Have now been back home for 14days!! Gosh how the time flies.
Just a few photos taken on my iPhone. Did I mention that I lost my brand new camera which was specially boughtin Hong Kong for me by Benjack. We were under so much stress in UB and it was always packing and unpacking Matilda that on one occassion we had a pile of our things in a pile in the foyer of Nomads offices. We forgot that there were other tenants too and on the Monday before we got there my camera had disappeared! I have decided to buy another one ond have some lessons on how to take decent photos!
Below are 2 photos of the Moscow Metro. Any one who has been there, knows that you can do a tour of the Metro stations. There are about 6 listed in the guide books but even the unlisted stations put the London underground to total shame. These were built during the Soviet time to show what could be done. Chandeliers not only in the main thoroughfares but in the tunnel part of the station where the trains go through. Beautiful mosiacs albeit a bit of propaganda to go with them!
Mosaics on the ceilings of some Metros!
Robert at Yeltsin's grave. We could not find Kruschev's, to difficult with the different writing!
If Robert was to be buried instead of cremated, this is what he would like -- with is dog!!
While in Mannheim we visited an antique dealer to find a couple of miniatures. Incidentally he had just acquired an Orange Free State penny of about 1886(I think) together with a few other items. It was in very good condition. On the internet we found that in the last auction sale a similar one had gone for €1600. Not a bad acquisition as a part lot! We weren't interested in buying it!
Meeting up with P2P here are the Everingham's arriving at Schladming
One of many lovely view while driving through Switzerland. The rally intentionally takes the routes over mountains and down steep passes.
Seonaid, Catherine and me at the final dinner.
Richard had a brother, a cousin and a nephew at our table (all South Africans) and the two Russian participants ( Boris and Evgeni). They not only came second in their category but also drove their car down to Peking from Novosibirsk and were leaving the next day to drive back to to Novosibirsk. In other words they will have done the trip twice although half the time on their choice of roads!
Stanley Gold from Los Angeles who did the trip in a Porsche. He flew parts in from the UK via a personal courier ( did not teust the Russian customs to clear them quickly enough)!
Christiaan Lalarderie from Paris who also did it in a 1938 Fangio Chev.
THE WINNERS. Phil Garratt and
Two delightful young men who did it in a 1936? Fangio Chev which was beautifully prepared. They really travelled light, taking only the bare necessities with them -- only 2 shirts each and I did not ask how many of each other bits of clothing!
We spent a lovely day and a half with Birgit and her niece Anne, in Paris. The weather was wonderful and we really enjoyed Paris -- all too short but it was time to get home after nearly 7 weeks of travelling!
Now now are back and concentrating on family. Gerrie and family are already here doing a bushveld holiday with his family and will end his trip with Robbie and Carina's wedding.
When all these festivities are over we will take stock of what adventures we can still fit into our lives. Robert is thinking that next year we should try to do our own 4x4 trip through the rest of Mongolia and a bit of Russia. I will have to start investigating that! I am thinking that we should get a slightly older Chev and prepare it for the next P2P which will be from Peking to -- wait for it - Dehli!!!! Endurorally feel that they have done enough the traditional way but still want to use the brand name. This time they want to go over or around the Himalayas i.e. through Tibet and Nepal. That would be fun too although a shame not to end in Paris.
Well goodbye until we plan another adventure!
Thank you all for your support and interest
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