10 May 2026
09 May 2026
REPOST May 9 - Moscow
Original - May 9 2011
Reposted - May 9 2018
Reposted - May 9 2020
Reposted - May 9 2018
Reposted - May 9 2020
Reposted - May 9 2026
May 2011 - Moscow Russia
Finally I can post about our amazing trip to Russia. We didn't have internet access most of the time while we were on the river cruise.
We had planned to have breakfast and then head down to Red Square, however, around 7 am we woke to a rumble and after a quick look out of our window we saw all the military equipment driving to Red Square. Now we understood why the desk clerk suggested we take a street view window and if it was too noisy we could change our room today.
Tverskaya street in front of our hotel was closed down around 5 am and the barricades were erected in preparation for the Victory Day parade.
Victory Day
Finally I can post about our amazing trip to Russia. We didn't have internet access most of the time while we were on the river cruise.
We had planned to have breakfast and then head down to Red Square, however, around 7 am we woke to a rumble and after a quick look out of our window we saw all the military equipment driving to Red Square. Now we understood why the desk clerk suggested we take a street view window and if it was too noisy we could change our room today.
Tverskaya street in front of our hotel was closed down around 5 am and the barricades were erected in preparation for the Victory Day parade.
Victory Day
is a holiday that commemorates the surrender of Germany in 1945. It was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (after midnight, thus on 9 May Moscow Time). The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin. Though the official inauguration occurred in 1945 the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in certain Soviet republics.
We watched this amazing display of war equipment and then went for breakfast, which was an elaborate buffet with extremely good coffee and service.
We decided to watch the parade from our balcony and also had the TV tuned to live coverage of Red Square. The precision of the marching was so disciplined.
It turned out that the Red Square was off limits to the public and reserved for politicians.
The sun is coming out as they empty out of Red Square as the tanks begin their parade back up Tverskaya right below us. The soldiers did not parade which was disappointing.
The people were out in hordes on the street below us.
The entire area around the Square was wrapped in a security blanket and the entrances were through metal detectors and your bags were subject to inspection. Once within the secured areas there were military and security everywhere.
We wandered and saw the Bolshoi Theatre, old KBG headquarters and many other historical buildings outside the Red Square. We happened upon a courtyard full of sculptures and stopped for some photos.
Across the street was the monastery of Saint Peter which contains 6 churches varying from the 15th to 17th century. The monastery was founded by Ivan I. It was rebuilt in the late 17th century with sponsorship from the Naryshkin family, relatives of Peter the Great. Its six churches include the church of the Metropolitan Peter after which the monastery is named.
As we got closer to the Square we debated going in due to the crowds. The soldiers were a human barricade to control the flow of human traffic. It was fairly orderly as they kept a close eye on the crowds and we passed through another metal detector and entered the Square . It was definitely a highlight to be in the Square on a holiday such as this. All the seating and scaffolding was still place from this morning's parade. People were lining up to put flowers on the Unknown Soldier's grave which the guard stood to attention not moving a muscle.
The old soldiers that were in Red Square for the ceremony are now walking around in uniform and being presented with flowers from young and old and getting their photos taken.
We wandered around the square looking in astonishment at the ornate buildings. St Basil's Church is definitely the star attraction along with GUM department store. It was the perfect time of day for photos .
We stepped into the Kazan Cathedral which is a replica of an original demolished in 1936. Its predecessor was consecrated in 1637 and housed the icon of the Kazan Virgin. The current icon is a copy as the original was stolen in 1904. Old babushkas keep a steely eye upon the visitors.
There were many shows taking place on various stages around the area.
We left around 7pm and strolled back to the hotel, some of the streets were now opened to traffic beyond the security perimeters.
We certainly walked our butts off today according to our pedometer! 13.74 km or 8.5 miles!!
We decided to have dinner in the lobby bar around 9 pm in the hotel. We had our first vodka in Russia, Russian Premium, as we felt we had to try it. Dinner was from the appetizer menu and was more than substantial and delicious. I had the salmon salad with caviar, salmon caviar as it was orange in colour.
We watched this amazing display of war equipment and then went for breakfast, which was an elaborate buffet with extremely good coffee and service.
We decided to watch the parade from our balcony and also had the TV tuned to live coverage of Red Square. The precision of the marching was so disciplined.
It turned out that the Red Square was off limits to the public and reserved for politicians.
The sun is coming out as they empty out of Red Square as the tanks begin their parade back up Tverskaya right below us. The soldiers did not parade which was disappointing.
The people were out in hordes on the street below us.
At noon we headed down the street along with hordes of holidaying Moscovites. All the streets around us are closed off to traffic to accommodate the volume. There is a party atmosphere everywhere.
There's always souvenir sellers!
The entire area around the Square was wrapped in a security blanket and the entrances were through metal detectors and your bags were subject to inspection. Once within the secured areas there were military and security everywhere.
