Finding our platform at Vladimir was characteristically difficult, it turned out that we did not have a platform at all. We were instructed to climb off the platform, physically cross a railway line and wait on a thin strip of asphalt at track level …Surely not! The train arrived and we climbed the 4 feet required to board (no need to "mind the gap"). The train was unbelievable, a continuous line of "back to back" bunk beds, we had never seen so many peop...

We arrived at Leningrad station, swarming with people, none speaking English, no idea where the Metro station was and a very confusing Metro map in Cyrillic to navigate with - Major trauma but we survived. We joined Kim, Carol and Carole in the apartment and spent the Saturday on a walking tour around the major sights - The Kremlin, Red Square, St Basils, The Bolshoi theatre, Tomb of the unknown soldier etc. ( Culture) In the evening we went to see Swan Lake pe...