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Published: June 14th 2010
Yesterday I came from my one-day trip to Samara, one of Russian cities on the Volga River. It takes 8 hours by train there and back, I had seats, 371 roubles one way, very cheap. I have already said that I hate people who make noise in trains after the midnight, and this time I enjoyed noise during the whole night so much I could even sleep! It was horrible, the young men were shouting like stupid all night long. I suppose they were idiots. Of course, there’s that crap about being young and joyful, and stuff, but if I were not a humble guy I think I would beat someone that night. There must be peace after the midnight, so that people could sleep. I came to Samara exhausted and sleepy and angry.
Samara Train Station is one of the most beautiful and modern in Russian cities which I have visited. It is very convenient, and its height and futuristic look make it one of the city’s symbols. But a little way off the train station, the other landscape begins. I bought a map at once, and found on it the nearest sight - a cathedral. I
The Mayakovskaya Street
Like no other large million-dweller city I saw, Samara has very many small wooden buildings, and those are often destroyed, old, and desolatedidn't take any buses that day, only walked on foot. I must have looked like an ugly zombie after the bad night - oh joyful guys, you be damned!
The Mayakovskaya Street makes one, myself in particular, be a bit shocked. It looks like a village street. That's ok, but many buildings there are old, wooden, destroyed; it looks like a godforsaken place. I have not seen such in any other city, and that’s what made Samara look very much different from other cities.
I proceeded to the Square of Fame (Ploschad Slavy), and there is a wonderful cathedral there as well. It is dedicated to Georgy Pobedonosets. There, from a high hill, I had my first glimpse over Volga and liked it. There is also some tall monument, I forgot to find its name.
It was early morning, about 6-30, and I was very pleased to see a girl learning to roller-skate on the square. She made good advances at that. I would come and get acquainted and take pictures of her, but, you know, I have stopped making acquaintances long ago. It is very lovely to walk in the
morning, when there are almost no people and cars. Of course, it is less pleasant to walk in a gloomy and sleepy state of mind.
From the Square of Fame, I went directly to the Volga embankment to sit at the beach and eat an apple. The river is huge and very wide, as compared to other rivers which I saw. I asked a drunken man to make a picture of myself one the background of the river (that was a good drunken man because he did not steal the not so cheap camera).
I did not sit there very long. The sight of Volga made me a bit excited, and I started walking again. On the map, the next stop was a convent. Of which I did not take pictures, because I was embarrassed to walk there in shorts (as far as I remember, such clothing is prohibited in convents).
I saw the Kuibysheva Square, which is very large, some other churches, the Kuibysheva Street, the Leningradskaya Street which is for pedestrians only, the Square of Revolution, and then came again to the embankment to have a boat trip on
the river. It cost 210 roubles, a bit of factual information for you. While waiting for the boat, I sat and had a rest and a snack.
Boat trips have always made me feel good, because I like water immensely. You know, the wind, the smell, the freshness, the vast openness, the waves, the panorama of the city. It lasted for 1-30 hours. I felt very bad on the boat, falling asleep. The people around were walking and talking and taking pictures of themselves, and I sat almost motionless. It is better to sleep before you walk.
After the boat trip I went to the Leningradskaya Street again. It is one of the most beautiful in the city. It is only for pedestrians, and there are benches to sit. Unfortunately, Samara has very few fountains, but I might be mistaken - however, there are very few of them in the center. From Leningradskaya Street, you can get to the very wonderful Pokrovsky cathedral, very colourful and attractive. I felt embarrassed because there was a queue of people waiting to get inside, so I took a quick picture and left.
My decision
Square of Fame
Ploschad Slavy was to spend the rest time on the beach, since I was really tired. Not due to walking, but due to sleepiness. I also managed to see the Chkalova Square with a theater, and right next to it there is the Strukovsky Park. And the beach with fine yellow sand. I sat for a short time, then had a quick bathe - water was very-very cold, so I got out at once. And gradually decided to fall asleep...
At five p.m. my state was rather bad really. I am not a whiny, I tell only the way I felt. From the beach, it took about an hour or so to walk to the train station. There I sat for some 3 hours, had supper, enjoyed music in my player. Finally, I was in the train going back home, got asleep very quickly, and no one was disturbing me that night, I slept good. I am actually in love with trains after this short journey, and I will definitely visit other cities in our vicinity. I will go and buy ear plugs also, so that no one could break the peace of a sleeping man.
The next piece will be about a foot walk to Sosnovy Bor, it is now being edited. And just in a week’s time I go by train to the Ukraine for 5 days. That’s a promising journey, but enough for now, and see you next time.
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