Coast to Coast Walking England June 5-20, 2014

Part 2 June 5-19 Coast to Coast England

......Emotions fleeting..,the burst of feelings as Clive leaves for home and me onto the train for my walk, settling into today, excited and comfortable on my own..actually missing mom and home ...though adventure spirits takes over and ready for a new adventure. Anxious to hear Lynda's news and meet up
The sky and weather change like your feelings...sun, cloud, cold and finally sunshine. Today ?a metaphor for my experience or feelings today......


Day zero  Enjoyed the train to St. Bees...going...on my own...competent...happy  Met Lynda after finding the bed and breakfast.  She is equally buoyed up for the next adventure. Great BandB at Abby Farm.

Day one st bees to ennerdale bridge
29 km six and half hours. Picked up after dinner in pub at ennerdale bridge to go to Ghyll farm.  Walked most of the day with Mike who knew the route like the back of his hand.  Brilliant sunshiny day with a perfect temperature... a great way to start. And following the coast for the first while.

Finding the trail is not very well marked.  Lynda managed to find how to work the GPS.  We don't have Mike tomorrow so we will have to rely on our GPS. It would have a been a good idea if I had remembered to get a map while in England.  Hope that it goes smoothly as the rain is supposed to be here.  We are definitely doing a sun dance and hoping that the wonderful weather continues.
Excited  and full of anticipation
Ghyll farm was also a very special wonderful place to stay with warm hosts.

Day2 27 km 8 hours ennerdale bridge to rostewaite
Lots of help from Ghyll farm pointing us in the right direction and giving us a couple of maps.  GPS points invaluable as well as previewing the map and asking a couple of friendly passers by.  They sorted us out - not quite as simple as finding the creek and following it.  A massive mascochistic race of trail running... 23miles going at crazy speeds.  There was a badly injured competitor in the hostel awaiting the rescue team.  Some jerk in the hostel kept repeating that this was not a first aid station.  Probably the only jerk we saw in all of our holidays - and he was staying in the hostel?
By the late morning it was pouring an  unrelenting rain but it warm enough. People warned us about getting lost but we are going where we see others and pretty clear which mountain to go over.  We were mighty glad to get to our destination. The last few km were long and we made a little navigational error and it was still raining. The rain gear worked great - jacket and rain pants though my feet were soaked in my new waterproof boots.  A long day with a sense of accomplishment at the end - distance, weather and direction finding. This was the most expensive stay on our walk and probably the only place that disappointed. There was no meal choice but dining room full and pretty pleasant  and relaxed in this wonderful old bldg.  It was better in our room when we got the radiators going...shower not hot as too much demand on the tank...other than those things pretty good.  This was Royal Oak hotel and each room had its set table in the dining room so they knew who missed a meal by where they sat!  There was a drying room and the radiators to dry our boots and clothes.
Lynda has pretty sore shoulders but she doesn't say much.... as she has an ineffective waist belt....and complaining doesn't solve it, she tells me (so true) but I feel for her.


 We are definitely feeling a little insecure about direction finding.... more by luck than management...so far and people pointing us in the right direction and some guesswork. The GPS points take way to long to enter and we need a map to relate them to.  They need to be preloaded.  Other people at the hotel could not believe that we got this far without a map or book!  I definitely felt foolish and knew that we got here more by luck than management.  Some were really concerned that we might get lost - we heard several tales of people being lost!  So we are hoping to get a guidebook and map in Grasmere ---otherwise who knows ---as this is not a route that you see other walkers --- you see them at the end of the day but not during - and not that many. 

Day 3 15 km 7hr rostewaite to grasmere independent hostel lovely
A stellar day with the great endorphins going.  Expected rain but it never came.  Managed to happenl upon the alpine route.  it was longer than expected but also amazing ...such a long ridge. A truly moving day of hiking for me.  Went up the longest hill two on the route ...a nice steady climb for an hour or more and then ridge after ridge and then down. Lots of bog... In fact someone when in it up to their knees and someone to their thighs.  Muddy wet boots again today...bog and must watch every single step due to uneven terrain.  Many many times grateful for the poles. Thought we could be down for lunch but it was more like four or 4:30. 
Hurrah! got a book and a Map about c2c ....so we both feel good about.  Had a pint with an Aussie couple that we hiked up the hill with this am.
Ate at Jumbles the best restaurant I've ever been to in England....chicken with pumpkin stuffing, sweet potato and green beans and a ravioli with cream, lemon, amazing mushrooms, spinach and garnished with arugula. And a great waiter...family related....
Grasmere is a beautiful village...clean friendly, flowers, lots of slate and stone homes...Wordsworth home
Looking forward to day 4 ...may it not pass too quickly.

