Blogs from Saint Petersburg, Northwest, Russia, Europe

Preparing for a day at the Hermitage is like preparing for expedition. Large breakfast, comfortable shoes, map in hand and mentally ready for a long day of absorbing information. With sensible pacing we managed 6 hours and covered about 3/4 of the whole, which we were pretty pleased with, though some parts we did little more than glance through, others we spent much longer in. It is a palace, museum and art gallery all rolled into one, Some of the famous exhibits were fabulous in "real life" (the 19th-20th Century French paintings were a highlight), but some of the smaller unsung items were breathtaking (and revealing) too, like a beautiful malachite notebook, and a gold toileting set in the shape of Atlas. I couldn't believe the amount of stuff. In order to really appreciate it I ... read more

The Bears hit the Baltics. Total carnage. On a scale of 1-10 this was an 11!... read more

I arrive at my first stop in Russia. When you enter Russia you are required to fill out an immigration slip with two parts; part A is taken by the customs official at the border, part B you have to keep and is collected when you leave Russia. I'd been warned that the Russians are very strict about this slips; you must keep the original part B of the slip in order to leave the country, and fill it out clearly and neatly, otherwise you may be fined when leave. The first thing I managed to do on entering Russia was write my name down incorrectly on the immigration slip; in disgrace I had to ask the customs officer for a new one in sign language. So, I arrive in Saint Petersburg, walking out of Finlyandsky ... read more

Gestern Abend haben wir in einer Banja (Russisches Bad) mit einem entfernten Bekannten verbracht. Raus aus den Kleidern, Leinentuch um, Filzhut auf (ja wirklich!) und schon verbringt man die naechsten 10-15 Minuten in schier unfassbaren Hitze (kein Vergleich mit finnischer Sauna) auf einer Holzbank sitzend. Mit ein bisschen Pech bietet sich einem dann folgendes Schauspiel: 3-4 eher vollschlanke Russen um die 50 betreten die Sauna und waehlen die 1m entfernte Bank gegenueber. Einer von ihnen legt sich entkleidet auf die Kunststoffmatte auf der Bank, baeuchlings, waehrend einer der Anderen mit Handschuhe nach einem Bueschel Zweigen mit Eichenblaettern greift und beginnt Ersteren auszupeitschen. Nicht nur, dass die doch leicht untersetzten, eher kleineren Russen mit dem spitz zulaufenden Filzhuetchen ohnehin eher Wichtelmaennchen als serioesen Saunagaesten gleichen, nun beginnt auch noch du... read more

So, it’s taken a while to get this written and typed up for you guys. Last you heard we were in Tallinn getting ready to leave for St. Petersburg. We’d stocked up in Rima, a large hypermarket in Tallinn with supplies for the journey. We let our hotel in Tallinn know in advance that we would be leaving before breakfast and they made us each a packed breakfast for the journey. They also called us a cab to be there at 6:30. We came downstairs right on time to check out and catch our cab but some bloody Russians took it before we could get out the door! The girl on reception called us another one and luckily we made it to the bus station for 7. Our tickets said seats 8 and 9 but once ... read more

12 décembre 2012, St-Petersbourg Je suis tellement déçue! Je suis au pays du ballet, au pays de Tchaikovsky et je ne suis même pas allée en voir un!! Pire encore : une représentation de Sleeping Beauty et de Nutcraker était le soir et le soir suivant notre départ, dans l’un des plus grands et prestigieux théâtre de l’Europe. Quel beau cadeau de noël ça aurait fait! En plus le musée de l’Académie de ballet de St-Pétersbourg était fermé et le plus près que j’ai pu m’approcher de mon fantasme de petit fille fût de prendre une photo sous l’enseigne de l’école. Dans mon très élégant costume noir, danseuse étoile du Walking Beauty! St-Pétersbourg est, à mon goût, plus jolie que Moscou et plus intéressante par la quantité de musées et de palais qu’on y retrouve. Mon ... read more