# Off to visit Vladimir



## pottersusan (Sep 3, 2016)

I'm taking a moment out from packing my suitcase for going to Russia tomorrow

I'm doing a river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow. Its all going to be quite an experience.have bought an extra memory card for my camera that will hold 6000 photos
My cabin baggage is full of medication - mainly Creon (a fortnights worth takes up a lot of space) and pump stuff.
Must remember to put my alarm on for 3.30am

I can never remember - do i change the time on my pump or on the meter?


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## mikeyB (Sep 3, 2016)

Don't forget the Deet, that's mozzie country. Sounds fantastatic. St  Petersburg  is beautiful. And the chilli flavoured vodka...


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## Ljc (Sep 3, 2016)

Jealous cods here  (me)  says have a great time.


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## Northerner (Sep 3, 2016)

Hope you have a wonderful time Susan!  Fabulous country with amazing sights and lovely people!

Here's what I got up to last time I was in St Petersburg (I'm the Hulk)...

 

...and Moscow...  

 

Bon voyage!


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## Annette (Sep 3, 2016)

pottersusan said:


> I can never remember - do i change the time on my pump or on the meter?


Change the pump, the meter will then notice next time you turn it on.
And have a fantastic time!


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## Flower (Sep 3, 2016)

Bon voyage Susan- or whatever it maybe in Russian  - have a marvellous holiday


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 3, 2016)

Have a truly wonderful time. I will add my name to LJC's I am really jealous list


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## Marsbartoastie (Sep 3, 2016)

Looking forward to the holiday album.  Have a fabulous time my lovely.


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 3, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Don't forget the Deet, that's mozzie country. Sounds fantastatic. St  Petersburg  is beautiful. And the chilli flavoured vodka...




Chilli vodka? I can't find chilli vodka anywhere anymore. They used to sell it in the Revolution Bars in Liverpool and Manchester.  My Lord I've got myself into some trouble in the past drinking this stuff. It is one of the finest drinks ever brewed, distilled or moonshone by living man


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## AlisonM (Sep 3, 2016)

Can't find the album of pics of my trip to those cities back in 1988, it's probably in the attic and I have precisely zero chance of getting up that ladder these days. But, we had a stonkin good time, I'd love to go back. No cruise for us, but a long, not quite Dr Zhivago-esque train journey between St P and Moscow - 8 hours of snow covered nothing. It was Aces. Don't forget to look for something called the Dancing Ground if you go round the Peter & Paul Fortress, not telling you why, you'll find out. Russia in the snow (it was February) is, well, quintessentially Russian and we loved every minute of the trip. We nearly got arrested during the train journey... as spies... for taking pics of a lovely brightly coloured little village that turned out to be some Party bigwig's Dacha. The soldiers let us go with a wink and a kiss instead.

You're going to love it.


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## AlisonM (Sep 3, 2016)

Oh, if anyone offers to sell you a rabbit head, take another look at Northe in that 'at and DON'T DO IT!


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## Stitch147 (Sep 3, 2016)

Have a fantastic time. Can't wait to hear about your travels. X


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## Robin (Sep 3, 2016)

You've probably set your alarm and gone to bed by now. Have a wonderful time!


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## SB2015 (Sep 3, 2016)

I look forward to hearing all about it.  It is on my list of places to go.  Who are your cruising with?

Have a great time


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## Marsbartoastie (Sep 4, 2016)

I once got a bargain flight with Aeroflot from London - Bangkok via Moscow and New Delhi.  My plan was to island hop and stay in Thailand until my money ran out.  As luck would have it, shortly after I arrived the baht was floated on the international exchange and the rate went from c40 to £1 to over 120.  I therefore managed to stay for a _lot _longer than I had anticipated.  Unfortunately, this meant that rather than returning during late summer or autumn, it was winter before I set off for home.  Imagine how daft I felt arriving at the airport in snowy Moscow wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.  Oh happy days.


