I've been away too long

Hello friends,

I'm back!  Sorry to have been away for so long.  January kicks me in a A.. every month.  I really hate winter depression. 

Stay tuned for some upcoming posts.  In the meantime, these pictures make me feel happy, so I'll decided to share them.  Happy Friday!!!!

I love the lighting on this one

I love the Bronze Horseman, and can never walk by without taking a picture.  Especially on a beautiful evening (in September)

Selfie Trio..... me being silly on a Friday morning.  I "played hookie" in the morning (actually just walked in a little late, after the sun rose), so I could enjoy some fresh air and daylight.

St. Petersburg in early July.... July????

Hi there!

Yes, these are some old pictures!!!  I intended to post an update on our beautiful July weather back when it was current.  But I lost motivation when I hurt my ankle. 

But anyway, they are still worth sharing because they show a different part of the city than I've shared before.  So here it goes........


We decided to walk Northeast along the Neva River, to the Smolnyy Cathedral & Convent. It checked the map afterwards, and it was a 5.5 km walk (or roughly 3.5 miles).

Smolnyy Convent was founded in the late 1700's by Tsarina Elizabeth, as a place for Russian noblewomen to be educated.

It took 7 years to build the architect's model, and 85 years to build (with several starts and stops in between).  The architect was Italian, and fused both Russian and Baroque styles in the design.  But Catherine the Great (reigning from 1762 - 1796) didn't like the design and stopped the funding.  It was restarted in 1832 under Tsar Nicolas I, and finished 3 years later.  Tsar Nicolas I commissioned a Russian neo-classical architect Vasily Stasov to complete the work. 

The Cathedral is stunning - domed, with 4 cupolas each topped with golden orbs. It's used today for exhibitions, musical recitals. 

There's always a wedding party somewhere!  But the bride and groom appear to be missing......

These cherubs are frightening, don't you think?

The bell tower within the convent

I think this is a bell from an old bell tower.... not sure, and I couldn't find any descriptions nearby.

When I see an old tree in St. Petersburg, I think about everything these trees have seen throughout the years.  Because many of the trees were cut down during the 900 day siege of Leningrad during WWII for heat, and many others just didn't survive over the years. 

 

 

Next, we walked West, along Tverskaya Ulitsa.  And saw this unique church.  I'm still note sure of it's name.  I liked the lace-like eaves all around the building and the black onion domes

 



Then we hit a park that I never visited before, and wish I had.  Tavrichesky Sad, which is apparently also known as Taurida Gardens.

Good story here - the gardens were developed (along with an accompanying palace) in 1783-1789 as a present to Gregoriy Potemkin, who was one of Catherine the Great's favorite lovers. 

In a connection to current events - Potemkin is responsible for annexing Crimea to Russia in 1783, which is why he was given the title of Prince of Tauridia (Crimea's ancient name).

The gardens are beautiful!  There are ponds, canals, trees & shrubs imported from the UK, soccer fields.  My plan was to visit this place several times this summer.  That didn't happen, but I'm planning to get back in the fall.

My guy making a face....

And a bride who looks like she's had enough with this photographer!

Continuing our walk westward, we come upon a Chinese padoga (not pictured) and this wall.  Hmm.....

And these black swans in the pond behind the Russian Museum

A good sized wedding party at Peter & Paul Cathedral

And another one, although this guy in front refused to get out of the picture!

Children (young - around 10 years old!) in a jet ski race on the Neva River

I'm not sure what this spot is called, but it's fascinating to watch.  These guys throw (actually, hurl) a wooden bat though the air to hit the wooden pins at the end.  The pins are configured in increasing complex ways. 

Here is the city's only mosque, Sobornaya Mosque, which also happens to be one of the largest in all of Europe.  It was build from 1910-1914, and is undergoing a renovation now.

Old Trinity Chapel.  On this site was the Trinity Cathedral, which was the oldest church in St. Petersburg.  It was here that Peter the Great celebrated the end of the war in 1721 Great Northern War and was proclaimed the 1st Emperor of Russia.  The cathedral was ordered to be destroyed by the Soviet government in 1933, because it represented the past and religion. 

This chapel was built in the 1990's on the original site

Finally, a stop at Palace Square.  To watch......  skaters on ski's race around a circular track!  OK, why not?

Finally, all this exploring made me thirsty!!

What (& Where) Do You Eat in Russia? - Part 2

 

As I mentioned in my last post, we have plenty of restaurants to chose from. 

