Day 4

Sunday 21st February

After last night’s interruptions it was an opportunity to sleep in. For one of us it was 10:45 a.m. local time when he was greeted with a cup of Russian coffee in its official Russian railway cupholder.

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The journey continued through the taiga to Moscow.

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En route we saw small hamlets and isolated farms surrounded by a vast snow covered landscape. The temperature was falling and by midday was below zero, but at least the sun was shining.

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We stopped at Smolensk and Vyazma. Close to this town is the village where Yuri Gagarin (first man in space) was born. After his death the village was renamed Gagarin.

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After crossing the Moscow River we arrived five minutes early. Pretty good for four days on trains!

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A rapid taxi drive saw us eating dinner overlooking the Kremlin at 5:00 p.m.

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Later we went ‘walk about’ to see the Red Square and what appeared to be a UK style Christmas market without Santa but complete with Christmas trees, drinks and gifts. What a way to end the first part of the circumnavigation!

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The temperature forecast on the television was proved to be correct as we returned to the hotel.

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