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Russia

April 2018 - April 2024
An open-ended adventure by Kerrilyn Read more
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  • TravelerRussia
    2
    2121
    Day 5

    Peterhof Palace

    April 10, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    It was a rather grand entrance view to the palace as we walked into the grounds. Even though the time of year, it was still magnificent. Although my favourite ‘palace’ is still Malmaison in Paris - the home of Josephine and Napoleon.

    We were a bit unsure how to get in as there didn’t seem to be an entrance from the front but we followed some other people, asked for directions and found our way round the back where the entrance was. We were somewhat aghast to see a massive Asian tour group lined up waiting to enter. If we had to wait behind them it would take forever. Thankfully there was a separate queue for non tour groups and we skipped ahead of the group - phew.

    We had to put funny sack sort of bags over our shoes, I guess to protect the floors. We hadn’t needed it at the other palace but oh well! They made walking somewhat slippery and it was tempting to try and skate along the floors but with a formidable Russian observer in every room we didn’t dare try.

    Heidi went to walk through the turn table thing into the palace, bumped her head, cried and was given a little fluffy duck from a museum staff lady on the way in. Then on the way out she was sooking about something and was given a lolly. She’s going to be a spoilt one by the time we get home!

    As we managed to get ahead of most of the tour groups we were able to get some pictures without having crowds of people in the way.    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1
    Day 5

    Walking the Gardens of Peterhof Palace

    April 10, 2018 in Russia ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    The rooms were again all quite stunning in the palace. Most of them were decorated with embroidered silk rather than wall paper which was beautiful - I mentioned my favourite in the photos. Imagine how much that would have cost!!

    We didn’t get to walk through the whole palace - they had obviously selected just a few of the rooms to give you a taste. I’m always curious to know whether the rest of the palace is decorated the same or whether it’s just all under dust covers and wraps! It’s the kind of place I would love to roam and explore without having other people around.

    We wanted to take Heidi to the toilet on the way out but the line up to the ladies toilet was massive (another large Asian tourist group) so Eli took her into the gents. Some ladies from the tour group were also trying to use these toilets as well! A Russian lady came and told them off but as soon as she turned her back a husband ushered his wife and others in there again!!

    We went out to take a tour of the gardens afterwards. It felt much colder today compared to yesterday and some of us were wishing we had worn our thermals! It was so nice strolling along the paths among the wintry woodlands. We were even able to view some of the woodland creatures such as squirrels and little birds. One squirrel actually came running right up to us much to Heidi’s delight!    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1
    Day 5

    Walking the Grounds of Peterhof Palace

    April 10, 2018 in Russia ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    The Palace is set right next to the sea which the gardens were on the edge of. The sea was frozen for a good way out so we ventured out onto the ice - it was quite an amazing sight. We could see a big boat making its way through the ice further out to sea.

    After this we trekked back towards the palace and out of the grounds to find somewhere to have lunch. We spied a playground on the other side of the road and managed to avoid Heidi seeing it by getting her to count the windows on the palace as we walked past 😂 so easy to distract at this age!

    We found a place near where we had to catch the bus back to St Petersburg and enjoyed a nice lunch of various dishes - borsch (traditional Russian soup composing mainly of beetroot - quite yummy), chicken soup, fettuccini carbonara, stroganoff etc.

    Then we caught the bus and metro back to the apartment. I bought a punnet of large juicy looking strawberries on the way back and popped into a couple of shops with Kyria whilst the boys continued homewards. Heidi had fallen asleep on the way home but she woke up when we left the metro due to the cold air.

    We had a bit of time at the apartment before heading out for an early dinner as Mike and Kyria were going to see the Nutcracker Ballet tonight (we can’t all go to this as Heidi isnt allowed in so we’re taking it in turns).

    Thus ends another day - we’re having a ball if you hadn’t already figured that out! 😁    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    3
    12211
    Day 6

    Shopping

    April 11, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    We were having a slower day today - going to do some shopping around the area.

