From Russia, With Love

Wow.

That’s really all I can think of to say for starters. Ok, maybe that and “boy am I stupid for waiting three days to update my blog”. So sit back and put your feet up, because I have to write about three very full days! I’ll try to remember everything, but if I don’t, Jennifer is busily updating her journal and will let me know if I miss something.

At the moment we’re all more than a little brain dead. Although the last three days have been exhilarating, there has been an enormous amount of information to absorb and process, so we are flopped on our beds just relaxing for the moment. The kids have all been amazing – even though they are tired in the mornings, they perk up through the day and really do their best to pay attention and stay awake. Its interesting to hear their questions and comments and learn which details are interesting to them.

So. Helsinki. We arrived in port overnight, and as we were not on a ship’s tour, we were able to disembark at our leisure. We did take the ship’s shuttle into the centre of town (for five Euros – the ship never misses a chance to make a few dollars), and then made our way to the tourist information centre. From there we got directions to the double-decker . “hop on hop off” bus stop, and went there to wait for the first bus.

It was a beautiful beautiful day. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds, a light breeze – it was just lovely, especially after the damp we experienced in Germany. The bus stop was at the foot of the massive Lutheran Cathedral, which was very impressive – the stairs up the front are reminiscent of the steps in Philadelphia that the movie Rocky made famous. So of course I offered 5 bucks to Jennifer and Alex to run up to the top and jump up and down like Rocky. They didn’t, but Marjie did – that child will do anything for a Euro or two!!!

Our bus tour was very nice – about 90 minutes full circle, and we were all snapping photos from the top of the bus. We also had a 90 minute boat ride in the archipelago of Helsinki, and quite frankly I felt like I was in Muskoka. Aside from the salt water, the rock and the trees and cabins on the shore really looked like what one would see while on the boat cruise from Parry Sound! Really beautiful, although substantially cooler on the water – the boat had blankets for the trip, and we all made use of them.

Next we tried to find a place for lunch. This wasn’t as easy as you might think, as the food was ridiculously expensive, and also not all that appetizing. Herring, reindeer, bear, potatoes fried in lard… oh yum… So we had an ice cream and then went in and out of what seemed like dozens of tourist shops, then on to the market. I really enjoyed the market – the weather was still beautiful, the smells of the bakery and fruit stalls were enticing (not so much the fresh fish stalls), and the crafts and jewelry stands had quite a lot to look at. We all picked up a few things – Marjie adopted another animal, this time a moose. ☺

We were back on board about 4, had a snack, and then fell asleep for a couple of hours. I woke up only 10 minutes before the show, woke up Jenn and Marjie, and we made it just in time. I was a little worried about the quality of the show because it was a classical violinist, but everyone enjoyed it, even Alex, Jenn, and Marjie. I think they had a really good mix of music, like Lord of the Dance, which appealed to everyone. Dinner afterwards was delicious as usual. Well, for those of us who showed up. Hazel and her crew fell asleep and didn’t come! Ah well, this touring business is tiring. Plus, we were setting our clock forward yet another hour in preparation for…

St. Petersberg. This for me was the highlight and the main reason for choosing this cruise. I first learned about St. Petersberg back in high school – grade 9, actually. I took Russian History with Mr. Stalbow, who was also one of my Tae Kwon Do instructors and an afterschool advisor. He was a great teacher, and instilled in me a real interest in the history of the Russian revolution and activities in Moscow and St. Petersberg. I remember watching the movie Reds in class, reading books on the subject, and seeing pictures of the Winter Palace and Peterhof. So the opportunity to visit and see these places in person was really exciting to me! Enough that I didn’t mind the hour of lost sleep and the early start (7am).

All 11 of us bought tickets on the 2-day Grand Tour, and were prepared for cold and rainy weather. Imagine our delight and surprise when the day turned out to be one of the warmest of summer days (for St. Petersberg). It was sunny and gorgous, and I would guess about 20 Celsius. We were pleased to be able to leave our sweaters and jackets on the coach most of the time, especially when visiting museums, as none have air conditioning.

We started off with a little bit of a bus tour, and our guide, Marina, did a great job explaining everything to us. She was a wonderful and interesting guide, and had a good sense of humour too, making the two days even more enjoyable for us all. I was thrilled to round the corner and see the Winter Palace along the embankment of the Neva River. The whole centre of town was more colourful than I could imagine – Marina told me they paint the Winter Palace every five years or so, and as soon as they finish, they have to start all over again.

