#11 There is a very garlicky grated carrot salad that is truly delicious.
#12 Hoegaarden is easily purchasable – yum.
#13 There’s basically one main road that runs from Vladivostok to ‘the west’ that varies considerably in degrees of quality. Parts are fabulous – long and wide that stretch onwards like a Roman road. Others parts are very badly potholed and literally falling to parts. Then there are the parts that are being rebuilt. The problem is, unlike England, there are no other roads on which they can create a diversion. So you literally drive on the roadworks, surrounded by huge road-building machinery, sometimes for several miles and often on extremely rough road surfaces. It’s a bone-rattling experience!
#14 You can buy large steamed meat dumplings everywhere. They’re pretty good – especially with sour cream or chilli sauce.
#15 In lots of the shops, especially the smaller ones in smaller towns, you have to say what produce you want from behind the counters and the shopkeepers will get it for you: like the olden days! It’s rather frustrating if you can only point…..”no left a bit, bit more, no right….yes that’s it…the tinned tomatoes…oh no not that one the larger tin next to it….yes that one.” Some find it funny and we giggle together while others are not amused to stay the least.
#16 In the countryside, particularly on the long stretch of road between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, there are lots of people (and children) selling fresh fruit and vegetables – melons, potatoes, honey, blueberries and something in old pet bottles – maybe mead?
#17 Many of the cars have a strange black plastic quilted-effect cover that people attach to the bonnet. We’re guessing they are there to protect the paintwork from stray stones.
#18 The village houses are delightful to look at. They mostly date from the early 20th century and are timber framed and clad, with corrugated iron roofs; though maybe the roofs were originally clad in wood too? The window frames are ornate in comparison to the simplicity of the design and materials – though crudely carved, many are intricate in their design and they are practically all painted white and a very particular shade of blue.
#19 City driving is chaotic to say the least. I refuse to drive in them!
#20 I’m sure it’s no shock that Russia likes vodka: but it’s still mind blowing how many different brands there are. In supermarkets there are whole aisles dedicated to the tipple.