Blogs from Saint Petersburg, Northwest, Russia, Europe
March 29th 2012
Privyet means 'hi' if you didn't guess. Everything has been pretty much smooth sailing so far, which I fear may be lulling us into a false sense of security :). The hostel has been absolutely ideal, I have no basis for comparison, but I will be pleasantly surprised if they are all like this along the way. It's smack bang in the centre of the old town, with all the main sights pretty much on our doorstep. So, best be getting on with what we have been up to. Got settled in on Tuesday night, bought a couple of Russian beers off of one of the workers at the hostel and plonked ourselves down in the common room. Decided to get wrapped up and venture out into the night to see what we could see. We ... read more
March 27th 2012
So finally set off yesterday, arrived at the airport at around 5pm, Rosie's brother Duncan kindly bumped us up into the BA Lounge which was a right treat, free bevvy and food, although we got some snidey looks off the suits after rocking in with our boots and scabby clothes :) Got into London, absolutely rocked the tube to terminal 5, then got a taxi to our travel lodge where we decided to call it a night early as we were up the next morning at 6.30. Got to the airport early doors, lo and behold, first disaster, left my iphone charger at the hotel didnt I? We do have a spare but it means alot of sharing but bothered, it wont get me down. Flight to St. Petersburg was glorious, clear skys all the way, ... read more
Hermitage or not? That is the question.
Published: March 17th 2012Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
March 17th 2012
A wonder of the world? Certainly one of the most awe-inspiring places I have ever seen. The sheer mind-boggling accumulation of so many works of art in one place in a built for purpose building which is equally fantastic. The Oxford dictionary had to be checked. My understanding of a hermitage bore no relation to this. 'The dwelling of a hermit, especially when small and remote.' What was Catherine the Great thinking of? Named, apparantly, with reference to the retreat in which she displayed the collection to her friends. Some retreat, I say! And no evidence of any hermits living here! I look back for notes I have written. I haven't. I think the experience left me numb. The gilt, the gold, the white and the coloured walls. Walking around the most elaborate wedding cake you ... read more
To wear or not to wear fur?
Published: February 22nd 2012Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
February 18th 2012
This is not an ethical problem the Russians seem to agonise over. All species of mammal large and small seem to have given their lives to adorn the backs of the Russian elite and not so elite. In fact the most popular seems to be the ubiquitous blond-tipped fur surrounding black parkas for males and females alike. I have subsequently found this fashion to have made its way over the channel and to have found out that the fur is actually imitation fur. Not so, many of the fur coats spotted on young and old throughout the Eastern bloc. Not surprising really; the intense cold, freezing the very marrow of your cheekbones made me think more than once about the ethics of wearing fur! My mother kindly offered me her mother's fur coat before I left ... read more
SAINT PETERSBURG (San Petersburgo)
Published: January 10th 2012Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg » Pushkin
December 18th 2011
Hello everybody! My name is Alexey Sukhopar. Alex for short and for you all. I live in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and work as a photographer. I am interested in traveling, visiting places I have never been before and I am fond of sports tourism. Earlier, I have tried other forms of art such as painting and drawing, and am looking for new ways of self-expression. In fact, buying a camera was like buying a new brush and paints. Photography itself is just a step in presenting the feelings and emotions that one is overwhelmed with by getting to know this strange but wonderful world. An attempt to connect classical pictorial art and photography finally resulted in stylizing of photos made during my multiple visits to India. All works were created in an unusual manner. It just happened ... read more
Traveling in nord_west of Russia
Published: November 28th 2011Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
November 28th 2011
I had an interesting experience in St. Petersburg. I arrived there on May 9. Don't know where to go. It was very beautiful. Parade officers. But there were so many people. Large crowds. And there were no empty places in caffees in St. Petersburg to eat. And I decided not to go there when there are such large scale events. My friends say that I should to stay in residential areas of St. Petersburg, but I'm afraid:) During the holidays, not working the Russian mobile cnnections. Well, I had a phone that they gave me at the hotel, which worked fine.... read more
Sounds Like Bolshevik To Me
Published: December 31st 2011Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
November 13th 2011
This is going to be my most serious of blogs. Well, not really. But after three weeks in Russia, I feel the need to be overly stern and abrupt with people. Mother Russia may have inadvertently produced several generations of reproachable Bolsheviks. Not that that is a bad thing. As it turns out, there is something really liberating about being miserable. I just assumed their general bad attitude came from being forced to use that grey sandpaper they call toilet tissue. But as explained, Russians simply wear their genuine emotions on their sleeves. It's refreshingly honest. Why would you smile if you are forced to slog through muddy streets or snow drifts at minus 30. And why not yell at a customer if you've been on your feet for 16 hours. Still, it's a complete shock ... read more
Växjö-Stockholm-Tallinn-Helsinki-St. Petersburg-Stockholm-Göteborg-Växjö
Published: October 29th 2011Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
October 15th 2011
So lang nix mehr von mir hören lassen. War auch lang nichts mehr los, wie gesagt, den Alltag gibts auch in Schweden. Aber dann habe ich doch mal wieder was erlebt, und das war nicht zu wenig... Los gings am Freitag nachmittag mit dem Bus ab Växjö nach Stockholm. Hier haben schon Ina und Hardi, die ich beim Sprachkurs in Härnösand kennengelernt habe, auf mich gewartet.Hat alles gut geklappt, obwohl ich auf der Fahrt nach Stockholm meinen ersten Stau auf einer schwedischen Autobahn erlebt habe (; Aber danke nochmal Ina für die Schlafmöglichkeit und die Einführung in die Stockholmer Studentenpartys! Am nächsten Tag gings dann los, die "Princess Anastasia" sticht in See in Richtung St. Petersburg mit Zwischenstopp in Tallinn. Wir waren eine Gruppe von ca. 50 Studenten, alles Austauschstudenten, aber niemand sonst aus Växjö. Unsere ... read more
