July 4: The Kremlin

Nothing says vacation like spending July 4th with Lenin in Moscow. Heading off to Red Square today, and hoping to add him to my posse of embalmed leaders alongside Ho Chi Minh (sadly, the 4 hour line for Mao was more than I could handle). Touring The Kremlin and fairytale perfect Saint Basil's will round out the morning. Of course we'll need to relax after our heavy regime of Communist history, and for that there's the banya. Having bathed in Saint Petersburg last weekend, I can't wait to get back into an unbearably hot wooden room with a bunch of sweaty naked Russian guys wearing felt hats and beating each other with wet birtch leaves. Incredibly relaxing and definitely not a pleasure I can experience at home.