I'm facing back as the train moves forward to St Petersburg. We haven't only been out of wireless ranges, we have been light on internet time since we started Intrepid again. We are having a great time. The group has a good laugh together and we have heaps of interesting conversation. Ash has a fellow photographer in Georg (German guy) and the subject matter is, of course, wonderful.
Wednesday we braved the peak hour metro and caught the bus to Suzdal. Practical, the Bus waits until it fills, the driver locks the doors, collects the fares and the bus leaves. If you arrive after the bus is closed you wait until the next fills.
The trip out was surprisingly wooded. Forests and green belts intermingled with industry and housing. It didn't seem long until we were in fertile country scattered with wildflowers. Green, lush and attractive .After transferring to a minibus we arrived at Suzdal for a home stay in a large home rented out by an American and managed by a local woman. It was quite amazing to be in a group shared house again. Comfy lounge and enormous country kitchen. Always on the go, we lunched locally, the were guided through the Monasteries, Kremlin, local museums, architecture park and were back in time to go for dinner to the home of Irana. She served a traditional Russian meal to us in kitchen which overlooked the vegetable garden she tends in which to feed the family. The food was all home grown or local. Stupidly, I asked her whether she has a large freezer or whether she preserves. In their climate she has a storeroom under her house. They also pickle and salt. Our fish was from the local stream and, basically, none of us could eat any more. We also enjoyed the familiarity eating in a kitchen allows. It was great.
Still light at 11.00 we walked back to the home stay past the streets of wooden houses, all having individualized windows. Suzdal had lovely gardens and trees, my favourite being the silver birch which reminded me of home.The flowers are often the same as ours but because the growing season is shorter they seem bigger and brighter. Suzdal is a protected town now, having been an old political centre, then a service place for the agricultural district. It is really beautiful with a river running through it and some very important historical churches and monasteries. The convent here was used by the Tzars to interr their out of favour wives, the germans used the monastery as their staff headquarters in WW2 and the Russians imprisoned the top German commanders there, post WW2. As usual, the Russians are maintaining this piece of history and supporting it's development. We heard the bell concert of the evening and a choir in the largest church. It is a city of churches. Everywhere you look . A reqlly lovely place.
A highlight was the house where we sat around the table and were treated to Georg's slideshows. As an exhibiting photographer, amongst other things, the pictures were of glossy magazine/journal quality so we were treated to Cuba, gardens around the world and art works all accompanied by fantastic soundtracks. With high quality Vodka it became a night to remember and we had to force ourselves to bed ready for what became an unplanned morning where activities flew out the window and we relaxed at home, cooking breakfast and eating at a leisurely pace.
We intended to get to Moscow for gallery visits in the afternoon but with traffic and buses, time meant we were able to hit the internet café for 30 mins before heading to our wonderful Georgian restaurant for a final lamb shank and vegetable meal. Back to the station and onto the overnight train to Novgorod.
The sleepers were great and we were sharing with Sharon and Hilary. It was virtually a new train and very comfortable. Ash headed to the dining car and Irina sat in our carriage chatting until about 12 when we decided to have a ber with the boys. They were having a great time with the lonely traveler they had picked up who only spoke a little Deutsch, handy for .Normen. To add to this there was a very surly Russian waitress. They enjoyed it so much the drunk Russian next door complained about their laughter before he comatosed on the table beside them. We couldn't catch up with the mood of the boys but managed to enjoy it all before snatching 3 great hours of sleep before Novgorod station.
We're tired, long days, as in lights, short nights, as in sleep, and just wanting to keep on enjoying. At 11pm, after dinner the sun starts to colour and the streets are alive in Novgorod. It was Fiday but it was great near the Kremlin square. University has just finished so the beautiful girls were heading out clubbing, having photos taken on the bridge in the twilight. Stunning!
People want to make contact. I was so impressed earlier in the day when a young man wanted to tell me he admired the Australian Government for apologizing to the Aborigines. He had seen it on Nicole Kidman's film. He would like the Russian government to do this but thinks they never would. The young who make contact are thinkers and political. It's great.
My eyelids are drooping as I write. The motion of the train plus an early morning start calls me to sleep. We slept well last night following dinner after a Banya. (Traditional Russian Steam bath and Sauna with Birch Twig massage) It doesn't sound relaxing but a steam room at high temperatures and a bunch of birch to hit your body with add up to super relaxation. We started in bathers but were soon stripped down as local women invitingly insisted the experience wqs heightened by being nude. Of course they were right. They lent me shampoo and wash. The whole place was friendly and a great cultural experience with women of all ages partaking in a familiar ritual. The boys and Ash also had a wonderful time although the men on the other side weren't quite as helpful.
When you drop onto the keyboard of the computer and accidentally add in 24 blank pages it is time to sleep. Sign off Janet
