Some typical Saint Petersburg activities
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Sankt Peterburg,
Russian Federation
Monday, February 2, 2004
Continued from ; By bus to Saint Petersburg
2nd February 2004
Again, I am eating in the dormitory as I listen to odd noises emanating from my self-powered short wave radio. The food, I have bought from a fantastic little deli round the corner. They have some very tasty bread , and a huge selection of cheeses and peppered salami. Pickles and snacks. I have also found a tavern very close to the hostel which is both snug and welcoming. It doesn't really look like the fine establishment it is from the street, it's hidden down some flagstone stairs and through a heavy door. The steps can be slippery with ice. Inside, they serve draft Baltika beer and do a fine dinner. The barmaids at first appear rather surly. For they are Russian. But they are actually very friendly. There are stuffed animals and birds adorning the bar. This, my new local, has been appointed HQ for the Trans-Siberian railway expedition. I visit there often with Tammy, along with maps and timetables. She and I are joining forces to make the intercontinental railway journey together.
Aussie Marty and I attend a performance at the Shostakovitch Philharmonic Hall, one of the biggest and most grand venues in all of Russia. It is most certainly the undisputed oldest, being built between 1834 and 1839. The opulent interior and polite hand-shaking among guests seems a bit lost on us. Two energized backpackers from opposite ends of the earth. We wanted to see the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. I do like percussion and I like it loud. But we have ended up sitting down to watch the St Petersburg choir by mistake. A balls-up ( by us I'm sure ) at the ticket window. We leave at the interval and go for a piss up instead. Saint Petersburg's has it's 'authentic Irish pub'. What self-respecting city wouldn't ? Then I am seen running into a MacRussian having partially wet my trousers. Bladder's on the blink again. Never mind, we are having the time of our lives !
I do the hostel's 'official walking tour' today . My guide is a thoroughly nice bloke. We begin with piping hot stuffed pancakes from a street vendor. Our walk takes us along and around the Nevsky Prospekt , the main thoroughfare. There is a lot to see and a lot to do in Saint Petersburg. The winter palace is truly a masterpiece of white and green baroque. Horse-drawn carriages wait outside. And there's a hot dog stand close by, which is a blessing. The city is well endowed with the most beautiful cathedrals and statues. We visit a selection of them. The whole city is a work of art. However, by now, my shoes have rotted into flapping wrecks of the cherished Nike Airmax trainers they used to be. Ploughing through the January slush has caused their premature demise. Obtaining sturdy, replacement footwear becomes a necessary feature of the tour. Once that mission is accomplished, other highlights of the day include a peek at a working 'Banya' ; public steam rooms containing lots of naked men who punish each other with what appear to be broom like devices made from stiff twigs. There are no mixed-sex banyas, although on another occasion, Tammy and I did make hopeful enquires.
There is a spontaneous night of revelry with a group of hostellers. We are conveyed about the city at daring speeds. In beaten-up Ladas which claim to be Taxis. Two leggy Russian girls seem to have joined us. And they direct our little crowd to a bright and modern karaoke bar, wherein we begin knocking back a shed load of vodka.
Next ; Petrodvorets - A summer palace
