Kazan

Our overnight train from Nihzny Novgorod to Kazan was relatively successful! Fortunately the guy in our compartment spoke some English and was able to help us with the train guards questions about chicken or vegetable meal options. Unfortunately, his feet smelled of cheese. You win some, you lose some! Our first experience of train food was a good one.

We had chicken in a sauce with bulgar wheat and veg, a little bread roll and a small cake! We even got a little pack with a toothbrush and a shoe horn!

Once we arrived in Kazan (very early), we dropped our bags off at the hotel. It was raining and the temperature had dropped considerably, but nevertheless we headed off to explore the city. Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tartasan and its people are a mix of Bulgar and Kipchack (Turkic nomads) descent. There is a mixture of religions in the city, with Orthodox churches and Sunni Mosques side by side in the Kremlin. The sight of the bright blue domes and spires is quite beautiful as you climb up to the Kremlin walls. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 80s/90s, Kazan became the centre of Tatar culture and has been a thriving city since then.

We headed back to our hotel after lunch and realised just how exhausted we are. We love travelling, and are trying to see as much of all these great cities as we pass through, but I think it finally caught up. After a mega nap, the only thing that we could think of doing was to eat pizza. So we found a pizzeria around the corner and with the help of Google Translate, we ordered two ginormous pizzas and a beer. Then Skype calls to family filled the rest of the evening.

Our train to Yekaterinburg the next day wasn’t until the afternoon, so we headed out for a walk to the newly regenerated area by the river after breakfast. There were beautiful restaurants, French inspired architecture, grass sculptures, but not a lot of people. We did wonder if all of this regeneration is related to the World Cup 2018 event. The host cities appear to be having a face lift!