MC's Debut

MC’s Blog

We have been traveling for a week now and so I will put down some thoughts, going back to London, where our great adventure started.

Let me start first by saying that London is truly one of my favorite spots.  It was great being back!  We spent most of our time revisiting some of our old haunts.  Went to Hammersmith to see our old house and neighborhood.  Walked along the Thames to the beautiful Hammersmith Bridge.   Visited Camden, Regency Park, Covent Garden, the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery (where they do not allow their patrons to sleep!).  We rode the tube, rode the tube  and walked and walked, in fact one day we walked 10 miles. I was sad to leave London and to leave Kate, who is now happily settled in Glasgow.  She is on her own adventure.

We arrived in St-Petersburg on Monday and were met at the airport  by Tatiana, who organized our home stay in Moscow.  She drove us to our hotel in the heart of old St Petersburg,  very close to the Winter Palace. 

Having never been to Russia or the former Soviet Union but only to the old Eastern Bloc, I am surprised at how “europified” Russia seems to be.  We are in a very large city with many tourists and they seem to try to cater to them,  Many English menus and signs throughout this part of the city.  We will see if Moscow is the same.

Day 2 in St Petersburg was dedicated to walking around the city or at least part of it.   The Winter Palace and surrounding buildings are truly amazing.  The architecture reminds me of France, almost like the town is done in the Versailles style, if that makes any sense…  We also visited the Church of Spilled Blood, the one behind me in the two versions of pics on facebook. And walked to the Mariinsky  (old Kirov) theater, famous for it’s operas and ballet. 
People here do speak English, we were told that they start learning in 3rd grade.  Tatiana who drove us to our hotel has a daughter who went to school in Knoxville for 3 years while her husband worked there. Upon their return to Russia, her daughter’s English was very good but the teachers here complained about her lack of knowledge of grammar and conjugation as well as her being far behind the Russian students overall academically!
Last night we watched a movie (Russian Ark) about the Hermitage in preparation of our adventure today.  It has over 3 million pieces of art and over 300 rooms.  Quite daunting!  We did our best to hit the high spots.  It is really an amazing place even compared to Versailles, my only other point of reference in terms of “Royal Residences”.   It is amazing that they have continued to collect art over all these years (many acquired in 1948, hmm I wonder how?).  The views from the Hermitage are breathtaking and I loved looking up and down.  The floors and ceilings are works of art in themselves.

This is quite long so I will end here.  More adventures to come.  Moscow is apparently not quite as friendly and more daunting than St Petersburg.   I hope to pick up there if internet is available at our home stay….  Should be interesting!