St. Petersburg

As far as i can understand, sitting here in an internet cafe in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia (Eastern Siberia), I've just paid $3 for unlimited time. So, although I'm a bit tired and hungry, I'm taking the opportunity to write as much as possible. Just a reminder: If you don't visit the site frequently (kind of like me recently), don't read from the top down as the posts are chronological from the bottom up!!
The center of St. Petersburg used to be filled with what we might call townhouse apartments, some of which were grand penthouses with multiple bedrooms. Obviously, living conditions for the rich; aristocrats and others belonging to the elite classes of European Russia...Then along comes a revolution! Under communism, being rich, (overly) educated and cultured didn't exactly fit in the big picture. So what happens? Many of these people are sent packing, ironically to Siberia, where I currently sit. Beautiful in July 2009, probably less so sitting in prison, or in work camps in winter (temperatures can reach -40). With these people gone, what becomes of these luxury apartments? Communal housing! Each family (of the working class) was given a room, with as many as 5 families in 1 apartment, sharing a bathroom, kitchen and entrance. As nuvou rich Russians have been popping up at fast rate (a bit less so in the current crisis), many of these apartments are being refurbished and built back again to their original granduer and purpose. Some however have yet to be 'saved'. Anatoly lives in one such apartment. Anatoly is a friend of Elena and Oleg, and currently working as an english teacher, after working for 3 years in english call center, which has given him a bit of an interesting british accent. The building entrance is like any other Soviet style block building, big heavy door with a mechanical button code. Making your way up the delapidated stairway and into the hallway, you can see that this was (many years ago) a place of elegance. Intricate carvings on the door frames and ceiling, now with faded or cracking paint. Beautiful light fixtures, hanging by rusty chains. Hard wood floors, ravaged by time and the elements, now resembling the inside of a fun house...bumpy, wavy, cracked and creaky. It was late and the other tenants were alseep as far as we could figure, we tip-toed into the communal kitchen where Oleg and Anatoly made a wonderful dish of cooked buckwheat (a staple grain in Russia, and really quite delicious!), mixed with beans and tomato sauce, then topped with a cold sour cream and herb (similar to parsley, but stronger) mixture. We gobbled it down between sips of Baltika 7 (a St. Petersburg local beer, there are 9 varieties) and chatted untyil 4am)
Other Highlights of St. Petersburg:
The Hermitage museum, 2 hour wait to get in, but filled with more picasso's, monet's and matisse's than you could imagine. But for me the highlights were the rooms themselves. The Hermitage is located in the tsar's old winter palace(look at the photo link). And a globe from 1733!
The Church on spilled blood (see photo)
An Expressive dance performance, an invitation by couchsurfer Katherine. A really nice girl, who along with her friend, brought me to see an interesting performance by an American dance troupe...lots of eggs! hmm?
A walk in Yeragin Park, a small island north of the center, where there are no cars, and from the western edge, you can look out on the Gulf of Finland.
The Potato Joint! After being advised to try them for the first several nights, finally on the 5th, we stopped at this fast food place, specializing in baked potatoes. They open it up and mash up the potato with cheese, and then give you a choice of topping. I got Mushroom in a sour cream sauce...Delicious!!!!

Next Update: Moscow!!!!