Sunday 31st March 2013

The taxi arrived early at 4.40 am, we quickly finished our coffee and we were on the way to the airport before 5 am. We reached the airport at 5.30 am, this was before the check-in desk had opened – we could have had an extra half an hour in bed!

We have four flights today to reach home, so we have been fortunate to get our luggage checked all the way through to Chania. Our first flight will take us back to Moscow, the capital city where we started these wonderful few days exploring a little (but as much as possible) of two cities in Russia. We will have quite a wait in the airport at Moscow before our second flight, which is to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, situated in the north of the country. Then we will fly a little under two hundred miles to reach Athens. The fourth and final flight of the day will take us home to Chania, Crete.

It was snowing as we departed St Petersburg.

The scene that greeted us at Moscow reminded us of the English news bulletins which advise that due to the snow, all flights have been grounded. But not here, the snow ploughs and other huge machinery are continually working to ensure all flights are operational.

We ate a delicious breakfast in the airport or perhaps I should say that I ate a delicious breakfast. Dave ordered a toasted sandwich and I enjoyed a delicious blini that was filled with cottage cheese, berries, fruit sauce and sour cream. I confess that I will miss the Russian blinis.

After disembarking the aeroplane from Moscow in Thessoloniki, I immediately went to the ladies loos to take off a couple of layers of clothing. As we expected, there were a few degrees difference in temperature! As a result, we had to run for the plane to Athens, as it was departing 30 minutes earlier than its scheduled time.

It has taken us twenty hours to travel home and we are absolutely shattered.

We have had an absolutely amazing time in Moscow and St Petersburg and it was fabulous to see it in the snow even if it was supposed to be springtime.

A couple of days after we returned home we learnt that it had been the coldest March in St Petersburg for sixty years….

 

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