As we wait, a boy comes in shyly bearing a bouquet of flowers as a gift for the cooks. We stop to say goodbye to the principal. Alla asks for tomorrow morning off to be with her visitor. The principal graciously agrees and offers me a bouquet of gladioli. We board a bus and head for the Metro.
Sidewalk vendors display their wares at the exit downtown.
My mental image of the Kremlin is that of the long red brick wall facing Red Square behind which mysterious meetings take place. I learn that the Kremlin is the site of the medieval fortress built on the highest hill of Moscow. The original wooden ramparts have been replaced by massive brick walls. Over the centuries, the Kremlin has been the center around which the Russian people rally to fight off foreign invaders. Floral tributes lie on the granite slabs.