The Waiting Game

Having intended to arrive at Paveletski at about 08.44, and having arrived some way earlier than that I had some waiting  to do: first I had to rendezvous with Katya Gavshina, a friend of Daria Panchenko; next I had to wait for Iraida Gordashevskaya,  who would be my travelling  companion for the next 10 days.
All of us, that's Katya, Daria, Iraida and I, owe a lot to music. The three Lucequetaires, namely Daria, Iraida  and I have become really good friends because of our mutual liking for the music of a number of quebecoix singers. Daria and Katya  have become friends because of a shared love of Turkish rock music, specifically the band Redd. Because I was able to help Katya by buying something for the baby of a Turkish friend and sending it to Istanbul  she had agreed to purchase some foodstuffs for the journey to Volgograd. She had agreed to meet me at the station on her way to work, hand over the goodies and wait with me for a little while.

I think you'd better mention that it was hardly "on her way to work". She had to travel in from a south eastern district of Moscow, but that was also where she worked. That meant an awkward journey in and out of the city.

True. I couldn't link to a wifi point, so I sent a text message to Katya, expaining that I had arrived at Paveletski early and that I would meet her beside the exit to the platform between  Mister Kartoshka ( a baked potato snack bar) and Salon Svyazi, ( a mobile telephone accessory kiosk). It wasn't long before I had a reply from Katya explaining that she was running a little bit late because of the Moscow traffic, but that she would find me. And she did.

It's a bit strange but I spend of my time speaking in French whilst in Russia, because it is the language in which the Lucequetaires feel most comfortable after there own. But here was Katya who, apart from learning Turkish, also speaks good English. I certainly wasn't going to attempt any Turkish, so it was English that we talked about the food that she had brought for us,  and the thank you gifts of Turkish delight from Istanbul.

We had by this time moved into an adjacent cafe,  "Kofe Kulinaraya", which apart from coffee also sold a variety of foodstuffs, sweet and savoury. Katya ordered me a coffee and a cake. I was able to specify that I wanted my coffee  black without sugar.

What amazing linguistic skills you possess!

Shut up!

Before Katya left for work she managed to telephone Iraida, who should have landed at Sheremetyevo at 08.20. We spoke and it was decided that I would wait for her in Kofe Kulinaraya. So with apologies for leaving me on my own, Katya left. Hopefully we will meet up with her in Moscow next week.

I felt a bit guilty about sitting there with an empty table in front of me, so I ordered another black coffee.

All by yourself?

Yes! All I needed to ask for was ещё одно кофе, пожалуйста, and the dyevushka behind the counter remembered that I wanted it без молоком и без сахаром.

Good show!

I had fished my second coffee and having spent time people watching was building myself up to asking for an apple juice.

Yes, four coffees in one morning would have been slightly excessive I feel. Do you think you would have managed to ask for the apple juice if Iraida hadn't arrived just then?

It's me telling the story, remember. So, just as I was about to order an apple juice Iraida entered the building. Lots of hugs ensued. Having decided that we didn't need anything to eat or drink we decided to spend the two and a half hours at our disposal by visiting Krasnaya Ploschad. I didn't really fancy trailing round with suitcases so we managed to find the left - luggage department down in the lower levels of the station. It was a bit like being in a coalmine - the deeper you went the hotter it became. The left luggage department could have doubled as a sauna without the steam. This did not bode well for our foodstuffs,  which included meat and cheese.

And chocolates...

Aah yes, chocolates. Have I mentioned before that Russians make excellent chocolates?

Probably.

So having left our baggage we left the station.

There's an interesting piece of linguistic usage for our Russian and French readers. The use of the the word "left" in two different senses.

Enough!! As we left the massive Paveletski Railway Station the cold air of Moscow hit us like a welcome ice bath. Perhaps that's a  slight exaggeration - I can't actually conceive that an ice bath would ever be welcome. The air was fresh and cold and very refreshing.

After our too short stay in Volgograd we were returning to Moscow and our apartment was situated near Paveletski station. We had a little wander and think we had identified it's location. But now it was time for the Moscow Metro and the short ride to Red Square.