Oh what super weather in St Petersburg, or Petir as the locals say. Sunny blue skies, temp in the mid twenties but not hot due to the cooling breeze. Flights straightforward from Newcastle, the excitement of the adventure broken by a 6 hour change at Schipol. I successfully negotiated the Russian public transpot system using a K3 mini bus from the airport then blue and red metro lines to Nev sky Prospect and a sshort walk to the Apple Hostel. The Apple is a gem of a place with friendly and helpful staff on the 4th floor of an unkempt typical city tenement. The contrast couldn't be greater as you pass through the security doors at the top of the stairs and find yourself in a brightfully coloured hostel buzzing with people.
The reason I am in StP is for a reunion with my cousins Lynne and Summer who had flown into the city at the start of a journey on the trans Siberian Express back to Beijing. Absolutely brilliant to see Lynne again after all those years, and Summer for the first time.
Me, Lynne, Summer, Robyn and Clare at the Hermitage
Today it's been a walking orientation tour of the city and I have ended up with bloodied and blistered feet, and this is only the first day!
Tonight it's Russian folk entertainment and a buffet, tomorrow the Hermitage.
Update: Night of music and dance to "Feel yourself Russian" at the Nikolaevsky Palace, pasta and blue cheese washed down with a magnificent merlot at midnight. Can't be bad.
Two days into my visit and I have a blister on my right foot, from miles of walking, the size of a 20p coin ... ouch.
