Puttering around in St. Petersburg Part Shest

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Yesterday, Saturday, was a pretty quiet day. I did go out for a stroll along Nevsky Prospect for a couple of hours. I enjoyed my new quest to photographically document modern Russian signage. One of the side streets had been blocked off and a rock concert was under way. I stopped and watched what I assume was a local band striving for a Green Day-like sound. They were pretty terrible but young and enthusiastic, and I enjoyed hearing live music again. Violet was in need of cheering up, so I prescribed chocolate and brought home a Russian chocolate bar (it was decent).  Violet and I have been spending most of the evenings playing Gin Rummy. I'm winning.

Today, Sunday, the doctor formally confirmed that he will release us Tuesday. Woo-hoo! We had in the back of our minds that we might be able to arrange a tour of the Hermitage for Violet before we go, in a wheelchair of course, but the doctor feels that would be pushing it too far. He thinks leaving Tuesday is pushing it. Met briefly with the administrator to go over the requirements. I am assured that everything will be looked after. As I do almost every day, I corresponded with the insurance companies, one of whom is really dumb.

I went out for a short walk this afternoon but the weather was not very nice (spitting freezing rain). I was hoping to find a piano, because not being able to play at all for a whole month (aside from 5 minutes in KK) has become a terrible itch I can't scratch. I went to a music store I had noticed previously but it only had cheap Casios and they weren't plugged in. I remembered seeing an actual baby grand at Gostiny Dvor on the top floor, so I made my way there and tried to talk the security guard into letting me play, but it was "nelzja" (forbidden). To make things even more depressing, Violet absolutely skewered me in Gin Rummy.

We're getting out of here soon, thank God. 

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