Arrived via Manchester, Istanbul, Moscow and Sochi airports - 2 changes and my hold baggage kept up with me !
Landed at Sochi at lunchtime - and I let SC drive. It was Manchester weather -grey, windy and wet - but not too cold. The snow had gone at sea level.
I was reminded where I was when I tried to help SC reverse out from the parking bay and three cars - an SUV, taxi and a VW Tiguan with a 'lady' at the wheel trying to take me out - rather than permitting SC to reverse out
)
SC was trying to explain all the delights of her new toy - which includes a rear camera - and I wondered why such nice people face to face are SO aggressive behind the wheel ?!
The route NW to Sochi, along the coast took us past the ships searching for the wreckage of the Tu-154 - surprisingly close to the beach.
The posh highway - built for the Olympics - is much narrowed - as the retaining walls are giving way and a major tunnel on this highway is closed - resulting in a v.slow diversion and north bound traffic from the airport is surrounded on either side by south bound traffic which is SCARY !
We arrived home in one piece - a miracle given the weather and driving - and I wanted to sleep..... but 'welcome' to living with an FSU woman.. S.C had read up on 'parasites' and I had to drink a potion of ground cloves and other meds ..
Within an hour my stomach was in turmoil and S.C pronounced I was winning the war and the parasites were dying ...?!
Funnily enough, I didn't venture out much the next - full day - 28th - and it was the 29th before we hit the post office - to register my presence - 5 minutes and 450 Roubles, get my Galaxy Note 5's charging issue sorted out - 500 Roubles - dirt in the charging port and shopping for groceries and home made red wine, cheeses and black honey. I noted that petrol had gone UP - over 10 percent ... 42 roubles for 95 octane.
SC had moved the TV and it wasn't close to a network point - so Moby had brought some new Gigabit Home plugs and was pleased that they worked just fine. Now, we have 250 channels and I can watch UK / RU TV on any TV in any room and cast my computer /' mobilnik' to the TVs... Chromecasts were 'only' GBP before Xmas.
Today, we went into the mountains and had a Ruskie Banya - Russian Bath ... This involves a Sauna - wearing a pointed hat - running out to the nearby raging torrent - diving in -
being washed downstream and quickly swimming ashore - in BLOODY cold water [ 4C].. and beating each other with Oak leaves on twigs.
VIDEO I had previously managed to sneakily avoid the cool dip - last time in a large barrel- by quickly pulling a bucket of icy water over my head - but this time the Russians were determined I'd not kop out and I ran out steaming, dived in and somehow clambered ashore, downstream.
Wow, it really is stimulating and I felt GREAT after..
We feasted on local Trout
Crossed a rickety rope bridge
and I was allowed to drive home - being urged to drive more quickly ... ''don't worry, if the limit is 40 Km/h you can do 60" .. I chose to allow a queue to form and found I 'lost 'em' up hill and was first away at lights ... WHY, so aggressive- yet slow away from Green lights ?
