As I said in my last note I had wanted to try the local municipal banya or Russian bath house. However when I got there the keeper of the door was none to pleased to see me saying it was the day for ladies so I departed before he called the police . There was no way of knowing this fixing of gender days so I will have to try again else where though I will be checking if the same applies.
On my last day in Novgorod I went out to an open air museum for traditional wooden structures particularly farm buildings and churches. It is a lovely site by a small lake and is use for weddings. There was one on at the time with extensive traditional occurrences such as threatening and insulting the best man,the bride burning a posy and much singing and laughing at what I guessed were double entendre.While this sounds rather contrived it was well done and it was clear the whole party enjoyed themselves.
The train left on time and I found I was sharing with only one other, a soldier going back off leave( Maxim) .He had a bit of English so between us we managed to have some conversation.
Into Moscow at 05 30 after depositing my luggage at the station for Volgograd I set off to Red Square who's name has nothing to do with the Bolsheviks but has had that name for some 400 yrs and is a corruption of the Russian word for beautiful. It sounds stupid but it is just like the pictures. The one exception the Lenin Mausoleum is much smaller than I thought some 20 ft tall with the reviewing platform we used to see the Politburo on only some 12 ft up. I got some good photos around the square and the Kremlin including the Lubianka ( or the New Zealand embassy) not clear from the map. Then off for a 13 30 start for Volgograd. This time I shared the berth with a mother and daughter the latter about to go off to Moscow State University . They were visiting the mothers parents and were from Chelyabinsk ,which happens to be Irina's' mothers birth place.
The Hotel Volgograd is a large hotel very nice and central. I have to say the weather is a bit extreme for me , in the high 30s and I believe into the 40s at noon. So lots of water .My first day was spent at Mamaev Kurgen the centre of the battle, a mound some 102 m. high which now has the most spectacular war memorial I suspect anywhere . It is a 72m. high depiction of Mother Russia holding aloft a further 11m. long sword . As part of the complex there is a rotunda with lists of a small proportion of the dead and an eternal flame. All in all a very moving place making you remember that within a 3 Km radius of this spot but mostly on it 700,00 Germans and some 1,000,000 Russians died between august 1942 and the end of January 1943.( yes six months )
Today I went to the museum of the battle again very well done with lots of relevant material including a lot from ordinary soldiers. Interestingly this is the only place I have seen with extensive reference to Stalin.
I am off to Astrakhan on Friday by boat overnight down the Volga should be good.It is late I am tired due to heat so hope to say more tomorrow .Love to all John
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Friday, 10 July 2009
Novgorod the Great
Good journey down though seats as hard as nails.Hotel very good and Novgorod could not be a greater contrast to St Petersburg. The town is quite small ,relaxed and clean with a lot of well laid out and maintained parks.
On the 1st night I had a second 'Russian with drink on him" experience.I went into the hotel bar and sat on a bar stool next to a man on the phone.When he had finished it was quickly clear he was very drunk and wanted to be my comrade.Vodka was offered and a list of questions asked ,I was thinking of Irina's warnings and how I might get out of it when the bar maid gave him the cold stare and with a lot of noise he paid up and left.
I spent yesterday doing the sites which include the very large Kremlin and a number of outstanding churches including St Sophia which is possibly the oldest building in Russia and the source of the onion domes seen through out Russia. I stayed for part of the service which was very moving, completely sung .The congregation stands through out as they would have done in a western church in the middle ages, the only seats being along the walls for the infirm( weakest to the wall).
Another ticket buying experience at the station!All was going well with tickets from here to Moscow and from Moscow to Volgograd ordered!Then the lady showed me the price on her calculator,I did not allow for there being Kopecks and I thought the price was 40,000 Rb(about 900 pounds!!). At that I started to panic , when I produced my card she started to panic ( no cards) in general no thinking going on. If I had thought ,I could fly home for that ,she expected me to have the cash and no one would routinely carry that amount.but all sense and Russian had left me . I wrote the amount down and asked was this right but she was not listening she had printed out the tickets and had no payment what was she to do. But all was well , the man behind me said its 4,000 you forgot the kopecks! I produced the money she wept ,I laughed and I then departed .Lancaster station was never like this.