Day 4 grasmere to patterdale shepherds crook bunkhouse suite great
12 km 5.5 hrs
Lynda buys a pack in the am.  Attempted bkfst in town but difficult to find. Grasmere looked better yesterday with all the people but still a friendly town.
Raining buckets so chose easiest route  - two hours straight up this am, must watch every step all day.  Wet feet but warm, a lot of rain today...locals are used to it.
Tired and satisfied tonight.
Great dinner and time at Water View Hotel...proprietor so interesting and enthusiastic, guests, food, ambiance all so wonderful and so much connection. Smoked haddock, roast lamb and original sticky date pudding - so great Lynda and I are sharing dinners that is swapping half way through.  So Clive, I now have someone else that I can trade dinners halfway through with!  This hotelier showed us what he considered an easier and more interesting route for tomorrow so Lynda took photos on her ipad of the topo map on the wall and we wrote directions down as best we could.


Day5. 20 km 5 hours to shap via a boat on ullswater lake making a more interesting and shorter day as recommended by the hotelier.
Great bkfst and a walk to the boat...a couple km ...and rode up the lake on the boat with nicely varnished decks. The sky was incredible - dark cloud moving around - the Lake District is famous for this, I guess - and the rain makes it so green.  Anyways even better watching the cloud show and getting no rain!  Then walked in sunshine...no longer the lake district...easy flat terrain just enjoying the sun, wind, cows, sheep.  Navigating is proving perhaps the biggest challenge and Lynda is happy not to overextend herself but would prefer to arrive happy and tired but not exhausted.  Beer and fish and chips tonight....how English. 

Day 6 shap to Kirkby stephen
10hours with 20 min lunch. 36 km with 2 navigational errors
Walked most of the way that young Dane.
Fine sunny day a few bogs
Very tired at the end of the day ... a lot of steps even if they are easy steps...I underestimated the difficulty of this trip and also the navigational challenges!
Enjoyed tea and scones as a welcome here at 6:30 pm  at the Jolly Farmer and  met a group of 4 women... 3 from yyc...first women travelling together that we have met since starting ...usually see couples.
Wet feet and tired feet, legs, and shoulders today.  Lynda and I agree that having bags transported would make the journey much less arduous and so more fun... the new pack really isn't working all that well for her though she really doesn't say much except that we could solve the problem by having bags transported.  I totally agree.  The women we met looked so fresh and relaxed and Lynda really liked that.  I was happy that she made that decision for us.
After tea and time to recover, stretch and shower went for a one dish delicious Indian chicken dish and naan bread. It was absolutely wonderful food and so beautifully presented with white tablecloths, etc. Lynda and I enjoy sharing so that works well.  Such a cute town. 


Day 7 to keld
6.75 hr 21km
Awesome day sunshine breeze
Sent our stuff on in a plastic garbage bag and had no weight! Used Packhorse, the company with the best reputation - and better prices too for transporting!  They would be the company of choice if you were planning this trip. Lynda was so much happier and the walking became so much more pleasurable for her...could tell sort of by her  voice.. And for me too.  Still enough walking by the end of the day. Great navigating today...relying on our navigational skills or rather following the book closely....an interesting challenge. We prefer walking without others and enjoy their comradeship in the evenings - now that we are equipped with book and map.  Usually you are on your own anyways ...and people go different speeds but occasionally someone wants to join you.
 Lovely breakfast...tried smoked haddock and poached egg today. 
Absolutely relaxing and fun walking, navigating and jumping through the bogs.
Still ready to arrive when we did...not exhausted but pleasantly tired.
Went to keld lodge for dinner..fully booked but had a drink in a lovely sitting room social...and a young couple immediately gave us their booking. We enjoyed a drink in the sitting room/lounge and talked to the walkers and the young couple - he a shepherd and her a uni student.  The whole room had one conversation and this lad became the centre of attention as he told us about sheep and sheep raising.  It was so kind that they gave us their reservation as no there was nowhere else to eat.They said that they could drive elsewhere. So much fun sharing dinners with Lynda ...shared 3 kinds of salmon and a curry. Great food
Had the Keld bunkhouse to ourselves...and such great accommodation and a friendly proprietor....a whole house....he said that he would have made us dinner even though it was past the time.  Such friendly hospitable people.
Excited and loving every minute