    First we had our usual breakfast at a bakery - I think we aways surprise them with how much we order - generally at least two things each 😂😳 there wasn’t a lot of room in there so we sat on the window seats to eat. Then we bought hot drinks from another shop where the boys had bought coffees the other day. I ordered a hot chocolate, forgetting that they have two sorts - hot chocolate and cocoa. The hot chocolate is very strong dark chocolate flavour - too much for me. Oh well, I’ll get it right eventually!

    We caught the metro to an area Kyria had looked up and just walked around checking out the shops. We had a look at some souvenir shops but nothing really caught my eye. I prefer souvenirs that are useful, not just dust collectors.

    The first shop we looked in was a fancy emporium. They had displays of very gourmet foods such as cheeses salami, marzipan, chocolate, biscuits, macarons, cheesecake and many more. Heidi was quite fascinated with the piano playing music of its own accord! The only problem with all of the products is you wouldn’t want to eat any of them because they look too good to eat!

    We also went to a sort of shopping centre and wandered around the shops in there. Half were souvenir shops and the other half very expensive looking. Upstairs, out on the balcony we discovered an array of random waxworks which seemed a strange place to have them. We walked to the other end and discovered that we were supposed to have tickets! A lady came out and told us we needed tickets however we had seen it all at that point! There had been no sign or anything at the door we’d walked out. When we walked inside another lady shook her finger at us like we were naughty children. We were slightly miffed - if they didn’t want people going out there without tickets then they should either lock the other doors or put signs up! We didn’t know!

    We were planning to have lunch at a restaurant where the famous poet Pushkin ate his last meal before fighting a duel and dying! On the way we made a brief stop at what was advertised as a chocolate museum but when we went down into it, turns out it was more of a shop than a museum. I succumbed to buying a little chocolate cow figure - they were so cheap! I think I’m going to fill my suitcase with chocolate and bring it back - it’s so much cheaper over here!!

    We had a pleasant lunch overlooking the river and then we split up as Eli and I wanted to being Heidi home for a sleep. Mike and Kyria went to visit St Isaac’s Cathedral.    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1
    11
    Day 6

    Folk Dancing

    April 11, 2018 in Russia ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    We had a quiet afternoon back at the apartment while Heidi was napping. I clearly should have packed more books as I only have one left 🤔 I didn’t expect to have time to do much reading!

    Tonight we visited a folk show which was entertaining. We ended up getting a taxi as it was going to be 1/2 hour walk and we didn’t have time for that. We found a taxi near the metro station and he agreed to take us after getting the guy out the taxi behind him to help him figure out where we wanted to go! His car stank of cigarette smoke so I tried to surreptitiously breathe through my scarf.

    We arrived with time to spare although the hall was just about filled already. There were two sessions with a 15 min intermission in between where we were provided some light refreshments of juice, and tiny sandwiches with caviar, ham or cheese, fruit and veggie sticks with dip. It was all gone very quickly however and we only had a few bites each.

    The dancing was fun to watch and the singing nice too. There was a lot of whistling and yelling and at one point Heidi stuck her fingers in her ears!! The costumes were colourful and looked fun to wear. We even experienced the Cossack dancing where they squat and kick their legs out.

    Afterwards we caught another taxi back home to bed.    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    2
    Day 7

    Tsarskoye Selo-Catherine Great's Palace

    April 12, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    This morning we were planning to have breakfast at a cafe near St Isaac’s Cathedral and then go into the cathedral but when we had a look at the cafe it didn’t look like they served much in the way of breakfast food, unless you liked caviar or soup for breakfast. There weren’t many other cafes around so we just went into a hotel and had breakfast there. We all ordered eggs Benedict and that’s what we got - no frills! Normally there’s a bit more in the way of bread, spinach, decoration etc but it seems the way of things here. No time for frills!

    We were also going to Catherine the Great’s Palace today and they only had visits for non tour group people between 12 and 2. As the morning was getting on we decided to skip the cathedral for now (I think this is the third time we’ve tried to visit it unsuccessfully for one reason or another!) and head to the palace. We again had to catch the metro and then a bus out to Pushkin where the palace was located. Eli and I made a brief stop at a bakery on the way to purchase some tucker for later 😉

    Eli had been carrying Heidi and stopped to see if she would walk - at which suggestion she decided to lie on the ground 🙄 then a Russian guy came over and was trying to coax her up in Russian. He switched to English when he realised and was saying ‘Stand up, stand up’ and gave her a cheer when she did 😂 so funny!!

