Legend has it that after the cathedral was completed in 1561, Ivan the Terrible ordered architect Postnik Yakovlev's eyes blinded so he could never create a structure that would compete with St. Basil's beauty.
The red granite stars still shine on the Kremlin tops and the eternal fire of the unknown soldier's tomb reminds all who come here that for nearly a century a Soviet flag soared above the capital.
Today the flag is white, red, and blue, the flag of the new democratic Russia, a big player in the rich oil and natural gas market and modern real estate development.
Moscow is vibrant and cultured, but it has some problems -- problems that landed it on my list of overrated places.
First of all, Moscow is expensive. That's not my imagination. Mercer's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey found Moscow more expensive than any European city for the third consecutive year.
For instance, I paid 175 rubles, about $8, for a Starbucks latte and about $22 for one vodka Red Bull. A standard hotel room? Good luck finding something in the budget category.
The topper? The cab ride from the airport that cost me more than $150. Under other circumstances -- honest ones -- that should have been closer to $40, but I later learned I'd been ripped off.
And that was a big part of the problem with Moscow, from my perspective: Moscow has a bit of larceny in its heart. If you're a foreigner and you don't know what you're doing (and isn't that most tourists?), be on your guard. You may get taken for a ride, literally. (Based on my experience, I'd suggest that before stepping into a cab, you agree on a price.) Traffic is horrible, by the way, and seemed worse than L.A. and New York City's rush hours combined.
But if you're lucky and run into young, educated Muscovites as I did, you'll have fun. My journey for Season 3 of "Amazing Adventures" took me from Paris to Moscow on 5 euros a day, and I had promised myself that on reaching Red Square, I would light up a cigar to commemorate the completion of my trek. While smoking my cigar I struck up numerous conversations with young Muscovites who showed great enthusiasm and interest in my journey. They seemed passionate, driven and outgoing. There was a real give and take -- not just a take as I had found with others.
1. Paris
Paris is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular cities in Europe. Its rich tradition and history span the centuries. Great world figures ruled much of Europe from within its charmed boulevards.