Day8. To Reeth 6.25 hours the austere high road 20 km
Walked with super fit Jerry (73) today...most other chose the low route.  Cloudy most of the day but pleasantly warm.  Enjoyed all of the walk without our bags. Overcast warm no navigational errors gaining confidence in reading our guidebook. Arrived at Cambridge house midafternoon for lovely tea and biscuits in the sunroom.  A beautiful accommodation and food and owner...the absolute best...
Shoes soaked every day but feet in great shape
Saw grouse today several times and 8 baby grouse
An area of no growth due to lead mining
Every detail lovely here and dinner at he cute buck inn was pretty good
Passed the half way point today though not marked and over the Pennines

Day 9 17 km to Richmond  Potter gate guest house. 5hr
Nice easy walk today.  Rain threatened. Navigation and following on my own pretty good.  Walked with Jerry for awhile.  Afternoon in the village.  Learned basics of compass use and today marked off a distance with Jerry.  Feet a little tired underneath.  Feeling a little tired and glad not to being carrying weight though feet still have to do the distance.  Preferring to be on our own and use our own skills to navigate.  Both of us had a lot of salty kippers toda- yuck.

Day 10. 36 km. Ingelby cross. And 3 more km to park house so definitely worth the effort
An early start for a long flat day. Breakfast times are generally from 7-8:30 in most of the accommodations and the owners suggest whether you need an early or late breakfast.. I could not believe the surge of energy I felt as we saw the farm house finally appear. I jumped for joy and let out a scream.  I had no idea that arriving today would give me such a boost .  So glad that we had no packs today! A wonderful finish with a glass of Prosecco in the most welcoming place with a tiny bar area.Great big roast dinner on 2 great slab tables sharing time with other walkers.  Gorgeous room.  So excited to arrive. The surge of energy upon arrival.  Tired from putting on the km on flat ground. Some navigation required but in all quite long and boring.....it felt like a race against time to put in all those kms.  It is the only day that we walked to put in all of the km and we did watch our time and distance...felt like the amazing race and definitely a sense of accomplishment at the end but not so much fun. Such a warm welcome and beautiful setting.  The owners were  both very special.  How they had the energy to do this every day.  You felt like their very first guests!  They did know how to separate business from pleasure.  After the greetings and dinner; we had our space and they theirs.

Day 11.  To Blakey Ridge 4400 feet ascent and descent 34km in 8.75 hours and I am tired today and my arches hurt towards the end - I put in the better foot beds in and stretched my arches before the last few km. It is the first cold day and here we are out on the moors. Looked bleak out there (just like the movies the moors go on and on) and we were very happy to finish. Mist around just like you can only imagine.  A cute large pub on the moors in the middle of nowhere the Lion Inn - so many cute spaces in this huge pub.  Needed one dinner instead of 2...way too much meat.  Quads and hamstrings tight tonight. Tired and relieved to be here. Stretching esp arches worked wonders
Spent dinner and breakfast with Jerry and another couple.  So much fun and such a pleasant environment out of the elements.

Day 12. To Little Beck 17. 5 miles. 6.5 hrs good that I stretched esp my arches.  Muscles in legs worked well even though muscles still tired.  Mist on the moor so set out with Jerry just to be safe. And eventually picked up Graham who is 73 and has very little equipment and sends his tent on every day - he was happy for the company as his guidebook was really out of date and he was unsure of the route - and the mist initially made him think it best to go back - then we met up and he trusted our judgement and numbers.  Good to have company on the misty drizzling moors as long boring start but we put on the miles fairly quickly and then the terrain got more interesting and my body working well.  Arrived, the two of us relaxed and enjoying every last step today esp as we walked out of the last town and enjoyed the hills and terrain and the occasional spit of rain. The others went there own way when the weather cleared up and the terrain became more interesting.  A great cup of tea at Intake Farm learning about farming in the messy kitchen. We were wondering what we were in for - this friendly lady inviting us into her messy kitchen - clutter everywhere but oh so welcoming. We chatted and learned something about cattle and sheep farming. Our part of the house was wonderful and her cooking was ok. Looking forward with mixed feelings about our last day.  It sure would be nice  to have some sun.  Boots still as wet as ever