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## AJLang (Sep 4, 2016)

Wishing you a wonderful time


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## Jonsi (Sep 4, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Here's what I got up to last time I was in St Petersburg (I'm the Hulk)...
> ...and Moscow... Bon voyage!



Erm... I take it that you are two bottles and not beardy. Who's stroking your thigh wearing a glove? Is this another story?


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## mikeyB (Sep 4, 2016)

Diabeticliberty said:


> Chilli vodka? I can't find chilli vodka anywhere anymore. They used to sell it in the Revolution Bars in Liverpool and Manchester.  My Lord I've got myself into some trouble in the past drinking this stuff. It is one of the finest drinks ever brewed, distilled or moonshone by living man


They've got Stolichnaya Hot vodka on Amazon at £23.95, which is what we drank in Russia, and is the best, plus a couple of super hot at 100,000 and 250,000 Scovill points. They would be undrinkable - even the manufacturer says so. I can't drink anymore cos of the pancreatitis, but if you are ever up this way you should try the vodka I've got that's flavoured with wormwood, the stuff in Absinthe that supposedly sent people batshit crazy. My wife won't touch it. (Good trout and Sea Trout fishing on the island as well).


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 4, 2016)

Michael you bobby dazzler you I have just ordered one  if it lives up to your most excellent review then I should be ordering some more and more and more.


If the batshit crazy vodka and sea trout fishing is an invitation I might just take you up on it


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## mikeyB (Sep 4, 2016)

You'd be welcome - somebody has to drink the contents of my drinks cupboard. The Tobermory 32 year old is off limits, though.

I've no idea of fishing seasons, but you can get permits up the road in Tobermory, and if you fancy a change, the guy next door will take you on a sea fishing trip.


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 5, 2016)

MikeyB you are indeed a most beautiful man. Check out what Mister Amazon left with my next door neighbour while I was at the gulag today


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## mikeyB (Sep 6, 2016)

Yummmeeeee

Report back in a couple of days when you've finished it!


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## AlisonM (Sep 6, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> .../The Tobermory 32 year old is off limits, though./...


I should think so, just like our ancient Glen Marnoch, I doubt it would be drinkable, but we like the name... Can't think why...


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 6, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Yummmeeeee
> 
> Report back in a couple of days when you've finished it!




Are you kidding me? Definitely not on a school night. Bring on the weekend


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## anniehi (Sep 6, 2016)

Have a great time Susan. Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures when you get back.


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## mikeyB (Sep 7, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> I should think so, just like our ancient Glen Marnoch, I doubt it would be drinkable, but we like the name... Can't think why...


Glen Marnoch distillery doesn't exist. Not sure where Aldi gets this from, but it's a very acceptable Speyside Malt if that's the 24 year old you've got. Sells at £91 currently, and very drinkable, though it can only increase in value.  Last time I looked, my Tobermory 32 yr old was £395, but there's none of the original stock left now. It was only ever one cask. Mine is still sealed, for use when the doc says you've only got a month left


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## Northerner (Sep 7, 2016)

Going back to the Russian vodka theme, when I was in Moscow I sampled 30 different varieties. By far and away our favourite was one called 'Starka' (it means 'Old'). Probably the most terrifying was 'Pertsovka' - a pepper vodka that we reckoned Russians drank to wake themselves up in the morning after a night drinking either Starka or 'Krepkaya' (strong! )


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## mikeyB (Sep 8, 2016)

One of my favourite vodkas is Chase Marmalade, made in the UK by the hand cooked crisp people. It's a proper potato vodka. Bit expensive, mind. I like the Polish Chopin as well, but I haven't seen that in the UK. Those Russian vodkas were a bit industrial for my taste


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 8, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> One of my favourite vodkas is Chase Marmalade, made in the UK by the hand cooked crisp people. It's a proper potato vodka. Bit expensive, mind. I like the Polish Chopin as well, but I haven't seen that in the UK. Those Russian vodkas were a bit industrial for my taste




