4. 19 June to 21 June 2011 - Astrakhan, Russia It was late in the day when we arrived in Astrakhan, which is situated not so much on the Caspian Sea, but on the Volga River where it becomes the Volga Delta and empties its contents into the Caspian. We spent the first night in an intriguing little hotel run by a mother and daughter who were an absolute delight. We had thought it was no longer operating when we first arrived - doors locked, no lights - but eventua...

3. 10 June to 18 June 2011 - Moscow and Volgograd, Russia Our morning at Catherine's Palace on the way out of St Petersburg took far longer than we anticipated, so it was mid-afternoon before we were on our way to Moscow. And the road had its challenges - tarred but rutted severely, causing havoc with steering both for us and a multitude of trucks. Meanwhile speedy Russian drivers, with scary spatial concepts, were weaving in and out of the heaving traffic. So...

2. 1 June to 9 June 2011 - St Petersburg, Russia A 'border day' was ahead after we disembarked in Helsinki Finland, after a great crossing from Germany on the Finnlines 'Nordlink'. A border day means every ounce of patience you can muster, a calm exterior and no other plans for the day. And that is just how our border crossing into Russia unfolded. Five hours at the border had nothing to do with our passports, but everything to do with the vehicle, and the conf...