Merry Christmas (Again!)

We're back in the hotel tonight after a day of VERY COLD shopping at the Ismailovo Market (-20 Celsius, about -4 Farenheit). Yes, I was COLD. Write it down! For those of you who wanted scarves, I managed to buy those before my hands froze but I'm going to do the rest of my shopping in the hotel shops even if it does cost a little more. I don't think I've ever been this cold in my life! Last year was one of the warmest winters they've had in a long time and this is the coldest they've had in five years. There's some snow on the ground but not a lot in town because it's too cold to snow. Part of the group is going to ride the metro back into town tonight for Christmas services at Christ out Saviour Cathedral but all of us old women are staying in and staying warm. We're supposed to go into the Kremlin tomorrow to see the cathedrals and the Armoury but it's supposed to be this cold again and Jan and I are debating whether or not to go. We'll see.

Yesterday we visited two orphanages. One was at Almozovo and is a boys' orphanage. They put on a wonderful program for us and of course fed us way too much food for lunch. In the afternoon we went to a different orphanage that VIM has not seen before. These children were developmentally disabled but the teachers are training them in dance and culture and they put on one of the best programs we've seen. The facility was impeccably clean - we were all really impressed. I have tons of pictures and video that I'll share when I get back.

I didn't get online last night because thousands of kids from the provinces are in Moscow this week for special Christmas programs and I think most of them are staying in our hotel. They swarm the lobby and the internet cafe to play computer games and you can't get close to the machines. I beat them to it this evening!

Tomorrow after lunch we will shop on Arbot Street, have our farewell dinner and come back to the hotel to pack. We have to leave for the airport at 3:00 a.m. the next morning so I probably won't blog again till I get back to Missy and Leon's in Virginia.

Love to all!
Margie