September 17, 2015
Toasting Our First Night in St Petersburg
Moscow has been somewhat challenging but I am learning to
deal with my autism, the language barriers and enjoying the adventure.
Certainly Moscow was not a user-friendly city but then again it is only barely
out of adolescence in post-communism development and consumed with its
independence and release from decades of once-forbidden goods. Interestingly Russia has been described as
just as xenophobic as United States! Earlier yesterday I told someone I was
Canadian and not American to see if they would like me better. Thankfully, we haven’t been arrested yet for
John’s black market ticket dealing at Bolshoi Theatre.
We wake up early this
morning to catch a 7:30 taxi to the airport. I am not hungry and still thinking
of my delicious veal cutlet covered with forest mushrooms and piroshky from the
night before. We anticipate a difficult transition through the airport gates
but despite our being unable to read any of the signs or ask questions that
anyone can understand we make it through the process fairly easily. In 90
minutes we arrive at the St Petersburg airport and taxi to Alexander House, a small 20-room hotel located on Kruykov Canal about 2 miles out of town. Originally in
the 19th century this home was owned by a merchant and recently
restored to its original appearance.
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| Alexander House |
It is located in the historical area where
Russian writers such as Pushkin and Dostoevsky used to live. The hotel people
are extremely gracious and friendly taking service standards to the highest
level I have ever experienced. They even
upgrade us to a small 2-bedroom apartment called Barcelona at the very top of
the house. They provide 24-hour service with no extra charge and we even have a
kitchen with nespresso! As usual John’s thorough travel research has paid off.
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| View from our hotel window |
We have lunch at Alexander House and when John receives his
borsch soup (made of beets) he apologizes returning it for chicken soup. After lunch we try our hand with the bus
system because Rick Steve’s book has warned us only to use taxi service with great
caution. While we initially get lost searching for the bus stop, we finally get
#27 bus into town and figure out what to pay (about 52 rubles or 75 cents). We head for the Mikhailovsky Theatre to see if we can get any tickets for the
Opera. As in Moscow we find they are sold out.
Again John searches for black market ticket sellers outside but none are
to be found.
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| Walking to bus |
Vodka and more vodka
John, a thorough tour guide, has booked us for dinner at DOM
restaurant located in a mansion of the 19th century overlooking the
Moika River and St. Isaac’s square. It serves contemporary Russian food and
arriving I find it to be aristocratic, elegant and refined. It has antique
furniture and many works of art on the walls. I wish I wasn’t wearing jeans, Nike
shoes and toting my large camera.
However, despite my attire we seem not to be noticed and are seated next
to 3 men totally absorbed in their conversations and vodka drinking.
So what do we order? For hors d’oevres I have what has to be
the most delicious salad ever ~ it is arugula topped with goat cheese, candied walnuts
and barbecued peaches with carmel toping.
John is equally pleased with his hot spinach salad. Next, to my surprise,
John orders beef stroganoff for the 3rd night in a row. I order
chicken Kiev said to also be a Russian dish. (Later I learn that stroganoff and
chicken Kiev are rarely served in Russian homes and were introduced to Russia
in the late 19th century.) Oops I forgot that we started our meal initially
with some amazing Pelmeni (nonlevined
pasta) filled with turkey and served with sour cream, onions and basil. This
appetizer dumpling is different from piroshky
which is bread filled with various items. When John’s stroganoff arrives he announces
it is the best ever! While we are eating
the men sitting next to us are on their 3rd, 4th and 5th
rounds of vodka and toasts since we arrived. John estimates they have had 4
shots in 30 minutes. We don’t know how many shots they had before we arrived! Periodically they leave their table presumably
for cigarettes outside and then resume to partake in another appetizer and
several more rounds of vodka clinks. By our count we are up to 6 when a new
bottle arrives. John losing count wants
to leave but I convince him to stay for desert so that I can observe how many
more toasts they will have. None of them seem even slightly intoxicated. Finally, we leave realizing this may be just
the start of their night. My guidebook says that a Russian on average drinks 4
gallons of vodka a year! Unfortunately
their average life expectancy is only 59.
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