GETTING THE FEEL

We may not like to acknowledge it, but the jet lag has hit harder than we expected. That in itself should not be a surprise, because unlike our earlier trip to Western Europe, we made no special preparations to combat jet lag and tiredness. Plus, we are three hours farther east.

Friday, we explored our little compound. It is much as I described earlier: it's own little neighborhood.  In addition to the Annabel Hotel across the way from us, there are numerous other businesses. There is a copy shop, another small hotel, some professional offices, a striptease bar, a beauty salon, a place called Zuma (no idea what goes on in there) and an erotic fashion boutique. At the back of our compound, there is a little "park" with the focus on a maypole structure for little kids. However, there is no grass, and I doubt children have played there in ages. It is used primarily for people to hang out and to smoke and drink.  What I did not know until Fridy is that there appear to be passageways that lead from one compound to another. We explored the passageway to our south, and it lead into a real playground, which then spilled into another commercial compound with restaurnts, shops, hotel, spa... and that is accessible back onto Nevsky Prospekt.

Saturday, we walked down to the Maltsevsky Rynok (market). This is similar to the South Bend Farmers' Market. However, this is a single large building with steps that lead up to the entrance with a second level mezzanine with small retail shops run by individuals overlooking a central floor with the meat and fruit stalls.

According to Andrea, this is more representative of what shopping was like during Soviet times. You walk in, and since the fish monger and meat monger are nearest the entrance, you are hit by the powerful aromas of dead fish and warm meat. The produce on the first floor looked excellent, and we bought an onion, some strawberries, some cherries, some tomatoes and a few pickle-szied cucumbers. At the farmers' market, we may have paid $15. Our total was closer to $30! Andrea suspects we may have been overcharged.

We walked around a little and settled on lunch at a place called coffee house (spelled differently in Russian than the joint actully called Coffee House - Home in Vienna where we had coffee the other day for $16). While much less expensive than the Coffee House, a soup, salad, small pepsi, blini and coffee cost $30 (the magic number!)

From there, we stopped at the bakery on Nevsky Prospekt for a loaf of bread and went home, as it was starting to rain.

However, we had high hopes of actually doing some thing; seeing some thing. So we ventured out. Our plan was to ride one of the double-decker tourist buses to get a feel for St. Petersburg.

At Gostiny Dvor (a large, indoor  retail market) it began to rain very hard, so we walked both its levels. While each stall may be owned and operated by individuals, there were certainly no bargains to be had.

After it stoped raining, we went into the very grand Grand Hotel Europe, hoping to watch the women's Olympic tennis final between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, but it was not to be. We tried Mollie's Pub, an Irish pub we spotted earlier, but they were not showing tennis, ony boxing. Maria may be Russian, but she does not appear to draw a crowd.

Thus we began looking for the City Tour bus, and we eventually found it. We climbed aboard and began our two-hour tour of the streets of St. Petersburg. Below is a sampling of photos from our Saturday travels. Admittedly, many are of dubious quality, as we were on a moving bus. However, in all likelihood, some of these images will appear again in later blogs when we really have the time to spend at each place.

The Anichkov Bridge over the Fontanka River with the famous four statues of horses on each point

The Burger King on Nevsky Prospekt - one of many to be found in St. Petersburg. McDonald's is here, too, but Burger King appears to reign as be the monarch of this royal city.

88 Nevsky Prospekt. Our residence is through the arched gate where the car is entering.

The KFC on Nevsky Prospekt. The rainstorm apparently knocked down the awning .

Our Macy's - Ctokmahh (Stockmann's)

The Moscow train station from Vosstaniya Square

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace - the Pink Palace! 

Gostiny Dvor - a merchant's palace even in the day of the tsars.

Kazan Cathedral - the temple of religions and atheism during Soviet days

The Stroganov Palace (guess what famous beef dish originated here?)

What is with all the sushi bars all over this city?

The Kunstkammer

Millionaires' Street 

Mrs. Putin's Academy of Needle Works (she is now the primary benefactress of this school originally started by the Empress Alexandra for girls from the countryside)

Over the River Moika

Suvorovsky Place before you go over the Troitsky Bridge to the north side of St. Petersburg

The Tsar's Cruiser "Aurora"

An old ship and current restaurant. St. Petersburg is an important port and home to the Russian Navy

Saints Peter and Paul Fortress - an island fortress unto itself

Vasilevsky Island. On the mid right is the old St. Petersburg stock exchange. On the left are "spits" - light beacons  fired by pitch to warn boats of land in the old days.

