July 24

I finally got the chance to visit Red Square today. I walked around St. Basil's, but didn't go inside because it cost money and was very crowded. Lenin's tomb was also closed, and I was disappointed. I didn't have my camera with me, but my friend had hers, so she said she will email me the pictures. I saw the Kremlin as well. It is like it's own city (similar to the Vatican) and walled off. Once again, it was crowded and cost money, so I just saw it from the outside. What I liked most was going into GYM department store. It was very big and impressive, although a little over the top. Like the plaza in KC, you go there to see the items, not buy anything because everything is super expensive. On the top floor, however, a lot of things were on sale because not many people are buying things there. I also went to look at the church of the asenction (assumption? I don't know how it is spelled), but it was closed. Evidently it is not the original (although it is on the same grounds), as the communists tore it down after the revolution. I am not too disappointed in not getting to go inside, because everyone says the insides of most of the churches in Russia are the same. In fact, that church was modeled on the one I saw in Suzdel.