That the inane theme song of the 1980 Olympic Games was recorded by Dschinghis Khan seems curiously appropriate given that this journey began in Mongolia. Unfortunately, when we visited the Russian Capital, they were digging it up! (removing problematic linden trees, installing 'historic' lamps, and putting unsightly overhead wires underground). Sadly, this meant much of the architectural heritage and streetscapes were hidden behind unsightly green and white striped hoardings, whilst pedestrians had to play dodgem with each other or the heavy traffic. To top it off, areas of the central city would be closed off by police at short notice, for no discernable reason. We never did get to walk through the Alexander Gardens, and Red Square itself was closed on a Friday evening. The atmopshere during our visit was strangely oppressive. But we did enjoy the Nikulin Circus, the Cathedral of Public Transport that is Moscow's Metro and the wonderful art collections of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.