 

We don't really go to any typical "Russian" places.   There are a lot of places called a "Stolovaya", which is a basic, cafeteria-style restaurant that was "popular" (i.e. pretty much all that existed) in Soviet times.  They are still pretty popular with locals - basic soups, potatoes and other filling sides, pelmini (little meat dumplings in broth), cabbage, maybe some meat or fish.

 

But being in a big city, we have other options. 

 

Tandoor is our favorite.  The best Indian food in the city.  Owned by an couple (Indian man, Russian woman) who also live in Atlanta (funny, right?), and we see them all of the time around the neighborhood & at our gym.  The Range Rover on the sidewalk is theirs.      

 

 

 

A few of our favorites - Bengali fish curry (extra spicy), lemon rice, and baigan masala ( a creamy, spicy, coconut eggplant dish)

 

 

Our closest pub is Radio Ireland.  It's a 5 minute walk from the apartment.  How great is that?



 

 

 

They have set up their outside terrace - 2 TV's playing football, and it has temporary windows & heaters set up until the weather gets nicer (which is still isn't in late June!!!!).

 

Pat seems to like it here

 

 

Testo is where we go for pizza or salads for lunch during the workweek.  Really good thin-crust pizza

 



All Russian menu, but we manage just fine

The other place we go to is the Fish House.  They sell fish, and are a little on the expensive side.  But they have a reasonably priced lunch menu with Russian soups (Ukha, Solyanka, creamy mushroom), typical local salads (Olivier Salad, herring salad, cucumber with sour cream), and a few international stand-byes. 

Ukha is a primarily a clear fish broth, made with a mix of local fish, and usually a few small pieces of root vegetables.  Not my favorite, but it's not bad.

Solyanka is a Russian & Ukrainian soup, normally made with meat, cabbage, pickles, tomatoes, and a bunch of spices and some vinegar. 

And Olivier Salad (or Russian Salad) is a very traditional salad in Russia.  It's normally made with diced potatoes, peas, onions, eggs, pickles, some sort of protein (chicken, bologna or ham, tongue, shrimp), and mayonnaise.  Everything is diced up into small, uniform pieces.  It's pretty tasty if you ask me!

 

 Next up are the Ginza restaurants - Terrassa, Ribeye, Mansarda are the ones nearby.  According to their website, the Ginza Project Group owns more 100 restaurants & bars in St. Petersburg & Moscow.  They also own several in NYC, London, and now Miami.

 

They are pricy!  And snobby!  And even if you have a reservation, they may bump you for someone who looks more fabulous (especially on a Friday or Saturday night).  And all of the waitresses are at least 6 ft. tall without heels & legs that stretch to the moon (as well as their fair share of other enhancements).   But the food is good, and it's a fun scene to hang out in every so often.

 

Terrassa (i.e. Terrace) is on the roof

 

 

Flashback from June 2013 - dinner at Mansarda (i.e. Attic)

 

 



Now let's go to Belgium.  Or at least, drink some Belgian beer.  At the Kriek Brasserie, they have 100+ draught and bottle beers.

 



Dve Palochki (Two Sparrows) is our favorite sushi/Asian restaurant.  It's a chain, and not too fancy, but good & fresh sushi.  And they are open 24 hourss/day, so it's always busy

 

Favorite Coffee Shop?  The Coffeeshop Company, which is a Viennese chain.  Nice Café Americanos and croissants, and their Iced Latte isn't half bad!

Best breakfast?  Café Singer.  This is a rather famous building in Saint Petersburg - it was the Russian branch of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.  Art nouveau in style, with a glass tower & globe at the top.  After the 1917 revolution, the building was given to the Petrograd State Publishing House.  And to this day, it still holds a book store on the 1st 3 levels. 

The Café is newer (2006), but is a great place for breakfast - blinis, pastries, omelets, etc....

 

Schaste ("happiness" in English) is a new & trendy café.  Really slow.  But good coffee and pastries.

 

 

And finally, Where do we go to watch sports or just hang out with friends?  ToNYc Bar.  Good burgers, pizza, wings - they have the American bar specialties & then some.  Nice beer selection, reasonable prices, and you can always find a game to watch  

 

 

Once (IF !!!) the sun comes out this summer and the temperatures actually get warm enough to sit outside, I'll share some more pictures of the outdoor patios and other restaurants that we visit............  IF the sun ever comes out again!