Perm - near the Ural mountains
Until recently a closed city
24.10.2010
Depart Moscow Sun19
Train journey started with a wait in a large terminal building. Found the 18 train on platform 2 the second platform 2. Flat and apart from silver birch , pine & the odd red maple. Settlements of wooded steep roofed house many with allotments now nearly empty only a few cabbages left to pick. Jacky saw an elk? Towns every 60k or so- the distance of a days horse ride. Sleep berth were good just like the descriptions in the book . Met a couple & child from Cranfied doing what we are doing. Hope his back improves! Soviet red sun set. Trees in the morning more autumnal colours. Strange waking up next to a 25yr old young russian girl.
Perm is 1438k from Moscow all stations have distances from Moscow .
Met by driver at Perm and taken to home stay apartment of Olga & Sergei. 3 floor of a city centre block. Offered lunch & met mum, home grown food & jams. Walked part of the Greenline tourist train in English! Tried to sort iPhone no luck. Everyone very helpful. Arrived back & offered a meal. Long chats about allsorts Sergi is an aero engineer who has been to Huston. Much beer and communion wine!
Large breakfast porridge & blinis lemon tea
Walked to paleomuseum & perm history museum. Met Derek & Carol Thomas from Oxford on an exchange visit with Perm university. Hopefully negotiating a trip to Gulag. Successful 2 hr drive through outskirts of Perm and then through foothills of the Urals autumnal colours. Gulag Perm 36 1946-1987 3 phases lobour correction facility along with 40,000 others - this is the only one left ! Lessons learnt from past mistakes. 50,000,000 prisoners 1 in 5 of male population. Meal out to thank Olga & Sergy.
Back in class room with 15yrs old, school 77 in Perm with Sonia as our guide. Time to prepare for out next 24 hr train journey.
Taxi to Perm 2 - 10 min delay
