Carol's diary, Day 4 Warsaw - Moscow (via Minsk; together with Day 5)

DAY 4; A relaxed breakfast at Warsaw East station. Eating doughnuts and hot sausages sitting on benches under umbrellas. The train was Russian and had come from Frankfurt. Our carriage was small, but comfortable for two and rather dusty with ornate patterns on the seat covers and pleasingly solid fittings. It’s the last carrriage so we could stand on a viewing platform and watch the rails disappear rapidly, forests with birch trees on either side, sometimes a small village of wooden houses. We have 2 stops in the 24 hour journey, one to change the engine and the wheels to fit the different gauge rails. The train was immediately surrounded by women, some young and strident and some old and very wrinkly, selling hot boiled potatoes wrapped in newspaper, salted gerkins and fresh tomatoes, beer and vodka. We bought a variety of food stuffs which we devoured eagerly for our dinner. Our train had a guard in every wagon making lemon tea in glass beakers held in silver holders embossed with the 6oth celebration of victory of the 2nd world war. This on a train coming from Frankfurt! Our guard was large and vigorous with a proud moustache. He sold beer and controlled a samovar of boiling water but we didn't need to dip into our instant soup supply. The second stop was in Minsk where Tom's mother was born. He had brought a small packet of soil from the place where her ashes lie in Scotland and we got off the train and made our way quickly out of the modern station. Across the road were a pair of elegant buildings dominating the dusk sky. One tree stood back from the others and Tom placed the earth at its roots. Then we drank to her with a swig of whisky. By the time we got back on the train it was almost dark.
Carol