It all seems such a long time ago. My last holiday with Malcolm, my first husband, was on the Trans-Siberian Express and was I think in 1989. We got on the train in Khabarovsk (Vladivostok was a closed city - you couldn't get on it there ) and were on it for four or five nights, going through the Taiga and along the side of Lake Baikal and getting off in Irkutsk.It was quite an experience - the old ladies on the platforms where we stopped, selling hot jacket potatoes, the terrible food on the train (you no like chick on the very skinny chicken wings dished up for dinner) and the long walk down the sleeper carriages from our very comfortable cabins through the 'locals' who kept their pyjamas and dressing gowns on for the whole journey and bought their meals on the platforms or brought it with them. They slept in bunks on either side of the aisle.
We had some really wonderful experiences - Registan Square in Samarkand, the Ancient city of Bukhara where a little lad sitting on the steps to his front door indicated that he would like us to take his photograph and where we were chased off by his mother with a stick.
Most of our USSR holidays if not all were in Gorbachev's days - they needed our currency and the holidays were all controlled - I think by Intourist.
Once I married the farmer in 1993 our holidays were mostly in the US or Canada with a foray up the Norwegian coast and round to Kirkenes on the Russian border. I would advise anyone never to turn down the chance to see the world.The memories last forever.
On the Home Front - it is a lovely sunny day - it threatens to change at the week-end and become much more unsettled. In the meantime I can look out on my lovely garden,all tidy and sunny and - as it was yesterday- full of butterflies.
See you tomorrow.
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21 comments:
Sounds like a fascinating journey, and at just the right time to do it.
I loved reading about your travels in Russia. The story of the young lad sitting on the steps wanting his picture taken and his mom driving you off with a stick was quite memorable. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Happy memories to cherish Pat.
It would be interesting to read Rachel's report which is much more recent and I supect much improved.
Yes Thelma memories to cherish indeed - they die with us don't they.
Sounds like you had some amazing journeys, Pat. Wonderful adventures!
The old ladies by the track selling food from their baskets is still the same. I had borscht on the trains. Food was not always available so then I purchased from the trackside. I don't think anything has changed much. The train staff were always helpful and kind to me as was everybody I met.
Like many people, my husband has been re-visiting his Russia travels via his journals in the last few days. He too has nothing but happy memories of his trips.
Thank you for sharing your travel memories.
You enjoyed your Trans-Siberian Railway the same year as my mother-in-law re my comment yesterday.
I will show her this post as I'm sure she will enjoy it.
At the time my husband and I were teaching in a small country town, where people never went anywhere. Our daughter, at six, bought along her Russian stacking dolls for her turn of 'show and tell' and the local school.
"My Grandmother bought these for me from Russia' she happily announced.
According to her, the local born and bred young teacher said "Don't make that up- you can get those anywhere'.
In that same class, months later one of the young lads bought along his father's glass eye for show and tell, and a yabby (shrimp?) net/cage also provided interest at one time, though all those children were familiar with such fishing devices.-Pam, Aust.
Traveling to other countries and learning how people live and see the world is always fascinating. Your travels in Russia sound extraordinary. I find travel to be very broadening and hope to travel again.
What a wonderful post!
I'm so glad we got in lots of travels before I became paralyzed - never in Russia mind you.
A wonderful trip. I read today that Putin has denied Gorbachev a state funeral, and won't attend his funeral. Just mean.
There was a short golden tie when travel was great in the USSR. You took advantage of it.
You were right to travel when you could, Pat, and thank you for sharing some of your memories here with us.
My granddad (Mum's Dad) loved Russia and went on at least two trips with my grandma once he'd retired, they were river boat cruises on the Volga if I remember correctly. He died in 1989 so that must have been in the 1970s and early 80s.
Nice to know your garden is full of butterflies! If they eat well, some of them might survive winter tucked away somewhere safe.
I did the journey a year later in 1990 starting in Beijing. Watching the changing of the bogies was fun (China and USSR had different gauges).
The food on the train was dire, only tried it once and then bought from the women on the platforms selling out of prams.
Had to book everything in advance through Intourist. The hotels I stayed in weren’t used to solo travellers. They knew how to serve those on a package tour but people travelling independently were an anathema as so few people travelled independently.
How wonderful to have travelled to such interesting places. Memories to cherish.
Interesting that you said one shouldn't "turn down the chance to see the world." That thought has been on mind lately. I backpacked for 4 months in Europe and Israel in the mid 1980s. I returned a more confident person. As well, I have some wonderful memories of my travels which thankfully I recorded in a travel diary. Now my oldest son, (21 yrs), has announced he's saving for a backpacking trip to Thailand and Europe. He hopes to be gone in a few months. Why am I a nervous wreck? As much as I know this would be a wonderful experience for him, I am irrationally rattled by thoughts of him heading off to see the world.
Your trip to Russia sounds wonderful but I wouldn't be keen to go just now myself. My husband never had the desire to travel but we did manage a long weekend in France which was beautiful, and two weeks in Spain which was very interesting but not marvelous. After that I wangled two weeks on the island of Rhodes with one daughter, again beautiful, and three weeks in Seattle, Vancouver and Vancouver Island with another daughter which was truly fabulous.
Now that both my husbands have passed on I get hours of pleasure from those memories.
Thanks everyone.
I love this entry so much.
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