We Mos-cow now

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Today Moscow is 859 years old. To celebrate such a landmark anniversary, the government has closed all the tourist attractions including Red Square and the Kremlin . We grin and bear our tough luck-ski and stock up on vodka and chocolate for the four day train marathon, which will be the first leg of the Trans Siberian train journey, from Moscow to Irkusk.

Our travelling companions in our four berth train cabin are a Russian man and woman, both in their 40s. We while away the long journey swapping stories, showing that matters of life and love transcend geographical frontiers - at least I manage to establish where they're travelling to via phrase-book Russian and wild gesticulation and we spend four days smiling awkwardly at each other and sharing food offerings (them - sunflower seeds and boiled eggs, us - chocolate and Pringles.

We are on a slow train travelling the whole breadth of Russia to Vladivostok, and there are not many other tourists. We meet Pete and Sue from Britain - who are bravely undertaking the journey for their honeymoon. We are the only passengers to patronise the dining car (what did the locals know?), serviced by a stoned faced Russian waitress. We think she smiled once during the whole four days, but it could have been wind.

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Comments

[Chris Rowe]

Gremlins
Was there a gremlin in the Kremlin? If so, was it called Gismo?