Day13. To Robin Hood bay. 18 km 5 hours pleasant walking sun shining.  Walk along the coast to end . Took a couple of navigational changes to avoid bog using the map instead of book.  Boy, the confidence that we are gaining with reading the maps and guidebook ...in this case the map allowed us to deviate quite successfully! Early arrival beer after an easy walk. We met Jerry and the other couple - they had more distance to cover than us.Sat in sunshine and then dipped our boot toes in water just as we had done at the beginning.  Great day somewhat anticlimactic as weather so good today and walk not so long.  A wonderful sense of achievement....many days longer and harder than I had expected, much more navigation required than I expected, incredible accommodation, great food, friendly people, changing weather - 4 days with rain, many overcast and a few sunshine.  Wonderful memories created of northern England.  Lynda was the perfect walking partner - and I like that she always had her primary goal as enjoying the doing and not just achieving the end.  We made a great team!  We took turns day by day with the guidebook and we consulted each other at turns to double check.  I liked the way Lynda was able to make decisions easily that worked for her...the pack, which restaurant to eat in....life in perspective!

Day 14 From Scarborough to London on the train and then to the Travelodge.  Got tickets for Les Miserables so that was wonderful for both of us.  As Lynda caught the plane the next day, I wondered around London with my pack.  I have never walked so far in London.  Enjoyed going into the court of appeal for England and Wales and admiring the building and listening to a couple of cases.  Wandered everywhere - even had a great time meeting people on the train to LHR.

Another wonderful vacation from start to finish.  I am so grateful...and excited by the experiences that I have enjoyed on this wonderful journey of life.

Russia May 14-28, 2014

Part 1 Russia

Russia worked out perfectly!  Temperatures all day and all evening were like Mexico.  People were more friendly than expected.  The iPad and map program were invaluable for getting around.  We did all that we had hoped.  We got tickets for loads of theatres and enjoyed the days with masses of walking and some special restaurants when time permitted.... dining was a primary goal some days and something to be squeezed in other days, a few museums but not too many and quite a few churches but again not an overdose.  So an excellent balance doing it the way that we like best.  All of the planning made helped make things go smoothly and landing on the spot was easier because I knew the in and outs of ordering tickets and had an idea of what to see and what productions and theatres were playing.  Got to several of the big name old theatres and saw amazing productions.
St Petersburg was a good starting point for a tour of Russia as it is smaller and we learned and managed our way around on buses with a few tips from our guide that we had on the first day and also the hotel could tell us the bus number.  Also using the roman alphabet made it easier to move about on our own.  Moscow is worth more time (I think that Clive would tell you differently) and mastering the metro is a must...Clive managed the Cyrillic alphabet quite well as that is necessary to manage the metro.  We had to study it very carefully at most changes and stops... so that we could translate our Roman map and make sure that it was the station name in Cyrllic.  Buses were impossible in Moscow and people would not help us there though we did manage one bus ride following Lonely Planet as a guide though it was in a suburb and a tram. We walked long distances and used the metro.  I seemed to plan our time and Clive got us there...he did not have an agenda different or more than mine.  After the few big things which we both wanted to see neither of us wanted to much more education.  So we make an excellent team and travel partners.  Clive was as keen to walk as I and we seemed to want to see the highlights, enjoy the music, dance, historical and modern theatres etc and then fit in restaurants and meals.  The hotel breakfasts were amazing so that was always a pleasant relaxing satisfying start to the day.

St. Petersburg May 15, 16, 17, 18
Stayed at Ligotel in St. Petersburg across from the train station and sort of like a 17th Ave. around the corner.  We walked or took a bus to where we wanted to go and often walked part way both directions.The walking tour recommended in the Lonely Planet was amazing...ended up only Clive and I.  She could tell and show us how she saw things and took us to only places that we wouldn't go on our own.  A great local coffee shop, through to back streets and then to the art school and institute of design with student work displayed in big open courtyards and down hallways...massive pieces and everybody getting displays ready. Showed us where a group of concert goers got locked in, in the 60s for attending a jazz concert. The tour guide used to teach at a college (English) but made better money working for Intrepid Tours and was doing very well as a tour guide.  So low unemployment and low pay are the norm.  Housing can be a problem as well with long commutes.

