Saratov Pictures

The other day we took a tramvi - which is a bus that runs on electricity on overhead electrical lines.  There are also trolleys which are electric but runs on tracks like a train...and regular buses as well as marshutkas which are like big vans that carry maybe twenty people...and taxis.  We've now sampled all of these transportation options.  Anyhow - we took the tramvi to the bridge to Engels and got off to look around a shopping area.  As you travel across the bridge - a famous bridge built many years ago and, at the time, one of the longest bridges in the world - the big Saratov sign greets you.  It's spelled CAPATOB since a C is pronounced S, a P is pronounced R and a B is pronounced V.  Once you figure out the new sounds each letter makes and the many different letters unique to the cyrillic alphabet I'd like to say you can read Russian.  Sorry - I still can't read Russian...unless you give me a little bit of time.  We walk down the street and I can figure out the names of the stores if I stand in front of the sign for a couple of minutes.  Same with singing a hymn - if the hymn is a slow one I can almost keep up.  Almost.

Anyhow again - I did take a picture of this cute babe I saw by the CAPATOB sign. Ended up sitting next to her on the tramvi and taking her home!!! :-)

There are two pictures of the mighty Volga River - which is covered in a sheet of ice.  If you look closely you can see some ice fishermen out on the river.  One of our mission rules is no walking on water - frozen or otherwise!!!

Today is a beautiful snowy day.  We walked a little in it and ate in a Russian cafeteria.  My chocolate pie was covered in marshmallow instead of whipped cream.  I really don't like marshmallow.  I decided to share my pie with Sherry and gave her half.  The top half.  So, nothing has changed...!