We decided that our next destination in Russia would be a place called Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan---sometimes referred to as the Istanbul of the Volga. It is home base for Russia's Tatar minority, Turkic people who trace back to Ghengis Khan and Volga Bulgaria. There is a strong, very moderate, dynamic Islamic culture here. It is a place of cultural tolerance and great academic achievement and is about 150 years older than Moscow.
The train ride from St. P. to Kazan would be 22 hours. Russia's vastness cannot be overstated. We won't really be leaving Western Russia's steppes. Our was due to leave St. Petersburg's Moscovsky Voksal station at 4:15 pm. Laura decided to spend her last day at the Hermitage---Janet and I whiled away a few hours sitting in the sun in a park just north of the Church of the Saviour of Spilled Blood. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The light in a northern Russian spring day is like the light in a New Mexico fall, rich and warm with a hint of shadow. With a couple of hours before our train we walked over to the little vegetarian place, Botanika, and had some sublime tea, relaxing in this little bohemian spot---girding for the train marathon.
We had the hotel get us a cab( lots of luggage), same guy who picked me up when I arrived. Nice fellow in a Peugot SUV. Entered the station, I now kind of know what I am doing....and I proudly led the girls to the right track, right train, right car, and right seat. Sweet.We brought cognac, a plethora of snacks. The providnitzas quickly gave us a lot of friendly attention. The train rolled at precisely 4:13pm.
The train ride from St. P. to Kazan would be 22 hours. Russia's vastness cannot be overstated. We won't really be leaving Western Russia's steppes. Our was due to leave St. Petersburg's Moscovsky Voksal station at 4:15 pm. Laura decided to spend her last day at the Hermitage---Janet and I whiled away a few hours sitting in the sun in a park just north of the Church of the Saviour of Spilled Blood. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The light in a northern Russian spring day is like the light in a New Mexico fall, rich and warm with a hint of shadow. With a couple of hours before our train we walked over to the little vegetarian place, Botanika, and had some sublime tea, relaxing in this little bohemian spot---girding for the train marathon.
We had the hotel get us a cab( lots of luggage), same guy who picked me up when I arrived. Nice fellow in a Peugot SUV. Entered the station, I now kind of know what I am doing....and I proudly led the girls to the right track, right train, right car, and right seat. Sweet.We brought cognac, a plethora of snacks. The providnitzas quickly gave us a lot of friendly attention. The train rolled at precisely 4:13pm.
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