Wool Mittens

Greetings! I have had many eventful days at sea, but not many exciting stories to share on my blog. I don't think all of you subscribed to read about what I eat at each meal, (although many of you have requested to hear about "a day in the life…"), so I promise to follow soon with an entry detailing life at sea. It may or may not be quite as entertaining as my in-country stories, but I will attempt to make up for it by regaling you with all the mundane details of ship life!

 I'm currently writing from the faculty and staff lounge on deck 7 of my floating home and looking out over St. Petersburg and the Neva River as we depart on toward Poland. Fortunately everyone made it aboard the ship at the posted time, and I managed to avoid being kidnapped and sold into slavery as a Russian bride (I'm not sure if that was ever really a possibility, but alas I came through the visit intact and unmarried). I am now trying to figure out how best to convey my Russia experience to all of you and only one word comes to mind…heavy.

 Heavy is the feeling of the atmosphere, the architecture, the mood, and the food. It's been an amazing port, but a little colder and grayer than expected. I had the opportunity to walk a large portion of the city yesterday and soak it all in. I did the requisite touristy photo stops along the river but then found myself in a sudden downpour. Much to my delight, St. Petersburg has almost as many coffee shops as Seattle…and they all have free Wi-Fi! I walked for about 4.5 hours all over the city taking pictures and people watching. I ducked into a few shops, but as you will see by my pictures (to follow), it is difficult to tell what are shops, hotels, residences, restaurants, etc… The facades of the buildings are all very similar and of course trying to read the Cyrillic is a challenge (however I've actually started to be able to decipher words thanks to some easy tips from the locals).

The buildings are all very similar and abut one another. It took me awhile to figure out what it was about the city that seemed so "heavy" and I realized that there isn't much empty or "dead space" on each block, so all of the structures, while not terribly tall, are still very imposing. The other interesting thing is that all of our tour guides would point out a palace here and a palace there and remark at how lovely they are. But they all look EXACTLY THE SAME. It's kind of funny really. Of course there are many grand cathedrals and the Winter Palace, which is a bit more opulent than the other palaces, but even it has a heavy, subdued quality from the outside.

As an aside, there was a maritime festival in full swing during our arrival just outside our berth. Complete with bagpipes, a marching band, performers on stilts, food stalls, knick-knacks for sale, and two music stages. Suffice it to say, I am now the proud owner of wool mittens, a wooden ladle from Estonia, and a little matryoshka doll. Yes, I bought wool mittens in August. And yes, they are amazing! I used them every day and now I am starting to understand why the Russians seem so bitter. I would be bitter too if the wool mitten stand was doing better business in the heart of summer than my t-shirt stand. I mean, who goes to festivals in August to sell wool mittens? Russians. Who needs wool mittens in August? Me.

 And who gets lost in the largest single collection of art in the World? Me!

 On that note…I will close for now, but rest assured, more to follow soon! Stay tuned!!!

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More interesting facts from one of my tour guides (and other things I noticed during our stay in Russia):

• The average Russian in St. Petersburg makes anywhere from $800-$1000 per month
• Flats in St. Petersburg average $1000 per square foot (for purchase) ($120,000 for 40 sq meters).
• A one room flat to rent (studio) goes for about $2000/month and up.
• Home loan interest rates are currently around 20%
• Elementary and middle/high school students started school today (9/1). They have the option of attending class from 9am-1pm or 2pm-6pm
• A latte at a local coffee shop costs just over $7 (and you thought Starbucks was expensive).
• Russians do not smile at strangers but if they know you then they are very warm and friendly.
• Drivers have little regard for things like one-way streets and pedestrians.
• "Hi, how are you?" is not treated as a rhetorical question or as a question requiring a one-word answer. If you ask, be prepared for a dissertation on the current state of existence.
• Vodka is the national drink.
• I'm not sure what Russians wore before denim (jeans).
• St. Petersburg has 21 drawbridges as it consists of several islands. All of the drawbridges are open from 1am-5:45 am to allow the passage of large vessels. You should try to avoid needing any medical transport or having any emergencies between those hours as you are essentially stuck on your island.