have been so many times that I’ve almost gone, most recently as a destination for Spring Fling 2010 with “The Gurlz” ~ abolished by the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. So when E announced his accumulated air-miles surprise was Barcelona, I was floored. Pretty much in disbelief. In fact, it only felt real once I entered Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and started drooling all over everything.

We had a wonderful time. We ate, slept, toured, ate, walked, explored, ate, met with some friends, ate…. It was really nice, easy and relaxing. We did a lot of stuff at a reasonable pace, and filled our time so richly and easily!

I did some exploring on my own while E worked, but had no problem navigating the metro system. Once I figured out that the entrance I go into matters, it was sorted out. The buses were pretty good too. I liked the system more than the Paris Metro, easily. But mostly, E and I toured together.

Gaudí*. There are not enough words to describe this man’s work. I was listening to a headset tour guide in Casa Milà (La Pedrera) that said Gaudí’s university professor “was not sure if he was giving an Architectural degree to a Genius** or to a Madman”. And as E described it, “Dalí was the mad man, Gaudí was the genius”. I totally agree. I took in as many of the subtle and not so subtle details of Gaudí’s work at Casa Milà, La Pedrera, Sagrada Família and Güell Park. No matter where I was, I felt so totally comfortable as an integral part of my surroundings and that I could always trust where I was, in such a way I have never felt before. It was natural. Oops, with one exception: atop the tower at Sagrada Familia (my virtigo = wobbly legs (a tragedy on stairs) and a desire for repeated mini-barfs as my guts dropped as if on a rollercoaster…). Ultimately, Gaudí’s work comforts and inspires me immensely; I couldn’t have imagined how happy I’d be while in his spaces. I am a fan through and through and I totally respect him and his work.

We toured so much! Around various city neighbourhoods (Barris Gràcia, Gòtic, La Ribera (walked along La Rambla), Montjuïc, Barceloneta, Port Olímpic and Port Vell). We gawked up the Monument to Christobal Colon, gazed at Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, visited the Barcelona Cathedral, saw a couple get married at Església de Santa Maria del Mar, toured around the Roman ruins, Hospital de la Santa Creu I de Sant Pau, inside the chambers of old City Hall, listened to the organ at Palau de la Música Catalana while taking in the beautiful ornate decor, explored Park de Montjuïc, peeked into various courtyards, the Olympic stadium, saw the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and of course, the modern Architecture and sculptures including Gehry’s*** fish sculpture at the beach.

We peeked into funky shops and restaurants, designer and rustic alike, and ate all over the place. We ate breakfast at Mercat de La Boqueria, had drinks near a decommissioned old market, had awesome Tapas in a couple of local Tapas bars; one of which was set in an old garage – minus the cars, motor oil and tools. We ate piles of desserts (fig and chocolate pie etc.) at a posh little boutique place (where I chatted with a woman in Portuguese) and gorged ourselves with the most delicious seafood paella ever in Barceloneta.

In summary, we had a wonderful time in a wonderful city. This trip was long overdue and I loved it immensely. I plan to continue this great adventure and explore beyond Barcelona next time!

*Gaudí: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD

**A definition of “Genius” that I agree with: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

***Gehry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry

Moscow ~ Day 4

It seems that the great melt down has come to Moscow. The weather is mild and overcast, everything is drippy and melting and there is drizzly rain. Locals are hard at work chipping away at dense ice to speed the melt down. My long johns have been put away until further notice.

We had a busy Sunday. We toured the Kremlin, it’s many small and beautiful cathedrals the Armory, it’s gorgeous Faberge eggs, Cathrine the Great’s golden embroidered gowns etc., the giant Tsar Cannon and 220 ton Bell (minus the 12 ton piece that broke off) and the rest of the fortified and heavily guarded property. We will have to visit the Diamond Fund next time as it was sold out. Truth be told, it was a full day even missing it.

I was surprised by how tiny the golden onion domed cathedrals were! I suppose they were meant to be very exclusive venue. One of them was so small that when exiting down the stairs, it almost tossed us out its tiny little door. No comments on our sins please… The frescos were bright and plastered all over the wall (pun intended). The gold work and iconostasis* was all very impressive.

After lunch at the entrance to the Kremlin near the Red Square, we analyzed the statue of Marshal Zhukov astride his horse raising his hand as a symbol of his defending the Kremlin. We looked, pondered, laughed, yes laughed, and debated. We decided Evgueni’s diagnosis was right: the horses’ legs are unnaturally straight and left it at that.



