An Unpleasant Journey [Daily Photo #1090-1093]

In March I had to go to Moscow because bureaucracy is sooo awesome. So fun when they insist you must go there to sign something when in theory it could have been sent via mail. Email. Something 21-century-ish, I dunno. Anyway, here are some pics from my unpleasant and exhausting trip.

*grumble grumble*

#1090: Oodi Library in Helsinki where we spent time before my train. It's huge and quite different from most libraries. One day I'll go there to explore it properly. :D

There are actual trees there! @o@

In the Lev Tolstoy train, first class.

On the way from Finland to Russia you get dinner, on the way back – breakfast, no extra charge for first class. Surprising no one, they only had non-vegetarian options, but managed to come up with a simple meal for me.

There were also a yoghurt, bakeries, chocolate, tea, jam and an orange.

I brought my own soy wrap too. :D It was filling!

Some kind of free toiletry kit, including a shoe sponge and a comb and some other stuff.

The bed was okay, but the train was super noisy during the trip. So much rattle everywhere. o_O I barely got any sleep, so I arrived in Moscow very sleep-deprived.

#1091: One of my old plants, so tall now! :D

My mom's violets.

Mesmerizingly beautiful urban view…

#1092: Homemade borscht and Borodinsky bread.

Finally in the train and going home! Ugh Moscow…

I had the worst luck during that trip. For example, on the way back the keycard to my compartment malfunctioned, and I found myself locked out in the middle of the night, and the staff person wasn't in her usual place, so I had to go find someone from the next car.

Also in the two days that I spent in Moscow I was checked by security 4 times! First one was in police at the entrance, the usual metal detector gate and that beeping stick. Second time in metro on the way to the train – a person not wearing any kind of uniform picked us from the crowd, asked to check my suitcase, put it into some kind of metallic box and told us to step aside, because “This thing… let's say it doesn't add vitamins to you.” You mean, it's dangerous? Fun. Then at the train station I went through the usual metal detector gate and put my luggage onto the X-ray conveyor belt, walked through the station… and there was one more gate and one more belt. o_O Just how many do you need… In almost 10 years in Finland I was checked by security fewer times than during that one trip in Moscow, lol.

#1093: For breakfast they offered pancakes or porridge. I chose porridge.

A rather large portion for me, but I managed to finish.

Vyborg.

And finally, beloved Finnish landscapes. :D