Explore More Issue 18

I discovered GUM, the renowned
Moscow department store, which
by the way, has an extensive food
hall to rival Harrods in London.
Our sightseeing route then took
us to the dazzling Cathedral of
Christ the Savior, from where we
crossed the nearby Patriarshy Bridge
to Bolotnaya
Square. The day
ended with a
fabulous Russian
music and dance
performance. We
were entertained with a selection of
classical and folk songs, played with
traditional instruments, and there
was lots of humour in the mix, too.
DAY THREE, MOSCOW:
Having two full days to explore
Moscow turned out to be one of
the best things about this cruise.
We had some free time in the
morning, so my friend and I took
the Russian equivalent of an Uber
(it’s called Yandex. Taxi in Russia, but
can be accessed via the Uber app)
into the city centre. We returned
to GUM so we could browse the
store in more depth, and were
treated to caviar and vodka tastings
as we manoeuvred among towers
of exotic Russian chocolate, local
cheeses and tea, and freshly baked
bread and cakes. We stopped for
lunch at Grand Café Zhivago, which
is situated inside Hotel National, an
elegant, although slightly faded,
old-style hotel. Before dining we
were treated to Samovar service
– small cups of Russian tea were
served with plates of sweet and
savoury pasties. This was followed
by a mouth-watering plate of
Crucian fried carp served in a dill
sauce with slivers of crispy fried
potatoes. A postprandial trip to the
Cosmonaut Museum then enabled
us to trace the history of Russia’s
space exploration, spanning from
the Sputnik era of the late 1950s
to today’s space programme.
As we passed forest-lined shores, the exciting
realisation set in that I was about to embark
on the next step of my Russian adventure
DAY FOUR, THE MOSCOW CANAL:
Today I found myself in the middle
of the Kremlin. The ancient fortress
dates back to the 12th century
and within its walls are stunning
cathedrals, ornate palaces and
museums. After our included
excursion, I took an optional tour
around the Kremlin Armory, which
houses a multitude of priceless
relics, including a collection of
Fabergé eggs once belonging to
tsars and tsarinas. The costume and
carriage exhibition was wonderful,
too, as was the huge collection
of silverware. We were back on
board Viking Akun in time for lunch
and, afterwards, we set sail along
the Moscow Canal, a man-made
waterway that links the Moskva
to the mighty Volga. As we passed
forest-lined shores where small
villages clung to the river banks, the
exciting realisation set in that I was
about to embark on the next step
of my Russian adventure.
DAY FIVE, UGLICH:
It was in Uglich that I had one of
the most immersive experiences
of the cruise. After a walking tour
around the town and its numerous
churches, we visited a Russian home
for tea, cakes and some homemade
hooch. After I had drank at least
two shots, our hostess, Valeriya,
proclaimed, via the translator,
‘please help yourself to more
moonshine’ – a request I will be
dining out on for years to come!
This home visit was very humbling.
Valeriya had baked cakes and
biscuits, and offered us salad freshly
picked from her garden, as well as
homemade gherkins and bread.
While we sipped tea, decanted
from a highly decorative enamel
samovar, she told us about her life.
After graduating from university,
she was ‘sent away’ thousands of
miles from her home, where she
worked until her recent retirement.
She showed us around her small
garden where she grows most of
her own vegetables, but sadly, we
didn’t get to see the still where
the moonshine was made!
DAY SIX, YAROSLAVL:
Today’s port of call was Yaroslavl,
one of Russia’s Golden Ring cities.
Our up-close
excursion in the
morning took us
to Assumption
Cathedral – the
most beautifully
decorated church of the voyage so
far. The interior walls and ceilings
were covered in exquisite murals,
frescoes and icons, which seemed
at odds with the very rustic looking
wooden pews. After our tour we
enjoyed some free time in the local
market and managed to grab a
This page, top
to bottom: Inside
GUM Department
Store; Assumption
Cathedral in the
Golden Ring city
of Yaroslavl
PHOTOS: © ISTOCK
58 VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK | WINTER 2019
056-063_EM18_KarenBoothRussia.indd 58 05/11/2019 11:08