    We weren’t exactly sure which stop to disembark from the bus and as a result missed the one we should have taken, ending up a distance away from the palace! The bus driver instructed us on the bus we needed to take back and we hopped out to wait. Their buses don’t seem to have very good suspension or the driver didn’t slow down enough over the speed humps - I bounced off the seat a couple of times which was not particularly comfortable!

    We caught another bus back and managed to get out at the right stop. We crossed the road and were able to enter the palace gardens (no cost at the moment) and walk up to the palace. It was another magnificent palace - blue and gold.

    There seemed to be a lot more people at this palace or it was just we were later in the day. I’d hate to come in the middle of summer seeing what it was like today! There was the usual ticket buying, leaving coats etc in the cloakroom and then starting the tour. It was less enjoyable as there was people everywhere and you didn’t feel like you could spend much time enjoying a room as you didn’t want to get overtaken by the tour group you had just fought your way through! A few of the rooms were similar to those at Peterhof Palace. There was one room called the amber room in which the walls were covered with amber stones. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos in here. Apparently this was a gift from a Prussian to Catherine the Great. It has since been reconstructed - took 20 years to reconstruct and 11 million dollars as it had been sacked by the Nazis.    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    Day 7

    The Grounds of Catherine Great's Palace

    April 12, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    We kind of hurried through the last part of the palace as we were a little over all the people and Heidi was getting fidgety. We stopped at the cafe and bought Heidi a drink and sandwich before continuing our tour outside.

    They were doing a bit of maintenance around the place so some of the buildings had scaffolding around which was a pain for taking photos.

    Heidi really loves steps and we were able to put that to good use as an incentive to keep her moving round the grounds by pointing out the next set of steps ahead 😂 she found another little girl about the same age as her who was running over a bridge and back with her Mum. The boys has gone off to see if the golf carts were in use so Kyria and I stood on the bridge and waited. Heidi had fun running over and back on the bridge with the little girl and then they started throwing rocks over the bridge into the water. They were very cute together and Heidi actually played nicely...phew.

    The golf carts were not in use yet so we just walked around instead. There was a big lake in the grounds that we walked around. It was still mostly covered in ice which looked pretty. The others thought they might try and stand on the ice to see how their weight held. There was also another pond on the way round where the ice was thicker and they were able to walk on it. I filmed just in case they fell spectacularly into the water 😉 but all was well!    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1
    Day 7

    Lazy Afternoon

    April 12, 2018 in Russia ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    We walked most of the way round the lake of the palace and then exited via a side entrance. We were headed home from here. Outside the bus stop, there was a shop selling shawarmas so we bought two and shared them on the bus. I don’t know if it was because we were cold and hungry but they tasted amazing - hit the spot! Plus they were cheaper than in Israel!

    It was a straightforward trip home. Heidi fell asleep on the way and ended up staying asleep even once we were home. I think she had some catching up to do!

    We didn’t have too much on for the rest of the afternoon so we relaxed in the apartment until Heidi woke up and then we headed out for dinner at a Georgian restaurant.

    We over ordered and ended up with much more food than we could eat! The problem is that their entrees, rather than being small amounts as we’re accustomed to, are basically the same size as a main meal! They also brought it all out together which didn’t help! So in future we will just order one or the other! I felt like I needed another walk after all that food - even after doing nearly 20,000 steps today!!

    Eli and Kyria went out to get some night photos as Mike didn’t feel up to going out and I stayed home to put Heidi to bed. I just about fell asleep on the pillow with her!    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1111
    Day 8

    Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood

    April 13, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    We had a lazy start this morning - the boys had been up late watching a soccer match! We were planning to see 3 places this morning - Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, Faberge Museum and St Isaacs Cathedral.

    The weather has been getting a degree warmer every day with today getting to 11 degrees. It hasn’t been as cold as we were afraid it might be which has been good. Overnight it is getting to -3 but we don’t feel that inside!

