A swift 10 day trip in Russia was a real eye opener. Lack of Russian customer service or smiles, poor organisation, unexpectedly cold and wet weather, poor cycle route and some poor accommodation. On the plus side great buildings and sites in St Petersburg and Moscow, and a great set of people on the trip with lots of camararderie and fun along the way, making for a great adventure. Despite the down sides it was a great experience and I had great fun.

We had a couple of days to explore 'Venice of the North' otherwise known as St Petersburg, the previous capital (formerly Leningrad). We were guided through a synopsis of history and past many bridges, churches, cathedrals, museums and generally fabulous buildings.

On day 3 the cycling begun, actually in very warm pleasant weather. The bikes were good, mostly brand new. The scenery was a little bland and monotonous really and the weather soon deteriorated. The distances grew each day and it was a great effort to try and stay warm. At each break we cuddled cups of hot tea and crammed into a bus shelter or whatever was available to protect us from the elements. The accommodation was generally ok but basic. A few times we had to wait ages to get into our rooms which was frustrating particularly as we'd usually arrive cold and wet. One night we were even without water. That's not without 'hot' water, but without 'any' water at all. Tough day! Everybody showed lots of grit and got on with it though. Some people had a few doubting emotional moments but everybody did really well to get through what I think was the toughest cycle trip I've been on.

After 560km the ride finished in Moscow, a great achievement by everybody. Champagne and lots of photos ensued followed by a visit to the Red Square where we saw the Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral. Red Square and its buildings were amazing, a lovely site to see.

We finished the trip with a celebratory last night meal, a few awards for all of the characters and personalities which had shone through over the duration. We were all sad to say good bye, to each other, rather than to Russia.