Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
We did think about this being a MickyDees free trip but that failed before we got the train at London St Pancras. Apart from that, and in Kiel, it’s been MDFree.
Now on this train.
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And does seem a bit heading to here, first time in Russia for both of us.
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2nd Oct 2019 4:03 am
Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
Opinions on the itinerary Del? Limited on the time scale unfortunately.
2nd Oct 2019 5:03 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
I’ll just reformat the pics, can’t read them. Will loose data as soon as enter Russia so will get back to you once that’s sorted.
2nd Oct 2019 5:19 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
The Dundonian wrote:
Opinions on the itinerary Del? Limited on the time scale unfortunately.
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2nd Oct 2019 5:20 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
That looks good, we really liked Japan on last trip and aim to go back there, to see a few of the things on that tour, also S Korea. The only thing I’d want is a bit of time to get over the jet lag/travel fatigue, but if time is limited just crack on.
2nd Oct 2019 5:26 am
Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
it’s all booked up for next July.
Still gives me a problem where to go in 10 days time for a week. If I don’t arrange something, I’ll be shot at dawn!
2nd Oct 2019 5:47 am
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Helsinki and the Islands look great but don't know what all this moaning about the cold is about - you're British, it's always cold and wet I really really really hope it stays cold, the thought of that mankini thing makes me shudder
Hope the train ride to Russia is eventful in a good way and looking forward to the next installment of pics Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
2nd Oct 2019 11:45 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Greetings comrades, got here fine. And Lenin says hi.
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Third things bought, after data sim & coffees, were woolly hats. I’m sure they can be used as mankini substitutes!!
More after food.
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2nd Oct 2019 12:33 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
OK, where were we?
It’s a pretty good ride from Helsinki to St Petersburg on the swanky Allegro train. Only down side is the seats are pretty hard, the Vietnam Railways seats are better. Deffo case of NB (numb bum) at the end of trip.
We got the first train at 07:20 so we’d get into SPB at a good time, plus it was half the price of the 2nd train of the day. All immigration & customs is done on the train and you just walk off and straight to the outside world. Simples.
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Then off to the Megafon shop for a data sim. 30gb/30 days for R750/£9.34. Nice and easy, comms were back up & running in a jiffy
Down to the park near by to sort out kit/get layers on. It was a tad chilly and wind was cutting through my fleece so out with the wettie. Then said hi to Lenin.
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Off to the metro. Pretty cheap & simple, just buy a token for R45/56p and ride for as long or short as you want. You go down what must be the longest escalator I’ve ever been on, I could swear we were going to see a sign saying “you are leaving the crust, welcome to the mantle”.
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The trains look straight out of the 50s but zipped along to our stop.
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And back up another really long escalator. Pos a relic of the Cold War/bomb shelter.
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Just had a bit of a wander around after getting into the hotel, and savoury pancakes for scoff as above. Lots of the scenery are just like in the tank scenes of Goldeneye, even though that was filmed in Helsinki.
Gratuitous view from a bridge over the Fontanka River.
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And good to see somewhere close for a little tipple.
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But we’re not going there, we’re enjoying this bad boy with a couple of packs of crisps for supper. For all of £2.73, it’s extremely quaffable. SWMBO’s new tea cosy hat in background.
Home of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
2nd Oct 2019 8:00 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Evening all peeps out there in DiscoLand. Bit of a wet and cold day today, still kept warm(er) by tromping almost 13km round the very soggy centre of StP. First stop after metro to Lenin Square was the cruiser Aurora, as in the one that signaled the start of the ‘17 revolution. And no, not the revolutionary idog&bone that came out in 2017.
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Note tea-cozy/hat. The best buy of the trip so far. And when it started piddling down later it was teamed up with my baseball for maximum toastieness. I was getting SWMBO to acknowledge the geniousness of buying them repeatedly, well until she started her own revolution and gave me that look.
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Very bored Min of Defence dude scowling at me as he was in the pic. “Well don’t stand right beside the big gun at the pointy end of the ship (nautical types call it the bow ISTR).” thought I.
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Bunch of revolutionary sailor dudes on top of a building. I wish I could say it warmed my heart, or anything else, but it didn’t, it was getting a bit parkie.
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Tall spire on the main church on Peter & Paul island/fortress. Which went very well with the gold FL2 driving around hoping to get photographed with said spire.
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Just like being back in Thailand, but 30c colder and numb fingies!
Walked round to the square where the Hermitage is, taking any and all advantage of the shelter that buildings gave. All locals were well wrapped up against the weather, just glad we had our newly bought hats on. When I say all, well almost all as there are always nutters in any place wandering around in shorts & t-shirts.
Pano to the E.
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Pano to the W.
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Non pano to the S.
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No pic to the N as that was the direction the wind and rain was coming from.
Double headed eagle over a nice arch/rain shelter. As seen in the middle pano looking E.
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Then a walk back to the Moscow Station area (all very le Carré) and our hotel. But first a stop at a StP institution, a doughnut restaurant, where they only sell doughnuts. They were scrummy and at R15/19p each they were cheap as chips donughts. And the coffee was automatically with sugar, fantastic. This lot was less than £2.
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Most peeps had between 3 and 6 each, one family of three had what must have been well over 50 between them.
And back to the hotel it’s another cheap bottle of really pretty scrummy Russian vino, from the area immediately to the east of Crimea. Pretty good for £2.57!! I’m going to miss that corkscrew when we chuck it before we fly to Aus.
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Now watching The Mentalist dubbed in Russian. No idea what’s going on but nothing new there.
Home of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
3rd Oct 2019 4:00 pm
Grianaig
Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Tyne and Wear
Posts: 1286
Enjoying following your trip. Nice warm +3C this morning in Grantoon.
Something loud and slow has just clattered overhead. Probably a Chinook.2014 MY Discovery XS Indus Silver. Sadly gone. Second last LR of forty eight years continuous ownership.
Last edited by Grianaig on 3rd Oct 2019 4:49 pm. Edited 1 time in total
3rd Oct 2019 4:45 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Just like here then! At least I can understand the lingo there, well most of the time.
3rd Oct 2019 4:47 pm
Grianaig
Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Tyne and Wear
Posts: 1286
Lots of strange accents about at the moment. Coach loads up at the Cooperage. Never seen so many.2014 MY Discovery XS Indus Silver. Sadly gone. Second last LR of forty eight years continuous ownership.
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I really really really hope it stays cold, the thought of that mankini thing makes me shudder 