The Winter Palace, aka The Hermitage

The Bronze Horseman statue on the Admiralty park grounds with St. Isaac's cathedral in  background

St. Isaac's Cathedral

Tsar Nicholas I - the gendarme of Europe. This statue sits on St. Isaac's square in front of the church and the Hotel Astoria.

Slightly better view of the Hermitage

Going over the Griboedov Canal. On the left is the Literary Cafe (yellow building) where we had dinner Saturday night.

Turbow and Pushkin - together at last!

Staircase up to the Literary Cafe, also known as the Kotomin House where Pushkin  had a shot before he was shot. Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Gogol and Lermontov.

The piano player at the Literary Cafe.

Music and dancing at the Literary Cafe!

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood from a distance.

St. Petersburg's newest show place - the Pepsi Palace! (not really)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - 36 HOURS AND FADING FAST

Light - The sun comes up very early and sets very late. While the much celebrated White Nights have ended, there is still plenty of daylight. So much so, that at 5:30 a.m. today (after only four hours of sleep) the sun was high enough in the sky to flood our little bedroom with a strong, yellowish/green glow. And last night, it was 10:15 p.m. before twilight was finally upon us. It was somewhat unnerving for this old father to see small children playing in a public park at such an hour. And while I have not yet put my finger on it, there is something different about the quality of the light here, probably due to our point on the  compass and being farther north than I am accustomed.

Buildings - As we descended through a thick cloud cover into the St. Petersburg "oblast" (region) on Wednesday afternoon, I was first struck by how "normal" things appeared: there were single family homes along streets. However, as we drew closer to what I can now assume is the metropolitan area, I began to see the construction of massive apartment complexes on the outskirts of the city. These are much more in keeping with my vision from the West of what Soviet-era buildings are. However, I must assume that these are not state financed and constructed mini-cities, but are privately financed and built "co-ops" or condos that individuals and families will purchase based upon demand for affordable housing.

    Furthermore, here in the city center,  a street address is not like I am accustomed to in the States. There, a street address is assigned to a specific building, such as 3815 Nall Court or 900 N. Michigan Avenue. Here, however, a street address is only a portal to what at this point in time I must assume are "compounds." Compound is a term I am using, based on a Russian word I have seen to denote these "mini" neighborhoods behind the street address. 

    For instance, our street address is 88 Nevsky Prospekt. Walk through the portal and enter not a neat courtyard of a building centered around a nicely landscaped area of similar structures but a jumble of disparate buildings. The main portal is more of an alley, and there are side streets and parking areas within this space. On Google maps, 88 Nevsky Prospekt appears to be what we might call a city block. I have yet to discover all there is at 88 NP, but there is the building that faces the main street. Then, there are separate retail and office buildings. Our building is six stories high and sits across the internal street from the Annabel Hotel. 

     I was a tad apprehensive when Dimitri (our driver from the airport) dropped us in front of our building. There were no visible signs stating this as an apartment building. There is only a huge, brown metal door. My heart sunk when I pushed our luggage through from the gloomy rain into a gloomier foyer. We were told there is an elevator, but after ascending the half dozen or so worn concrete steps, the lift is nothing more than a closet on pulley strings. No more than two people can fit in it at one  time. Three trips were required to get us and our bags up. Each floor has an equally squalid appearance; badly lit, unkempt, half finished and dirty. Here again was a large metal door with no signage. Julia from the apartment rental company accompanied us through this door to reveal a brighly lit, modern corridor. On the immediate right is Anna and Rosa's station: the laundry room, cleaning room, electrical hub and Internet box. Our apartment is right next to that. I believe there are five more units on this corridor owned and operated by Chuck Rodgers (formerly of Chicago?)  and his beautiful, out-front schill and Russian wife, Oksana of Oksana's Ltd. I will write more about our one bedroom apartment later.

Smells - Body odor, stale air, smoke, urine, sewage. Unlike Western Europe, there is very little perfume I have yet noticed to hide these smells. On a few occassions yesterday, I was pleased to note the refreshing scent of flowers. They served as welcome and light relief to the heavy, sobering scents that pervade the air trafficked by people. 

