And we continue on this journey today, as I resume exploring Yekaterinburg. This is the second last of this series – the final leg to Moscow will be next! Thanks for joining me as I strolled down memory lane!

Previously –

From the Trans-Mongolian Diary 8 – Into Yekaterinburg

From the Trans-Mongolian Diary 7 – Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg

From the Trans-Mongolian Diary 6 – Lake Baikal

15^th May 2017

Slept long and hard woke at 10:30 AM dressed showered the usual. I headed down to the tram/bus/trolleybus stop below and soon I was waiting on the number 11 trolley bus. It arrived, so I hopped on. I got off a stop late I guess. At the Romanov death site there’s a small wooden Chapel or something closed off, alongside the Church of the Holy Blood.

Just getting there meant – more snow, would you believe it? On and off today there were flurries. There was this building that looked like a church with the usual gold domes, but although there was a nice Chapel it was a small museum to the Romanovs. Yes my favourite royal family! It wasn’t clear once I entered that I was in a museum, but there were groups of students coming in and out, so I knew something was happening there!

I had to go down and put blue plastic booties on to put over my shoes, just like the ones I at work! Gave up my bag as well and black jacket. Good thing too! Warm enough. So I preceded up the stairs to the museum. Well, there were two connected rooms of letters, paintings, photos, memorabilia of the time. It was interesting enough I guess. But the droves of school children did not help in any way. No Sir they did not. Then I went to another room, paintings – modern I think, and another with a big table. On the walls, many portraits of priests with beards. I presume they were heads of the Russian Church from 1610 to today.

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And basically that was it. The church Upon the Blood was closed, so I crossed the road and went to this mansion in the LP. Being restored, not open to the public. Next door church behind a delightful park. I walked around a small lake. Young men exercising, barely running faster than I was walking. A woman in the little island in the lake posing for photos. Then I went into the church, the Ascension Church, the oldest in Yekaterinburg, I believe, restored, of course. Blue on the outside, beautiful paintings on the inside, 3 chambers, gold icons, the usual.

From there, well, I exited the churh and the snow was back! Another flurry that is. Time for lunch and I followed the Lonely Planet advice to try a cafe called ‘Stolle’. It was a great choice. I had pierogi style dumplings. I had to walk to the city pond to find it and then I nearly gave up but found it in the end. I also had apple pie for dessert. Nice ambiance, Frank Sinatra playing.

Couldn’t find the tourist Information Office – closed down maybe? I went to ‘Passage’ – a big mall and found an ATM in English and a supermarket where I bought for tomorrow. Both of those were good, but then I took a tram down Lenina to find the Military museum. It was only after walking and looking that I realised wrong part of town, Lenina ULTILSA not ‘Prospect;. I was done, went back to the stop and must have waited 30 minutes for tram 27. I could have also taken five but only saw two fives going in the other direction.

I wasn’t the only one either. I could see others getting a little fed up as we waited for the right tram. Finally down the hill towards us it came. I. Number 27 clickety, clack and voila! On our way. Back to the Marines Park Hotel.

Back at the hotel. Well, I blogged. I think the. Charger is slowly dying. It’s making funny sounds in there. Will need some sort of replacement sooner or later. Probably all these varying voltages or amperages. At a wild guess that is. Still I managed to get all charged up nonetheless and, after that, I ducked back to the closest restaurant I know for a double cheeseburger with added salad just for fun.

It’s amazing how many McDonald’s staff across the world have the ability to speak English. The register people, I mean, of course. I came back to the room and began my packing. I tried to complete this diary entry, but I guess I was too tired. That is pretty much Yekaterinburg done and dusted. Would have liked to have seen a couple more museums, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles I guess.

Thanks for popping in have having a read today. Next Monday the final chapter will be up on the blog! Take care and May the Journey Never End!