This time St Petersburg, Russia was not my son's experience but my own adventure, though a very brief one. I like to say that I spent a day and a half hopelessly and gloriously lost. Twice young English speaking women came to my rescue. One went many blocks out of her way to take me to the hostel door. The other took me to the subway station, even swiped her own card to make sure I got on the right train. I gave each one a magnet, my way of thanking them, and was surprised at how pleased they were to receive it. At that point, I decided that my magnet project should be less about spreading them around the world and more about giving a gift.
The bus ride from Tallinn through Russia was a memorable experience. Once we crossed into Russia and got into the countryside, that far-north road really went to pot. Literally. We slammed and banged into huge potholes, weaving often to avoid others, not slowing down at all. The first time the driver pulled into the other lane to pass, I just about had a heart attack because a car was coming right at us. Our driver didn't slow down, nor did either of the cars involved. They simply moved over to create a third lane right down the middle. Let me tell you, that really took some getting used to!
Is Russia dark and deprived? Not from what I saw. Would I go back? I certainly would but would prefer a traveling companion familiar with the cyrillic alphabet.
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| Little girls in pink posing in front of the Hermitage Museum. |
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| Church of the Spilt Blood |
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| St Petersburg street scene |
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