B157:To Berlin

I have seen "на Берлин" (to Berlin) on several cars over the last few days. It is yet another allusion to the victory over the fascists in 1945. 
But today I have a different scenario in mind. On Friday I will fly to Berlin to take part in the 21st anniversary journey of the former British Military Train. During the Cold War this train ran every day (except Christmas day) from West Berlin through East Germany to Braunschweig in West Germany (arriving back in Berlin in the evening). Once the train pulled out of Charlottenburg station in West Berlin the doors were chained on the inside to stop anybody boarding the train illegally. Between 1984 and 1986 I worked on the train as a Russian interpreter. (The British government did not recognise the government of East Germany so we dealt with Soviet officers). On both outward and return journeys the train stopped at Marienborn, close to the border between West/East Germany, and the documents of everybody on the train were checked. I was there to interpret in case any problems arose. Often on the way back we would share a beer with our Soviet counterparts. All in the cause of fostering international relations you understand. 

B156:Serendipity

A nice touch of serendipity today. I was walking in park Dubki because the weather forecast said rain and storms and I didn't want to stray too far from home. There I came across a Victory Day concert which was just about to start. Russian people are so patriotic and every year, on Victory Day, from their hearts, they thank the veterans for their actions in saving the country and securing victory over the fascists during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). You must remember that Russia lost millions and millions of people during this war. Here are some photos of the concert, and two short video clips.

B155:The (Northern) river station & strange bagpipes!

The river Moskva has two river termini: river station North and river station South. Here are two photos from river station North showing what a grandiose place it is (was). From here it is possible to book short river trips (1-2 hours), short cruises (1-2 days) and to see international cruise ships stop here to disembark passengers on guided tours of Moscow. I've travelled with Viking River cruises before, although not in Russia, and would recommend them. Here is a link to their web site and several well-produced videos about Russia.

A short walk from the river station terminus is the bus station and shopping centre. Here I saw a man busking and playing a most unusual set of bagpipes - they were powered by using a foot pump. Can anyone tell me more about them? I have included a short video clip to let you hear the sound they produce. 

B154:Hurry up and wait

On my way to my lesson this evening I noticed that кутузовский проспект (Kutuzovskiy Prospect) was lined with baby policemen, every 10 yards or so, as far as the eye could see - in both directions. They were standing on the pavement at the side of the road and facing away from the road. They were there at 17.30 as I went to my lesson and still there at 19.00 as I was going home. I was tempted to wait and see what they were doing there, what they were protecting. I suspect it was something to do with the Red Square parade rehearsal that was carried out this morning. Perhaps some of the military hardware was about to re-locate back to barracks outside the city. Perhaps they had been standing there all day and been forgotten, poor things. Whatever they were doing, and however long they had been standing there, they have my sympathy. I have done my share of standing around in full uniform waiting for something to happen. We used to call it "hurry up and wait". 

B153:Will power

How easy it is to say no when it is time to don the running kit and hit the streets or, in my case, the park. And how difficult to find the strength of character to get out and do it. Managed it this morning, somehow, and after half an hour of mixed running & walking I called it a day. All the good work has already been undone because since I got back I have scoffed a whole bar of chocolate. Pig. My body seems to crave calories after a run.
Two photos today. The first one is of the bandstand in park dubki. Flags similar to the ones flying next to it are fluttering all over Moscow as preparations for next week's Victory Day celebrations gather pace. 
The second photo shows a typical children's play area (not that there's such a thing as a typical child - ha ha). Maybe the surface isn't quite as forgiving as the special surfaces we use in our play parks but the general appearance shows how much Russians care for their children. Several times I've heard people saying "our children are our future". 

B152:Alphabet soup

Yesterday the sun was still shining so I went to the park, along with 13,000,000 other people. I went to the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (VVTs or ВВЦ in Russian). This used to be known as the Exhibition of Economic Achievements (VDNKh or ВДНХ in Russian) but along with many other places it underwent a change of name in order to re-brand itself. It is an enormous park and always crowded with people on high days and holidays. Yesterday was no exception - people were whizzing about on bikes, roller blades, and scooters. Those of a less athletic disposition could be ferried around the park in small "trains". There seems to be more attractions and rides every time I go there. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of what it is like.

B151:Back to the sunshine

It is nice to see the sun again after my few rainy days in UK. Probably the weather will buck up there now I am back in Moscow. Here are two photos I took yesterday on my way back to Moscow. The first is of the new concourse at King's Cross station, taken at 5 o'clock in the morning. The second is of a picture of a guardsman in the Foot Guards saying goodbye to people as they leave Heathrow. Did you know that there are 5 Regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army and you can tell which Regiment a soldier belongs to by looking at how the buttons on his tunic are grouped? In order of seniority on parade they are as follows: Grenadier guards (White plumes and evenly-spaced tunic buttons), Coldstream guards (red plumes and paired tunic buttons), Scots guards (no plumes and tunic buttons in threes), Irish guards (blue plumes and tunic buttons in fours) and Welsh guards (white-and-green plumes and tunic buttons in fives).