Day 1. I’ve understood that what I’ve been asking my barber for years (but I’ve never been able to make him understand it, since every time the result is different) is a russian haircut. The way men bring longer hair behind toward the bottom, very short on the sides. That’s exactly how I like my hair to be.
Saint Petersburg seems a little gray and dull at a first sight. I’ve read someone calling it “the Venice of the north”. No way! Venice is on another level.
The administrator was very nice, but the hostel I picked is atrocious. I am already preparing mentally a punishing feedback for Booking.com when I return.
It’s true: some russian women (not all indiscriminately) belong to a superior human race. They seem emotionless and cold tough.
In general people in the streets are very silent: many seem sad, or worried.
Eating is a problem as usual. I grabbed a salad at Subway this evening but tomorrow I will have to invent something.
It’s weird: sunset at 22.30. Now it’s 23.30 and outside there is still a lot of light.
Day 2. Ok I was definitely precipitous with my judgement yesterday. With the sun, and going to the real city center (instead of the one that I tought was the city center yesterday…) Saint Petersburg appeared today as beautiful. I wasn’t planning to see the Hermitage museum so early, but I found my self in front of it this morning, so I dediced “well I’m here, let’s enter now!”. It is beautiful. I am not the greatest estimator of art and cultural stuff, but I really enjoyed this magnificent museum. And I got a beautiful idea for my next YouTube video (I almost burst into laughter in front of a specific painting).
Every time I leave Italy I am always pleased when people don’t recognize me as Italian. Yesterday the hostess on the flight was distributing the immigration cards. In the row in front of me, where some Italians seated, she asked “where are you from?” and gave them the card, but to me she just gave a quick look and passed over. Yes! I am credible as Russian!
Saint Petersburg seems a very romantic city. Plenty of couples, everywhere.
I had today the same thought that I had few months ago when I was in Beijing: there are no black people here. I may have seen 2 or 3 so far. Everybody is white, and mostly russian.
I ate at Subway today. It was decent: a pseudo-healthy sandwich, made of white bread (sigh) but stuffed with chicken and vegetables.
My room has a semi transparent curtain. At 5.00 am my lovely dump-room was already full of light. And yesterday evening some chatterbox Russians were going back and forth in the hall, creaking on the parquet till late hours. проклятье!
до свидания!
Day 3. Why do people that are taking pictures at someone in front of them need -> hours <- to focus the subject, while they block the walking people!? It takes me a moment to point the camera and click!
I am starting to dechiper Russian a little. It’s not that complicate, at least figuring the characters I mean. C is S, P is R, N reversed left-right is I, and so on… I was proud to understand the logo of a supermarket this afternoon: ‘универсальный’ which is (if I am right) ‘universal’.
I misjudged not only the city (which is more alive and bright than what I thought the first day) but people too. They are not that sad, especially today with this great sunny saturday.
Beer is very popular. A lot of young men and women walk in the streets with a bottle in their hand.
Men are very tall. I am so dwarf -_-
Day 4. Yesterday night I saw a part of the Eurovision Song Contest (something I didn’t even know existed since last year). As many others, I fell in love for the adorable Russian oldies!
I went to the Mariinsky Theater to see a ballet. The ticket was a gift of my friends for my birthday. I am grateful to them for their kind thought, but I found it atrociously boring. I had to leave after the first half.
Fantastic sunny day today. I didn’t do much real tourism, I mostly walked, went in and out the shops, and enjoyed the atmosphere. Tomorrow it will be time to leave already. It was nice to see you, Saint Petersburg!