Our first destination was the Fortress of Peter and Paul, known not only as the birthplace of St. Petersberg in 1703, but also as the burial place of all the Tsars since Peter the Great. It was very interesting to see the tombs of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and the last Tsar Nicholas and his family. The history of these rulers is rather like a soap opera, with laws being changed and/or created to suit their purpose – Catherine the Great, for instance, usurped her husband and stole his title in a coup, and then denounced her son, claiming he was not fathered by her husband! In this way, she stole the title and then brought a great period of enlightenment to the country.

Next we went on a river cruise along the Neva and Moika rivers, marveling at the colourful and beautiful palaces along the way. There was also a young boy who waved at us on the first bridge, and then ran alongside the boat and waved to us from every bridge along the route – probably a dozen or so in total. He was, of course, begging for money, and Marina told me this has turned into a real business, and that the money is used for questionable purposes – she didn’t want to tell me what, so you’ll have to use your imaginations.

After the boat cruise we toured the Winter Palace and the Hermitage museum, ooohing and aaahing at all the Roccoco (read: gold, gold, and more gold) designed rooms and furniture, the chandeliers and sweeping staircases, dinner sets, statues, art by Monet, Rembrant, Ruben, DaVinci, Degas and a million others. There was so much to look at – the doors, door frames, floors, cornices, ceilings and windows all had something special to notice. Marjie was fascinated with the colours and design, and Jennifer was imagining the balls – the arrival of the horses and carriages, the gowns, the candle lit chandeliers and the music.

Next we had lunch in a big hall with hundreds of other tourists. Some locals regaled us with folk music while we had salad, chicken, and ice cream – I particularly enjoyed the local bread, of course. Oh, and we also had vodka and champagne with our meals – apparently it’s insulting not to drink it, but I had to take that chance or be sick the rest of the day! Jenn and Alex had a sip of the vodka, and the faces they made were priceless!

In the afternoon we went to Yusopov palace, the “home” of a noble family, the place where Rasputin was murdered, and now a grand museum, complete with a 150 person theatre. By this time we were getting a little pooped, but it was still very interesting, especially the bit about Rasputin. This creepy man was so hated that an elaborate plan to poison him was hatched – but he refused to die. So he was stabbed – and refused to die. Finally he was thrown under the ice of the Neva River, and there he succumbed. The people had had enough of him influencing the Tsar, and did everything they needed to do to change the course of history. Not in time to avoid the revolution mind you, but that’s another story.

We were back on the ship by 4 again today. This was to allow time for those who had purchased evening excursions, which we did not. Marjie announced that she was going to bed immediately after supper, in order to be really refreshed for the next day. In truth, most of us agreed with her, and after a light supper at the buffet and a few minutes of the evening movie, Jenn and I finally called it a night.

Today dawned grey and rainy, and that’s the way it stayed. All day. Wet. Real rain, not drizzle. Soggy and humid. Bad for hair, but warm at least. Marjie, ever chipper, said “well, we got to see the city on a sunny day and on a rainy day too!” Marina commented on the weather too, advising us that the gloom and rain was typical here, so yesterday was a real treat.

Today we were in for other treats. We set off at 7:15 for the hour long drive to Peterhof, yet another tribute to Peter the Great’s ego. He had the soul of a sailor, and so built his “Versailles of the North” on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Unfortunately we saw very little of the splendid gardens – Jenn and I did venture out in the pouring rain so that we could get a few pictures, but other than that we stuck with the inside. Again, it was overwhelming in it’s almost gaudy-use of gold and stucco, not to mention the huge fireplaces crafted of Delft tile. But the views to the upper garden and out to the Gulf were just incredible.

We had a bit of time in the shop there, and then the bus ride back past some other picturesque sights and to the city for lunch, again with vodka and music and good food. All eleven of us were seated at one table, and we laughed a lot – I’m sure the vodka helped, as people were a little cold and damp.

After lunch we were taken to a store with what I would call “upscale” souvenirs. In fact, they were pretty expensive, but I managed to find a pretty Christmas ornament, Jenn bought a Fabrage egg pendant, and Marjie finally found the Russian carved doll (the kind that you open and there’s another one inside and another and another and another…). We had a bit of time to wander the square there, and then headed over to the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, or as Marjie calls it, “The Gingerbread Church”. This is the very well-known image that is used in travel posters of St. Petersberg – the colourful roof and spiraled towers are hard to forget. We didn’t have time to go inside, but Jenn and Marjie and I took a walk around the entire exterior and across the canal and back (still through the rain, I should mention). There was a small flea market to check out, and we bartered half-heartedly with a vendor, but she wasn’t all that interested in our money so we walked away. Hazel is very good at bargaining – she says you have to be prepared to walk away, and so we did.

Back to the ship then, and we are now resting before dinner and the show. We had a wonderful time, and the girls are already excited about tomorrow in Tallinn! You’d think they’d be bored by now, and they really aren’t.

Until next time, do svidaniya.