I'm at the moment sitting in a McDonalds (even if I don't like their food, I like their free Internet-policy...) in Kazan trying to figure out how best to resume what has happened in the last 1,5 weeks....
London
As I had booked my trip through a London-based agency, I had to start my trip there. But instead of just going there from one airport to the other I decided to stay there for 2 nights. A friend working there was so nice to host me, go for some beers with me Saturday night and show me his favourite pub on Sunday, before I had to head on on Monday morning...
The whole day of Monday (15th of August) I in fact spent traveling - through London to get to Heathrow, than on the plane, moreover a time loss of 3 hours between London and Moscow (don't worry, I'll catch this time up during my trip between Fidji and LA...) and then from the airport there to the hostel, where I finally arrived quite late in the evening.
Moscow - Москва
Same like in London, I had already been in Moscow, so I spend my time just walking around with my dear friend Mikhail instead of sight-seeing. And we finally managed to finish our photoproject, started last year in September, with photos of us in front of all 7 + 1 Stalin-buildings "Seven Sisthers" :)
My 2 days in Moscow were nicely filled: a lot of walking around, chatting with my friend, great hot sunshine, beer on the riverside and a live Rock-Concert in a pub (with small children jumping around headbanging... no joke!!)... but still I have to admit that Moscow and me - we won't get friends. So even though I was sad to say goodbye to Mikhail (thanks for everything! It was great seeing you again) I was happy to leave the city on Wednesday night.
Nizhniy Novgorod - Нижний Новгород
Россию умом не понять (you can't understand Russia with your mind): on the only train ticket I had bought in Austria I had the bed number 37 in a 36-bed-containing wagon - mhm... well, I was then sleeping in the customs office cabine. Or at least I tried to sleep which didn't really work out :/
Arriving the next morning at 6:30 completely wrecked I was warmely welcomed on the platform by my former Tandem partner Marina and her newly wed husband.
There is one thing all guides to Russia say, that is definitely so true! the hospitality of Russian people is endless!!
So it was no question for Marina and Tjoma to invited me to stay in their flat during my stay in Nizhniy even though everything was still under construction there and even they didn't have a bed so far. We all slept on the floor.
(this photo is from my stay in Nizhniy 3 years ago, however it is the same folklore group)
... continuing with a stay on their Datscha during the weekend.
What's a Dacha some might ask?! Well, most of middle-class Russians (or lets say all except the Nowie Russkie - the new-rich Russians) usually live in rather small but cosily equipped one- or two-room flats in quite ugly concrete buildings...
...but!! they all have a Dacha: a small house with garden on the countryside.
On the weekends all cities empty as everybody is driving to the Dacha to relax during the weekend, do some gardening, eat and drink with neighbors and relatives and enjoy a nice hot баня (banya) :)
And I got an insight into all of this!
The trip there was - well, lets call it interesting - as the car we went to the Datscha was more or less falling apart :)
But just after arriving there we went straight to some relatives where fresh шашлык (grilled spit) and самогон (self-made vodka) was already awaiting us. The evening we spent at some other friends place with even more шашлык, more vodka and singing traditional songs!
The next morning I woke up by the nice smell of freshly made блины (typical Russian pancakes) Marinas mother was preparing for us all for breakfast. But not enough of typical Russian - just after breakfast we went for a tour in the баня (banya)- the typical Russian-kind sauna.
Oh yes, thank you so much Marina! I really really really enjoyed my stay in Nizhniy so much thanks you to you!!
(BTW Nizhniy is the last station on my trip that I knew from before, everything afterwards is completely new to me! - but I will tell you about that in my upcoming stories!!)
No comments:
Post a Comment