Following the great analysis, we passed under the Resurrection Gate to stroll through the Red Square. Having already been in the Red Square already a number of times didn’t bother me as I really enjoy the vibrant architecture, the atmosphere and the people. We took some photos of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Historical Museum, the wall graves and Lenin’s Mausoleum, the GUM façade etc. It’s pretty amazing how many locals are regularly spending time visiting cultural landmarks, museums and historical monuments. It made me very happy. The first time I noticed this interest in history and culture was a couple of years ago in St. Petersburg, however, having grown-up in North America, I’m not really used to seeing this “spectacle” and I was surprised again. I know this sounds terrible, but sadly, the “classic” upbringing is not nearly as popular in NA as it is in Europe or Russia – or Asia for that matter. Could it be simply a lack of cultural riches or the "melting pot"? I digress.

On the subject of analysis, I’ve got some other personal observations/discovery. Or perhaps this next section is simply a bit of a “moan”…

I experience challenges with constant travel. I am a creature of routine with sporadic bouts of spontaneity. A fall back routine always comforts and recharges me. Also, being alone isn’t a problem for designated periods of time, as long as I am doing something that can stimulate my brain and is pertinent to me. Having said all that, tourism isn’t always fun (especially alone) and in a country where I have no language skills it can be quite exhausting and difficult. I don’t expect sympathy as people often express “jealousy” for my life style. And knowing that at some point, I may look back longingly for this time in my life, although not always easy, I try to enjoy even the difficult times.

On a more positive note: I was happy to notice that my culture shock is not as pronounced as before. I believe I owe thanks to Germany where I’ve lived this past year. I’ll make a generalization here: Some places I’ve visited and locals I’ve encountered in Eastern Europe (Germany, Czech Republic and Russia) are quite abrupt and direct (in crowds (non-conversational interaction) and in casual communications). But this time, I quickly overlooked this stereotype and got straight to enjoying the local way of life embracing it much more than before.

Now exhausted and back at the hotel, we ended the evening by some seriously trashy TV. We watched a movie we borrowed from the hotel: “Meet the Fockers II”. It had me laughing hysterically and probably waking-up the neighbours. Suffice to day, I felt like I digested dinner properly before falling asleep.

* www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconostasis

Moscow ~ Day 3

We slept-in. How blissful! We started the day with brunch at one of our favourite chains “Le Pain Quotidien” ahhh! Yum! I love their Tartine but this time, had their quiche, fresh OJ and coffee. It was delicious!

We headed to the suburban part of Moscow to see the Stalin Pavilion buildings. In their day, they were surely glorious with their large, groomed grounds, the central golden fountain and the good Moscowvites in awe of them. They now stand, some more glorious than the others, a bit aged and neglected - but not abandoned since they now host an expansive eclectic market selling all sorts of things ranging from gardening supplies to Faberge egg key chains. I chose my favourite building and took a whack of photos. Nearby, we checked-out the Monument to the Conquerors of Space.

We headed back towards the centre. Even on a weekend, the Metro is packed. It is the only reliable way to get around as the street traffic is obscene and the gridlock is absurd. As I’ve mentioned before, the Russian Metro systems are amazing. They are an engineering feat, used as bunkers during the war and decorated rather elaborately for everyday use. There is only one real downfall; although I tried to find signage to orient myself, I struggled. So I chose to simply follow Evgueni around.

We headed to the Galchug Island near the centre of Moscow and saw a wedding party locking padlocks to the metal trees rooted in the Lovers’ pedestrian bridge.

We continued our walk along the river opposite to the Kremlin counting the golden onion domes on the cathedrals within the Kremlin. Towards the end of our walk we enjoyed Alexander Gardens, which runs along side the Kremlin, and saw a pack of stray dogs running up and down the hills whilst on the hunt for dinner.

Since Evgueni and I didn’t feel like running through the park like hungry dogs, we headed for traditional Russian food at a theme restaurant. The décor had us sitting on a river with a Watermill spilling water from its scoops. Surrounding the river, there were different levels of wooden house fronts with the balconies and patios for diners to eat, allowing us a piazza-like atmosphere while dining. The “piazza” was decorated with trees, vines and flowers. Also, there was a large stone oven in the middle of the restaurant like a traditional northern Russian chalet would have (I was told). Our meals were served in clay pots and on country house plates and tasted like home made. Everything matched the theme and we enjoyed the delicious food and decor equally.

