A day out in the country

Internet back on after a few days, so this is what we've been up to outside work.
A day off today as it's one of the Victory Day public holidays. We went up to the north to Krasnovishersk and a walk along the bank of the Vishera river and a climb up the Vetlan rock. Not the best of days, it rained mostly but a good view from the top.

There is a wooden stairway up the cliff from the river bank, all 645 steps and didn't we know it. Certainly gave the legs and lungs a work out and we were glad to see the top at last.

Cup of tea out of a flask and a few pictures then head down the steps again - I guess one slip and you don't stop until the bottom.

A mile or so walk back along the river and then lunch is shashlik - in this case marinated pork done on a BBQ - courtesy of Victor our host who produces charcoal, grill, BBQ and the ingredients out of the car boot. He also gets a bottle of absinthe out - 70% alcohol so handle with care, and also some beer. Now here's the strangest thing, Victor is teetotal which in our experience is a rarity indeed, but he knew a good beer. He was drinking a Russian concoction called kvas - made from fermented rye bread, looks like cola and is considered non alcoholic. After having a taste we quickly went back to the beer to wash down the shashlik. I think kvas is an acquired taste to say the least.

Back to work Thusday, Friday & Saturday with another day off Sunday!

It's all a bit different

Snows completely gone and it's either muddy when it rains or clouds of dust when it's dry. First couple of days it's been raining and even snowing again yesterday, but we are assured it will be fine and warm from next week onward.

The view that now greets us as we open the curtains in the morning

We were back in UK for 28 days last month and it rained for 24 of those so a bit of sun at last will be welcome. Also, it's light at the moment until about 22:30 because of the latitude location and it can only get lighter later - White nights as the Russians call it.
As far as latitude is concerned we reckon we are on par with being as far north as Fair Isle, which is between the Shetlands and Orkney Islands, around 59.3 north.

Head pot washer

Back to self catering and wondering what else is cooking in the kitchen - we are still not keen on the local fish.


I'm sure that fish just winked at me

Heading back again

Heading back to Yaiva today - this time from Heathrow with a 4 hour wait for a connection in Moscow Domodedovo. Don't know if its a seaonal thing but there doesnt seem to be convenient flights via Birmingham and Frankfurt to Perm hence our traipse down to the Smoke for a 21:30 departure. Al B picked the other Al up in Lincoln at just after 16:00 so with the extra travelling to the airport etc it's about 20 hours door to door (20.5 for Al B) so we expect to be in our 'home from home' in Yaiva around 16:30 local time Sunday.


We get to check out yet another business lounge, this time BA's in terminal 5 - it's the way to travel. This is the best so far regarding facilities - Perm is the leader so far for service!!!





Al B taking a picture of Al G taking a picture of Al B taking a picture of...............you get the picture!
They've just announced our flight has an hour delay so I guess it's time for another baked spud and curry washed done with a fizzy drink in a can ( it won't be cola as it's Saturday night and we're not driving)
A colleague from work ( Claire) has enquired if we are taking sun cream this trip seeing as the snow should have gone - if we are then I'd rather Mashka the bear rubs it on my back than Mr Al B. We get on but we're not quite at that stage yet.

Location:Iver,United Kingdom

Interesting stats for who's been following us this month - we're quite popular in the US it seems

Planes, trains & automobiles - home again.

Leaving the snow behind and heading back to sunshine in the UK apparently.

Our trek home starts with leaving Yaiva at 08:30 for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Perm, to get the flight to Moscow. The flight is just over 2 hours long, but due to the 2 hour time zone difference we get there 15mins after we take off!!

This is Bolshoye Savino airport in Perm on the day we left. Landing again at Domodedeovo, Moscow, but this time the traffic is lighter for the car journey to the hotel and it only takes 1hr 10 mins this time. So today we've had 7 hours travelling with a couple of hours waiting around and tonight someone else is doing the cooking for dinner. We meet up with Arthur from Surgut at the hotel.

The next day we have a meeting at HQ, but Friday we're on the move again with a taxi & train journey from the city centre to the airport. Its a 1/2 hour taxi from the hotel to Paveletsky Station, where its then aboout 45minutes on the Aeroexpress to Domodedovo.

As you can see, wet, grey, and horrible in Moscow at the train station, but Arthur does battle with the ticket machines (the manned ticket booths are all closed) we get our tickets and the train is waiting, and I'm glad to be on it as we are a little tight for time.

Our flight leaves at 14:00 for Dusseldorf, but Arthur has a longer wait as he's getting a flight to Heathrow. Moscow to Dusseldorf is 3 1/2 hours, then we have another clock change - two hours back- so we get there 15:30 local timeand then a 3 hour wait for the next plane!!! This is the 18:40 to Birmingham which takes 1 hour 20mins and gets into Brum at 19:00 local time so we have another hour to wind back on the clock!!! After sorting a hire car out, its an easy 1 1/2 hours up the M42 and A46 to Lincoln and I'm in the house for 21:00. Overall about 8 hours travelling and 8 hours hanging around various airport business lounges, and once again thanks to the ladies at Westwood who book the plane tickets and sort out the cars at the Russian end.

Back to Russia 28/29th April.

The end is nigh!!

This visit nearly at an end, we leave site tomorrow and head to Moscow for a meeting before catching flight home on Friday. German airports are having a bit of trouble at the moment due to ground staff strikes, but hopefully all over by Friday.

We've heard that UK is unseasonably warm at the moment so that'll be a novelty. The last two mornings we've seen -21 and -16 first thing, but warming up to -4 and zero by the afternoon and some of the snow is melting away - mainly from the mainroad and leaving them virtually flooded. After saying that its been snowing all evening!

Our transport for the journey to the airport in Perm is going to be a Russian built Volga car - we've been in it before and its a few years old. Favoured vehicle as a police interceptor and as a status symbol with the 'nomenklatura' , with a special version available for the KGB in Soviet times.

Went over to Berezniki for the evening - a few beers and a couple of games of russian billiards. Passed a scottish theme bar on the way in - looked like a tartan and baronial theme going on so that'll be worth a look and beats the tired old irish bar angle, so might try that out sometime when we return.

Weekend again

And the last one for this trip. Both of us ready for a break as it seems to have been longer than the 31/2 weeks we've had so far. Be nice to see abit of greenery - last time we came back at begining of February, it snowed in UK the day we landed so we had snow for a further couple of days!! There's not much chance of that happening again in early April you would hope.

A trip to the local shops for weekend essentials - Saturday night and it's a chinese for us, chicken in black bean sauce courtesy of the stuff we brought with us, and a beer or two.

Tomorrow its the F1 grand prix on TV, so thats an hour or two taken care of, then probably a stretch of the legs and some fresh air. If the banya is not in use, then a game or two of billiards might be on the cards.

Snow is still thick on the ground and some falling every day, but the sun is gradually beginning to start the melt and the main road through Yaiva is clear of ice but now full of deep muddy puddles.

All the other roads are as before, but a little more icy on top as it thaws a bit then refreezes. Makes the footpaths a bit dicy as well.