Beauty of Saint Petersburg

Hello! How is it going? You know I realized that I’ve put such a bold name on my posts ’bout Russia, though I haven’t explained ’em at all! Ridiculous… sounds ridiculous?

So why this way? Several reasons actually. First of all, the word attracts your eye, doesn’t it? Haha. I’m kidding. A bit 😉 . In any case, Russia was really bizarre for me. I met two of my foreign friends – Russian and German, whom both I first met in USA last summer. I was always late (of course my friends helped me a lot on this matter) though arrived everywhere right on time. But the most important reason to naming my posts was the (un)expected and absolutely stunning impression I felt when I first laid my eyes on the famous palace of tsar Peter the 1st – t h e   g r a n d
P    E    T    E    R    G    O    F.
The beauty of it hit me. The beauty of it all: the Hermitage, old town, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, all the gold, fountains, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, bridges and cafes… And then
P e t e r g o f .
It was all ridiculously beautiful.

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Some people asked me if Saint Petersburg was romantic. Hm. That’s a tough question. I answered: “for sure, if you go there with your love”. But my Peter was more fairy tale’ish and fun rather than romantic. Though for sure. It could be extremely suitable for travelers who are in love, so as Venice or Budapest or any other place in the world, ‘couse it doesn’t even matter when you’re in love, does it? 😉

Anyways, why speak so much about love? Ya know what I’ve seen in this wonderful Russian city? I found lots of things in one place. Paris and Amsterdam at once. Saint Petersburg has a huge and miraculous old town where every house has a gorgeous facade, there are tiny parks and fountains on every street and some tourist attraction on every corner. Just like in
/pɑˈri/. And at the same time the city is furrowed by numerous canals and river-lines, filled with 24-hour parties…. so as Amsterdam is…

But one thing was completely new for me and it was ——-> the White nights. Yes yes. White nights don’t only sound pretty cool. They are cool. They make you forget about time so you may get lost in a universe between never ending evening and never starting morning! I felt all that. We went for a walk at 8 o’clock in the evening. Checked the beach and some famous sites, came back to our temporary home (‘Red House’ hostel), prepared dinner and slowly ate it accompanied by the conversation of several other hosteling folks. Then we changed and got ready to go out. The sky was pinkish just like it is when the sun is going down. I checked my watch – it was 1.20 a.m. I couldn’t believe it. The night was stuck in one never ending sunset. “Pretty cool” – I thought, – “pretty ridiculously cool…”.

I shouldn’t also forget to mention some of my recommendations for this great City. So guys, don’t skip the Hermitage, but don’t plan to spend the whole day there too. Maybe it’s just me, but I get bored of museums very quick. However, Hermitage is one of the oldest and largest museums in the world with an unspeakably huge collection of various types of art – starting with ancient relics, proceeding to roman-greek art and modernism. There’s just so much to see, that it is insane even to try to. That is exactly why you should choose something what you really like (for me it was Egypt), however try visit all the rooms for their interior. They’re all like treasure. You’ll get an idea of how crazy could the rich have lived in the mighty Russian Empire.

Visit the parks! St Peter has plenty of them and they all are stunning. Don’t forget the churches, which all look like they’re made of candies. Definitely visit Mariinski opera and ballet theater (but when you purchase tickets, make sure, you book the main hall ;D )… Check clubs on Dumskaja and cafes on Nevski where you can smoke hookah and please please, visit Eliseyev Emporium. (to be continued on the previous case… it was so good that I dedicated the whole post only for it)

But the most important above all – choose your companions wisely. Travel with somebody who is brave and doesn’t build walls. That’s what I did and who I tried to be. We were exhausted, but we kept on moving. We were fed up, but we forced ourselves to be hungry. We took our chances and had a pleasure to feel ridiculous sense of complete understanding and unity, experience the junction of Vodka shots and crazy Russian clubs. Ease and total freedom, being yourself with all the energy you have, your flaws, your beliefs and your orientation. Surrounded by total and complete tolerance, being able NOT TO KNOW. Inspired to live, go forward, go through, survive and become stronger — reveal your one true self.

Ain’t it all beautiful?

Oh by the way! I’m not going to any art museums for a long time from now. You know why? Because there’s nothing else left in this world, I wouldn’t ‘ve seen in Hermitage. 😀 😀 😀 (!) Ridiculous ridiculous. There’s no such word to describes Saint Petersburg better as
R i d i c u l o u s .  R i d i c u l o u s l y   B e a u t i f u l .