A few dribs and drabs about Moscow, i.e. stuff I forgot last night!

Up early and thinking of a few things I din't mention and photos I didn't include last night so here goes.

When crossing the streets in SPB, there were always sounds of chirping birds to let you know it was time to cross; it was the same in Tallinn too or was that in Helsinki or even Reykjavik? damned if I can remember but we heard it in one of those cities!
Here in Moscow, we've heard it a few times but not at every intersection by any means compared to SPB.
I'd mentioned before about the minimal police presence we saw in SPB; very different here in the capital but it would be the same, I know, in DC too for that matter.
Here there are police officers or, if not officers, people with batons and whistles everywhere; when we were walking in the massive Kremlin complex complete with huge buildings, gardens, a church etc, we "inadvertently" strayed off the crosswalk so I could take a photo in the middle of the almost barren street. Immediately, whistles were blown telling us in no uncertain terms to get back on the proverbial straight and narrow, i.e. the sidewalk toute de suite!
While I was watching the Changing of the Guard outside the Kremlin walls, Steven sat down on some granite on what seemed like a perfectly comfy and OK place to sit; 2 seconds later, a guard, not one standing at attention but dressed just like those that were, blew his whistle. Steven didn't know it was being directed at him so continued to sit on his duff; again the whistle blew, Steven looked up and saw the guard cupping his hand ever so gently in an unmistakable motion of "get up."
Steven had said for the months and months it took planning this trip how we needed very little time here in Moscow, that the city was so unbearably ugly, there was nothing to see, etc. I am sure I heard the spiel a good dozen or so times b/c he didn't want me disappointed after the beauty of SPB and of course I believed him. He had visited here for a few days in the winter with a tour group while teaching at the American school in Teheran some 40 years ago. He was the first to admit/state that the city is indeed way more beautiful than he recalled; it does not match the beauty of SPB but it does have a tremendous of charm and beauty all its own in my opinion at least. I was expecting nothing after all so have become enamored with what we've seen so far. Steven agrees that the winter weather, omnipresent gray skies and the residents' dour faces had something to do with is recollections; plus, we did see y'day on our marathon trek through much of the city some of the ugly concrete skyscrapers the city was infamous for and that Steven remembered so well from his past visit.

A few photos:

A dark and gloomy night at one of SPB's many train stations.

Getting ready to board the Red Arrow train on our first leg of the Trans Siberian journey to Moscow

Enjoying breakfast just before arriving on Moscow: our only meal included on the whole trip.

In iVan Hostel's common area with Aisa, one of the wonderful staff here; will be emailing each other to exchange recipes ,etc. The hostel was a super find: super clean, we have a large private room, decent sized shared kitchen with plenty of space in the fridge for our food, two of the three staff members could not be nicer. We can also check out by noon tomorrow but leave all our bags here and groceries in the fridge, come back to make and eat dinner and then hang out for our almost midnight train to Irkutsk, all at no extra charge - that convenience can't be beat.