- Packing
- A week of extremes
- Preparation
- Dress Rehearsal
- H6, #13, and Bo
- Vlotho
- Stockholm
- Tallinn
- Helsinki
- Helsinki II
- St. Petersburg
- St. Petersburg II
- Moscow
- Beijing
- Beijing II
- Beijing III
- Beijing IV
- Xi’an
- Xi’an II
- Shanghai
- Nara – Halfway plus one day
- Kyoto
- Back in the (Former) USSR
- Muroran
- 180th Meridian
- Seward
- Ketchikan
- Vancouver
- St Paul
- Chicago
- New York City
- North Atlantic
- 78 Days and 9 Minutes
- London
Another full couple of days. The weather remains clear and cold. Yesterday it was nice since there was not much wind and it made outdoor things that much more pleasant. Today, the wind is back with a vengeance.
After breakfast, yesterday began with the cruiser Aurora, docked just across from our hotel. This was the ship that fired the signal beginning the October Revolution that brought down the Kerensky Government and brought the Bolsheviks to power. Then down to the Peter and Paul Fortress that contains a cathedral that is the resting-place of the Romanovs, including the recently interred family of Nicholas II (including Anastasia but missing the Tsarevich Alexei). Then across to the Admiralty and the Bronze Statue of Peter the Great.
Dinner was nice but most memorable because of the music that was played. I think I will save this story for the journal.
Today, we went to the museum of the Siege of Leningrad. Knowing a bit of history helped since all of the exhibits were in Russian. But, as we were leaving, one of the women who worked there adopted us and took us around. Bear in mind we speak no Russian and she spoke no English. She wanted us to know what the museum was about; we wanted to learn. Between the two of us, we understood what she was telling us. Those who do not believe in a universal language are trying too hard to speak and not hard enough to understand.
At lunch today, my beloved travel companion noticed a gentleman with a copy of the latest edition of the Trans-Siberian rail book. I noticed that the copy was very new and found it curious that he got up to leave when we did. If we see him in Moscow, perhaps Fix is on our trail.
Tonight we take the infamous St. Petersburg to Moscow night train – renowned for certain traveling hazards yet also considered the premier route in Russia. Will keep you posted.
This entry was posted in Around the World, Europe
