Who: Pamela and Kerry Comstock and Karen Humphrey of Larkspur
Where: In front of Pokrovsky’s Cathedral in the middle of the famous Red Square in Moscow.
Best meal: After traveling through several regions of Russia where restaurants were far and few between, we were thrilled to see a steakhouse called Goodman’s in downtown Moscow. They serve traditional Russian dishes such as “goolash” and their steak plates were wonderful.
Best deal: This is a toss-up; we did experience small cafés (ask locals – you would never know what or where they are until told) throughout Russia, all being very inexpensive. The average cost of a lunch per person is less than $4, which includes chi, salad, soup, potatoes and some sort of meat. The other best deal was the tour guides while in Moscow. There is so much to see and no way to fully grasp and take everything in if you don’t get a Russian interpreter and tour guide. Strike a deal for several attractions with the same person; you’ll get a better price. We paid about $25 per person and saw all of Red Square, the Kremlin, Lenin’s Tomb, a fascinating building and collection called “the Arsenal,” the “Diamond and Gold Collection” and the Pushkin Museum. We also were given a history lesson on several of the tsars that occupied the buildings over the years.
Best time to go: Although we traveled in the middle of winter, we would recommend traveling June-August. Russian winter is beautiful but we would have traded a few minus-38-degree days for just one 70-degree day. Also, airfare is very inexpensive in the winter months.
Best travel tip: Russians regard pedestrians as a nuisance. Traffic is very heavy in Russia and Moscow in particular; when traveling from city to city or just to the airport, it may take longer than you think.
