The rook has flow in

This is my little Russian joke. The picture was taken just outside Barnaul as we headed on the last leg to Biisk. Viewers who know their nineteenth century Russian art will remember "The Rooks have Returned", the famous painting by Alexei Savrasov (though strictly translated, the title should be: the rooks have flown in).

In such a flat country as Russia, there are huge areas where, when the snow melts, the water takes ages to drain away. This results in a season known as the "rasputitsa", or the time of no roads. The road in this picture is raised. I spent a long time at the window the train looking for a tree with only one nest in it. Such are the joys of having time on your hands on Russian trains.

Interesting fact about flatness: the Volga, in the course of flowing 2,000 miles to the sea, drops be a mere 600 feet.