Our aperitif was a thoroughly enjoyable pine nut vodka. We shared an entrée platter with delicious meat stuffed in sweet bread and an assortment of salted greens including: tomatoes, apples, pickles, cabbage, red pepper and something that had the texture of soft little twigs. Perhaps we were eating the décor?? Yum!

For my main, I had a savory beef stroganoff in sour cream sauce accompanied by Wonder berry juice. YUM again! After the main we shared two desserts: the cherry ravioli with cherry sauce and whipped cream and an apple strudel. I topped-out half way through the cherry ravioli. It was a fabulous dinner and the value for the money was matched. If we go back, I’d order the same thing ~ perhaps excluding the dessert.

We waddled home slowly. Evgueni found this to be too much exercise as he was practically carrying me home. During our slow stroll to the hotel we enjoyed the view and commotion of one of the main shopping streets at night. The weather was mild. In combination with our waddle, we were simultaneously dodging aggressive sidewalk-slush-removal-trucks in front of us, and streaming water from eaves troughs overhead. Could this be spring in Moscow?

Moscow ~ Day 2

We awoke dreadfully early to go out for breakfast together at a local café. I ate some pancakes with jam accompanied by delicious fresh orange juice and super-strong coffee.

I was exhausted. E and I parted ways, him to work and me, back to the hotel for a luxurious 1 hour nap as I didn’t think the coffee had any chance in keeping me awake for the next 15 hours. I woke up feeling rested but chilled, so I climbed into my trusty long johns to restart the day. It had started snowing during my nap and I knew the weather must be warmer than before. I hoped the long johns were a smart idea as I’d planned to be indoors most of the day.

Having recharged, I walked a couple of kilometers to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. I knew I had found it when I spotted a line-up that went about 300 meters from the entrance. I skeptically joined the back of the line and was instantly glad for my long johns. Shortly after arriving, I was no longer the last in line (phew) when woman spoke to me in Russian. We understood each other’s misery and hunkered down for the wait.

The snow began to fall as if it was pouring rain. For the first 20 minutes the line only shortened when people gave-up and left. 45 minutes later, I was in the home stretch. However, now I could see all the budding that was going on at the front of the line. I really don’t know why other people let this happen, but I believe Evgueni is right: “First and foremost, people care only for themselves”. His theory was proved to me twice over as I saw that people kept budders behind them by pressing more tightly into the crowd and keeping their elbows sharp. I found this quiet revenge comforting and the tightening crowd was fine with me as my long johns could only do so much at this point.

An hour after arriving, I was finally past the main gate. I felt comforted again as the group that I was let in with uniformly and simultaneously began a funny dance of stomping snowy feet, wiggling bodies, dusting-off accumulated snow and dashing for the ticket booth. I was not alone! Ahh, my frozen comrades!

The museum was great. I took it all in blissfully and calmly. It was comprehensive and wonderful.

A special Picasso exhibit was featured throughout a 3^rd of the museum and I relished in his artistic evolution. There were sketches and paintings depicting Picasso’s various epochs, wooden, plaster and assorted metal sculptures and even a film. Eventually, I realized I was starving and grabbed a cheap and tasty lunch. I then continued absorbing the Ancient Greek and Egyptian sections of the museum.

Before I knew it, most of the day had passed and I had yet to go to the neighbouring Museum containing private art collections. I needed to get a healthy dose of my favourite Impressionist artists!

I wandered around some small side streets for about 15 minutes only to find that the museum I was looking for was right next-door to the first. Having thought that the ticked I bought included this museum as well as some others; I had a minor “altercation” with an angry old lady at the museum before I was charged for a new ticket. Rather indifferent to the interaction, I excitedly charged into the museum. I found what I was looking for: A wonderful dose of Renoir, Monet, Chagall, Rodin and many other artists. I fell in love with some of Renoir’s paintings all over again. The colours, the intimate personal touch he has… ahhh!!! And Rodin ~ to show such purity, soft, gentle and loving emotion in STONE is truly a talent. What an emotional experience!

I walked home enthusiastically and energized. I took in the crowd of people heading home from work for the weekend. The city was now warmer and had a fresh, clean coat of snow. The 8 lanes of traffic chaos was a minimal background muffle and the streetlights shone on glistening snow as it fell.

