It was a Dark and Rainy Morning.....

....when we visited the Russian Museum. The RM is where Russian art is displayed, as opposed to the Hermitage, where all the other stuff is. The RM is also, I think, a lot more doable with children. It's smaller and less overwhelming, and the paintings were more story-like and easy for the kids to enjoy. There were less stairways, too.

This painting of Pompeii was enormous, bigger than my living room wall back home. On the opposite wall there was one just as big of a raging ocean and a sinking ship, with a distinct smell of oil paint overall.

The six oldest D children with very sweet smiles. For Trip 2(Friday-Tuesday) the D parents are taking Baby O, Miss T(the oldest) and Mr. C, who is a very sweet six year old. That leaves five children to two nannies and three evening helpers. So, if Nanny 2 and Mr. A can keep their competitive debate to a reasonable level and Grandma's health stays stable I think we should do alright on our last days here.

I enjoyed the museum's folk art section, even though most of it was not very old. There were traditional outfits, enormous sections of bobbin lace, and clever carved wood toys that the kids really liked.

This is Pushkin. He was a famous Russian poet who died rather foolishly, shot through the spleen in a duel. We finished off the day and our feet(or are my feet only ones that feel like they've been through the inquisition at the end of the day?) by visiting the market again. The outdoor market has all types of matryoshka dolls, hand-painted and carved ornaments and traditional scarves for outrageous prices that one must wrestle down to reason. Having purchased my obligatory matryoshka, I hope I've conquered the market here. It's funny, whenever we go out we see the stretch Hummers and limo with bridal parties out taking pictures and the cheesy costumed people(POLYESTER!) dressed as Peter the Great and Catherine. They need makeovers.