Moscow Greeter

This is the Cathedral of Christ our Redeemer in Moscow (while it was raining). It was our first stop on the free walking tour we arranged with a group known as "Moscow Greeter". I initially learned of this group through TripAdvisor.com. What a great experience! And, it was so simple. I filled out an interest form on the internet and received a response in less than a day. Shortly after that, I was emailed by Zola, who scheduled to meet us at our apartment.

We were met by three Moscow Greeters, Zoya (pictured here), Alex and Alexi (who I believe started the Greeters in Moscow). Moscow Greeters is part of the Global Greeter Network, whose purpose is to match tourists up with volunteer locals who love their cities and want to share their favorite spots with visitors. It is an amazing opportunity for residents to help visitors"see" the city through the eyes of the people who really live here. For more information, click here.

We walked miles around the city, seeing things and exploring areas we would not have done on our own. In addition, we had a unique opportunity to chat with local Muscovite who gave us not only history, but a real feel for "their" Moscow.

Although it had begun to rain while we were in the cathedral, it soon cleared up. We climbed to the top of an area called Sparrow Hills and had an amazing view of the entire city. Overall, it was a good experience and one we would highly recommend. As you can see, the day cleared up and ended up quite beautiful.



Did I mention that we were also part of an interview done by the Moscow News? They were doing a two-page feature on the Moscow Greeter program. I can't wait to see how that turns out.

Editor's note: Joan and Pam are in Russia and Ukraine for a couple of weeks and will be writing occasional posts about their trip.