On the road again--this time to Siberia

June 16, Sunday.  We have arrived in Vladivostok on the far eastern edge of Siberia, to begin our tour aboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express train.  We will get to Moscow about two weeks from now after a journey west across the Asian part of the Russian Federation, including a dip down into Mongolia.  Who EVER imagined we would travel to this part of the world?!

We set out on Wednesday, flying from Asheville to Charlotte to New York City, where we spent the night near the JFK airport.  Thursday morning we flew to Moscow aboard Delta, waited for a few hours, and then flew Aeroflot to Vladivostok, arriving on Saturday. Aeroflot was a surprising treat.  Their cabin attendants were willowy blonds wearing spiffy orange sherbet uniforms with white trim. On arrival, they donned matching jackets, Nehru caps, and white gloves. Right out of the 60's and looking REALLY nice! Delta's aging stews look pretty old and scruffy by comparison.  Both flights were good, however, and our first time ever in business class.  This could become addictive, even for John!

We spent Saturday afternoon resting and getting oriented, and hung out in the hotel this morning hoping the fog would lift. After lunch today, John walked to the train station to watch the Golden Eagle arrive from Moscow. He returned to the hotel and we set off exploring Vladivostok together, walking down through the town, along a pedestrianized street to the waterfront embankment. I think every family in Vladivostok was out enjoying what turned into a warm, sunny afternoon. There was a sort of street carnival going on, with pony rides, trinkets, carnie food, a Ferris wheel, and plenty of excellent people watching. The local girls are very pretty and fashionable, teetering around on six inch heels usually worn with shorts or tight jeans. Very nice atmosphere with Russian couples, kids, and families all having a good time. 

Walking toward the embankment, we joined local families on this pedestrianized street.

Family fun was everywhere, including pony rides for the children.  I love the bows on the forelegs of this pony!
Russian women seem to love wearing floaty floral dresses on their brief summer days. Little girls everywhere love wearing tutus!

Vladivostok in cyrillic.  That's John on the far left.

Looking down on the embankment from a nearby hilltop.  Can you spot the ferris wheel?  Click on any photo to enlarge.

One of the many nice buildings in this part of town.

We returned to the hotel in time to shower and change for a welcome dinner. By this time, everyone had arrived and we split into three groups, including one for National Geographic and one for an Australian outfit called Captain’s Choice. Ours is the independent travelers group. It turns out we are the only IRT people on the train. There are eight from a similar Australian group called ABT, and assorted others. Our group went to a restaurant called Michelle for our dinner. They managed to come up with nice grilled vegetables for us, so we have hopes the train will also manage our vegan diets. We were all tired and happy to head home to bed after our late dinner ended.