Lenin, Banya and Ё (yoh)

---

So, my old Budapest flatmate drove all the way to Kazan to pick me up because she is the sweetest person ever. Not even her car breaking down stopped her.

About 100km from Ulyanovsk one of her tyres blew out. She called a friend who got a taxi to meet her and he patched up the car so they could get back to Ulyanovsk to the garage. it took three hours to repair the wheel, and she was back on the road straight away with her saviour to come and get me. She wouldn't let me get the bus (neither of us knew where to get it from anyway), and she arrived shortly after 6pm. Big hugs ensued and she told me how her mother was worried about leaving me in the city alone for so long (I had gone for a walk and eaten pizza, then curled up on a sofa in the corner of the hotel lobby and watched x-files).

The drive back to Ulyanovsk took about three hours. We popped into McDonalds (the first I've been in for about 5 years) and had a quick bite before setting off.

By the time we reached Ulyanovsk it was about 10pm. Budapest's mother and sister greeted us at the door and the mother had spent all day preparing food. Lots of bread, cheese, cauliflour cheese, aubergine salads, lettuce salads, and lots and lots of tea. The vegetables were from their Dacha (country house) and everything was delicious. The sister spoke excellent English and helped me understand the mother (I did manage to have conversations with both the mum and dad in Russian, which made me feel very god 😊

Anna returned after dropping off her friend, and we sat chatting until the early hours.

The next morning I woke up in order to earn my keep, Budapest was taking me to school to meet her students.

Everyone was very excited to see me, as I am an exotic creature. Not many foreigners get this far off the beaten track and the children had never seen a native English speaker. People gathered in the doorways to peek in, and the students were so giddy it turned them shy. I imagine that is how pandas feel when people gawk at them. But the students were generally polite, asked lots of questions, and were genuinely interested in what I had to say.

Some of the children also brought little gifts and cards for me, so I have had no need to buy souvenirs. It was lovely of them and we all shared tea, biscuits and sweets. Russian generosity knows no bounds. Even young schoolchildren brought homemade gifts.

Budapest's sister met us at school and we headed over to Lenin's square to begin my guided tour. Sister knew lots of interesting details about the buildings and history. We walked around the houses that Lenin and his sister were born in. We had a cup of tea at the top of the tallest building which had excellent views of the whole town.

We passed the university buildings and went through a park. We also saw the statue of the letter 'ё' which was supposedly invented in Ulyanovsk.

And the photography museum, which had costumes... we had lots of fun with the costumes.

Back in the family flat, we had a bite to eat then headed out to the banya.

The banya is a bath house. A sauna, a cold pool, and a picnic table. And, of course, the obligatory branches that you use to beat yourself and others with.

Yes, it's Russia's sadomasochistic pastime. Fun for all the family.

After putting on our cozzies, we headed into the sauna. Mother Russia took great delight in beating me with the branches, whilst the sister laughed. The cold dip was my favourite part... because I am crazy and enjoy being very, very cold. We had tea and repeated the cycle a couple of times. It was very refreshing and enjoyable.

I met Budapest's father that night and we drank lots of vodka. He was very impressed that I was able to shot the vodka without any problem. Between the two of us we downed the entire bottle. I feel so proud. University taught me that one very useful skill. Spasiba.

The following morning I was given cognac for breakfast. Hair-of-the-dog. Completely unnecessary, but an interesting way to start a Sunday.

We went on a whirlwind tour of Ulyanovsk's other sites. Kolobok, the university, both the imperial and new bridges.

The Kolobok, a strange story about a rolly thing (we didn't work out what it was exactly) that rolls away from people and then gets eaten by a fox (that's the gist). And there is a statue dedicated to him in Ulyanovsk... he's kind of like the Gingerbreadman... except circular, less spicy and lacking limbs.

That evening we went out to a Russian (cuisine) restaurant to celebrate her father's birthday. Lots of photos were taken, and we ate, drank and were very, very merry. The whole family took me to the train station to get on the train to Volgograd.

There are no people more generous than the Russians. They cannot do enough for their guests. They want to give you everything they have. Russians make small talk as easily as they drink vodka. They give and refuse anything offered in return. My Russian family gave me a loving home and I would like to say 'Спасибо вам. Я наслаждался моим путешествием в вашем доме'.

---