Church of The Spilled Blood 

Enjoyed a full day at the Hermitage with audio sets...the number 1 attraction in St. Pete.  Went to the Peter and Paul fortress across the river but we were not too interested in the history and learning...so we enjoyed seeing the sunbathers, the dancers from an Eastern country and then to an amazing restaurant as per Lonely Planet.  We enjoyed an evening of Don Giovanni at the Marinsky (great but a little long because no subtitles) and then an evening of a collection of dances of various Oriental origins and ballet based at the Mikhailovsky.  After the shows we found a great pub one night and a Georgian meal beforehand.

Hermitage Museum

Marinsky Theatre

The other evening we found a great pub with jazz music that initially had no seats so we stood.  Great music then ended up with the best seats and spent the evening with a Finnish couple who come to St. Pete regularly to go to the Russian art gallery.  Another evening...the first we used the guidebook to find some obscure pub down in a basement playing wonderful folky-jazz.  The patons were so interested to have foreigners who found this place...such a special evening for us. We are all squeezed in this small basement venue shoulder to shoulder ...and everybody having so much fun.  So welcoming and trying to chat with us - mostly student types - and wondering how we found such a place. The second evening that we went there was not the same.  Fewer groups to play so slower and fewer patrons...though they only had some red beer...they said that we could go down the street, buy beer and bring it back. ...how do you run a pub and make money when you have no beer to sell!
Made it to Kazan Cathedral for the Sunday morning church service....all standing...great to listen to the chanting and music in such a beautiful building so full of locals with the women covering their heads.  Then sat on a bench and met another friendly local.  Such a wonderful feeling we had in this city.

Kazan Cathedral Service

People do drink beer in the streets.  Saw cars racing (numerous times as we walked a long way) down a main street at 11 or 12 at night....  Interesting that the cops just watched and chatted amongst themselves!  Saw lots of cars and lots of big cars (SUVs) and the parking problem.



The only hiccup was trying to buy a train ticket to Veliky Novogorod....that took a long time.  It turned out that the information that we had received at the airport (all printed out for foreigners in English) had the train time at 5:18 pm....perfect for us.  We waited in 3 different lines to attempt to buy a ticket from a Russian speaking agent...unsuccessfully.  With no language between us, we understood that there was a train in the evening later...not the one that we wanted.  We saw how patient the locals are waiting in lines and showing identity papers in order to purchase tickets...don't know what that is about....and so long for each ticket to be bought.  Then we were sent to a special office and the security wouldn't let us in, but the girl insisted that we come in.  Finally we realized that the train left at 8:15pm and not 5:18pm as our information told us.  So we left the station after an interesting and frustrating morning.  So we decided to get our bags and jump a bus to the bus station.  There is was no problem to buy a ticket to Veliky and we were off from this very modern bus station a short time later.

Veliky Novgorod May 19
Saw good highways and rather uninteresting flat countryside with a few trees and small homes as we spent a few hours on the straight road getting to Veliky.  Veliky was great...caught the local bus going the wrong direction and figured out with some assistance that we were in the wrong direction so got off and went the opposite way - towards the centre.  Found our hotel...rather grand if somewhat old-fashioned...large common areas on each level of the hotel and ultra-high ceilings - a little sterile but a hangover from the days of glory and government officials staying here, I am sure.  Found a great pub restaurant and when we came out there had been a storm that blew trees down in the park.   A shock to see this when you just enjoy dinner in what seemed, like I imagine, a small Austian pub atmosphere.  Wandered around the trees on the paths everywhere in the ultra-big park.  The next night we found a wonderful dinner in a residential neighborhood in the bottom of a high rise complex. We found this while looking for the banya that I so wanted to visit in this town.  Hard to realize the most cozy atmospheric restaurant here.  No translation with this menu.  So we managed to request the waitress choose something for us and she did.  Did we want two?  No, just one and then something else.  So she found something for us and 2 beers.  The pork was delicious and the sauce and the chicken was ok.  The time and atmosphere was so authentic and fun and friendly with no language.  Spoke to another patron in English on the way out and they wanted us to join them but we enjoyed a short hello and then had our vodka given to us by the girl on the way out.  A memorable experience.

Veliky - Sunbather!

