True Russian spirit

Up till now my run through Russia had been a tad surreal.

Getting the cold shoulder in Moscow, and managing to discover the freaky underbelly of Suzdal, had left me wondering exactly whether this had been a wise route to take at all.

Next stop was Nizhny Novgorod. A whopping great city of 1.5 million or so, I racked up four whole hours there. Enough time to discover a food hall in a shopping centre that had taken it's cue from the eating facilities in Ikea (alas, no meatballs), and also to stroll down to the river front from the station via the world's most unsafe underpass - it had one light bulb, yep just the one, to light the entire crossing underneath the main road and all four of it's exits.

Nizhny Novgorod felt seedy with a wacking great underlined, emboldened, capital S. I instantly loved the place, and wish I could have stayed longer. Seriously.

But it was back on the train for me, and a 22 hour rumble on towards the edge of European Russia, and the historic and infamous city of Yekaterinburg.

Before arriving, I'd remembered only three things about my new temporary home. It was the birth place of Boris Yeltsin (you know, the other Boris), it was the death place of the Romanovs, and it was also a major transport hub for narcotics on their way from central Asia to Europe.

But none of this research had prepared me for greeting I'd receive from the warmest, friendliest, and down right loveliest family in all of Russia. The minute I stepped off the train, Katya and Marina were there to say hello. Waiting outside the station in his Toyota Land Cruiser (heaven after a day on the train), Kolya wisked us all through the city (complete with a whistle stop night time tour) to their apartment, and my resting place for the next two nights.

In we stepped, down we sat, and I was plied with delicious soup, great tasting palmeni, the all important zakuski and - for the first time since entering Russia - vodka. Chilled, frequent, and joyously toasted, I felt as if I was being welcomed back into a family i'd left years before. Just lovely people.

The next day was a Sunday, so time for a couple of trips out of the city and to local landmarks - first the Ural mountains (the geographic feature which divides Europe and Asia in Russia), and then to the continental line itself.

Yekaterinburg was a huge highlight. You can keep your churches and your temples, your landmarks and your scenic wonders, it is impossible to really get a true insight into a place unless you connect with the people there. And with Kolya, Marina and Katya, I had finally discovered authentic Russian spirit. And Sonya, thank you so much for the behind-the-scenes work. Super appreciated.