The transport to St. Petersburg was an event in itself. First off, the best way to get there from Moscow is to take the Sapsan--the high speed train. Except this time, there was a bomb threat in the Moscow station. What does a bomb threat look like in Russia?
Yes, everyone just goes outside the station and stands around. Of course, it was a little scary, when you don't speak the local language, and a bunch of uniformed guys with guns start herding you out of a train station. But clearly no one was worried about it, as we were all just standing outside, right in front of the place.
What's really amazing is THE TRAINS DON'T STOP RUNNING. Nope--the station is closed, but you could just go around the back and hop on your train. Not understanding Russian, I of course did not catch on to this fact until my train was leaving. Then begins the fun. Being as I could not speak the language, every cab driver that I could find was charging an insane amount to take me to the hotel. I refused to accept that, so I called the hotel, and they sent a cab. When I got back to the hotel, they were very nice, and sent one of the bellmen with me back to the train station to help me try to book alternate transportation. Of course, the high speed trains were done running for the day, so I was stuck on one of the overnight trains. On the plus side, it was cheap. On the minus side, it was hotter than a crotch.
See, in winter, Russia keeps indoor temperatures near 80 degrees. So, the indoors of this train was nearly 80 degrees. We asked someone once why they kept it so warm. They responded with if you don't keep it that warm you will get sick and die. Not just catch a cold, but GET SICK AND DIE.
I have no idea where I'm supposed to be, so I get on the train, a babushka ushers me to my compartment, and two other Russians are already there. The train gets going, and I try to get some sleep. But I don't sleep well when I'm sweating, so it was a long night to St. Petersburg. When I hopped off the train, I was a tired, stinky mess.
I took a little nap, then went to the Mariinsky Theater, for a performance of the Nutcracker ballet. Everyone was dressed in their furs and finest; I was in my Cuddle Duds and Sorells. Also, I managed to sneak pics and a video of the performance. It was all very cultured, and some nice neighbors in the theater practiced their English with me.
Since the theater was so close to the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, I stopped to see it again. It truly is one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen, and with all the snow, it was picture perfect.
The following day, I was on a mission--to find the candy cane church in my guidebook. And let me tell you, it was cold. How cold was it you ask? It was so cold, the pigeons were huddling on the steam tunnel covers.
But the cold would not stop me! I navigated the metro, and found Chesme Church. It's so different to see this architecture against the rest of the city. I thought I was going to lose my legs to frost bite, but I trudged on. Across the street was a former gulag.
I had a little time left before catching the train back to Moscow, so I visited the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, and even went inside (hey--it was COLD). The inside is filled with intricate religious mosaics and heat.
After a bit of drama, it ended up being a successful return to St. Petersburg. And I survived sightseeing in freezing temperatures. Again. I definitely enjoy that city, with all the beautiful to see!
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