We wandered and saw the Bolshoi Theatre, old KBG headquarters and many other historical buildings outside the Red Square. We happened upon a courtyard full of sculptures and stopped for some photos.
Across the street was the monastery of Saint Peter which contains 6 churches varying from the 15th to 17th century. The monastery was founded by Ivan I. It was rebuilt in the late 17th century with sponsorship from the Naryshkin family, relatives of Peter the Great. Its six churches include the church of the Metropolitan Peter after which the monastery is named.
As we got closer to the Square we debated going in due to the crowds. The soldiers were a human barricade to control the flow of human traffic. It was fairly orderly as they kept a close eye on the crowds and we passed through another metal detector and entered the Square . It was definitely a highlight to be in the Square on a holiday such as this. All the seating and scaffolding was still place from this morning's parade. People were lining up to put flowers on the Unknown Soldier's grave which the guard stood to attention not moving a muscle.
The old soldiers that were in Red Square for the ceremony are now walking around in uniform and being presented with flowers from young and old and getting their photos taken.
We wandered around the square looking in astonishment at the ornate buildings. St Basil's Church is definitely the star attraction along with GUM department store. It was the perfect time of day for photos .
We stepped into the Kazan Cathedral which is a replica of an original demolished in 1936. Its predecessor was consecrated in 1637 and housed the icon of the Kazan Virgin. The current icon is a copy as the original was stolen in 1904. Old babushkas keep a steely eye upon the visitors.
There were many shows taking place on various stages around the area.
We left around 7pm and strolled back to the hotel, some of the streets were now opened to traffic beyond the security perimeters.
We certainly walked our butts off today according to our pedometer! 13.74 km or 8.5 miles!!
We decided to have dinner in the lobby bar around 9 pm in the hotel. We had our first vodka in Russia, Russian Premium, as we felt we had to try it. Dinner was from the appetizer menu and was more than substantial and delicious. I had the salmon salad with caviar, salmon caviar as it was orange in colour.
Huong Mai Coffee
SATURDAY
We spent the morning as we usually do, breakfasts, coffees, reading, watching hockey, before heading out to lunch and the theatre. We took the 66 bus to the subway over to Yonge and Bloor, 15 on the bus to Old Mill Station and then 30 minutes to Bloor and Yonge.
We had spotted an Asian place the other day that we thought we would try.
John's pork dumplings were delicious.
I had the rainbow dumplings and enjoyed all the colours.
These lamb skewers were very good, we agreed that they were better than the ones we had in Phuket in December.
We took a stroll over to BMT, (now called Manulife Centre, but it was BMT when we worked there in the early 90s).
Yeah, it was a miserable day to be out.
WOW WOW WOW This was actually a docu-concert. An all Canadian show,
Mike Ross and an incredible band of Island musicians are making headlines in Toronto and around the world with their docu-concert, Inside American Pie, which started at Harmony House in beautiful Hunter River, PEI. This show creatively unpacks the stories from Don McLean’s hit song and takes audiences on a musical journey from the 50s through the 60s.
VIDEO here is just a taste, I plan on doing an in-depth post.
Coming home we walked down Yonge to Richmond (for the Queen St. streetcar, due to the ongoing Metrolinx construction) home. Obviously there was a delay on the 501 streetcar. We walked to the Sheraton for a bathroom stop and it was packed! They were obviously a registration stop for tomorrow's marathon as well.
As we stepped an Out of Service streetcar went by and then a very full one arrived that we boarded.
I forgot to mention that I HAD to buy these, the other day, at Winner's. When we used to travel in the States we loved picking up Goo Goo Clusters (2024)! 2025 MENTION.
SUNDAY
DAY OF LEISURE PLAY DATE DOWN TIME SUNDAY FUNDAY COUCH POTATO VIBES
We slept in until 8:30, not like us. I made French toast for lunch. I prepared our pot roast in the slow cooker for dinner. Then I spent a lot of time writing a Inside American Pie post, link below.
MONDAY
Monday Mural - Billy Bishop Airport
Tom reminded me of Monahans TX, where we stayed last year, in his Monday Mural.
Debra, She Who Seeks, posted Leonard Cohen mural in Montreal.
Foto Tunes - Inside American Pie
I fed John a good breakfast as he was headed out to his annual golf game at Wooden Sticks with a friend, this includes dinner. This was also his first golf game this season as he was rained out last week. It was the best day of the week for gorgeous weather, it went down hill from there.
I was on a mission, first stop passport pictures. I have 11 months on my passport so I needed two paper photos as I must apply in person. I don't want to get to the fall and decide we're going somewhere and have less than 6 months left.
Then I took a shirt and the pants I bought in Vietnam for hemming, it cost me more than the pants did!!
I posted in June 2025 about that yellow building being incorporated into a condo. In that post I included photos of the building in 2011 and 2018!
