Blogs from Minsk Voblast, Belarus, Europe - page 7

Long relaxing day as the train chuntered through the rest of Poland and then reached the border with Belarus - 1st stop in the former USSR. An amazing experience with changing the bogies - the track width is different in Russia and Europe so the whole train is lifted up, the undercarriage removed and replaced - takes many hours but is incredible to watch. Only downside being the lack of toilets for 6-7h - amazing how this thought makes you think of nothing else but needing the loo! Men crawling underneath train was very scary to watch! Women entered the train trying to sell us beer and other goods continually - nobody seemed to buy anything so we don’t understand how they make their money. Had to fill in customs forms which was made a little ... read more

After a most wonderful night sleep in Warsaw, I had breakfeast with the Ambassador and his wife, overlooking the garden and then prepared to go to the station to get my train to Moscow (going through Minsk). As I went down, something happened to me which most horrible people fear with great apprehension: having to meet again face to face the people I traumatised in Warsaw during my turbulent youth. I met again (with great pleasure) our old driver Marek who used to take me to school, for walks in the park and generally take care of me when my parents wanted some peace and quiet. He had not changed one bit, still the same old Marek. After a few emotional moments and a long hug, I apologized to him for my past misbehaviour and he ... read more

Friday 7th September 1990 I awoke fretting (no pun intended) about the chords to "Yesterday". When we got to the school hall for the concert, there were hundreds of people there. The enormous hall was jam packed with, pupils. First surprise was a presentation to Trystan to mark his eighteenth birthday (tomorrow). He was given some flowers, a medal and a plastic concrete mixer to remind him that the purpose of life is to build achievements or something like that. This proves that the Russians do have a sense of humour after all, just that it's very odd indeed. A bunch of girls traipssd onto the stage and mumbled the Byelorussian national anthem to themsslves whilst a man independently played it on the accordion. He remained whilst a similarly unenthusiastic crew of boys came on to ... read more