Aleksur blogged

Russia with Love - Train REPIN

26.06.06 15:45 Train "Repin" from Helsinki railwaystation to St.Petersburg via Vyborg.

The train was really nice, old russian train; Repin, with thick layer of paint on it (inside - probably keeping the train in a form). The air ventilation didn't exist so it was really hot inside till the train started moving. All windows were sealed that there weren't a chance to escape from the train after it left Helsinki Railwaystation.

R E P I N

Smoking area with happy smokers

between carrages were big holes which came handy to provide ventilation to smoking area, which was completely sealed from airventilation...

a snak provided by the railway company..

The restaurant carriage was extremely nice, there was table linen, plastic flowers, tacky curtains, etc.. (old deco..)

Goods for sale

Nice, innit?

The food was really good, I had a blini, basically it was 3 pancakes with salmon eggs and butter. It went well down with "baltic" beer...

Trip goes fast with not fast food..

If i would be a fish, i would produce these eggs as much as possible for the culinarists, - sooo good they are ;)

We stopped in Vaalimaa for an hour because the passport inspection and paper work. The passports were collected at beginning of the journey and returned just before the Finnish custom inspection.

captured speed #1

Just after entering Russia the (russian) custom officers collected our passports and inspected our carriage. The view in Carelia is woody and flat. Villages look cute but a little wornout.

Vyborg

Vyborg

Vyborg, Station

Vyborg, customs officers, (bloke with a white tshirt is carrying a pistol under the tshirt)

Vyborg, A soldier with Kalashnikov AKS-74U Shorty Assault rifle making sure that people wont get illegally into the country, which is getting more atractive day by day (soon everybody wants to move there I predict).

http://kalashnikov.guns.ru/models/ka114.html

captured speed #2


a russian engine

The suburbs of St.Petersburg are filled with highrises and plenty of small garages... probably used for small "business"....

garage heaven

ah, which house I was living and which apartment... - hundreds of houses looking same..

The railwaystation where the train destinated (Ladoga station) was really modern and there were plenty of taxi drivers offering they services..

Finally, St.Petersburg after 8 hours or so.. Juhuuu!

posted by Aleksur @ 09:16