Train really is the only way to travel. We travelled from Moscow to Yekaterinburg on the No16 Ural train, via Kazan. We travelled 'kupe', which is standard class sleeper. We had a compartment for 4 to ourselves, and the provodnitsas, who look after each carriage and generally rule the roost, were lovely and looked after us all the way. They made sure we knew how the bathroom and samovar worked (2 loos, 1 samovar per carriage), rented us lovely fresh cotton sheets for the bunks, made sure we didn't get left behind at halts, kept hawkers off the train, and generally looked out for us. Neither spoke English, I fact I only realised there were other English speakers on the train at one of the last halts when I found a party of Aussies and others loitering on the platform that were part of a guided tour.
The journey was 27 hours of delicious slobbing, broken by interesting conversations and Russian lessons from 12 year old Anton from Dagestan. With much phrase book use, gesticulation, drawing, pointing, and acting we finally established things about our respective families, houses, pets (he has a big cat called Bucks, as in dollars), local landscape (flat near the sea, then really steep mountains), local climate (he lives on the Caspian sea coast, where the water is 300C and he likes swimming), journeys (he was on his way with his Mum to visit his big sister nr Yekaterinberg for the summer), photography, and now I can count to 10 in Russian. Hooray!
I was particularly pleased, because when I ran into aforesaid Aussies etc, we were busy negotiating for food on the platform, and when one of them asked how much things were (in English) I could casually ask 'skolka sto-it?' and understand the reply!!! Unfortunately, the resulting cheese and onion pasties tasted like they had been glazed with mutton fat (a widespread custom across Cental asia), and I forced myself to swallow the first bite, but couldn't face the rest. The tomatoes and cucumber were lovely though, and topped up the flatbread and cheese I had brought nicely. Sticking to wheat and yeast free is impossible on the road, although I do my best when static. (Blini excepted). We also drank endless cups of caraway tea for me and dilute mors (pronounced morrrrse, and made from mixed berry juice) for Andy, from the pretty russian tea cups provided, made with boiled water from the samovar.
We didn't see Kazan, owing to us getting there at 3.15am, but we did see lots of trees on the way. Lots and lots and lots and lots of trees. For quite a lot of the time the countryside was a bit like going through some of the flatter bits of Hampshire, sort of slightly undulating patchy open woodland with grass in between. The trees still have their green spring freshness, and the millions of clean white birches look lovely, especially when set off by stategically placed glaucous rowan trees in flower, and big patches of soft blue lupins on the edges. Bloody impossible to photograph from the train though, so you'll have to come and look for yourself.
We also crossed the River Volga, but it's not that big this far up, only about the size of the Thames at Tower Bridge. We arrived in Yekaterinburg at 8pm local time (we are now 5 hrs ahead of BST, I think) and were met by our lovely VEGETARIAN host, Oxana, after a bit of confusion becasue we didn't get her last email due to a mix up with the train times in Moscow; the train went about 40 minutes before we thought, so it was lucky we got there early. Today it is 290C, but dry, so it's OK.