Ken Hensley

"Sunrise Over The Kremlin"

Day 4

So now it's time to begin the long journey home.

Pack my bags (I had been given so many gifts that I didn't have room for them all!), try to taste breakfast one more time and take the "magic boat", this time with a difference!

I was driving!!!!!!

The guy asked if I would like to drive and of course I said yes and jumped in the driver's seat (or whatever it's called in boatish). It wasn't far but it was another unique experience and I enjoyed it. And we didn't sink! (see photo)

After a delicious pancake (syrnik), some coffee and a taste of cloudberries we said goodbye to our hosts and headed for the big tent where I was about to sign autographs and take pictures for hours.

The warmth and excitement had lingered through into this morning and reminded me how great the show had been.

It was a lot of work (I signed more than a thousand things) but I enjoyed it anyway though soon it was time to leave.

I was actually a little bit sad to go but our send-off was sweet and we climbed into tha van that was to be my nightmare for the next seemingly endless period of time.

Marina, Alexander and I shared some interesting conversation and one extremely bad joke in Alexander's case but I am writing now whilst stuck in the inevitable (and apparently unavoidable) Moscow area traffic.

My hotel can't come soon enough. We'll have dinner, I'll say good bye to Marina and grab as much sleep as I can before my early flight to Madrid tomorrow.

August will be a crazy month.