July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
On both sides of the Narva River are imposing fortresses from medieval times when this was the frontier between the Swedish and Russian empires. Just across the border in Ivangorod, Russia, we stop at a service station for fuel and restroom breaks. Looking at the signs I also realize this is the frontier between English letters and Cyrillic. I need to restudy my Russian alphabet if we are going to have any success on our own. Looking at a food sign I slowly make out the hot dog to be Grill Dog in Cyrillic. Success! Maybe we will survive after all.
Another two hours of driving and we arrive in St Petersburg, Russia. We were expecting to find sunshine and warmer weather, but it is still cool and overcast. But I have no complaints. It is 40 degrees hotter back in Tucson.
After checking into the hotel, Aimee and I set out to explore the city. Even though it is late evening, we have lots of time. St Petersburg is very far north, the same latitude as Anchorage, so the sun will set late, if at all. In fact St Petersburg is the farthest north of any big city. St Petersburg, formerly known also as Petrograd and Leningrad, lies at the mouth of the Neva River on land that was formerly swampland. As the city was built the water was channeled into a series of canals.
We decide to take a canal cruise as an introduction to the city. From Vasilevsky Island, we walk across the wide Neva River bridge toward the center of town, passing the Czar's Winter Palace and the massive St Isaac's Cathedral. On one of the side canals we start our cruise. The canals are lined with palaces and churches. No wonder St Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North. The sheer number and grandeur of the buildings reflects the wealth that St Petersburg once had. The Neva River through a series of canals connects with the Volga River and the heart of Russia making the city the most important port for Russia.
After the cruise we looked for a restaurant to eat dinner. We had a hard time finding one that served Russian food. St Petersburg has obviously shaken off Socialism and has become rich and cosmopolitan again. Pizza and Sushi now predominate.
Today is a another travel day. From Tallinn, Estonia we follow the Baltic Sea coast east. After a couple hours we reach the Narva River and the Russian border. Everyone filled out a lengthy application and paid a stiff fee to receive a Russian visa a month ago. Despite this, it takes almost two hours to clear the border.
On both sides of the Narva River are imposing fortresses from medieval times when this was the frontier between the Swedish and Russian empires. Just across the border in Ivangorod, Russia, we stop at a service station for fuel and restroom breaks. Looking at the signs I also realize this is the frontier between English letters and Cyrillic. I need to restudy my Russian alphabet if we are going to have any success on our own. Looking at a food sign I slowly make out the hot dog to be Grill Dog in Cyrillic. Success! Maybe we will survive after all.Another two hours of driving and we arrive in St Petersburg, Russia. We were expecting to find sunshine and warmer weather, but it is still cool and overcast. But I have no complaints. It is 40 degrees hotter back in Tucson.
After checking into the hotel, Aimee and I set out to explore the city. Even though it is late evening, we have lots of time. St Petersburg is very far north, the same latitude as Anchorage, so the sun will set late, if at all. In fact St Petersburg is the farthest north of any big city. St Petersburg, formerly known also as Petrograd and Leningrad, lies at the mouth of the Neva River on land that was formerly swampland. As the city was built the water was channeled into a series of canals. We decide to take a canal cruise as an introduction to the city. From Vasilevsky Island, we walk across the wide Neva River bridge toward the center of town, passing the Czar's Winter Palace and the massive St Isaac's Cathedral. On one of the side canals we start our cruise. The canals are lined with palaces and churches. No wonder St Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North. The sheer number and grandeur of the buildings reflects the wealth that St Petersburg once had. The Neva River through a series of canals connects with the Volga River and the heart of Russia making the city the most important port for Russia.
After the cruise we looked for a restaurant to eat dinner. We had a hard time finding one that served Russian food. St Petersburg has obviously shaken off Socialism and has become rich and cosmopolitan again. Pizza and Sushi now predominate.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:54 PM
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