    We had breakfast on route - i ended up with a rather sweeter one than I was anticipating as the porridge I ordered ended up being more of a rice pudding with fruit! The other morning it turned out to be muesli and milk! We shall get it right eventually!

    The area around the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood had a lot more touristy stuff like souvenir stalls, people selling paintings, people in costume etc. we did a little bit of souvenir shopping - buying some matroyshka dolls (known to us as babushka dolls but apparently this is not the correct name!) and a few other things. The guy we bought the dolls from explained some of the history behind them which was interesting - there was a set of all girls (sisters) and they were each holding something different, representing what their role would have been at home - feeding the chickens, making porridge right down to the youngest sucking it’s finger.

    The Church on Spilled Blood as it is also called, is so named because it is built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was fatally wounded by a grenade as he was passing by in his carriage. The first grenade did not harm him but he left the carriage to remonstrate with the culprit and another one was thrown which wounded him. He later died at the palace. I don’t know why he didn’t just escape while he had the chance! The inside of the church was covered with mosaics - it was amazing! All the walls, everything was done in mosaics. It was quite something. Its hard to imagine all these types of buildings being destroyed when Christ returns - they seem so solid and enduring! I guess the Jews thought the same of their temple.

    We walked from here towards the Faberge Museum. Faberge was a Russian jeweller best known for the Faberge eggs which were made like Easter eggs but from stones and precious jewels. He was commissioned to make them for the imperial family. Unfortunately the museum was closed today so we were unable to visit which was a bit disappointing. Maybe we’ll have time tomorrow before we fly off to Siberia.

    Eli and I decided to head back to the apartment to give Heidi lunch and put her down for a nap while Mike and Kyria went back to St Isaac’s Cathedral.    Read more

  • TravelerRussia
    1
    1
    Day 8

    Swan Lake

    April 13, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Tonight was mine and Eli’s turn to go to the ballet. We were going to see Swan Lake at the Mihailovsky theatre. Heidi had a relatively long nap again this afternoon so we didn’t get up to much in between. We snacked on salami, cheese, bread with caviar paste (didnt taste good apparently) and crackers before heading out.

    The ballet was at 7pm and we were walking so we left about 6.20ish. We weren’t exactly sure where the theatre was although Eli has planned the route on his phone. We found the area but weren’t sure which building so we had to stop and ask directions.They’re always so friendly and happy to help. A lady checked on her phone and pointed us in the right direction. We had about 5 minutes to spare by the time we sat down! I didn’t want to bother taking my coat to the cloak room but we were told it was theatre rules so we had to do that first.

    It’s always so hot indoors! I spent the evening sweltering. It doesn’t matter where you go, they always seem to have the heating really high...it’s a bit frustrating as you dress warm for outside but then have to take all the layers off whenever you go inside...or just put up with the heat if you wont be long. Even in our apartment we ended up leaving windows open to equalise the temperature!

    The ballet was pretty special though. I’ve never seen the whole Swan Lake Ballet before. I was wishing I had refreshed my memory on the story line though! I knew the gist of it but not the details. The theatre itself was also very nice. You could imagine the aristocracy coming here back in the day with their evening gowns and gossip to share. The Tsar’s box was a bit to the left of us and was of course central to the stage. Apparently if you sat there you had to wear a cocktail dress or a black suit and tie for guys. It was also the theatre where Swan Lake originally premiered which was quite cool.

    Eli and I nearly left early as, in our ignorance, we didn’t realise the ballet wasn’t over after the second act. We went to get my coat and the lady said something in russian and looked at us strangely. We realised there was still more to go!

    At each intermission (there were 2) you could go and buy drinks or desserts. Some people had reserved tables with their drinks and desserts already served. Pretty fancy.

    It was a relief to get out into the fresh air afterwards and walk home. I didn’t even put on Kyria’s coat I had borrowed - clearly this baby is keeping me extra warm as Eli was wanting to hurry home as he was cold!

    As none of us had really had much in the way of dinner- the boys went out and bought us all shawarmas! They wer very yummy, even at 11pm at night 😂    Read more

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