Sounds - This is a big city. The sounds are not much different than most big cities. Nevsky Prospekt is the equivalent of a Michigan Ave in Chicago or a Broadway in New York - lots of traffic and lots of people. While I should not be, I have been surprised to hear auto alarms sound or the unique noise cars make when their locks are engaged or disengaged. Andrea noted the plethora of cars on the street, even compared to her last trip here in 1996. The police and ambulance sirens are different even from Western Europe. There is just something threatening about them. You don't want to just get out of the way; you want to duck and cover to make yourself invisible.

Sights - Again, I have not been here but maybe 36 hours and have not yet ventured too far, but my impression is that none of the neon can hide the decay. There are beautiful old buildings, and some (like the Singer Building) have been meticulously maintained. However, the majority may have had some bright paint applied within the last 10-15 years, but a dinginess, grunginess remains. 

      From the air and even here on the ground, new construction is confirmed by the big cranes appearing on the horizon. And perhaps I am not the only one to have noticed the rotting buildings, because there are many older structures that have screens over them to prevent dirt and debris from falling on pedestrians.

     The streets are old and uneven, as if the extreme cold this city confronts for months during  long winters and the short-lived sweltering hear of summer have warped them. (Is that a metaphor for this society?) 

     I hope to address the appearance of people later, and while many of the women are pretty and dress provocatively in early August, even a first impression would be unfair to put on paper. 

     I believe I am characterizing Andrea correctly when I write that English is much more widely heard and understood than when she was in Russia last. While her Russian is more than competent, there appear to  be numerous people who speak commendable English, such as our waiters at dinner both nights. Enlish-language menus have been available. Signs on the metro also include English directions. I imagine if I stray too far off the beaten path, I might be in trouble trying to communicate, but here along Nevsky Prospekt, I can manage.

     Again, we are staying in what may be the equivalent of the Gold Coast area of Chicago and have circulated within a 3-mile radius so these are only initial impressions that must be forgiven once more "data" is collected over time.

Prices - Sky high! Again, I must emphasize we are in the center of a major metro area that
caters to the high end. However, we spent at the grocery store the equivalent of $72 for what may have cost $35-40 in South Bend.  We bought a few basic things just to have in the apartment for breakfast: three nectarines, cereal, some cheese, bread, milk, juice, sugar for coffee that we actually brought from home. Before we left the States, Andrea asked if we should take peanut butter. I replied, "no." My thought was that I will be in Russia, and Russians don't eat peanut butter, so why should I? However, when we shopped for groceries at Ctokmahh (pronounced "Stockmann" - a Finnish store that was here when Andrea was last in Petersburg), there displayed was Skippy PB! Andrea wanted some. A 16 oz. jar cost the equivalent of $10.  Doing some comparison shopping yesterday, Ctokmahh prices are not out of line, even though it is a luxurious, high-end store that is the equivalent of the old Marshall Fields: cosmetics on the first floor; men's fashions on the second; women's on the third; kids on the fourth; household/bath/kitchen goods on the fifth; and a grocery in the basement! Eating out is very costly, too. For instance, I had a small "iced" coffee yesterday. (No ice., whch according to Andrea is safer than Petersburg ice.) It was about $6. Andrea had a berry cooler drink, and it cost roughly $9. 

     On the other hand, from what I can tell, gasoline is slightly less expensive than at home. It's about 32 rubles to the litre. You do the calculations, but my feeble math comes up with roughly $2.50 per gallon.

With that, I will conclude my first blog positng in Russia. While I plan on trying to describe things to the best of my ability, there will certainly be days when a post may have nothing more than a sentence or two about the weather. Also, once the "newness" of Petersburg gives way to a mundane daily routine, there may not be anything worth writing at all.

STILL FLEXIBLE?

It's weird to think that tomorrow at this time, we'll be pulling away from the gate at O'Hare and that 24 hours after that, we will be in Russia.

It's been 32 years since I lived abroad for an extended period of time. Sure, I've traveled many places since 1980 when I lived and studied in Germany. (It's been 37 years since I lived in France!)

However, living in one place is different than flying in, spending 3-5 days, and flying out. And that is different than going on a 2-week trip where you move on every few days.

