Zuiderdam MegaVoyage 2018-2019, Moscow, Russia, Part 1 of 2

Today was the big day I’ve been waiting for since last summer….  I finally will get to visit Moscow, the Kremlin and Red Square! We had an early morning departure from the ship with a transfer to the rail station in St Petersburg.  The first sight to behold was the ceiling of the train station, just beautiful!  I was able to get some photos at the train station, primed for Moscow... We boarded the high speed Sapsan train...3½ hours later, with speeds up to 243 kilometers we were in Moscow, the capital of Russia. We made it to the gate of the Red Square but due to some type of threat we were evacuated and not able to visit the Red Square and the Gum Store at that time. This was certainly outside the control of the tour operators but, their response was less than impressive…  Our program was adjusted and we walked to the Metropol Hotel and the drove to the Church of Christ our Savior. We slogged along basically killing time (in my opinion).  Next, we went to the Kremlin, a fortified complex containing five palaces, four cathedrals and the office of Mr. Putin, the President of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin was constructed in the 12th century, originally intended to be a fortress. Nowadays, Cathedral Square is the focal point of the extensive grounds and showcases magnificent architecture from the 15th century...we visited the Domitian Cathedral Kremlin. The Red Square opened up and we walked from the Kremlin to Moscow’s most famous landmark. This enormous open space is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is anchored by the Kremlin Towers and the beautiful and colorful domes of 16th century St Basil's Cathedral. Red Square separates the Kremlin from the city, and has evolved over many centuries from a marketplace to a major hub of Russian history and power.... We only had 15 minutes to take in the vast expanse of Red Square’s landmarks and statues, including Lenin's tomb. We had some shopping time and returned to the ship close to midnight…..  I was totally unimpressed with this tour, certainly not the best effort for the money we paid….  Sad