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Published: July 31st 2008
Yikes!
Needless to say, I had a killer hangover the next day. Don't drink vodka with the Danes or play paper, scissors, rock to decide the next shot!On the 6th week of my overseas trip I am currently sitting in a park witha beautiful fountain writing this on a nice summers day. The weather here is very strange. It has been humid at times, but most days it is cloudy and often looks like it will rain and it has a fair bit. Bu currently it's quite clear. Today I eel 100 times better than yesterday. I feel as if I have new eyes and a new heart to the city. Aside from normal reasons for grumpiness, I think Russia can overwhelm you. You can't let it break you. It takes a little while to adjust,it's hard to explain. This is Russia, once one of the worlds leading superpowers (is it still?). It's enormity covers many areas, geographical, presence, language, the list goes on. Also there are your own expectations. I didn't realise at first, it would hit this way.
So then what do I think of Kaliningrad? It has grown on me more and more everyday,. Yesterday I also saw alot of interesting sights which gave me more insight and feeling of the city. It still looks very soviet, well duh it's Russia. What I mean
The beautiful Larissa
A beautiful person and friend. Also great travel guide, travel agent, counsillor and translator! is there are alot of striking and imposing statues in the city. There is one which I had seen in the Communist Theme Park in Druskinikai! Lets jsut say, there are still Marx and Engels statues all around the city. People are not too fussed about getting rid of them i guess. The coolest thing I have seen is a small bridge covered in pad locks. I foind out that couples on they're wedding day come to this bridge and attacha pad lock, a symbol of safe relationship or however you like to view it and then throw the key into the river. My friend said, I onder hat happens if they get divorced?! Kaliningrad was Konisberg, a German city before World War II. after the end of the war there was some of kind of settlement between Russia and Germany and Kaliningrad was given to the Russians. Don't know what happened to all the Germans? It's position is strange it's not attached to the rest of Russia it's landlocked between Poland, Lithuainia and Belarus. I have a good feeling about the Russian people. Of course people are people and I have met Russians before but it's a totally different
Nina at the park
Lara's beautiful 5 yr old daughter, you calls me her"big sister". Little does she know i'm old enough to be her mother! feel from Poland. Maybe it's more a feeling of getting on with it, letting go, life is good.
And I had a great time visiting my friend Larissa and her husband Alan and they're 2 kids, Nina and Mitya. We hit the won one night, which was great, great food ,company and a cool club. I really let the aussie team down on the vodka front though. The problem, too many too quickly. Don't ever drink vodka with the Danes, or play paper, scissors, rock as a way of deciding who is having the next shot! I didn't think I was going make it for a while there!
Also we visited post hangover Svetlogorsk.one of the only beach resorts in all of Russia. A very beautiful own, full of sanatoriums. People from all over Russia come here to this resort. It's either here or the Black Sea!
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