The train to Pskov

We departed St Petersburg for Pskov by train at 6:00pm on December 23. Our train departed from Vitebsky station, an aging, slightly arcane building. The train itself was long - more than a dozen carriages or more. It was painted a dull, dusty, army green and looked like a set piece from a old Hollywood movie. The interior was surprising tidy, the fittings, smart and clean. Free, hot water was also available from a coal fired boiler at one end of the train.

The boiler itself closely monitored by a traditional Russian babushka. You find Babushkas everywhere in Russia. The word literally translates into English as old lady. These head scarf wearing women staff public toilets, monitor guests on each hotel floor and generally frown at any discretion or rule infringement, no matter how trivial or inconsequential. Everyone in Russia fears the wrath of a Babushka. Once a civil army of volunters for maintaining social control in the Soviet Union, today they exist simply as low-paid workers struggling to survive on a state pension.

Train travel is a social event in Russia. Most cannot afford to fly and hence rail is the primary mode of long-distance travel. Locals typically gather in the carriage drinking vodka and sharing stories in an attempt to shorten lengthy rail journeys. Today's trip to Pskov covered about 300kms and was scheduled to take at least 5.5 hours. Within the first hour our tour group was holding sway over our carriage. Beer, wine, vodka and bar snacks were shared the length of the cabin as our own private train party got underway.

We were soon joined by young Russian soliders keen to practice their English. One young marine engineer student from Pskov took a shining to me and spent the remainder of our journey trying to convince me to join him and his friends for a Christmas of drinking and partying. In typical Russian style he slapped me on the back at regular intervals, offered gifts and shared his dwindling beer supply.

With all the fun on board our journey passed rapidly, the train arriving on schedule at Pskov soon after 10.30pm. We were now 400kms from St Petersburg, close to the border of Russia. Click here for more.