Ruski stylee

So first important piece of news - I have some new boots. Phewee. Thanks Georges.

Properly shod and full of last night's salmon in breadcrumbs and vegetables (actually a salmon and of course, cheese, pie - and not a vegetable in sight...) I was full of confidence (if a little bit on the scurvy side of healthy) striding the streets of St Petersburg. There is shedloads of snow on the ground here still but also plenty of sun, which - coupled with the warmest jacket money can buy - makes for pretty comfortable striding about conditions. Though I hasten to add, there are dangers aplenty - lots of that careful walking whilst clinging onto George's arm to navigate ice sheets and piles of dirty slush (I don't know how the Ruski madams strut their stuff in their 6 inch heeled platforms!) - then there's the falling icicles - apparently every year a few people 'depart' via the icicle on head (or wherever) route. Interesting.

So Russia has been more or less as expected really. Lots of faded grandeur and a lot of fur coats and pouty ladies. Oh and quite a few Ladas! The food is also - so far - as expected. Still we went "shopping" this evening (lots of pointing at things and showing numbers on fingers - caused a small queue in the shop) and managed to procure some healthy items for brekkie. Not sure what some of them are but they have pictures of fruit on the packet so that's gotta be good right!?!!

It's pretty damned confusing being in a country where we don't know a word of the language - in fact, not even a letter of the alphabet - but we should really have put some more effort into learning a few choice words before we headed off. Words we wished we knew: two (in fact all numbers up to 10 or at least 5)
water
the bill please
vegetables...

We have at least learned thank you!

OK, that's all for now, signing off from a very cosy hostel bed (cosy as in 2 of us in a small bed, not as in lovely furnishings... still tomorrow night will be on a train so this is luxury!!)...

M xxx