Railway Companions - Mar 5

For the first time, we were on an afternoon train. And for the first time we had traveling companions in the car next to us.

At one point somebody stopped by our compartment and was asking us about the dining car. We thought that he was either soliciting us to dine there or to order room service. We kept politely saying No and he seemed to give up and leave. Nathan poked his head in to ask if we knew what that was about. He had just had the same encounter. We thought nothing more about it, unitl later he came by with a container of packed snacks for each of the four of us. He indicated that there was no charge. Cheeses, meat spread, crackers, vegetable juice, tea and red caviar. The others weren't interesting in the fish eggs, but I volunteered to try. I would definitely classify caviar as an acquired taste, that I can live without.

Later our Moscow dirver and host, Vladimir told us that he takes a hard boiled egg, removes the yolk and replaces it with caviar. Eats that and a vodka chaser.

As the four of us rode together on the train back to Moscow, playing a little Gin Rummy, our trip was nearing its end, but Keir and Nathan would remain in an apartment in Moscow for the waiting period. We will join up with them again as soon as we arrive in Moscow on our third trip.