Managed to visit the banya the next day...the best one in town was closed for the day but I got an amazing authentic experience.  Don't think that the lady at the desk believed that I wanted to go in.  She showed me about and when I tried to pay she realized that I wanted more than a look.  So with a rented white pressed sheet in tow, I walked in.  The routine is take your clothes off, put them in a bag and then go off to the hot, hot, hot sauna naked with a towel and soap in hand (or in my case a sheet). First a shower and then into the sauna I went - most put a hat (that what those hats in the market are for) and sit on the towel.  I spread my sheet under me and a little around my head.  Some lady gave me her used willow branch to swat myself with?  They were impressed with how red and blotchy my skin went.  Guess this is the goal...well roasted I would say.  It was really one lady helping me out and a few others watching.  Nice cool or cold showers depending on which one you choose.  I like the coldest.  Then the routine is to go and sit in the change room and repeat the whole process a couple more times.  This lady insisted on sharing her tea with me and then putting some Ribena or grape sugar in it....pretty dehydrating experience, I guess.  I felt like I had just had another real Russian experience and again with such friendly people.  The people we met were always so friendly and kind.
I looked at the fancy tourist banya in Moscow, Sanduny down a side street, and it was expensive ($100 compared to $5) and much prettier and not really an experience that I was interested in.  Hard to get a look without buying.

Veliky - Russian Beach Sports

Night train May 20
Next we caught the night train to Moscow and that was so pleasant and comfortable.  Shared our 4 berth cabin with 2 others and we slept comfortably.  Had to figure out the metros was the first order of the day in Moscow...and figuring this cyrllic alphabet when your map is in roman letters....a little guess work but we got there.  Never seen so many trains and so many people.  Another train every minute or two and again all filled up.

Moscow May 21-28
We did not like the hotel that we had booked so we moved out the next day. We stayed at 4 hotels in Moscow...the first one we did not like despite the good reviews, the second, Arabat House, (Intrepid stays here we found out) was excellent but the rate went like this 5500, 3500, 3500, 6600 rubles per night and then it was going to be 8300 for the 5th night ....about 30 rubles to $1. So we debated whether to stay or try yet another hotel.  Pain or gain??  So we had already decided in the heat that we did not want (Clive more than me) to spend a day travelling to Suzdal and Clive was not keen on travelling out of the city with suitcases.  Moscow had so much entertainment to make us want to stay as well, esp the theatres. So we looked up our options and managed to find another hotel somewhere in the $120 range in the centre just blocks away from the Kremlin and Bolshoi.  So using our ipad map we loaded up and had a great walk to our new hotel...down different streets than before.  I was interested in another new experience...and we did not even have to spend the day travelling to find it.  We found the People Hotel right in the centre...a wonderful place with a massive room, massively high ceilings and such a boutique bathroom.  It was a great experience with a friendly lady running this place with just a few rooms.   Even had the use of a kitchen, etc but that was of no interest to us. Then we already had the last night at the Sovietsky paid for and booked before we left home ...so yet another change and interesting experience that was some distance from the centre. Thatcher and other big names had stayed...a wonderful place in its heyday...with massive doors, high ceilings and big areas at the centre of every floor but somewhat in need of upgrading and cleaning.  It provided another interesting experience and another neighborhood and people to interact with.  All wonderful...esp the staff.  From here we visited the equivalent of a leftover Expo Centre so mostly locals... parks, buildings, a few fountains and the odd restaurant.  Ordered something with the word rib in it....it turned out to be fish and I thought that it would be meat! Oh, the fun of language..the hostess had a bit of English but not the waitress.  A pleasant setting - bright and airy - and lots of Russian families out for lunch here.

Moscow - Stalin's Skyscrapers - competing with New York!

  We had to have another lunch at the Pushkin cafe as the first was such top notch quality and the service and setting impeccable. Even the plate shape and presentation on the white tablecloth were so memorable.  A feast for the eyes here. Even got a tour of the top floors in the old fashioned elevator and saw a library surrounding the private type dining or lounge area.  The basement has the most magnificent toilet and washroom and coat check.  The inside of the toilet bowl had painted ceramic blue flowers as well as the sink.  Old wood everywhere and nice dim lighting as well as a staff member to take your coat (it was 30 deg C outside).  Lots of tourists found this spot and it is so obvious why.