Evgueni and I went to a chain Restaurant we’ve been to before in St. Petersburg. This place is called “Elki Palki” which literally translates to “Pines sticks” or the equivalent of the English expressions “Fiddle Sticks” or “nuts”, or “darn it”. I had borsch, mashed potatoes and rice with carrots. To drink we had traditional Wonder berry juice. Yum!!

On the way home we stopped in a magnificent market. It is similar the Bon Marché in Paris. And to give you an idea of it’s beauty, it belongs to the Elysée brothers. The décor was extravagant and more like an opera house with enormous glorious chandeliers, colourful walls with gold leaf treatments and scalloped columns rising up about 12-meters to an ornately decorated ceiling. We splurged and bought some treats and bread and cheese for Sunday’s breakfast.

Moscow ~ Day 1

Moscow.  I froze my butt off the moment I arrived.  But the sky was deep blue and big.  The big sky is one of my favourite things about Russia.

Arriving at the airport I made it 6^th in line for passport control.  Knowing about chronic line situation in Russia, I was very proud of myself.  There were 2 officers for my line and I was ecstatic.  Guaranteed efficiency!  However, I shouldn’t have patted myself on the back so soon because somehow, when I arrived one officer went on break.  Shortly after, the 2 people directly ahead of me slowed things down considerably. 

The line next to me processed 18 people for the time it took the 2 in front of me.  That doesn’t include the 2 people who felt more entitled than the rest of us and budded in front the 2 people in front of me with a “question” for the passport officer.  So I waited… 

Having been tied up so long with passport control, within 60 seconds of being processed, my luggage jumped off the belt into my hands and I passed through customs to the greeting gallery.  There was a mob.  Somehow, I managed to avoid the persistent taxi offers and was found by Evgueni shortly after.  It was wonderful for him to meet me at the airport!  We ran and caught the train he had arrived in for our commute to the Moscow city centre.

Evgueni had to run back to work (starved since he picked me up while on his lunch break ~ poor guy)! So I was left to begin my adventure.

We are really lucky to be staying in a central hotel so, a-pied, I navigated easily to the Red Square.   The Red Square runs along the length of one side of the Kremlin.  And yes, it really is red with old red brick buildings surround it.  As I approached, I saw people, souvenir stands and buskers crowding the entry.  In front of the gate I found the polished spot demarking the centre of Moscow, from where all points are measured.  Here, people make wishes and throw coins over their shoulders for good luck.  Almost instantaneously, homeless people pick-up the larger denomination that fall. 

To enter the Red Square I passed under the “Resurrection Gate” which was rebuilt in 1995 after Stalin demolished it to allow his troops to enter the square more easily. 

Once passing the gate the square opens up with a museum to the right and a small cathedral where the Tzars prayed before entering the Kremlin to the left.  Further in and to the left sits elegantly the gigantic GUM shopping centre.  The central square is a vast open space in scattered with people walking and looking about.  To the right lie graves of Soviet heroes and the Lenin Mausoleum. 

Straight ahead I saw the famous St. Basil’s Cathedral in its bright glory.  It was beautiful, monumental and colourful while cast against the crisp blue sky.  On the down side, with the crisp blue sky comes the bitter cold.  The square was mostly free of tourists and locals.  So it was me, some professional photographers and a handful of other hardcore people wandering about snapping photos.  Within 2 hours my fingers were falling off and my bum was long gone ~ some place near the entrance gate I think.

To regrow my disembodied fingers I walked back through the GUM.  I snapped some photos of the spring scenes and beautiful architecture inside the shopping centre.

Having thawed a bit, I ventured back outside to the large piazza at Alexander Gardens to take in the Red Square and central Moscow from a new vantage point.  I watched the chaos of rush-hour traffic for a bit and watched some areas I would like to explore another day.  Just as I began to head back to the warm hotel I saw some love birds keeping warm ~ so I stole a photo of their romantic moment. 

The first time I was in Russia I visited St. Petersburg.  So being in Moscow now, I am amazed once again by the beautiful architecture and opulence all around and the stark contrast of the (apparent) income of many of the people.  Strictly judging by appearances I drew some conclusions: Like in many cities, a few people are well off while many are quite poor.  But from what I see, the well off are extremely so, and seem to be prolific in the city centre.  Also, observing the types of cars in Moscow (either speeding past or quadruple parked), it seems to have more of a middle class than St. Petersburg. 

