One of my biggest regrets is never having to been to Berlin whilst the wall was up. Amanda, my wife, once managed to visit East Berlin - with no papers - but that's a different story! Since the demise of Communism, I've been behind the former Iron Curtain twice. On this occasion, we visited Moscow.

I guess the first thing to say is that the currency is a little confusing - in the sense that you're never quite sure whether to use US dollars or Russian roubles. Most of the time it's fairly obvious but it helps if you have a companion who is "in the know"!

Having refreshed at or hosts' flat, we decided to head off to see the Kremlin and Red Square. Another exciting taxi ride. There ARE official taxis, but what you should do (if you're brave enough) is simply stand by the roadside and stick your arm out. Almost immediately, you'll find a private car will pull over and negotiate a rate for a ride. Don't do this alone. Don't do it if you're nervous. And definitely don't do it if there is already someone in the front passenger seat; wave them on - you are just NOT interested, and no offence will be taken; you're simply observing the unwritten - yet well understood - rules. Following these few simple rules, we managed to get around Moscow quite easily and very safely. What's more, we felt part of it; we'd dipped into the culture of the city. The number of times that drivers on their way home from work would turn around and head in the opposite direction just to give you a lift was staggering.

The other way, of course, to travel around Moscow (other than on foot) is by the Metro. You absolutely MUST do this. It is very efficient and the stations are breathtakingly beautiful, often decorated with marble and crystal Chandeliers. If you can't get to grips with the cyrillic alphabet, get a map, make sure you're on the right (colour-coded) line, count the number of stops and just concentrate hard! The station at Red Square is well worth a visit; it's got loads of interesting marble statues of revolutionary figures. Don't take photos at metro stations, by the way! It's illegal. We did (but please keep THAT a secret!!) and lived to tell the tale, although our host was certainly more than a little nervous!

You'll undoubtedly queue if you want to visit Lenin's tomb but it's well worth the wait. No cameras are allowed. It's a strange and very serene experience and I'll let you decide for yourself whether it's really him or not! As you leave, you walk past the tombs of many other (in)famous Russian leaders such as Brezhnev, Kruschev and Stalin. It's a superb experience and I'm glad I queued up!

We had booked tickets on the "Red Arrow", a sleeper train from Moscow to St Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). It's a truly great and thoroughly memorable experience which really shouldn't be missed. First class tickets get you a great twin-bedded compartment and, at about US$100 return, offer absolutely superb, unbeatable value. You get the transport and two nights' comfortable accommodation. It's quite an adventure! You just cannot go wrong! Sit in the restaurant car for an hour or so, with its lace curtains and elegant table decorations, and you could be on the Orient Express, but at a mere fraction of the price. The caviar is cheap (if you like it, that is - personally, I can't stand the stuff) and the Champagne is about $3 per bottle (and I love it).

When we got back to Moscow, there was yet more to see. Gorky Park, immortalised in the film of the same name, is apparently really nice. We turned up to find thousands of guys in Green hats wandering around looking drunk and decidedly dangerous. Apparently it was a national holiday for the National Guard and they'd decided to descend on Gorky Park to party the day away. We decided to go elsewhere! Onto a bus (the policy seemed to be not to buy a ticket. You might get fined a little but, on the balance of probabilities, it would be cheaper than buying tickets! Crazy!) and off to the Arbat....

Here's a useful tip. Don't EVER point at the President! We were just descending into a metro station when I noticed a police car (nothing new there, actually - there are thousands of these souped-up Ladas in Moscow) hurtling down the street. It did an impressive handbrake turn, stopping in the middle of the road and blocking off the traffic. Moments later, a fast-moving cavalcade of black cars and President Putin's limousine tore down the street. "Look!" I said, and pointed. Potentially huge mistake. I was spotted by a bodyguard and, for a moment, was very worried. Nothing actually happened but I must confess that I did feel a little uneasy!

For us, the week ended with a wedding. Anna's brother was getting married and we were very fortunate to be invited as guests. Wow! Do these guys know how to enjoy themselves! You get married (our taxi was late and we missed that bit!). Everyone then jumps into cars. You all drive in convoy to a local monument. You get out, drink vodka and champagne and take photos. Repeat five or six times (without the marriage bit) and then hit the reception, where there's more vodka and some very amusing games. One, involving two people, ten clothes pegs and two blindfolds, was particularly memorable! I'll leave the details to your imagination. An unbelievable experience, and a day when we made many, many new friends, some of whom have come to visit us in Canterbury.