Moscow Underground - Stalin's Palaces

We enjoyed our days and evenings.  The entertainment was top notch ...everything opera, ballet, jazz, youth night of traditional and classical performances.  Every one was an amazing venue..,new or old.  So many musicians live orchestras, so many ballerinas and people on stage.
Food was fun ...we ate in lots of cute restaurants and had amazing stuff...and excellent experiences....the environment contributed a lot to our food experience and you get over fried,sour cream mayo based sauces and just enjoy it all.  Ate in several restaurants with no English clientele and trusted that it would be good and it was. 

Moscow St Basils

Red Square

            High fashion, modern stuff well displayed in nice cool malls, traffic jams, big vehicles..clean, gorgeous coloured churches, helpful people, patience in lines of the locals at at train station where each one requires ID, very little English, great coffees, great beer,felt safe, friendly, money is just a number $7-8 for a coffee and as little as $10-50 for theatre
Borscht is a broth based soup with some vegetables and usu a beetroot taste, maybe a hint of meat, different kinds available.
Breakfast always wonderful in hotels...tomato, cucumber, cheese, cold meat, egg, bacon, sausage, buns, toast, coffee, juice
Dinner lots of meat and cooked veg or lots of potato often mashed.  Usually a creamy sauce or mayo type cover..enjoy and get over the calories.
Fancy city stores
When you are hot you are hot and when not..- always important to be comfortable and healthy.. The immediate needs take precedence
Comfy shoes my hot hikers were uncomfortable and so the  great barefoot shoes worked well to my pleasant surprise

Moscow - Opera

Walking tour - many of these people had down the Trans-siberian express
St Basils a wonderful church outside as much or more than inside
 Fell at Lenins mausoleum and got rushed out..kind of funny though bruised head and bent glasses
Gum Dept. store great for coffee cheap.
Metro tour evening - stunning and so deep with our trusty guide book
Cafe Pushkin  - such service and friendly and awesome - even a tour of the place up the old elevator and saw the library and the toilet bowl in the basement with paintings inside the ceramic toilet all of blue flowers
 Bolshoi. The Tsars Bride an amazing Opera in Russian with English subtitles and tons of people, costumes and sets  the best
Lenin exhibition  many portraits busts and not too big or busy as this is a travelling exhibit.  Everyone on the planet must have made busts of him!
Nikulin circus - another wonderful venue with some animals as in regular circus and also dance and gymnastic activity and an orchestra that even played a Mozart piece!
Kremlin marching regiments great walk  Smell lilacs hear birds.  Missed concert with wrong info...saw buses of cops...wandered soft lighting on kremlin
Swan lake at the Kremlin Palace  another great opportunity in a new hall  Had difficulty finding ticket office

Sunday- forgot that legs would need to be covered so arrived at the right time but not admitted. So carried on to Gorky park and eventually a boat tour.  Lattes in the park with sofas in the outdoors and so modern and attentive staff and overhead awnings - talk about comfort in the sun!

Another day ordered latte at the equivalent of a Second Cup or Starbucks.  The young kid working there is trying to tell us that it would be a good deal if we bought a sandwich (wonderful choices and so fresh) with it....he was so patient with no language to share...and then we had to choose bread or croissant and filling...we did all of this and loved it all.  They were so patient and insistent that we get what we wanted and that we got the deal!  Russia is friendly and amazing... and it is amazing how little language is required.
 Swan Lake at Kremlin Palace - so many dancers and a new venue.  All Russian audience it seemed.  We had trouble finding the ticket office and theatre --using the ipad we knew that we were close but could not pin it down.  So we found a poster in the metro and asked someone for help (pointing, miming)  He got onto his phone and called the number on the poster and motioned us to come with him ...all the while he is talking on the phone.  Up the stairs we went and presto - the ticket office - so he hung up his phone and we got our tickets for the performance the next day.

Bought tickets for Cosi  con Tutti (Mozart) at new stage Bolshoi.  Seemed very Russian again here. Another gorgeous theatre.  At intermission it was interesting to see several Russian parties of 6 or 8 with their pre-ordered champagne and tapas all on the table!  It often looked like intermission and fancy sandwiches - open faced raw salmon nicely decorated and pretty little cakes...it looks like intermission is the time to impress others and feel like nobility before the production recommences.  This was somewhat true in every theatre...all very pleasant places to be in and soak up the atmosphere. 

