So,
we reached the Finnish-Russian border and everything proceeded fairly smoothly.
Despite being told it could take up to 3 hours, we got through lickety-split!
As soon as we were driving on the Russian side, it was like being in a ride at Playland. Not only were the roads way bumpier, but the drivers were crazy. We were swaying and swerving and generally trying not to watch. Just the way it is in Russia, it seemed. Things mostly improved once we hit the city.
St. Petersburg is amazing. SO much to see, SO much beauty and culture. It looks like Amsterdam with its canals running throughout, connecting the many islands that make up the city. Huge buildings, sculptures, statues, history all over the place. And a very different feel than Scandinavia.
In Russia, the average wage is $800 per month. 60% of men smoke, retire at age 60, and have a life expectancy of 62 years. Pretty awful. We were given a little forewarning by Goran (our travel director) about what it would be like and what to expect. He emphasized that we need to think that it is "different," and not "wrong." True of travel anywhere, I suppose.
I think he said something like, "If people seem stern or somber or miserable, it's not because they don't like tourists. It's because they do not have much to be joyous about." Isn't that telling?! And I guess he would know, since Goran's wife is Russian.
We did a city tour along the main drag, and got to see Peter and Paul Fortress. Then we checked into our hotel. In the evening we took a riverboat canal cruise (with all the champagne and vodka we could drink!) which was just lovely. It was nice to be on the water and sail around the city. We didn't take the metro but were told that some of the underground stations go as deep as 80 meters into the ground!
The next day was very busy, and we were up very early. The Hermitage is totally amazing and is comparable to the Louvre in Paris. You could spend all day in there and not see everything. Our local guide, Viktor, took us around and showed us all the highlights. I have decided that I really like artwork by Vincent Van Goh and Claude Monet. It is quite the experience to stand back when you look at a painting, and then look again close-up. I enjoy that change in perspective! However, not much time for that in the Hermitage. It was quite overwhelming in there.
During our free time, we walked the main drag of St. Petersburg and it's quite the scene. The thoroughfare is littered with sculptures, churches, statues and monuments amongst the stores and coffee shops. Keep in mind that nothing is in English. It is all Cyrillic writing everywhere and it's very rare to see something in the English alphabet. Almost nobody speaks English either (we are told that young people may have had a little of it in school) so we are mainly gesturing and pointing. Sometimes it makes for rather funny conversations, heh.
We were lucky enough to have another museum later on (note my mild sarcasm) that was the former home of the Romanovs (Russian royal family in power from 18th c. to 1917) and also learned the story of Rasputin and saw where he was poisoned and then shot.
Before heading back to our hotel for dinner, we saw St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral which was located inside the fort that we had seen yesterday. Important Russian leaders are entombed there, such as Peter the Great, his daughter Elizabeth the first, his wife Catherine the first, Catherine (the second) the Great, Alexander the second and his wife, Nicholas the second and his relatives, and others of course. By this time of day I was feeling rather exhausted, physically but also mentally. This is a lot to process! Each time we see a sight, we are led around by a guide that does not stop talking. I can handle it for one or two sights a day but more than that is rather draining.
We ended our day by seeing a Russian Folk Show, which had all traditional singing and dancing. It was very lively, and at intermission there was more vodka and champagne for our group. You had to pay a small sum to take photos, and I got a few nice shots of their colourful costumes and instruments.
Our last day in St. Petersburg started with the Gardens of Peterhof, comparable to and opulent like Versailles in France. All of the fountains run without pumps, and only operate on the principles of gravity. Not sure how that works, exactly. :) Then off to the palace of Catherine the Great, which had been mostly burned down and destroyed by the Nazis as they were leaving the building. It had been built in 9 years, but it has continued to be restored from 1945.
As soon as we were driving on the Russian side, it was like being in a ride at Playland. Not only were the roads way bumpier, but the drivers were crazy. We were swaying and swerving and generally trying not to watch. Just the way it is in Russia, it seemed. Things mostly improved once we hit the city.
St. Petersburg is amazing. SO much to see, SO much beauty and culture. It looks like Amsterdam with its canals running throughout, connecting the many islands that make up the city. Huge buildings, sculptures, statues, history all over the place. And a very different feel than Scandinavia.
