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A rainy day in St. Petersburg...
Jun. 16th, 2010 11:24 pmIt was raining when Galina and I rose this morning. Natalie felt like staying in bed, so Galina and I went downstairs and across the street to a place called "Чайная ложка" (the name means 'teaspoon') to see what they had for breakfast.
It turned out they offered a 99 ruble special, which included a serving of baked pudding made with farmer's cheese and raisins along with a crêpe (блин) with jam. What made the meal memorable for me was the selection of about a dozen different types of loose tea that one could order with the breakfast. The staff spoons the tea into a small teapot for you, after which you fill the thing with hot water (which aspect of the franchise probably wouldn't fly in the States). We placed a to-go order for Natalie while we ate, and the tea I selected for her was placed dry into a paper cup (so that boiling water could be added later).
Galina lost her mother's umbrella a few days ago, somewhere in Moscow, so we tried to dodge between raindrops this morning to find a replacement we could use in the inclement St. Petersburg weather (and give back to Galina's mom). Inexpensive umbrellas run about 200 rubles in Moscow; here, the cheapest one we found after visiting several shops over a 45-minute period was twice that.
We got back to the apartment, and while Natalie ate breakfast, we decided against visiting the Hermitage today and go for a river tour instead. First, however, I took a walk to the railroad station and bought tickets for the trip back to Moscow tomorrow night. Interestingly enough, the difference between the price of the tickets bought at the station and the same tickets bought at a travel agency is about $50 per person.
After I returned from the station with more money than I expected, Galina and Natalie joined me and we left the apartment to walk down Nevsky Prospect to the Fontanka River, where we caught a small tour boat. The trip duplicated quite a bit of what we saw yesterday, with the exception of not being able to get out anywhere and walk around. It was cold out on the Neva River, and the blankets provided by the boat didn't do much to hold off the chill, but we enjoyed the trip anyway.
I particularly enjoyed seeing the small statue of a finch (чиж) erected along the Fontanka embankment in honor of the students of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, whose school uniforms were yellow and green (and thus reminiscent of finches), and who were thereby called Chizhik-Pyzhiks, the inspiration for the following well-known (among Russians) rhyme:
We got stuck in the elevator of the building in which our apartment was located, and it was a good thing we had a cell phone with us. (Even better, the number of the elevator service office was plastered all over the interior of the elevator car!) It took about 15 minutes for someone to come by and get the elevator moving again, and Natalie has since sworn off using the thing. I can't say that I blame her.
Upon returning to the apartment, I took a nap. When I woke up, Natalie and Galina were still napping, so I went out to wander around to see what I could see. The rain came and went, and when I got back to the apartment, all of us went to look for a place to eat dinner. Having a kitchen is nice, but cooking on one's own means not eating food prepared in the local manner.
Unfortunately, the World Cup - with its incessant buzzing sound - made it very hard to find a place that wasn't packed and noisy, so when we ended up at the Kuznetsky Dvor market, we impulsively decided to stock up on potatoes, onion, garlic, cucumbers, tomato, and some cold cuts and then go back to the apartment and eat there.
Digestion is bliss, y'know?
Cheers...
It turned out they offered a 99 ruble special, which included a serving of baked pudding made with farmer's cheese and raisins along with a crêpe (блин) with jam. What made the meal memorable for me was the selection of about a dozen different types of loose tea that one could order with the breakfast. The staff spoons the tea into a small teapot for you, after which you fill the thing with hot water (which aspect of the franchise probably wouldn't fly in the States). We placed a to-go order for Natalie while we ate, and the tea I selected for her was placed dry into a paper cup (so that boiling water could be added later).
Galina lost her mother's umbrella a few days ago, somewhere in Moscow, so we tried to dodge between raindrops this morning to find a replacement we could use in the inclement St. Petersburg weather (and give back to Galina's mom). Inexpensive umbrellas run about 200 rubles in Moscow; here, the cheapest one we found after visiting several shops over a 45-minute period was twice that.
We got back to the apartment, and while Natalie ate breakfast, we decided against visiting the Hermitage today and go for a river tour instead. First, however, I took a walk to the railroad station and bought tickets for the trip back to Moscow tomorrow night. Interestingly enough, the difference between the price of the tickets bought at the station and the same tickets bought at a travel agency is about $50 per person.
After I returned from the station with more money than I expected, Galina and Natalie joined me and we left the apartment to walk down Nevsky Prospect to the Fontanka River, where we caught a small tour boat. The trip duplicated quite a bit of what we saw yesterday, with the exception of not being able to get out anywhere and walk around. It was cold out on the Neva River, and the blankets provided by the boat didn't do much to hold off the chill, but we enjoyed the trip anyway.
I particularly enjoyed seeing the small statue of a finch (чиж) erected along the Fontanka embankment in honor of the students of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence, whose school uniforms were yellow and green (and thus reminiscent of finches), and who were thereby called Chizhik-Pyzhiks, the inspiration for the following well-known (among Russians) rhyme:
Чижик-пыжик, где ты был?After returning to the wharf, we soon found ourself in an Uzbek restaurant, which served excellent food. The three of us shared bowls of solyanka and mushroom soup, and then we ate plov, lyulya kebab, and lagman. After lunch, we went looking for souvenirs as we walked home, and while Galina and Natalie stopped to purchase a trinket or two, nothing caught my eye.
На Фонтанке водку пил.
Выпил рюмку, выпил две —
Зашумело в голове.
Chizhik-Pyzhik, where've you been?
On the Fontanka, drinking gin.
I drank a glass, then downed one more,
After which my head did roar.
[Translator's note:
Yes, I know, the Russian refers to vodka, but my version rhymes!]
We got stuck in the elevator of the building in which our apartment was located, and it was a good thing we had a cell phone with us. (Even better, the number of the elevator service office was plastered all over the interior of the elevator car!) It took about 15 minutes for someone to come by and get the elevator moving again, and Natalie has since sworn off using the thing. I can't say that I blame her.
Upon returning to the apartment, I took a nap. When I woke up, Natalie and Galina were still napping, so I went out to wander around to see what I could see. The rain came and went, and when I got back to the apartment, all of us went to look for a place to eat dinner. Having a kitchen is nice, but cooking on one's own means not eating food prepared in the local manner.
Unfortunately, the World Cup - with its incessant buzzing sound - made it very hard to find a place that wasn't packed and noisy, so when we ended up at the Kuznetsky Dvor market, we impulsively decided to stock up on potatoes, onion, garlic, cucumbers, tomato, and some cold cuts and then go back to the apartment and eat there.
Digestion is bliss, y'know?
Cheers...