Went to Moscow International House of Music and saw youth folk  dances during the first half and then talented young musicians having the opportunity to play with a professional orchestra  for the second half.  An amazing building - new and grand - on the south side of the river and very challenging to find - a long interesting walk in yet another neighborhood ...course we took the long way to get there (not intentionally).  Just about ready to give up because I was not sure exactly what this was about ( it was Monday and not many choices for theatre).  Anyhow we carried on and found the building - the next challenge was to find the theatre in it.  Up staircases like we have in  a parkade and then elevators - finally found a box office - and some patron in the area with a little English.  We were told no tickets but just then a woman came in wanting to sell hers...so lucky again (there were empty seats at the edges).  Since we were late we were not allowed our seats so sat where we were put (we didn't realize this exactly as we couldn't read the tickets anyways) until half time.  This theatre was incredible when we finally got there - massive with elevators in big wide open space that went up about 6 floors...so much lobby space here - even more than the other theatres.!  yes really and then this large but rather intimate feeling theatre with a relatively low ceiling to contrast with the lobby where incidentally all glass walls to view the city.  Rather spectacular and not on the tourist circuit!  We saw several a massive school group all in their uniforms lined up to leave at the end and so well behaved in the middle...definitely leashed in. Such a wonderful opportunity that we again had due to perusing the things to do online and investigating something that I really had no idea about.

St. Petersburg 15,16,17,18
Church
Mariinsky don Giovanni or Shakespeare noon Sunday
Folks how.ru.  Nikolayevsky palace
Mikhailovsky.ru  Oriental rhapsody or flames of Paris
Philharmonic.spb.ru
Mussorgsky theatre
The art.ru
Lassie.ru
Palacefest.spb.ru
Academic Capella. Oldest hall. Capella.ru
Eifman ballet theatre. Not this week
St-Katherine-or gel.ru.  Church concerts
So times.ru
Alexanderinsky.ru.  Nothing?

Pub Food England - times have changed!

Globe Theatre London

London 3 plays in 2 days including brilliant Silver Tassie - a serious Irish play about the great soccer player who lost his mobility and heart in war and life at home forgot the war hero - the futility of war; soso A Small Family Business and interesting to see Anthony and Cleopatra in the Globe.  Enjoyed pubs and pub food before time with family and then on to my adventure walking the C2C in 13 days.








Part 2 June 5-19 Coast to Coast England

......Emotions fleeting..,the burst of feelings as Clive leaves for home and me onto the train for my walk, settling into today, excited and comfortable on my own..actually missing mom and home ...though adventure spirits takes over and ready for a new adventure. Anxious to hear Lynda's news and meet up

The sky and weather change like your feelings...sun, cloud, cold and finally sunshine. Today ?a metaphor for my experience or feelings today......

Kids July 5 2014

K. is two tomorrow and T will be four in Sept.  How we have enjoyed the babes and now children.  Still that beautiful uncensored response to you and everything in their world ...as they figure it out with so much loving guidance.  They remembered us when we returned from our 3 and 5 week vacations respectively.  K with open arms and T shouting g'ma and then looking the other way and needing time.

At the lake yesterday I had K at the park.  She climbed the ropes up and down and when I picked her up and said well done up and down on her own...she smiled a big wide smile acknowledging her accomplishment to herself.  And the same again on more climbing equipment.  Then we went to the beach.  She wanted Mom who was out in the water with T.  I said that we could swim out but that she needed a life jacket.  She said no life jacket and I said again the choice - a jacket if you want to go out there.  She thought about it for a good long minute and then said life jacket and then Mom came in.  Oh...to see the little brain working it all out.  Choices, whether to have a temper, how to demand, and then coming up with a quite mature response...so smart they are.

At the lake again today for Stampede breakfast.  K wanted to go into the bouncy castle but as she followed T in she got upset with the bounce and came out.  So that was fine.  As T came out, she wanted to try again...so in she went...and there was space for T again.   T went in as well.  K was a bit distressed at first but she got used to it and got her balance and found an edge.  But T, bless her, took her hand and helped her for the rest of the time.  She is pretty loving in words and often in actions with her little sister.  She is so aware of her and they do actually play together.  So the older one brings the younger one further along in interaction, etc as they play together.

We are so blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with these two little treasures who love so spontaneously and react the way they feel.