My Images of SEE – 21:51, Sunday 14th August

Post iced coffee/book reading chill out, we walked to the main square, then on to the department store where Liam thought he saw a currency exchange desk. However there wasn’t one. However, on passing through the Metro station, I spied one there, so we made for that. I changed Leva to the value of €70 – great! We then visited the café we went to yesterday afternoon. We spent 1hr 45 there just reading and surfing the net on our phones and chatting; over water and Schweppes Tangerine. That got us to 6pm. We then walked to a DM store, away from the hostel, and bought toilet roll. The we went to a pharmacy for indigestion tablets for Liam. Then we bought water and beer near the hostel for the train ride.

Upon our return, our bags were in order, and I looked at the Internet while Liam read. We then had a game of pool while the residents ate. I won, naturally. We then asked the girl on the desk about hailing a taxi. She said she would book one for us. So at 19:45 she did and he arrived promptly. She walked us to it too, and gave the Cabbie instructions. For 4 Leva we were whisked to the station for 20:00.

Upon arrival, a man looking slightly like Mario asked if we wanted help. We obliged him and he showed us our carriage, and then our berth. We gave him 4 Leva as a note of thanks. Then he demanded €20. I said we had no money (Leva at least) and showed him my empty wallet. He lingered and repeated ’20 Euro, 20 dollar’. So Liam gave in and gave him €20. He soon f***ed off. Cheeky sod! However, aside from that, the sleeper was a palace! Leather seats, side table, a top/down leather shutter. It was hot though.

We packed our luggage under one side, and then sat down. Our fellow travelers also arrived. They were a Greek pair, father and son. Very nice. We chatted to the son whilst the father cooled down in the corridor. We then had some of our beer once we had departed. The sunset was beautiful. A lovely set of cascading colours from yellow, orange, pink then red. Wonderful. We set up our beds with the sheets the Russian attendant gave us (as the train was destined for Moscow). We relaxed then once the younger Greek lad made for bed, we all did so. But what a luxury this carriage is in comparison to some of the dumps that we have seen.