This is part of the new metrolinx transit line, under construction. I thought, what a weird way and place to build a station!! So I looked it up!
This large white structure located at Victoria Street and Queen Street in Toronto is a temporary acoustic shelter designed to dampen noise and dust during construction.
It is part of the Ontario Line subway project, specifically constructed to protect nearby operations at St. Michael's Hospital from excavation noise.
Inside this shelter, massive industrial elevators are used to lower tunneling equipment and machinery underground.
Even the cows were enjoying this gorgeous day!
When I got home, I started going through "stuff" in my trunk, mainly photos and these. The videos and tapes went into the garbage as did other bits and pieces that nobody would be interested in.
I got rid of any duplicates as well.
I found this stamp on a letter from a couple we had met, years ago. The letter went into the garbage.
I found a note from 1968, from my mother, telling me to put my dishes away!!
TUESDAY
Tuesday Treasures - Billy Bishop Airport
I worked on some blog posts.
Then we decided to get off our butts, and go out for lunch, even though it was not a great looking day.
Yonge and Wellington.
First stop was for covid shots, however, after a chat with the pharmacist, we decided to wait until September when a vaccine for the new variant will be available. Although there is a booster available at the moment, if we took that we would not be eligible in four months' time for the new one.
So, that out of the way, we picked up a few items for dinner as it is Cinco de Mayo!
Then we took the subway from St. Andrew's to St. George and then walked onto the campus at U of T.
Outside St. George station. It was only later, as I read Tom's (Tom The Backroads Traveller) post that I realized I had taken a photo of the construction of the Wood Tower. I had no idea what was building built in the background and hadn't heard about the Wood Tower!
Various buildings on the campus. I have done many posts on the University of Toronto, click on University of Toronto, in the labels/tags below this post.
We've seen the cherry blossoms many times around Toronto, but we always love seeing them at Robarts Library.
They weren't at their best, it has been very windy.
The glass extension was under construction the last time we were here.
There are 1,200 individual and group study spaces located in the Robarts Common. Many seating configurations are available, all with power outlets close at hand.
Connections from the main Robarts Library building to the Common are:
2nd floor: Food Court, by the south end of Starbucks
3rd floor: Through the Media Commons
4th floor: Through the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation
5th floor: Through the Map & Data Library (temporarily closed due to construction)
We wanted lunch, and on the spur of the moment I led us into here. Local, non-chain, in the middle of the U of T campus, on Harbord.
I wanted to try a Japanese hot dog, and ordered the first combo I could see.
Thanks, John!
I had no idea what this was, a part of the combo, but I'm always game.
Tteokbokki is one of the most popular Korean street foods in Korea. Among other things, today’s recipe is made with Korean rice cakes, Korean fish cakes, Korean soup stock / dashi stock and gochujang (Korean chili paste)!
Sorry, no fans here!
John had a Japanese chicken katsu curry, which was delicious.
As we strolled along Harbord, we talked about the various places we remembered.
And the great ice cream place is now a sushi restaurant.
I had posted about the Rock Shop being for sale, a while ago, it still is.
I had posted about the Rock Shop being for sale, a while ago, it still is.
There will be some Monday Mural and Signs posts in the near future.
U of T Graduate building
John made cappuccinos when we got home.
Picked up at the bakery, I threw out the expired jam we had in the fridge! This blueberry pastry was two breakfasts for me, it was gigantic.
I completed The 2026 Canadian census is the next scheduled detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Scheduled to occur on May 4, 2026, it follows the 2021 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 36,991,981.
WEDNESDAY
We spent the morning at home and headed out at 11:20 for lunch and theatre.
We didn't know what we wanted for lunch, Indian curry buffet or hamburgers at the new place on KIng? Figured we'd wing it. It was cold out so we went underground and ended up in the Simcoe Place food court. After looking at Greek, Asian, Jamaican, Burger King, Subway, we settled on Indian.
Neither of us thought it was great, other than being hot (spicy) there wasn't much flavour in the sauces. John had chicken vindaloo and I had lamb.
Time to kill, so we strolled through the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) looking at their exhibits.
They were setting up for The 2026 Canada Media Fund Kids' Choice Award May 6, 2026, as part of the Canadian Screen Awards programming.
Schitt's Creek!
Our destination! Not my photo.
A Beautiful Noise is a jukebox musical highlighting Neil Diamond's life and career, featuring hits like "Sweet Caroline" and "Forever in Blue Jeans" that was developed in collaboration with Neil Diamond.
It was so good, so good, so good!
The musical focuses on a doctor (psychiatrist) helping an older Neil Diamond reflect on his life and music, charting his rise from a Brooklyn kid to a global superstar.
These sessions trigger a series of memories, with Neil–Now (Robert Westernberg) and the Doctor seated in leather armchairs, watching a younger version of Neil, (“Neil–Then,” Nick Fradiani) live out these flashbacks.
