So, the overnight train (not soggy). I think the overnight train is quite popular in Russia, at least between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. This time, traveling with our tour group, we were in 2nd class. Kim and I were quite glad to have a "guided" train ride with our tour before having to manage on our own (although we splurged for the 1st class tickets for our solo ride). In 2nd class, there are four bunks per compartment, two upper and two lower. Because of the way the bookings worked out, Kim and I were in a different car (you can easily travel between cars) and we shared with a Russian couple. They didn't speak English, so needless to say conversation was sparse. I volunteered to take the top bunk, only fair considering my years of experience with ladder-climbing and bunk-bed-sleeping. :-) We got ourselves organized and then headed over to the next car to have a drink with the gang. Afterwards it was straight to bed.
The train ride was quite smooth, but it didn't help us sleep any better. I managed to doze off, but each time the train stopped I woke up. Also, it was really hot and the air conditioning only works when the train is moving, so I was cold with the AC on and sweating when it was off. We arrived in Novgorod at about 6:30 am, headed to the hotel for a shower and some food, then met our local guide for a walking tour of the city.
Of course, after a week of beautiful weather we were in for some rain...and rain it did. Although we spent the entire day in the rain, we didn't let it dampen our spirits. :-)
Novgorod is a very old city and quite an important one in the history of Russia. It was a main target for the Nazis and one of the first cities to be rebuilt after the war. The city was the first settlement of the Norsemen and has been around since at least 862. Things like this always remind me of how young Canada is. In the summer there is usually an archeological dig taking place, and to do any new construction in the old part of the city, one must first pay for an archeological survey as the soil is rich with artifacts. Novgorod is built on a marsh (very soggy), a feature that helps to preserve the wooden, metal, and even fabric treasures underground. (I would have thought it would be the opposite, but I'll have to trust the guide on this.)
The first stop on our tour was Yaroslav's Court, the old market place in Novgorod. Nearby are five very plain stone churches. At one point many years ago, the traders in the market place were trying to prevent the regular ruin of their stalls and goods by fires and asked the priest if they could build stone warehouses. At this time, stone could only be used to build churches. The priest denied the request, so the tricky men built "churches" and used them as warehouses. Five of these still exist today, although they look like they are sinking. They seem to have been built one story into the ground but it's actually the ground that has been growing up around the churches. (In fact, our guide told us that Novgorod is still growing up like this and the city has measures in place to protect its history.) These buildings are now true churches. Novgorod has over 40 churches and a population of about 200,000. That's a lot, but not as many as Suzdal per capita. One of these churches is particularly interesting. Apparently, in the olden days, if a girl was having trouble finding a husband, she could run around the church three times, counter clockwise of course (?), and soon enough she'd be married. While many of us on the tour joked about this, no one actually made a run for it. I was slightly afraid of what kind of husband I might end up with. :-)
And, true to Russia, no tour is complete without visiting a Kremlin. So off we traipsed in the rain, across the foot bridge to see the Kremlin. The two highlights of this stop were the Millennium of Russia Monument and the Cathedral of St Sophia. The monument was constructed in 1862 to mark the 1000th anniversary of Novgorod. It is shaped like a bell and features many of Russia's important historical figures (except Ivan the Terrible who razed the town and killed thousands in his quest to convert the citizens from their heathen pagan ways to the Orthodox church). The cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in Russia, dating from the 11th century. Some parts have been reconstructed; however, part of the original structure remains.
Finally it was time to take a break, warm up, and dry off. We had the afternoon free to explore, so Kim and I ventured back into the soggy marsh of Novgorod in the soggy drizzle and....who would've guessed....went geocaching!! We took tour friend Gary along who was delighted to find his first geocache (or geocan as another tour member called it). After the quick find we headed back to the Kremlin to check out a big ol' bell tower. Finally home to dry off, nap, and head out again.
The last item on the agenda for the day was a trip to the local bath house, or banya. Typically Russians visit the banya a couple of times a week and stay for a few hours each time. I was a little nervous about this instance of "local interaction", but we had our guide Natalia to hold our hands (or beat us with birch whips as it turned out). The baths are divided by gender and nakedness is required. (A couple girls from our group tried to get in with suits on but were strongly encouraged to go nude by the very forceful banya employee.) Once inside what I will call the wash room, we each filled a plastic basin with warm water and used it and our own soap to wash off. We rinsed and repeated. Next it was into the sauna, which I found to be much hotter than a typical North American sauna. We sat inside until we couldn't stand the heat any longer. Back in the wash room we scrubbed ourselves down again and had a quick rinse under a very cold shower. At this point I was feeling really relaxed and content. It was so nice to be warm after a day out in the cold rain. Into the sauna again we went, but this time we brought the whips with us. It's customary at the banya to smack yourself or your fellow bather with hand-picked bunches of birch branches. They use the ends of the branches with the leaves still on. The bound end of the bundle is about one or two inches in diameter and the whole bundle is about 1.5-2 feet long. Natalia assured us that it didn't hurt and thankfully she was right. It was more of a pleasant sting. We took turns swatting ourselves and each other until we were out of breath and spent. It's quite exhausting to do this in the extreme heat of the sauna. We exited the sauna, rinsed off, and took a break in the much cooler change room. Once our body temperature had returned to normal, we ventured back into the heat for round two of the birch beating. Finally we showered, got dressed, and waited for the boys. Their stories were a bit different from ours; it seems the men hit a little harder and even bust out the nettles for maximum effect. And of course drink beer while doing so. They tried to get some details out of us about our side, but as the saying goes, what happens in the banya stays in the banya. :-) I will say that it should not be the scene of any man's fantasy. Despite feeling nervous about the whole thing, I really enjoyed the experience and felt refreshed and tranquil afterwards. I can see the Russian version of myself making the trip to the banya regularly.
We cabbed back to the hotel to change and regroup and then head out for supper. Walking home after dinner, we were all thrown off by the amount of daylight at 11 pm. This change is hard to get used to!
Off to Saint Petersburg (SPb) in the morning (July 14). More to come from the Gulf of Finland. :-)
Photos below are: me in front of St
Sophia's, me in the market place, and me and Kim on the footbridge in the rain.
TTFN
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