Well I hope to try a banya this afternoon . Love to all
On the 1st night I had a second 'Russian with drink on him" experience.I went into the hotel bar and sat on a bar stool next to a man on the phone.When he had finished it was quickly clear he was very drunk and wanted to be my comrade.Vodka was offered and a list of questions asked ,I was thinking of Irina's warnings and how I might get out of it when the bar maid gave him the cold stare and with a lot of noise he paid up and left.
I spent yesterday doing the sites which include the very large Kremlin and a number of outstanding churches including St Sophia which is possibly the oldest building in Russia and the source of the onion domes seen through out Russia. I stayed for part of the service which was very moving, completely sung .The congregation stands through out as they would have done in a western church in the middle ages, the only seats being along the walls for the infirm( weakest to the wall).
Another ticket buying experience at the station!All was going well with tickets from here to Moscow and from Moscow to Volgograd ordered!Then the lady showed me the price on her calculator,I did not allow for there being Kopecks and I thought the price was 40,000 Rb(about 900 pounds!!). At that I started to panic , when I produced my card she started to panic ( no cards) in general no thinking going on. If I had thought ,I could fly home for that ,she expected me to have the cash and no one would routinely carry that amount.but all sense and Russian had left me . I wrote the amount down and asked was this right but she was not listening she had printed out the tickets and had no payment what was she to do. But all was well , the man behind me said its 4,000 you forgot the kopecks! I produced the money she wept ,I laughed and I then departed .Lancaster station was never like this.
Well I hope to try a banya this afternoon . Love to all
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Last day in St Petersburg, I had hoped to be away this morning but there is only one train to Novgorod.I don't think that is right but that is what the ticket office says. This might mean an extra day there, but that might be a relax day.
Yesterday I went to the Peterhof which the Russians call the Versaille of the north. The gardens are beautiful and the water cascades are amazing.The tour I took also goes in the main palace who's decoration is stunning if very much over the top.
The 2 things that particularly impressed were Peter the Greats own palace( mon plaisire ) for its modesty and the fact that the whole garden ,cascades and main palace has had to be totaly reconstructed after the war. The Germans devasted all that they held either for loot or as a scorched earth as they retreated.However there is a story,not from russians , that Stalin had the main Palace bombed because Hitler had bragged he was going to have a new year diner there.
The Germans came within 10 Km of St Petersberg and besieged it for 900 days.During that time 1,000,000 St Peterbergers ,soldiers and civilians died. To put that into context, if I need to ,Britain and U S lost 700,000 combined. With 27,000,000 dead no wonder the Russians call it the Great Patriotic war.
The only down side here is that as time goes on my Russian is getting worse I hear words on the street recognise them but do not know what they mean.That is why I am thinking of a day off in Novgorod.
Hope my readers are all well.
Yesterday I went to the Peterhof which the Russians call the Versaille of the north. The gardens are beautiful and the water cascades are amazing.The tour I took also goes in the main palace who's decoration is stunning if very much over the top.
The 2 things that particularly impressed were Peter the Greats own palace( mon plaisire ) for its modesty and the fact that the whole garden ,cascades and main palace has had to be totaly reconstructed after the war. The Germans devasted all that they held either for loot or as a scorched earth as they retreated.However there is a story,not from russians , that Stalin had the main Palace bombed because Hitler had bragged he was going to have a new year diner there.
The Germans came within 10 Km of St Petersberg and besieged it for 900 days.During that time 1,000,000 St Peterbergers ,soldiers and civilians died. To put that into context, if I need to ,Britain and U S lost 700,000 combined. With 27,000,000 dead no wonder the Russians call it the Great Patriotic war.
The only down side here is that as time goes on my Russian is getting worse I hear words on the street recognise them but do not know what they mean.That is why I am thinking of a day off in Novgorod.
Hope my readers are all well.
Monday, 6 July 2009
Still With Love
That was just a test so on with the heart stopping story. I left Kirkenes is a mini bus with 5 Russians and 2 Norwegians bound for Mumansk. Within 20 minutes we were at the border and had passed the Norwegian control. The Passport Officer spent some 10 minutes scrutinising my passport including a lot of use of a very strong magnifying glass.However eventualy I was passed through and the Customs took no interest in me. That is more than can be said for our driver and the driver of another car. 4 hours later the other car , the 5 Russians ( in others cars passing through) and 1 Norwegian had gone leaving me , a Norwegian angler and our driver who was clearly in some serious trouble over some industrial electrical components.
