Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg, Hotel Sverdlovsk.
We nearly missed the train. The station board with the trains and platforms didn’t show our train, even though it showed others later than ours. As time was running out, I ran up to an assistant
and showed my ticket and shouted platforma. It had the desired effect and we found our train in the nick of time. This time we had a a lady who was sitting with what appeared to be her sister and they were saying rather fond farewells. We also had a young man who spoke English and helped us a little. He then left after a few hours and we got another gentleman who didn't really communicate with us.
As we were leaving the station, I saw a tear run down the ladies face. I think she was dissapointed with her berth companions, as she needed cheering up haveing left her friend or relative and we had not thing to offer. I offered her a sweet and a smile, it was the only thing I could do.

We arrived late in the evening in Yekaterinburg, and took the hotel across the road from the station. I won't say Yekaterinburg struck me as cheery. It was raining and dull and a bit cold. We walked around and took in some of the sites on our way to the Ekaterinburg guide offices. However, when we got there they were closed, although there was a number for tourgroups. I guess summer times are over. We had sent them an email on accomadation but had no reply by the time we left Moscow.
I had really wanted to see Yekaterinburg because this was where the Romanovs had been assasinated. The Romanovs being the last tsar and his family. I have been following stories on them for some time and especially on the mysterious Anastascia.

I had intended to take a tour to the following sites with the guide centre. The site where the Romanovs were previously buried and a site about 40km out of town that is the Europe-Asia border. This has been scientifically proven by the way.
However, it appeared that this was not going to be easy to do. Graham didn't appear to have much interest in anything in Yekateringburg. I guess the Romanovs are not everyone''s cup of tea and it was going to take enthuasism to go to these sites as it would involve some effort using the local public transport etc.
At that moment, I didn't have the energy or motivation to gee up enough enthuasism for 2.
I was gutted. This was one of the main places I had wanted to go.
So we ended up booking a train for that night and rushing the few sites we had missed.
We went to the internet cafe later and found an email from the center about the accommadation. So we probably could have got a tour or at least if I had not been in such a bad mood because of the days events, I could have gone to the sites I wanted.
I had got myself out of the dissapointment of missing things but I was rather dissapointed
that I had allowed the situation and lack of enthuasism to stop me doing the things I really wanted and vowed not to do it again.