Carpe Diem #365, Yaroslavl



Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

We are on our way to Vladivostok, the last station on the TSR, but not soon, because we have just taken the Trans Siberian Railroad (TSR) yesterday and now we are entering Yaroslavl Glavny, the main station of Yaroslavl, it's a major stop for numerous passenger trains traveling between Moscow and the other regions of Russia each day. And it's also the first stop of the Trans Siberian Railroad.

Yaroslavl Glavny

Let me tell you something more about Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl is the administrative centre of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow that has played an important role in Russian history.The city lies in the eastern portion of Yaroslavl Oblast. The historic center of Yaroslavl lies to the north of the mouth of the Kotorosl River on the right bank of the larger Volga River. The city's entire urban area covers around 205 square kilometers includes a number of territories south of the Kotorosl and on the left bank of the Volga. With over 600,000 residents, Yaroslavl is, by population, the largest town on the Volga until it reaches Nizhny Novgorod. It is a large transport node, and a great number of important national and regional roads, railways, and waterways pass through the city. 


Volga frozen

Yaroslavl and its respective oblast are located in the central area of the East European Plain, which in areas to the northeast of Moscow is characterized by rolling hills and a generally uneven landscape; however, most of these hills are no larger than 200 meters (660 ft) in height. Typical for this region, the area in and around Yaroslavl is rich in mixed and coniferous forests. In addition to these, there are also large areas of swampland.  

Swampland

Yaroslavl and its local area has a typical temperate continental climate, in comparison to central and western Europe. This makes for a climate with more snowy, colder, but dry winters, and typically temperate, warm summers.

And were is 'Aleph'? Let me tell you something about this phase of our journey ... Hilal and Paulo have met eachother, but their first encounter wasn't easy. It was Hilal who approached Paulo with a little story she had printed from his blog. In his blog Paulo tells a story about two friends. The first is in need of money and asks his friend for some cash. His friend however asks him a favour and a task to fullfill. As he has fullfilled the task his friend gave him the money saying: "There will become a time that I will ask you a favour in return".
Someday he, the money-giver, knocks on the door of his friend to ask him his favour in return. "It's not about money", he says. "It's about friendship will you please help me?"

Isn't it a nice little story (I took the freedom to use other words to make it fit for our episode of today)? As I read it again, and again ... my thoughts are on a run. I realise that I haven't a lot of friends, but the friends I have are friends for life.
Friendship is a major need in our lives ... and I see you, my dear haiku-family, as my friend. I cherish you all and I hope you do that in return to me.

Trainstation

Hilal and Paulo have once met eachother in another life ... maybe we have met eachother earlier in another life. I don't know, but it feels as if we know eachother for a lifetime and I am glad that I feel that ... we are bound together by our love for haiku and I hope that bond will stay on for a lifetime and even further than a lifetime.

squealing brakes
resonate through the station
childhood memories return

childhood memories return
as I see the Siberian Train stop -
first train trip ever

first train trip ever
I am excited to meet new friends -
squealing brakes

What a joy to share this memory with you ... I was really excited as I went on my first train trip ever. I remember that it was a trip to my grandparents in the northern part of The Netherlands and I was overwhelmed by the sounds I heard at the train station.I didn't know were to look ... so much new things to see ... I think that from that day on I was fascinated by trains and started with my model trains.

This episode will stay on until January 5th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will post our new episode, Volga River, later on today. !! Yaroslavl is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) !! Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.