Day 8 - a Magical mystery tour, crossing the Volga by the Volga boatmen

Today was a bit of a mystery tour – but the weather was great so let’s get things happening.  Breakfast was just next door – more than enough to eat of course.  I had a stroll around town before it was time to hit the road.

Wedding tradition - place a bird house in a tree and soon there will be a family!
good luck for your own future!

A little way out of town we were told of a church just 1km off the road, so down we went to have a look.  Being Sunday, there was a service happening, so had to put my scarf on and once inside we had to use a wrap around skirt to be modest.  No photos of course, but I did photo kids doing activities during the church service.  The singing was really pure and lilting, but I couldn’t push my way in the have a look.  All the candles were lit and it was how it should be, but I felt uncomfortable pushing in on their service, so outside I went.

kids entertaining themselves in the entrance of church

 Once again those not in the church were out tending their family’s graves and Timothy said that tomorrow is a pagan celebration like “day of the dead”  - well I thought that something like that must have been happening.

So ever onwards, first through some forest then down along a very sandy 7 km to the Volga.

Here our bikes were loaded onto small boats – 3 bikes, 3 people at a time and the Volga boatman then buzzed us across a rather wide but thankfully very still Volga.  Maggie got to go ahead of me and the last 4 waited for the last boat to return to collect us.

Eventually on the other side, the Kostroma cyclists (still wearing their 'Livestrong' team jerseys) were there to meet us and we rode with them along more bad roads into the city of Kostroma.  This included an extremely unpleasant 'army' road, of concrete squares about 4sqm and a gap in between each square - clunk clunk clunk - very jarring!  I wasn't the only one to be happy to get off of that stretch.

we rode along the Volga, which was quite crowded by the local folk having Sunday picnics, bbqs and generally hanging out on the river bank on a Sunday afternoon.  There was quite a festive air to the whole scenery and people waved and smiled all round.  It was great to be out in amongst it all.  a real highlight for me.

private holiday cottages on the Volga

oops!!  help us please!

We stopped at an open air museum of Wooden architecture and peasant life - and we just had a bit of time to have quick looks inside the houses.  I didn't get time to go to the old church, but had seen it as we rode along the outside of the area.  This museum has a long way to go to compare with Skansen.

 

Then Vladimir led us out of town a little ways to the ‘hotel’ for the night.  It was a bit of change from last night, more like a summer school camp.  But hey!  this is the Adventure Tour, not the comfort tour!

was it the salad?? or the water - we asked ourselves tomorrow

 We had our meal then went over to where there was a big log fire roaring away for a  time to cook pancakes – blinis – with long handled cast iron frying pans.

Our stern guide, not too pleased with the flipping of the pancakes

And so to bed.  Stats not checked – felt a tad tired tonight and a tooth was aching??