April 30 In the morning we visited the Russian Arts and Crafts Center. It is a new and modern building in the middle of an industrial area. The center had a representative display of Russian arts such as the nesting Matruschko dolls (which are not traditional folk art at all but were created in the 1890s by a man at the request of his employer, a Russian toymaker, and modeled after Japanese nesting dolls), textiles, lacquered items, decorative samovars, straw ...

April 29 The morning began with a bright blue and sunny sky. After the usual hotel breakfast followed by the bus ride through central Moscow, we arrived near the entrance to the Kremlin and piled out of the bus. A line had already formed, so we joined it and slowly and patiently moved toward the entrance. I never really understood what the Kremlin is. I thought it was a big building that the Russian government conducted its affairs from. WRONG! 1. Firs...

April 28, 2013 Today I was more adventurous with breakfast and tried the pickled herring that sort of looked like a purple piece of cake, the marinated salmon, broiled tomatoes with cheese, and had granola with kefir. Coffee today was brewed, not out of the Nescafe machine that was out yesterday and much appreciated. Into the piece at 9:15 AM and off to the Tretyakov Gallery, a very large museum filled with art from Russian artists only. Tatiana presented an ...

April 27 The group day began with the hotel's buffet breakfast. I chose granola and yoghurt, orange juice, and coffee, but there were eggs. omelettes, mini pancakes, oatmeal, assorted fish and vegetables, I think. I just needed something trusted and comfortable. Then on to the bus to head for the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow's premier art gallery, to be there when it opened at 10. We parked across the street from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but...

April 26 Having a little trouble with the time change and finally fell into a deep sleep, when the trusty cell phone's alarm clock went off at 8 AM. Packed up my belongings and moved out to walk the few blocks to the Peking Hotel, my new home for the next few days, courtesy of Road Scholar. The Starbrite Diner, Moscow's only hamburger diner with 24 hour breakfasts was across the main road, Moscow's second ring road. So off for $8 pancakes and a $4 cup of coff...