Eventualy our driver arranged for a car to take us to Murmansk. The driver another Norwegian was going to a wedding . The drive was exciting dodging pot holes and on coming lorries I am VERY glad I abandoned the driving option.However our driver gave off an air of quiet calm.
We paseed through Nickel , not likely to win a Russia in bloom award. It is a combination of Rotherham, the Taff valley and Avon Mouth 40 years ago with high rise housing to match. Joseph Conrad said the heart of the holy Russian soul is resignation ( thanks Melissa) it will certainly be needed there.
Mumansk is little run down very like Kirkenes but on a much bigger scale,however I understand there are plans to drill for oil off shore ,if so both towns ( if not the environment ) will benefit.Frankly there is not a lot to do but I got used to using buses ( they have clippies !!) asking the way and generaly trying to blend in. Then came the buying of the ticket to St Petersburg. Russian lady train ticket sellers have a justifiable reputation for terrorising supplicants ,mine was world class but efficient. I amazed the on lookers with my speed of being dealt with especialy as I was speaking Russian though I am not sure the on lookers felt that . I still find it funny , if it was at home distirbing, that you need your passport/ I D to buy train tickets and board.
Then came the train, I was due to spend 27 hours on the sleeper and was travelling coupee which is a 4 person compartment with 2 upper and 2 lower bunks. The lower bunks go 1st I was verck ( upper) .My companions were Ludmilla and her grown up son Andreyev going to visit her grand children in Latvia and Sasha going to a new job in Siberia.We settled in with some little unease of sleeping with strangers but soon the compartment was quiet . The following day the ice slowly broke due more to Andreys' English than my ear challenging Russian .Of course the Babushka came through with the goods and for lunch we had roasted chicken, potatoes and salad. It made my contribution of fruit and chocolate look a little thin .We parted on very good terms at St Petersberg with Ludmilla and Sasha of to Riga and Sasha facing another day on the train to Moscow and several on another to Siberia.
The St Petersburg metro builds its ticket sellers at the same factory as the state railways I am still recovering from just buying 10 tokens . However it is all worth it when you get on with Stations like Palaces the trains clean and often.
The hotel is very different from the International Standard Poliarni in Murmansk . The Veste is clearly family run with a rather laid back approach , though somewhat more expensive , I assume that is due t it being St Petersburg and on Nevski Prospect.. The room is huge with cooking and facilities.
Eventualy our driver arranged for a car to take us to Murmansk. The driver another Norwegian was going to a wedding . The drive was exciting dodging pot holes and on coming lorries I am VERY glad I abandoned the driving option.However our driver gave off an air of quiet calm.
We paseed through Nickel , not likely to win a Russia in bloom award. It is a combination of Rotherham, the Taff valley and Avon Mouth 40 years ago with high rise housing to match. Joseph Conrad said the heart of the holy Russian soul is resignation ( thanks Melissa) it will certainly be needed there.
Mumansk is little run down very like Kirkenes but on a much bigger scale,however I understand there are plans to drill for oil off shore ,if so both towns ( if not the environment ) will benefit.Frankly there is not a lot to do but I got used to using buses ( they have clippies !!) asking the way and generaly trying to blend in. Then came the buying of the ticket to St Petersburg. Russian lady train ticket sellers have a justifiable reputation for terrorising supplicants ,mine was world class but efficient. I amazed the on lookers with my speed of being dealt with especialy as I was speaking Russian though I am not sure the on lookers felt that . I still find it funny , if it was at home distirbing, that you need your passport/ I D to buy train tickets and board.
Then came the train, I was due to spend 27 hours on the sleeper and was travelling coupee which is a 4 person compartment with 2 upper and 2 lower bunks. The lower bunks go 1st I was verck ( upper) .My companions were Ludmilla and her grown up son Andreyev going to visit her grand children in Latvia and Sasha going to a new job in Siberia.We settled in with some little unease of sleeping with strangers but soon the compartment was quiet . The following day the ice slowly broke due more to Andreys' English than my ear challenging Russian .Of course the Babushka came through with the goods and for lunch we had roasted chicken, potatoes and salad. It made my contribution of fruit and chocolate look a little thin .We parted on very good terms at St Petersberg with Ludmilla and Sasha of to Riga and Sasha facing another day on the train to Moscow and several on another to Siberia.
The St Petersburg metro builds its ticket sellers at the same factory as the state railways I am still recovering from just buying 10 tokens . However it is all worth it when you get on with Stations like Palaces the trains clean and often.