Fradiani is especially effective as Neil–Then, bringing an energetic, vibrant presence as a near-spot-on impression of Neil.
No photos allowed, so I garnered these online.
It is the US national tour, the primary roles are led by American touring actors,
Mary Page Nance plays the role of Marcia Murphey (New York) has an incredible voice.
The Stadium Rally
THURSDAY
My Christmas cactus flowered!
We stayed in and did some chores before we headed out at 4 PM.
I had just read about the "Great Beaver Quest" will see 48 painted beaver sculptures, representing FIFA World Cup countries, installed in Toronto's Old Town from May 1 – September 30, 2026, to celebrate the tournament. The public art project, in partnership with STEPS Public Art, celebrates the area's history and culture.
Well, guess what I found, hanging out in the King Edward, no less.
JAPAN
THE NETHERLANDS
We had been invited by our financial advisor for drinks and light bites at the King Edward Hotel.
Some photos from the King Edward Hotel.
Opened in 1903, the hotel was initially planned to be named after Queen Victoria, but it was named in honor of her son, King Edward VII, upon his ascension to the throne.
He was the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, reigning from 1901 to 1910.
Known as "The King Eddy," it was Toronto's first luxury hotel, designed by E.J. Lennox.
The lobby features four giant, ornamental chess pieces in its lobby, which act as a key design element reflecting the hotel’s theme of "royalty, chess, and grandeur". These oversized art pieces define the lounge seating area.
We managed to get the 7:45 bus.
FRIDAY
I met my BFF at 11 and we took the subway to Yorkville, it was cold but sunny.
Going through Union.
We were going to see Les Fleurs de Ville, a free floral trail throughout the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood and discover more than 30 spectacular installations, including our signature fresh floral mannequins. New this year, local floral designers take centre stage as they transform flowers into original couture creations that embody the spirit of spring.
We saw 27/31 and had lunch. We put in 10,000 steps.
One Bloor West 85 stories.
Speaking of which, Dior's window was fabulous.
HMMM, two Irish writers featured in Dior?
Inside the Royal Hyatt on Avenue Rd.
We walked to the Museum subway station and caught this shot of the Planetarium being demolished. The McLaughlin Planetarium at 90 Queen’s Park has been closed since 1995.
As of April 2026, the building is being demolished to make way for the University of Toronto's new Centre for Civilizations, Cultures and Cities.
For once, this is NOT Ford's doing.
Haven't seen this local character in a while.
John returned the robot window cleaner, we never even tried it, just decided we didn't need it.
I did buy a new shower head. Ours is almost 12 years old and has an annoying dripping habit.
AROUND TOWN
Headlines are blaring:
Toronto’s transit system to face unprecedented tests when World Cup kicks off next month.
On the same note - the building sent this out.
Don Valley Parkway closed this weekend - Friday 11p-Monday 5a
110,000 cars on a usual DVP weekend. Down to zero.
Events this weekend:
40K X 3 - Blue Jays
45K - TFC v Inter Miami
8K - Tempo tonight
20K - Sporting Life 10K
193,000 people need to get to where they’re going.
NONE of these events are happening next weekend. No Jays, no TFC, no Tempo.
Fans queued up hours early outside Rogers Centre in Toronto for the Toronto Blue Jays' giveaway of Trey Yesavage Angry Bird replica jerseys ahead of their home series against the Angels. Long lines formed at gates like Gate 2 starting around noon.
The famous US chain Eggslut opened and based on the reviews I won't be rushing there. But then again, I do believe breakfast joints are way over priced! Eggs are cheap, people!
COOKING
I used up last summer's frozen strawberries for French toast sauce.
Like a good wife, I made sure John had a good breakfast before he headed out on Monday LOL, sausages and French toast (I had some leftover mix).
MENU
Saturday - Theatre salmon parmesan roasted potatoes lemon sauce and broccolini. Salmon skin wasn't crisp enough and we need smaller portions, 7 oz each is too much.
Sunday - pot roast with carrots onions potatoes celery and homemade stock
Monday - pot roast leftovers JOHN WOODEN STICKS GOLF steak frites and creme Brulé
Tuesday - Cinco de Mayo shrimp tacos
Wednesday - Hurry Curry popcorn
Thursday - King Edward buffet
Friday - steak, mushrooms, parmesan onions (like the potatoes)
WATCHING
I now have 11 downloaded episodes of MasterChef Australia for binge watching.
We continued with Undercover.
READING
I finished Jemima J, a sappy, dreadful read. Just check out the Goodreads reviews.
I started The Woman at 72 Derry Lane, and I am enjoying it!
Cookbooks
Sami mentioned loving Poppy's latest book, so I borrowed this one, only to realize she was talking about her latest, slow cooker.
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