Today we are in the city of Irkutsk, the "Paris of Siberia," and I've spent the afternoon (in the rain) walking up and down the boulevards, amazed at the pre-Soviet architecture of the homes.  Lots of fancy woodwork around the windows, doors and eves of the houses.  Lots of onion dome churches.... some in the early stages of restoration.

   My wanderings in Moscow, took me along a very busy boulevard along the backside of the Kremlin. I was attempting to cross because I saw an interesting looking building down a side street.  Moscow is not a tourist friendly city and it is usually very difficult to find crossings on many of their streets.  So you can imagine my surprise when all six lanes of this busy thoroughfare became clear for me to cross.  I ran across thinking that some madman driver would soon cut me down (they don't seem to have any speed limits here) but no cars came along at all...... in either direction..... and for a long time as I walked along the other side of the street.  When I came to a major intersection behind the Kremlin and their wasn't a single car anywhere..... it was completely clear.... I knew that something must be happening.  I noticed the police holding back all traffic coming from all directions into the plaza.  So I climbed up some stairs to get a more stategic look, and pulled out my camera to take some pictures.  Then suddenly, out of the Kremlin speeds a motorcade of police cars, motorcyles and black Hummers.  No sooner had I snapped my picture, did I hear a very angry voice yell out "No Photos.... no photos."  A VERY LARGE man in a black suit quickly came up to me and, despite the language difference, made it very clear that I was doing something I was not supposed to do.  He demanded that I delete the photo while he waited, which I quickly did (with a very contrite look on my face, of course).  I smiled and shrugged my shoulders while he scowled at me and walked away...... I'm sure he must have been thinking "stupidsky Americansky".... or something appropriate like that. 

  This is the photo that I took of the empty plaza.....before the deleted picture.  President Putin, who lives in Moscow, must have needed something at the supermarket, so he took his motorcade to get it.  I guess you never know what you might find when you wander down some random streets in a foreign country.