Our final stop in Russia, we had made it.

After an inauspicious exit from a station we didn't see, and a metro ride, we found our Sister.

The Seven Sisters are seven skyscrapers in Moscow designed in the Stalinist style. They were built from 1947 to 1953 in an elaborate combination of Russian Baroque and Gothic styles. We saw them last time we were in Moscow seven years ago, and decided then and there, if we were going to come back to Moscow, we would stay in one.

They are now used for various purposes including a university, a government department, but also a Radisson (which was way too expensive for us) and a Hilton, which we decided to splash out on.

Now just imagine us walking into a Hilton (in a Sister) with the clothes you have now seen us wearing over and over again, and carrying out backpacks, sweating gently. Lets just say, I think the staff did well to school their faces.

We did a lot in Moscow last time, so didn't do much this time. Luke had his cold, and then I caught it. So we had a few relaxing days.

Despite colds, we went out to Red Square where there was a Military Tattoo going on, so it was too busy.

We went to the Fallen Monuments Park, which has Soviet statues removed from other locations within Russia. It was closed for renovation when we visited last time, and to be honest I was underwhelmed. I thought it was going to contain more.

Anyway, we did succeed in getting Luke with four Lenins, so that was good.

After three relaxing days, we left on our last overnight train to Riga. As is always the case, the border crossing would be at 3am!!

We were in a second class carriage, but thankfully we didn't have anyone else with us, so we got the whole thing to ourselves. We were dreading having a person in with us, especially during the borders.

The train even had a selection of movies to watch, in English!

Anyway after the 3.15am - 5.15am border crossing, we got to Riga safe and sound. Our Russian odyssey over.

I am really pleased that we have done this the way we have. Stopping along the way and going to places that were off the standard route (a bit). Of course we could have spent a lot longer seeing things like the Urals or staying longer in places, but we have got a bit of a deadline.

We are in Latvia and Lithuania for 6 days, and into the world of English everywhere. What a luxury.

My only regret is not knowing more Russian - but thank goodness for readily available SIM cards, Google Translate and photos on phones!