Ilanskaya

6.10pm local (2.10pm Moscow)

A sunlit afternoon stop at this town. It is a modern station and one at which old ladies draw up carts and trolleys with wares to sell to passengers on passing trains. There are lots of heavy Russian savoury pastries, pancakes, potato cakes and pies; fruit juice, water and beer. As ever, all this buying and selling takes place in the valley between our train and another - very little of the surroundings can be seen from the platform. 

Beyond the sleepy station, it is just a quiet afternoon at a provincial town in the middle of nowhere.