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Published: August 22nd 2018
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Day 12:
I wake up without a hangover!!! I feel dreadful. I have the shakes I’m craving any drink immediately. Only joking. I feel great but I am still very tired from the last few days. Yuliya gets up early and makes a brew. She and the two Dasha’s are going for their morning run whilst I decide if I can be arsed to go for a walk. Surely a day off would be a good thing. They return and I have made my mind up to do a short one.
Jamie has sprouted a stye on his eye lid and Yuliya asks me to go out to the chemist to get some eye drops. It is a 4km walk into town so I agree not really realising the practicalities of the job at hand. I ask Yuliya what I should say and she says she will write a note for me to pass to the pharmacist. I put on my nursing head and just in case the pharmacist asks a question I would produce a photo (of which I now take) and point and hope for the best. Yuliya then asks her mum if she needs anything from
town- washing powder and sausage (I call it cock sausage because that’s exactly what it looks like). So a trip to the pharmacist and the supermarket is now in order. What a brilliant adventure for my first morning without a hangover.
I pack some water and my walking paraphernalia as I would take a short walk following my town visit. I have developed some nasty blisters in between my big toe and the next on both of my feet. I get a pair of scissors and cut and pop the blisters. Hopefully the walking would be a little easier now. I set out walking through the town and onto the main country road leading to the main area of Bereoza. I turn when I get to the main railway tracks and follow the tracks until I cross them adjacent to the pharmacy.
Note in hand I walk into the booth and smile and hand the note to the female pharmacist. To let her know I would not be able to understand a word she would be saying I put on my broadest British accent and say “Good Morning”. She glances up with a bemused smile and says “Доброе
утро!” Which I know is also Good morning. So far so good! She looks down at the paper and asks me something that I of course do not understand. I thrust the phone in her direction and show a close up of Jamie’s eye. She nods and wonders to the back of the store and searches in her lotions and potions before producing a pot of eye drops. She then looks me straight in the eye and speaks in fluent Russian. Now this would be bad enough but what it sounded like to me and my brain was “you’ll smell my fanny”. My mouth dropped open. I stuttered “pardon me”. She repeated the phrase and the blood drained from my face. I glanced over my shoulder and was about to walk out when she held up a hand written note that stated the price of the eye drops. I fumbled in my pocket and handed her a 10rouble note and received my change. In fluent Russian I stated “Спасибо” (thank you) and hastily left.A first solo shopping trip for me what more could go wrong. Now to the supermarket to ask for some Cock sausage.
I gathered up the
produce without issue. I approached the teenage checkout girl and to emphasise the fact that I would NOT be attempting any communications in her native tongue I said” Good Morning young lady, I would like to purchase these items I have selected from your fine establishment”. She asked me a question in bloody Russian. I simply said “HeT” (No). She rung my items through and said something else. I again said “HeT” and thrust some money at her. She handed me my change with a smile and shook her head disapprovingly. Oh well I had survived! I had only bloody done it. I had proved to the family that maybe I couldn’t catch fish or chop wood without receiving a possible life threatening injury but I could buy a Cock Sausage. Stick that in your cake hole!! (Although it was quite girthy).
Off I went with a full back pack and walked through to the canals for a short stretch to ease my victory glow. I managed with the shop run a 9km walk. I walked back in triumphantly and Victor had gone to work and Tania taken herself to bed post night shift. Oh well. Yuliya made me
a victory egg on black bread for lunch.
We relaxed for the rest of the day awaiting Tania to wake up. The kids cycled and played on their electronic devices as, although warm, there was a cool breeze and swimming would be out of the question until later in the afternoon. I went fishing on a couple of occasions and caught 2 small fish. My trip was turning around today maybe wood cutting tomorrow lol
Jamie had become obsessed with Minecraft (a computer game) whilst he was here and whilst relaxing I said to him that I used to play it. Well that was it! He now spent the next 6 hours questioning me and begging me to play alongside him (which I did). I went fishing he followed and continued asking questions . I went to the garden he was there. I had my lunch and tea he was there asking away. He even followed me to the drop toilet at which I refused to answer questions in case a curious poo fly flew into my open mouth. Bless him. He has been a bit left out this holiday, what with Maia being the leader of
her little girl gang (of Cata and Masha). He has finally found a companion. I get the feeling he will stick to me like glue for the next couple of days.
At 7pm Myself, Yuliya and young Dasha set out on a walk. I took them the long 11km along the canals. Now I had done this route last night but it had been an hour earlier. Tonight there was a couple of differences. First the sunset was truly stunning. Secondly the evening turned to twilight into night by the time we finished the walk and therefore became quite cold. And lastly and most importantly the difference in timings brought several thousand things to the party….. the bastard mosquitos. Now I hadn’t realised that this would be the case and I had therefore forgotten my arsenal of counter measures. I was eaten alive. There was blood dripping down my legs and my arms. Lumps were growing everywhere and I was starting to look like the elephant man. Luckily it was only for the first 5km then the eased off. Therefore I enjoyed the second part of the walk.
The sun dropped to produce a spectacular sunset followed by
a creepy yet enchanting Twilight where the mist rolled out of the canals like spirits whisping around the fields. It was brilliant. I’m glad Yuliya and Dasha had experienced it with me as the walks (although I listen to podcasts and audiobooks) were getting a little lonely.
We got in at 10pm had something to eat and put the kids down for the night. I had a bath as I had covered over 25kms today and my body was humming. And I am now lay in bed now typing this before I sleep. We are all looking forward to the morning as at 9.30 we set off to visit Father Christmas. A strange thing to do in August but trust me it is brilliant.
But that is a story for tomorrow
Night night
Steve x
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Christine Douglas
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Bites in common
Enjoyed your very entertaining blog again . Talking of bites I have been bitten 30 times in this warm humid weather over in the U.K. ! It must be a genetic thing - sorry !