After a few days in Samara, I'm back on the over-night train to Moscow. Another 14-hour trip and a night on the bunks.
I wonder how many miles I've travelled by train? I'll have to check when I get back.
Hopefully, this will be my last long-haul trip but I don't think there'll be a repeat performance of the trip to Samara, with those boisterous Russians and their partying.
What a wild, but friendly bunch they were. I had arranged to meet them directly after the England game at the Fan Fest, but it was full.
Instead, I watched the Russia-Croatia match in a packed bar. They, like us, are desperate for success. But they were beaten. They took their wound quietly and with dignity. They went home to cry and think what could have been...
It must have been a very quiet trip for those fans I met back to Moscow. But I can't imagine them being quiet for very long.
It's a shame they were knocked out. Russia versus England would have made an exciting prospect in the semi-final.
On Monday, a local took me for a meal at a proper Russian restaurant in Samara and tried some of the local cuisine. Cold soup. cold fish, cold potatoes and I had to take off my shoes and sit on the floor!
I’m looking forward to the match on Wednesday though. I feel we have momentum on our side, we’re getting stronger with each game and hopefully reaching our peak just at the right time.
England are the surprise package of the tournament. We have that hidden element of surprise. That X-factor. We have come from a long way behind and have caught up.
I wonder what it's like in England. I bet World Cup fever is sweeping the country. I miss that part of the World Cup. I miss a lot of matches too, with all the travelling I do.
I've heard 10,000 fans are travelling out from England for the semi-final. I hope they behave. It's been a fantastic World Cup so far and the reception from the Russians has been warm. I hope these late-comers don't spoil the genial relationship we have with them.
Has it really been nearly four weeks since I arrived? They say time speeds up the nearer you get to winning the World Cup.
So far I've lost: two pairs of glasses, a sleeping mat, a sock, pens, a box of cornflakes, an iPad case, key, lock, my Russian navy hat (Retrieved!) and my iPad. (Thankfully refound!)
On arrival back in Moscow, I managed to get a bed in a hostel I had used previously. And guess what? It's the bed I was previously in! Another sign!
THE FOUR CARDINAL SIGNS
1. Just before departure, I put six Beatles albums on random play. The first track that played was ‘Back In The USSR’.
2. The steam whistle on the kettle in the hostel in Volgograd sounded uncannily like God Save The Queen.
3. I heard a cuckoo in Kaliningrad. And some of you would say every time I write they hear a cuckoo!
4. And now, I'm returning to my original bed!
Signs! All signs!
