Thursday, January 22, 2015

From Italy - Estonia - Russia

I don't recall where I left off with the last blog but I will just write updates with each picture below.  Of course they are not in the correct order.  There has been a lot of travel since the final stage of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy.  I stayed one more day in the valley, then drove to a colleagues near Zurich for one night.  Then a late breakfast at the Zurich airport with Tim B from Anchorage as he arrived on his way to Engelberg.  I continued on to Munich that same day and flew to Tallinn, Estonia the following day.  After three days in Estonia I flew to Prague and stayed with another colleague for two days and then back to Munich for one night and then travelled to Rybinsk, Russia.  Which brings me to today.  

Don't get me wrong.  I am all for fixing things with the tape but on a plane it doesn't instill the most confidence when flying to Russia.  But it was a very smooth flight and landing.  

A little entertainment in the Munich airport as we waited an extra our for our charter flight to Russia.  The caption goes something like "Which one did you drink from?  I'll just take this one".  Their parents brought the beer first and were going back to get the food.  But for about 3 minutes it looked like there little ones were drinking big ones.  

It was nice to be back in Germany in the Audi.  (Close your eyes Mum)

We have partnered with a film company out of Paris this year with the Inside the Fence videos.  Jeremie from 7th Frame TV (on the left) was a good sport and agreed to ski up Alpe Cermis (an alpine hill) the final stage of the Tour de Ski.  He hadn't cross-country skied in over 15 years.  We forgot to tell him that without metal edges it's a bit harder to stop on the climb.  Arms were a bit sore the next day.  

Having a bit of fun filming a new video in Estonia during the wax team sprints.  
Fun to meet up with a friend from Anchorage in the Zurich airport.  

After 23 years I got to meet up with Katri and Krista, two exchange students from Tallinn, Estonia who came to Orangeville in 1991/92.  This is Katri in this pic.  She lived with us for a couple of months.  

Krista works at the Tallinn airport and took the time to meet for less than 5 minutes before I went through security.  Really great to see both of them. 

I have had many hotel rooms but this was a first.  My shower was actually in my room.  

A chilly arrival to Rybinsk with ice fog to boot.  The first feel of winter and it's January 22.  -22 when we arrive in the morning to the stadium.  

I actually have my own room here.  Except it says FIS on the door so everyone thinks I know something.  


Rybinsk is the first place Kikkan ever won a World Cup.  Really cool to ski the sprint course today and the big climb to see where she made her move and made history.  It's a much bigger climb than it looks on TV.  What a move.  

The sun broke through and it was a winter wonderland.  The view from my office.  The Vulga river is just to the right behind the video screen.  
It's so interesting to be back in Russia.  My only visits so far have been to Sochi and it's not "real" Russia.  It was dark when we landed last night but I could still see the buildings and the cars as we travelled along and I could really feel like I was on the other side of the Iron Curtain.  I hope to get some pictures.  The windows were to frosty on the drive this morning for pictures!  It was the bumpiest road I have ever been on.  We were on a mini-bus for a two hour drive from airport to hotel.  At one point we hit a set up bumps that really set the van-a-rockin.  It actually threw a colleague from his seat in the back row.

They host a great World Cup here and I am looking forward to the competition atmosphere.

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