St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

I arrived at 5:30 am... something about me and night trains that arrive at the crack of down. The woman on the train woke me up at 3:30 to get my sheets so I was up pretty early. I sat at a cafe at the train station until it got light out and then walked to my hostel.

I'm staying at a place about 10 minutes walk from the Hermitage and the Neva River. It is absolutely stunning here- wide boulevards and beautiful architecture. Columns and beautiful colors and ornate details. I am falling in love.

I met a new friend yesterday, Dave, and we walked around all day, exploring and wandering and talking. A friend of his family lives in St. Petersburg so she (Zhenya) took us and two other American girls around the city and for coffee and talked for ages about the history and pride of this city. I just soaked it all up. He had been here for a few days already so gave me a must see list for the next few days. It was just the most magical day in the most magical of places.

Dave left this am, and I went to see an ice hockey game. St. Petersburg was playing another team in the Russian Super League and it was a fantastically violent and passionate game. All of the fans, in typical Russian fashion, were highly inebriated at one o'clock in the afternoon, and having a ball. We lost by 2 but it was very cool to see how hockey transcends cultures. I was sitting right behind two guys that could have been my dad or grandpop- screaming and cheering and going insane at the referees. It was about an hour walk to the rink, and I walked there but took the subway back. A nap in the afternoon from my yesterday of no sleep and a late night.


SKA Hockey

Another walk tonight. I am sitting in a Subway (yes, the restaurant!) drinking a soda and stealing some wireless. I am just overwhelmed with the magic of this city.