When I was 21 years old, I was open to any thing and every thing. I was flexible and spontaneous. If someone had asked me whether I wanted to join him for a weekend of skiing in Switzerland, no question! I was there. A day in Basel? What time does the train leave?

Now, I'm 53 years old. I debate the best, most efficient route for a string of errands. I plan and program with the expectation that no changes will throw a wrench in the monkey works. No decision comes easy any more.

Have I become sedentary in my thinking, stodgy in my desire to try new things, and tired of different experiences? Will my current soft and comfortable life slow down my ability to put up with what are expected to be many challenges in our daily lives? Have I become a curmudgeon? I know I am heck a lot of crankier than I ever remember.

Another consideration is that both my overseas living experiences provided some "backup" support. I lived with families in both my previous overseas experiments.

In Petersburg and Moscow, we're on our own. On our own for everything from buying and preparing food, to getting around, to figuring out where to get a hair cut, to living with each other in tight quarters without any known social outlets to relieve us of  one another. Our choices are staring at each other or staring at the wall.

It will be an experience in my grand experiment.

VSYEGDA GOTOV - FAMILY STYLE

Saturday was a gorgeous day; dry weather, blue skies and a high temperature around 82 degrees.

Bill and Leslie Gitlin picked us up at Nall Court at 6:40 p.m., and we drove to Timothy's Restaurant at the Gordon Beach Inn in Union Pier, Michigan for another farewell fete (and regular summer get-together) with family.

On the way to our seats, we saw our neighbors, Ron and Nancy Cohen having dinner with Bud and Pinky Raab! Then we sat down with Fred and Sue Kobak and Rob and Jane Lynch. 

We had a nice table on the porch, and dinner was very good. Andrea and I split a crab cake appetizer. I had the avocado and crab cold bisque and the shrimp and scallops in five spices. Tres bon!

Unfortunately, Andrea did not enjoy her filet mignon (overcooked and with the butcher string still on.) But Timothy's being Timothy's, they comped our triple mini dessert of flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee and ...hmm, did I mention how good the vodka martinis were?

Thankfully, Bill had only one glass of pinot noir and was more than fit to drive home, no problemo. Bill and or Leslie will drive us to the South Bend airport Tuesday at 12 noon, and from there, we'll take Coach USA to Chicago O'Hare's International Terminal.

Some photos from the evening...

Uncle Fred and Aunt Boo Boo

Rob and Jane Lynch and most of my sister, Leslie Gitlin

Our travelers - Andrea and Will Turbow

AT THE READY - VSYEGDA GOTOV

That was the theme of last night's wonderful fete by Andrea's IUSB colleagues. 


While I cannot actually spell the two words in Russian because Google does not have Cyrillic letters as part of blogspot's programming, it is a salute used by the Komsomol, (Soviet youth organization somewhat akin to Boy Scouts but much more blatantly political) according to my trusted source, Dr. Andy Schnabel.

Dr. Andy Schnabel in front of the flower microphone

Andy, his wife, Louise Collins; Linda Chen and her retired college professor husband, Roy Schreiber; and our generous hosts, Cathy Borshuk and Steve Gill feted Andrea before Tuesday's departure for the motherland.


Toasts were made. Best wishes were expressed. Much food and wine was consumed! 


In addition to fish and chicken sausages on the barbecue, Steve concocted in the kitchen and finished on the grill a most wonderful peach and blueberry cobbler for dessert.


In addition to the food, highlights of the evening were Louise's "Russian" presents to the group. She provided red kerchiefs and home made turtle pins that looked suspiciously like Soviet Red Stars. 

Louise distributing the wealth of red kerchiefs and "turtle" pins (although we know what she's really trying to  pawn off on us - brainwashing Soviet Red Stars!

And in honor of the Olympics, Louise presented Andrea with her very own gold medal for bravery in traveling to the former Soviet Union.

WE HAVE A WINNER!
PS: Louise also made this medal and the Soviet-style napkin holders

I made a public spectacle of myself (per usual), by removing my wedding band from my left hand to my right hand, which is the Russian tradition. Andrea insisted I wear my ring on my right hand while in Russia so that every able-bodied Russian women will know I am married.

