2017/09/20

Day 53: Astrahan - Volgograd

For breakfast there is rice porridge - I can even get used to it, good basis, well digestible.

For a long distance I ride along to the Volga in some distance and do trips to the river shore from time to time. Here the Volga is divided into several arms and has partially buried into the ground really deep: there are real steep banks. Basically an amazing landscape, one could also camp here or just sit on the beach. I see a lot of anglers and on the street next to vegetables and melons also dried fish is offered.

Finally, however, I increasing my speed, because I would like to take some time for Volgograd, which Germans better know from history as Stalingrad.

Volgograd is a big city, I drive about 40 km through the periphery until I am in the center. No one at the hotel is able to speak English and the receptionist needs telephone support to check me in - a bit tedious. My room is small, but ok and I pay only 17 euros including breakfast. First, I take a shower, I'm totally sweaty. And then I head off to the city.

I want to visit the large statue that was erected to commemorate the battle of Stalingrad - unfortunately, the memorial site is much further away than I thought and today I walk 20 km again.

On my way to the memorial I pass by the Panorama Museum "The Battle of Stalingrad". For the museum I have to pay 350 rubles (around 5 €). Unfortunately, everything is written in Russian only and I also do not get the advertised audio guide. But you can get an impression of the horror in this battle comes despite the somehow old-fashioned presentation.

The memorial site is quite impressive. A really great area and a very huge statue.

After the long way back to the center I get a pizza and a tiramisu for dessert for moderate 880 rubles. My waiter in the restaurant is an excellent English-speaking Ghanaian, who studies in Volgograd and enjoys living there, so he says. Actually, today I had the feeling of being the only western tourist in Volgograd.

And: My hotel has a great internet and I can upload many photos.