At the village marketplace, we bought some locally handcrafted wooden Matryoshka nesting dolls for the granddaughters.
As usual, on the drive back to Moscow, traffic was a nightmare. We try to keep in mind that during the years of oppression, the people were not allowed to own personal automobiles. And with the end of the Soviet regime, car ownership has exploded. 8-9 lane roads (not freeways, mind you) in each direction through town with stop lights and cross street traffic do not provide enough capacity for the massive volume of cars. Unbelievable gridlock insanity!
Later we visited the Borodino Panorama Museum commemorating a 15 hour battle fought between Napoleon’s French troops and Russian soldiers which took place in August 1812 outside Moscow. The museum features an extraordinary 380-foot long circular painting by the Russian artist Franz Roubaud, depicting a particularly dramatic and crucial moment in the battle.
Then on to the Great Patriotic War (World War II) Memorial Museum. It was very interesting to see how another country views the history of WWII.
Ended the day at the pedestrian Arbat Street for dinner and shopping.
Diane and Linda did not eat at McDonaldov's
Ron spilled his 1st beer down the stairs
