We arrived here the day before yesterday and negotiated staying in the carpark of the Intourist hotel at Novgorod. It has provided us with a nice quiet place to stay with water and dump facilities and is conveniently located approximately 1km from the old Kremlin. Mike and I can just see the river from the van. We took a cycle tour around the old Kremlin and looked inside the churches. This was a very important trading town and is very old. It was flattened in WWII and the Russians restored afterwards it as a priority. There were so many churches on both sides of the river and a cathedral within the walls of the Kremlin. It has all been very well restored and is the most touristy place we have seen so far with cafes, bars, and stalls. Jon and Linda found a very posh Italian restauarnt where we ate on Friday night. There were 3 different groups of people who had obviously just got married. Small, close family groups only. While we were staying at the hotel a group of 10 German motorhomes turned up. They were part of an organised tour. They had a Russian folk group organised. The entertainment took place in the carpark and consisted of singing and dancing with accompanying music on a variety of instruments including a 3 stringed 'lute', an accordion and a wooden wind instrument in the shape of a duck, played like a recorder with the mouth piece the duck's backside. The single male in the group was an accomplished dancer who leapt about and performed some 'Cosack' style moves. The girls also sang and danced beautifully. We were encouraged to join in with dancing but felt a bit self concious doing so as we weren't part of the tour. The Germans didn't mind sharing at all and seemed disappointed when we left to go and eat as it appeared they wanted to chat more with us.
We left Novgorod after our two day stay this morning and joind the main road to St Petersburg. This was our first real exposure to Russian driving on one of their main thoroughfares. They are maniacs behind the wheel, their driving style encouraged by machismo , many have ultra powerful cars, others old wrecks with underpowered engines and shoddy tyres. Their attitude appears to be a lethal combination of suicidal, impatience, with a murderous quality in vehicles that aren't really roadworthy. The trucks are also badly maintained and badly driven, their drivers also in a tearing hurry. They overtake at inopportune moments. When we set off it was raining, the road was slippery. We got caught in a traffic jam which lasted for about 5 miles. The cause of which was a lorry that had jackknifed on the other side of the road. There was an elderly ambulance and an ancient fire engine in attendance. A single policeman in his vehicle at the scene. An apalling lack of basic services.
After 2 brief stops, one for lunch and another for fuel we were held up again by another accident, again in the opposite direction. This time a young couple were standing with their arms around each other. Their belongings in a pile on the road next to them and their car. No bonnet, engine exposed, and the back completely destroyed.
We arrived in a suburb of St Petersburg during the late afternoon. Jon and Linda had found a Stellplatz, through researching the internet and it had only opened in May this year. It's lovely here. We're parked on a hard standing secure car park, a view of a small marina and the gulf of Finland. Mike and Jon have paid for four nights and there is meant to be a shower here but we haven't found it. It's in the car park of a conference centre and there is also a palace in the grounds here as well.
We left Novgorod after our two day stay this morning and joind the main road to St Petersburg. This was our first real exposure to Russian driving on one of their main thoroughfares. They are maniacs behind the wheel, their driving style encouraged by machismo , many have ultra powerful cars, others old wrecks with underpowered engines and shoddy tyres. Their attitude appears to be a lethal combination of suicidal, impatience, with a murderous quality in vehicles that aren't really roadworthy. The trucks are also badly maintained and badly driven, their drivers also in a tearing hurry. They overtake at inopportune moments. When we set off it was raining, the road was slippery. We got caught in a traffic jam which lasted for about 5 miles. The cause of which was a lorry that had jackknifed on the other side of the road. There was an elderly ambulance and an ancient fire engine in attendance. A single policeman in his vehicle at the scene. An apalling lack of basic services.
After 2 brief stops, one for lunch and another for fuel we were held up again by another accident, again in the opposite direction. This time a young couple were standing with their arms around each other. Their belongings in a pile on the road next to them and their car. No bonnet, engine exposed, and the back completely destroyed.
We arrived in a suburb of St Petersburg during the late afternoon. Jon and Linda had found a Stellplatz, through researching the internet and it had only opened in May this year. It's lovely here. We're parked on a hard standing secure car park, a view of a small marina and the gulf of Finland. Mike and Jon have paid for four nights and there is meant to be a shower here but we haven't found it. It's in the car park of a conference centre and there is also a palace in the grounds here as well.
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