Holiday in Crimea

[The Natural]

On the Ferry from Kerch to Mainland Russia.

[BillyB]

If there is any interest, I can post some photos from the Ferry and onwards and a few comments on what happened on out way back to the west.

I'm interested.

[The Natural]

I'm interested.

Very well, then 


First photos, driving ashore on the Russian mainland and meeting cars going to the ferry.
On the road from there and a long way, we could see a lot of agricultural activity. Sunflowers, grapevines (thank you FP), corn, grain, beet, potatoes.
Collections of hayballs as can be seen on the photo. Here in the dry state as opposed to back home where the farmers wrap the grass in plastic, but I also saw that further along the 1560 km way to Moscow.

[The Natural]

We continue driving on pretty good roads. Most with two lanes in each direction, speed limit between 90-110 km/h. and also a stretch with three lanes and 130 km/h speed limit. Some road works as can be seen on the photos, which I find interesting, kinda like construction more than destruction.


On the way there were a lot of police checkpoints. I took a photo as we passed it and my wife said I better not as they could be irritated and come after us  . We were actually stopped once on the highway. They had a big checkpoint and police station along the way. The police officer only addressed the driver, my BIL. Asked for papers and that he come with him. After a few minutes he returned and we could continue the drive, no reaction or fines, fortunately. BIL often drives this road and he seemed to have a pretty good idea where to speed up and where to take it easy. Sometimes meeting cars used their lights to signal a checkpoint ahead, just like back home.


We made a stop at a diner and as I had a smoke, I saw this elderly bearded man looking around in the bin just outside the diner. He picked up cigarette butts and the two empy Coke cans I just threw away. Felt bad for him and approached him, gave him a handful of cigarettes and said that I dont speak Russian. He gave me a kind smile, no words.


On the whole I didnt see much begging. There were a few in the pedestrian street of Kerch. The same woman I gave some money to 5 years ago, gave her some this time too. An old woman selling pens and a man selling cards with images of Christ. But once they get a little money they move on, so I think its no problem. Wife is not to keen on giving to beggars, especially not to men of working age. SIL also gave a little and then I turned to my wife and said: "See, youre the only evil one here" 

[BillyB]

I saw this elderly bearded man looking around in the bin just outside the diner. He picked up cigarette butts and the two empy Coke cans I just threw away.

I seen stuff like that in Ukraine. Early morning elderly people, mostly women, were cleaning out the garbage cans for bottles or anything else of value. If the bottle had a little beer in it, they'd drink it before putting the bottle in their bag. Some would pick up cigarette butts to finish off the cigarette.

[The Natural]

I seen stuff like that in Ukraine. Early morning elderly people, mostly women, were cleaning out the garbage cans for bottles or anything else of value. If the bottle had a little beer in it, they'd drink it before putting the bottle in their bag. Some would pick up cigarette butts to finish off the cigarette.

Yeah Billy, I kinda thought about that while there and asked my wife which said all elderly receives a pension in Russia. For many this pension is of course not much, and apparently not enough so that some feel they need to resort to begging or looking in trash bins as disussed here. MIL just now say that the minimum pension is 8000 roubles. I have no idea how frugal one has to be to make that last. We spent this amount several times just shopping for groceries while there each time, so I reckon it will be very hard to stretch that money over 30 days for not just food, but also housing, electricity, clothes, transport and so on.


EDIT: So I ask my wife a little more about her thoughts of why this man needed to do this. As she has just come home from work and Erik is all over her, I kinda understand her reply: "Oh, you with the stupid questions"    But she then said that maybe this man use all his money on alcohol and that some sell all their assets buying alcohol and even with 8000 roubles you only manage to survive, maybe have meat to eat a couple of times a month.

[The Natural]

More photos from the road trip to Moskva.

[ML]

Thanks for sharing pics.  Haybales . . . not hayballs.

[The Natural]

Thanks for sharing pics.  Haybales . . . not hayballs.

Glad you like it and thank you for correcting me on my sometimes incorrect direct translation from Norwegian to English. Some words that I otherwise never use in conversation often escapes me 

[The Natural]

More photos.


I might add I was pretty amazed at just how many toll roads there were, starting a few hundred kilometres from Moscow. I counted 11 or 12. They all made you stop and pay which is different from here in Norway. Myself I dont know anything as we dont have them in my area, but my uncle just told me you no longer have to stop and pay. They register the plate number and send you the bill these days.

[The Natural]

More and as we reach the outskirts of Moscow.
Grain silo, military trucks that also had to stop at the toll road and Erik playing with grandmother in the back seat.

[BillyB]

I don't see them using crushed rock base course under the new asphalt. Greater chance for potholes to develop.

[The Natural]

Moscow 1:2

[The Natural]

Moscow 2:2


THE END 

[The Natural]

I don't see them using crushed rock base course under the new asphalt. Greater chance for potholes to develop.

Might be that they are re-asphalting (if I can use that phrase) the surface and that the groundwork is in place. I saw other places that they removed old asphalt and put it into trucks. I think its not a new road but rather upgrading, but then Im no expert in this area (or most other areas for that matter, haha).

[jone]

Might be that they are re-asphalting (if I can use that phrase) the surface and that the groundwork is in place. I saw other places that they removed old asphalt and put it into trucks. I think its not a new road but rather upgrading, but then Im no expert in this area (or most other areas for that matter, haha).

The four seasons in Russia:  Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Road Construction.