Moscow: Sunday, September 30, 2018:

After breakfast we met the coach at 9.30am and visited the Memorial Park, which had fountains known as the Alley of Tears, and witnessed the changing of the guard at the eternal flame.

There was also a Holocaust Memorial which was quite a moving artwork a number of people as well as personal items left behind by the Jews during the Second World War.

At the Royal Radisson Ukraine Hotel there was an impressive diorama which depicted The Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral.

We also visited the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour where there were views of the Moscow skyline from the rooftop and we watched a church service inside before having lunch near the Kremlin.

We then visited The Kremlin which I was surprised to learn was mainly cathedrals rather than the seat of Government. We witnessed the changing of the guard at the entrance and I even had my photo taken next to one of the guards.

There was a yellow triangular building which we were reliably informed housed the offices of Putin. There was also the Tzar Cannon which was never fired and the impressive gold domes of he Church of Annunciation.

The Armoury was a museum which housed a very impressive collection including: a double throne, an English carriage which could not turn corners and even Peter the Great’s boots.

The evening meal consisted of beetroot and avocado, fried cheese, meat stew, and Napoleon cake – which was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his defeat.

Others went to a concert or to have a look around Red Square at night but I went back to hotel to get stuff sorted because we are heading to St Petersburg tomorrow. So I scouted were the nearest supermarket was which I will revisit before the trip starts tomorrow.

I later caught up with a few of my fellow travellers at the Tipsy pub and the hotel bar where we had the idea of setting up a Facebook group called Travel Department Travellers – if you have ever been on a Travel Department trip then you should ask to join.