The Gill-Will Ring Ceremony

Who would want a piece of that anyway?

Cathy, Linda and Roy

Andy and Louise

After dinner, we watched the opening ceremonies...perhaps not so much watched as commented throughout.

RUSNOCKIA II - TRAVEL AND CONTACT INFO

In one week from the moment I write these words, we will be on British Airways Flight #294, winging our way to London's Heathrow Airport. We are set to arrive there at 6:55 a.m. local time (1:55 a.m. New York time).

Then, we board BA #878 at 9:20 a.m. and arrive in St. Petersburg, Russia at 3:35 p.m.

We have rented a flat for one month through Oksana's Ltd. in St. Petersburg. We are staying at the Nevsky 88 Apartments.  Our address from August 1 through 31 is:

            Nevsky Prospect 88, Flat E

            St. Petersburg, Russia

            Postal index  191025

            Telephone: +7 (812) 579-2878

From September 1 through the end of October, we are staying in a rented flat in Moscow through City Realty Russia. Our address will be:

          11/13 Bolshoy Afanasievskiy Lane

          14th Floor, Apartment #113

          Moscow, Russia  

          Postal index 119019

          Telephone: +7 (495) 691-5413

Our plan is to purchase a Russian mobile phone shortly after we arrive. I will take my EuroBuzz mobile in case of emergencies, but in Russia, calls cost $4 per minute, as opposed to the 79 cents per minute in Italy and France. Incoming texts are free to me.

Be aware, placing a call to us on the EuroBuzz mobile while we are in Russia will incur international calling rates on your phone bill, as the EuroBuzz phone is registered as a United Kingdom number.

Simply dial 011 (the dial out code for the USA), then the UK country code (44) followed by our number:
7867-329735.

We will suspend our U.S. Cellular phone service around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 31.

RUSNOCKIA

It is strange knowing that in 10 days, we will be transplanted from our provincial existence in South Bend and transported 3,953 miles to urban Petersburg.

We appear well organized and prepped with our Russian visas, packing lists, and newly purchased toiletries.

Our world - cat, dog, business, house, friends, family - will keep on going without us, as if we had died and gone to heaven. And like a dream, we will return in three months time as if we had never been away, walking back into our world as though we had merely gone around the corner for a pack of smokes.

FUN IN FEDERAL DISTRICT AND FREDRICKSBURG

This post is not about a European adventure. And it's hard to believe I am only now getting around to writing about the nice trip I took to DC to see my sweet, delicious daughter, Alexi in late June!

It was June 22, around 9:30 a.m., to be precise, when I hit the road. Nice drive. The Ohio Turnpike oases are the best, and I used one to stop and make some business calls. Mostly uneventful drive. Some rain as I entered Maryland, and there were severe storms reported throughout the region. However, none slowed me down.

I got to Alexi's apartment in Arlington, Virginia around 7:00 p.m. She, Dustin and I went to a Mexican restaurant in the 'hood. We returned home, watched some TV and went to bed early.

Saturday, June 23, Lex and I woke up before 7:00 a.m. and by 7:45 a.m., we were out the door. First stop: Harris Teeter (Hairy Tweeter) for some food supplies. We would need to pack our lunch today, because we were headed down to Fredricksburg, Virginia and an all-day river adventure.

We had reserved space on the Civil War Canoe Paddle. The Friends of the Rappahannock River (an important river during the Civil War) were conducting an all-day canoe paddle on the adjoining Rapidan River with National Park Service Ranger Greg Mertz, a specialist in Civil War history.

If anyone has ever seen the South Park episode when the boys are looking for something to kill their boredom during Spring Break and they decide to go zip lining, then you would know what Alexi and I experienced: a very varied group of people being cajoled into participation and having fun by an overly enthusiastic staff.

I don't want to paint the wrong picture. It was a fun and educational day. We watched a video for basic river safety tips. Then we piled into vans pulling canoe trailers and drove about 40 minutes to the launch site. The launch site was locked, so we had to carry the canoes over the fence and down to the river.

I hadn't canoed in at least 30, if not 40, years, but it came back, just like riding a bike. Lex in front. Me in back. We would paddle to a spot, at which the guide would relate stories of what happened along the river or nearby during the Civil War. There were about nine such stops during the day, plus a stop for lunch.

