From Russia With Two Weary People

We arrived home last night- July 12- at about 9:15 PM as two happy but weary travelers. 

We began the day at 7:00 AM in Moscow (which was 11:00 PM the night before in Bradenton) by having a delicious breakfast at our hotel. I continue be amazed by the wide variety of foods in international hotel breakfast buffets. At the Hotel Kempinski Baltschug there was lots of processed meat, pickled fish, fruit, juice- including a bright green apple juice-, cereals, wonderful breads and pastries, consumme, eggs cooked to order, bacon, sausage, coffee of all kinds plus hot tea of many varieties. People from all parts of the world do have different preferences for breakfast. 

We were interested the evening at Cafe Pushkin that the menu featured 25 different kinds of honey. Talk about discriminating tastes.

AND the US food you saw around was -naturally- McDonalds. 

The airport experience was just unreal. Our driver picked us up right on time and we raced through the countryside. Traffic was much less than it had been any of the other days. We were happily surprised to have been met at the airport by the young woman, Erika who met us in the first place. She got a cart for our bags and we followed her into the airport.

The airport was filled with people and not a single TV monitor did we see. She wheeled us right to the Delta line. Since we were flying Business Class our line was shorter BUT both lines fed into the same x-ray machine. Erika could go no farther. 

I took the three bags off the cart, put them though the machine along with my purse and the computer case with the computer. Next I loaded the three bags back on the cart and went to the station where all those bags had to be unloaded again, put on a counter and then were opened and searched thoroughly. Then I reloaded the three bags and we waited our turn for the Delta ticket counter where I unloaded the bags again and they got tagged. The strange thing after all this searching, the ticket agent asked that we be sure and not by any liquids from duty free shops or any other place. 

Then we began our long walk to find the Delta Lounge. The airport has no escalators or elevators to the lounge level and people were sleeping all over the floor and on the stairs. When we finally got to the lounge we were grateful for a spot to rest.

About an hour before our flight we decided to go downstairs, look for a t-shirt and get to the gate. Little did we know another long and complicated screening awaited. This line was for all people headed to gates 20 and 21, so we got in the line. This was the place where you took off shoes and sent shoes, purses, computer case with computer separate, and any other carry-ons through another x-ray. After that my purse and the computer case had to be searched by hand. So glad we didn't wait until they called the boarding time in the lounge.

We headed for the plane and found another long set of lines. There was no boarding by zones or Breezeway Boarding for  Business class folks. Everyone was in the double line which again fed together into one line for the final scanning of our boarding passes. Never was so glad to get to a plane in my life. 

Flight was great. Took off right on time- 12:55PM Moscow time and landed 4:35 Atlanta time. That represented 11 hours and 35 minutes of flying. We asked for a wheel chair-not knowing how long the walk might be nor how long the lines. Was a good thing because that enabled us to get through each spot with speed and ease. We think we may just carry Jim's sling and brace every time we travel.

Flight to Sarasota/Bradenton was out on time and got in early. Only bad thing was one of our bags didn't make it on that flight. But they called us as the luggage started coming out and told us so we knew to only wait for 2 of the bags. Got a taxi and got home quickly.

We fell into the bed- grateful to be home and also grateful to have been able to see so many wonderful things in our journey. The beautiful view outside our hotel window of St. Basil's cathedral with its colorful domes, one of the Kremlin towers, and the Cathedral of the Assumption where coronations are held will be in the "scrapbook of my mind" forever. We did learn that both London and Moscow are some of the most expensive cities in the world in which to live and visit. Inflation last year in Moscow was 15.5%.

For us from the first view of the smiling faces of Katherine, Michael, Ethan, Jack and Bill when we arrived in London; to the stunning and chilly landscape in Norway; and finally the amazingly beautiful architecture of Moscow; we once again feel so fortunate to have been, seen and returned safely home.