You only let that cat out of that bag once I bought mine . It's burning a hole in the bottom of my drink cave. I don't know if this is because I am impatient and will not be drinking it until the weekend or if it has burned a hole in the bottom of the bottle and is eating it's way to Australia


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## mikeyB (Sep 9, 2016)

Diabeticliberty said:


> You only let that cat out of that bag once I bought mine . It's burning a hole in the bottom of my drink cave. I don't know if this is because I am impatient and will not be drinking it until the weekend or if it has burned a hole in the bottom of the bottle and is eating it's way to Australia


Don't panic, DL, I was referring the named ones that comrade Northerner drank.


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 9, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Don't panic, DL, I was referring the named ones that comrade Northerner drank.




Yeah, yeah yeah likely story. Tomorrow night when I am batshit blind and gibbering like a raving looney I know who to offload all of the blame on. Don't you dare say I'm halfway there already. I know that you must be absolutely itching to though


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## mikeyB (Sep 9, 2016)

As if. Anyway, you can't blame me, I told you to buy it, not drink it.


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## AlisonM (Sep 9, 2016)

If it's not for drinking, what's to be done with it then, strip paper off the walls maybe?


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## mikeyB (Sep 9, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> If it's not for drinking, what's to be done with it then, strip paper off the walls maybe?


That was just as a legal disclaimer Alison, it tastes wonderful. I just don't want to have to pay for DL's liver transplant.


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## mikeyB (Sep 9, 2016)

Anyway, it strips paint, not wallpaper, but don't tell DL.


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## pottersusan (Sep 18, 2016)

Am just about catching my breath after returning late Saturday.
Faberge eggs - very low carb!

If i had a £ for every tree i saw i would be a multi millionaire

I am onion dome and iconned out!

An amazing country with lovely people.

I will post some more pics when ive downloaded them from my camera.


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## Northerner (Sep 18, 2016)

Fabergé are fab-u-lous!  Glad to hear you had a great time!  So, they still have onion-domed buildings over there?


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## pottersusan (Sep 18, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Fabergé are fab-u-lous!  Glad to hear you had a great time!  So, they still have onion-domed buildings over there?


Just one or two!

Did you know that Lenin gets new underwear every six months!


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## Northerner (Sep 18, 2016)

pottersusan said:


> Just one or two!
> 
> Did you know that Lenin gets new underwear every six months!


That's going to be my new fact of the day!


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## mikeyB (Sep 18, 2016)

I forgot to tell you there were a lot of trees on that journey, as well as mozzies. Looks like like you had an ace time, can't wait for the pics


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2016)

Glad you had a good time, looking forward to the pics. As my kids said every time we went anywhere, after we'd visited St Peterburg. 'That needs some more gilding'


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## Northerner (Sep 18, 2016)

Robin said:


> Glad you had a good time, looking forward to the pics. As my kids said every time we went anywhere, after we'd visited St Peterburg. 'That needs some more gilding'


Haha! That was precisely my impression back in 1979!


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## AlisonM (Sep 18, 2016)

It is a bit over the top isn't it? LOL


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 26, 2016)

@mikeyB over the weekend just past while on something of a salmon fishing bonanza I was in a position to attempt a small 'tester' of the nitrous oxide Stoli hot vodka. I have to report back that I did not go blind, I did not burn off my tongue and the stuff is actually very moreish. Tastes bloody marvelous. Thank you again for bringing it onto the radar


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## mikeyB (Sep 26, 2016)

My pleasure. Don't let it get too moreish, mind. The heat can persist like a curry, if you take my meaning


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 26, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> My pleasure. Don't let it get too moreish, mind. The heat can persist like a curry, if you take my meaning




The stuff does work you get you much more than reasonably pissed. It got me unreasonably but very pleasantly pissed. Get in!!!!!!!!!!


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