The hotel is very different from the International Standard Poliarni in Murmansk . The Veste is clearly family run with a rather laid back approach , though somewhat more expensive , I assume that is due t it being St Petersburg and on Nevski Prospect.. The room is huge with cooking and facilities.
From Russia with love
sorry there has been a break in comms but the nly conection I could find in Murmansk was Wi Fi I assume Chris has visited!!
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Kirkenes At Last
I am now in Kirkenes.The flight was from Bodø to Tromso,then on to Kirkenes,all pretty painless.It is clear that without planes life would be pretty difficult in northern Norway.
The bus to Murmansk goes twice a day and I am booked on the 1400 tomorow. I understand it will take 3 to 4 hours .I am not sure what is going on here ,the tourist info people didn't know , but all the hotels are full.Fortunaly they were able to fix me up in a private home ,well a flat in a private house so I am better off than in a hotel.
Kirkenes is not a beautifull town .I assumed it would be like a northern Scotish town,bleak but handsome . It is a little down at heel with a number of businesses closed.The street signs are in Norwegian and Russian so I assume there must be a large trade across the border.There are a number of large Russian fishing vessals tied up in the harbour.
Well Russia tomorow , coming this way has not been easy but I am glad I did.
The bus to Murmansk goes twice a day and I am booked on the 1400 tomorow. I understand it will take 3 to 4 hours .I am not sure what is going on here ,the tourist info people didn't know , but all the hotels are full.Fortunaly they were able to fix me up in a private home ,well a flat in a private house so I am better off than in a hotel.
Kirkenes is not a beautifull town .I assumed it would be like a northern Scotish town,bleak but handsome . It is a little down at heel with a number of businesses closed.The street signs are in Norwegian and Russian so I assume there must be a large trade across the border.There are a number of large Russian fishing vessals tied up in the harbour.
Well Russia tomorow , coming this way has not been easy but I am glad I did.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Vladimir and the Arctic Circle
Just after I posted my last missive I was sat on the station steps with my worldly goods arround me , all I needed was a polystyrene cup and a dog to supplement my stipend when a loneman joined me. He was wearing a Norwegian football shirt and had a distinct sway and a drunks animated face. He asked me for a cigerette i said i did't smoke and he started to discuss the meaning of life . It was then , it had been a long hard day, when I realised I could understand him. This is remarkable as I am finding Norwegian impenatrable. However he turned out to be a Russian or at least a Latvian whose 1 st language is Russian. Soon he was hailing me as a long lost friend despite occasionaly my pronounciaton defeating him.Well only my trains impending arrival stopped him from making me his brother so we parted as new Tavarich ( you were right about drunken Russians Irina ).still he was at least friendly .
The journey to Trondsheim was fine though the heat meant I got little sleep( I am not sure why I am in itallix but you will have to put up with it as I can't turn it off.The time of year meant it was never dark and the scenery was stunning.Similarly the train to Bodø ( pronounced boda) When we crossed the Arctic circle at 1 st it looked like you would expect , tundra , then it went back to lush valeys ,stunning and beautiful.
I have been agonising as to whether to stick to the ground which from now means bus and 2-4 days or fly to Kirkenes. I have decided to fly , while it will mean I will miss a lot of country it6 will ensure I get the full 30 days in Russia.
For a word from our sponsor the hotel I am doing this from ( the Bodø Hotel) has the most helpfull staff ansd I heartily reccomend it.
Well next stop Kirkenes and the test as to if I can get from there to Murmansk on thursday !
The journey to Trondsheim was fine though the heat meant I got little sleep( I am not sure why I am in itallix but you will have to put up with it as I can't turn it off.The time of year meant it was never dark and the scenery was stunning.Similarly the train to Bodø ( pronounced boda) When we crossed the Arctic circle at 1 st it looked like you would expect , tundra , then it went back to lush valeys ,stunning and beautiful.
I have been agonising as to whether to stick to the ground which from now means bus and 2-4 days or fly to Kirkenes. I have decided to fly , while it will mean I will miss a lot of country it6 will ensure I get the full 30 days in Russia.
For a word from our sponsor the hotel I am doing this from ( the Bodø Hotel) has the most helpfull staff ansd I heartily reccomend it.
Well next stop Kirkenes and the test as to if I can get from there to Murmansk on thursday !
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