In Russia, the average wage is $800 per month. 60% of men smoke, retire at age 60, and have a life expectancy of 62 years. Pretty awful. We were given a little forewarning by Goran (our travel director) about what it would be like and what to expect. He emphasized that we need to think that it is "different," and not "wrong." True of travel anywhere, I suppose.
I think he said something like, "If people seem stern or somber or miserable, it's not because they don't like tourists. It's because they do not have much to be joyous about." Isn't that telling?! And I guess he would know, since Goran's wife is Russian.
We did a city tour along the main drag, and got to see Peter and Paul Fortress. Then we checked into our hotel. In the evening we took a riverboat canal cruise (with all the champagne and vodka we could drink!) which was just lovely. It was nice to be on the water and sail around the city. We didn't take the metro but were told that some of the underground stations go as deep as 80 meters into the ground!
The next day was very busy, and we were up very early. The Hermitage is totally amazing and is comparable to the Louvre in Paris. You could spend all day in there and not see everything. Our local guide, Viktor, took us around and showed us all the highlights. I have decided that I really like artwork by Vincent Van Goh and Claude Monet. It is quite the experience to stand back when you look at a painting, and then look again close-up. I enjoy that change in perspective! However, not much time for that in the Hermitage. It was quite overwhelming in there.
During our free time, we walked the main drag of St. Petersburg and it's quite the scene. The thoroughfare is littered with sculptures, churches, statues and monuments amongst the stores and coffee shops. Keep in mind that nothing is in English. It is all Cyrillic writing everywhere and it's very rare to see something in the English alphabet. Almost nobody speaks English either (we are told that young people may have had a little of it in school) so we are mainly gesturing and pointing. Sometimes it makes for rather funny conversations, heh.
We were lucky enough to have another museum later on (note my mild sarcasm) that was the former home of the Romanovs (Russian royal family in power from 18th c. to 1917) and also learned the story of Rasputin and saw where he was poisoned and then shot.
Before heading back to our hotel for dinner, we saw St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral which was located inside the fort that we had seen yesterday. Important Russian leaders are entombed there, such as Peter the Great, his daughter Elizabeth the first, his wife Catherine the first, Catherine (the second) the Great, Alexander the second and his wife, Nicholas the second and his relatives, and others of course. By this time of day I was feeling rather exhausted, physically but also mentally. This is a lot to process! Each time we see a sight, we are led around by a guide that does not stop talking. I can handle it for one or two sights a day but more than that is rather draining.
We ended our day by seeing a Russian Folk Show, which had all traditional singing and dancing. It was very lively, and at intermission there was more vodka and champagne for our group. You had to pay a small sum to take photos, and I got a few nice shots of their colourful costumes and instruments.
Our last day in St. Petersburg started with the Gardens of Peterhof, comparable to and opulent like Versailles in France. All of the fountains run without pumps, and only operate on the principles of gravity. Not sure how that works, exactly. :) Then off to the palace of Catherine the Great, which had been mostly burned down and destroyed by the Nazis as they were leaving the building. It had been built in 9 years, but it has continued to be restored from 1945.
Speaking of WWII, it has left its mark
in this city, and we crossed over the front lines a few times, taking note of
the monuments marking where the Germans were stopped by the Russian army. Hard
to believe we are so physically close to this history.
Our local guide, Viktor, talked to us not just about the sights and historical leaders, but also the more recent history and Russian philosophy. He was open to all our questions and tried to explain Communism philosophy (and why it doesn't work). He shared with us the following:
Our local guide, Viktor, talked to us not just about the sights and historical leaders, but also the more recent history and Russian philosophy. He was open to all our questions and tried to explain Communism philosophy (and why it doesn't work). He shared with us the following:
The
paradoxes of Communist Russia; found in The Russians by Hedrick Smith
1)
everybody has a job, but nobody works
2)
nobody works, but the economic plans are fulfilled
3)
the economic plans are fulfilled, but people have nothing in their apartments
4)
people have nothing in their apartments, but have many luxury items (black
market)
5)
people have luxury items, but most are unhappy
6)
people are unhappy, but 99% vote for communist candidate
On to Novgorod for a night and then
Moscow...
Xo
Elaan
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