Remember when I wrote about feeling like a leaf floating on a river during our visit to Versailles?

Well, Lex and I were literally those leaves floating on the lazy Rapidan River. We only had a few "upsets" along the way, but mostly, we coordinated our paddling and were consistently among the 2-3 lead canoes.

We saw bald eagles, turtles, fish, and a snake. And spiders...in our canoe!

It was nearly 7:00 p.m. by the time we checked into the Courtyard by Marriott in the Fredricksburg historic district along the Rappahannock River. After some room adjustments and showers, Lex and I walked to a great Italian restaurant. The food was good and filling after a long day paddling in the hot Virginia sun.

We walked around town. If you are a history buff, you would like Fredricksburg. Here are some photos snapped by Lex that evening.

Remember Floyd's Barber Shop from the Andy Griffith show? This is it!

Sign of the (very old) times

This was posted on the apothecary shop. Very instructive.

We happened upon Wally's Ice Cream Shop. The smell of fresh chocolate brownies baking hit us as we entered the old time shop. They bake the brownies to include in the brownies and cream ice cream. Wally opened up the shop about 10 years ago after having been a travelling salesman making big bucks during his career. Now he makes home-made ice cream, and it is GOOD! We listened in as Wally told an old customer about buying peaches for his peach ice cream. The local peaches will be coming in soon, and when they do, Wally will be up for two nights straight getting the batches made.

Neither Alexi nor I could keep our peepers open to watch a silly movie before we were both asleep.

The next morning, we woke up, had breakfast and went to the Fredricksburg Battlefield Visitor Center. We watched the video about the December 1862 battle of Fredricksburg. There is a plethora of Civil War history about and around Fredricksburg. It is amazing the events that unfolded here and which lead to Gettysburg and the ultimate end of the Confederacy. There was an older, Southern couple watching the video with us, and they made a comment to us (not knowing we are Yankees) which demonstrated that some bitterness still remains to this day. (Although, they were very friendly about it.)

We walked the Sunken Road and entered the Innis House, which was between the Confederate line on the hill and the attacking Yankees, who couldn't take the heights. Some photos, please Alexi:

Innis House on Marye's Heights along Sunken Road.

Alexi in Innis House looking at bullet scars that remain from 150 years ago.

Kirkland Monument. Kirkland was a Confederate who helped Yankee wounded as they lay on the hill during  lulls in the fighting.

Will at the Fredricksburg National Cemetery.

We then drove several miles to Prospect Hill, where a National Park Service ranger related how this point on the far right Southern flank in Spring 1863 almost fell to the Yankees. The Blue was so close, but they  retreated, leading to Lee's resolve to take the war north.

Lex was not feeling well (sneezing, head ache...) so after a stop at CVS for allergy medicine, we visited Chatham, a revolutionary era-built manor that was used as a Union command post and hospital during the Civil War. It is a truly lovely estate that overlooks the Rappahannock River from Stafford County. We enjoyed the presentation and the grounds.

Chatham. Finished in 1771 by William Fitzhugh, a friend of George Washington. 

Walt Whitman visited here in search of his Union solder brother and wrote about the horrors of the hospital.

The wrought iron fence was installed when the DeVores restored the property in the 1920s.

Alexi wanted to visit George Washington's boyhood home at Ferry Farms, just down the road from Chatham. It was a typical hot and humid Virginia afternoon, so we took advantage of the air conditioning inside and learned about George's life before he became a respected  general and father of a nation. Walking   the grounds, we found archaeological excavations underway as the roots of the farm are still being explored.

Then we were off to Chancellorsville Battlefield in Spotsylvania County and the visitor center there. Apparently, it was not allergies affecting Alexi, because by the time we finished watching the video, she was downright ill with a migraine. We drove around the military park a little before driving back up to Washington, D.C.

On Monday, I went to submit our visa applications for Russia. Three times I scaled Invisa's walls, and three times I was repulsed by those Russian bureaucrats! By lunchtime, I gave up. I met Alexi for lunch near her office in Georgetown and then hit the road back to South Bend. I left at 2:00 p.m. and arrived home shortly before midnight.

We used Duke's Visa Service to complete our visa applications, and on Wednesday, July 11, we received them!

Daughter and Father at Prospect Hill, June 24,  2012.