Like in other wintery cities, springtime is a good time for a cleansing.  The dirty snow melts away and leaves behind everything that accumulated over the long winter.  Moscow is no exception.  Moscow is a bit dirtier than most cities though because strict regulations on car exhaust are lacking. The leaded exhaust sticks to the colourful buildings and everything else.  However, I witnessed a quick fix to this problem: in front of landmarks, posh hotels and department stores employees turn large icy snow piles upside down (shovel full by shovel full) to reveal the less dirty snow beneath. 

Even in the midst of the fast-pace life and late winter mess, lie wonderful cultural marvels: people dress to impress no mater how cold they probably are.  I've seen panty hose with miniskirts under spring jackets.  No hats or scarves but with faces pale as ghosts.  I've must admit, they DO look good!  

That night Evgueni and I went out for a nice dinner. The atmosphere was great and the décor and music was welcoming.  Unfortunately, we rediscovered smoking sections and had extremely slow service.  The grilled veal I ordered was unrecognizable when it came and it was probably an over done piece of pork but my pumpkin and side of grilled veggies were delicious.  To summarize, the price was exorbitant for the quality of the food. We took this on as a challenge and became determined to find more value for our money.

We arrived at the hotel very late and completely exhausted after a busy day.

Bolivian Pyramid Update

A UNESCO Heritage site we visited on our tour just outside La Paz, Bolivia is under criticism for inaccurate/inappropriate restoration. It was a nice site to visit. But it isn't only the site that was inaccurate! For the tour, our guide was TERRIBLE!! She made-up curious stories as she took us along and meanwhile, we knew so much more (accurate) history about it than her. The stories were amusing though, and the inaccuracies and her persistence was hilarious! Some friends travelling with us, were literally rolling on the floor (ground) laughing their ass's off! I even have a hilarious photo of the incident! The tour was what we made it and hence, was a lot of fun!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8317483.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/bolivia/6388640/Ancient-Bolivian-pyramid-could-lose-heritage-status-after-repairs.html

Just in case you can't open the links (or it expires..) here's the second link:

By Tom Leonard in New York ~ Published: 7:00AM BST 21 Oct 2009

Ancient Bolivian pyramid 'could lose heritage status' after repairs

An ancient South American pyramid may lose its status as a UN World Heritage Site and even collapse after it was spruced up to "make it more attractive to tourists".

In a makeover of the 59-ft high Akapana pyramid in Bolivia that an expert has described as archaeologically disastrous, the structure was rebuilt with abobe instead of the original stone.

The weight of the adobe – a mixture of sand, clay, water and sticks or straw – is now making the lower decks of the edifice tilt and could even cause it to collapse, said the architect in charge of excavations.

Jose Luis Paz, an archaeologist who was appointed in June to assess damage to the site, said the state National Archaeology Union, or UNAR, was hired by the local town of Tiwanaku to make the pyramid look more like a pyramid.

One of the largest structures in South America, it looks more like a large hill than a pyramid – a consequence, say experts, of centuries of looting, quarrying of its stone and wind erosion.

Mr Paz said the town, which manages the site, wanted the pyramid to be "more attractive to tourists".

"They decided to go freehand with the design. There are no studies showing that the walls really looked like this," Mr Paz said. It should have been clear from looking at the site that the original structure was made from stone, he added.

Worse, he warned that the lower decks were slightly tilted because of the extra weight of the adobe walls, which could lead to the pyramid's collapse.

Sitting on the shores of Lake Titicaca 40 miles north of La Paz, the Bolivian capital, the pyramid once formed the spiritual core of the Tiwanaku civilisation.

The city-state, which predated the Incas, spread through Bolivia and parts of Peru, Argentina and Chile between 1500BC and 1200AD.

The pyramid is believed to date from 300AD to 700AD.

The local town may have been goaded into giving the pyramid a makeover by international guide books, which have been complaining for some years that it is a rather unimpressive sight.

The site gets thousands of visitors a year, each paying an entry fee of $10 (£6).

Pablo Groux, the Bolivian culture minister, dismissed some of the criticism and said the renovation was long overdue.

"The UNAR has restored the original form the pyramid had. If we look at pictures from five years ago, there was just a hill there," he said.

"What we can see now is something close to what the construction originally looked like."

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO, is due to visit Tiwanaku soon.

It could remove Akapana from its list of World Heritage Sites if it considers it has been excessively altered.

In 2000, UNESCO decided that Tiwanaku deserved to be on the list because its ruins "bear striking witness to the power of the empire that played a leading role in the development of the Andean pre-Hispanic civilisation".