2011-7-31-Perm-cosmanaut

Sunday, not a day of rest for the wicked who have 700+Km to go
2011-7-31

Said goodbye to the 'space-man', The First Russian Cosmanaut-Uri ?, national holiday 20 April, but have to work..
Kataryna our Breakfast waitress, ex Chicago & LA, entertained us with her lovely US accent, and info on the space programme.
Part of a US sponsored scheme to foster US-Russian relations for youth to stay with host families in the States.

 

Ventured out on super Highway, downgraded to Bi-way, highway, road, ruptured carriageway and then back up again, down again till it repeated itself so many times we just take what we get.

Loverly countryside, driving in mist 'til mid morning with a little play to get to morning tea and back onto the road, diff locks in.

Had lunch in a wheat field, already headed for silage, see adjoining pics. There is green pasture silage but we also see grain silage, where the crop is cut 200mm long for feeding cows.

Milking cows being sheparded on the roadsides from their long sheds back on the farm, nice to see them getting a bit of vitimin E from the sun.

We had a little transgression driving and passing a truck on a bridge which the nice man in the very fast VW Passat was able to point out that a contribution to the drinking fund would solve.
Mumble grumble,mg,mg, so a quiet drive into town.

The hotel smimming pool is great so makes up for the lack of wifi in our rooms, we are all huddled in the hotel foyer, tapping away.