Postcard from Moscow - 1-5 May 2008

I arrived at Terminal Five Heathrow early on 1 May and walked around to get my bearings. After taking a glass of juice in the Club Galleries I then made my way across to my Gate – via lift and monorail – and boarded my flight very promptly. We took off soon after 9am and I arrived in Moscow after a fairly painless flight, with plenty of champagne, just before 4pm.

On arrival I met up with my friend Sue Sheridan and the rest of the Welsh National Opera Group who had travelled on the BMI flight and we were driven by coach to our hotel, the Swissotel, together with our very Russian guide, Galina! After checking in to our splendid five star hotel and unpacking we joined the rest of the group for a Welcome Dinner.

The next morning was quite sunny and we set off reasonably early to visit the Novodevichy Convent, a truly amazing and picturesque place. We had a choral performance from the convent men’s choir and walked around the convent for an hour or so. After a rather rushed lunch we moved on to the Armoury Museum in the Kremlin and had a walk around the Kremlin before going back to our hotel for a quick shower and change into our ‘glad-rags’! Then we went to the Stanislavsky Theatre for an excellent performance of The Nutcracker, which finished around 9.30pm, after which we went back to our hotel and for some supper in our room plus a large drink or two!

On Saturday morning, we set out at 9.30am on a beautiful morning for Red Square where we spent an hour or so walking around this incredible place and listening to all the information from Galina, and of course seeing the amazing St Basil’s Cathedral and the famous wall of Red Square, which is surprisingly small. After that we visited the Tretyakov Gallery, where we walked around the galleries, and especially the Icon Gallery. We then had lunch there before driving off to the river to board a boat for a cruise along the Moskva for an hour or so. In the evening we went to the New Bolshoi Theatre [the old one is being repaired!] to see a wonderful performance of Swan Lake. A truly magnificent performance in a wonderful atmosphere.

The next morning, Sunday, we were off at 9.30 to visit the Kuskovo Estate, a sort of Russian Versailles in a very mini way! It was another glorious morning and we were able to enjoy walking around the Estate as well as through the gardens for a little way. After that we went back to Red Square and paid a visit to the famous Metro of Moscow – a quite amazing place full of stunning bronze figures. Sue and I then took ourselves off for an excellent lunch at the Bosco Café in GUM’s on Red Square. I enjoyed a Smoked Salmon Blini, Sue enjoyed a beef stroganoff and we both had a Vodka and tonic! All delicious! The weather was still fantastic as we walked around Moscow for a short time before boarding our bus back to the Hotel. Our final bit of culture was to return to the New Bolshoi Theatre for a performance of the opera, The Tsar’s Bride, which was really great with some very colourful costumes and great choruses. We were late back to the hotel, but then enjoyed a nightcap with some crisps before retiring.

The final morning we took it easy and boarded our bus for the airport at 12.30. I checked into the BA Lounge to indulge in some

smoked salmon blinis and Vodka tonics before boarding my flight at 5pm! I arrived back at T5 at LHR just before 6pm and was

back in my flat soon after 7 o'clock. A wonderful cultural weekend!