May 29 Arrival in St. Petersburg

I have achieved one of the goals of this trip; I have arrived in St. Petersburg!

Everything went smoothly, but it was a long day. I was up at 5, packed, took a bus to the bus station and was there shortly after 6 for my 7 o'clock bus to St. Petersburg. The management at my apartment even left a breakfast for me in the fridge.

The buses here are great. Complementary water, coffee, a clean toilet, even WiFi all the way. There was even an electric outlet to charge my iPad,

The border crossing, into Russia took about an hour. First we had to have our passports stamped on the Estonian side, then, on the Russian side we all had to get off the bus and go through customs, one by one.

Even with that we arrived in St. Petersburg 40 minutes early. To get to my accommodation I had to take 2 different subway lines, but they are well marked, even in English. The Internet is, again, very helpful. I knew what to expect, and I was ready.

When I got off the Metro I actually found a person who knew the area, and within 10 minutes I was there. Another bonus, the apartment is on the fifth floor, BUT there is an elevator, an Otis, no less.

This accommodation is different in that I am basically occupying a room in an apartment where a Russian couple lives.

The apartment is unbelievable. Absolutely gorgeous. If it were a hotel it would be 5-star. Beautiful furniture, two bathrooms, there is even a sauna off the larger bathroom. The appliances in the kitchen are all Miele. The fridge looks like a wooden cupboard from the outside.

I went for a walk, and this area is very nice. Grand old buildings from the late 1800's, and well maintained. Language is a problem. Since I can't read any signs I don't know what kind of a store it is until I go inside. I have been in hairdressers, computer stores, sushi restaurants, you name it.

St. Petersburg is called the Venice of the north, and there are many bridges and canals, but on a much larger scale than the real Venice. I even saw a couple of ladies, in bikinis, sunning themselves beside one of the canals.

The only negative aspect, so far, is that there is smoking in restaurants. I didn't realize that before I ordered, so I suffered. I will have to deal with that.

My sleep pattern is also off, the length of the day is something I have never experienced. At 11:30 last night it was light enough to be able to read a book, without turning on a light. And, at three, it is bright again. It must be very difficult in winter, when the nights are that long.

Let the fun begin

Ralf