Saint-Petersburg between the dark and the
bright side
Yes, indeed Saint-Petersburg is as promise a
dreaming city. I have seen amazing palace as the Hermitage and met wonderful
people but in Saint-Petersburg everything has a dark side. Indeed color grey
only exists in the sky…
I am living in a dormitory that I
would have never imagined of. Showers are in the first floor, sharing with all
residents and schedule goes with them (i.e. no shower on Tuesday?!). Kitchens
aren’t too bad; if you can find a cooking hob working. About ovens don’t even
think about it; if you can find one it will be closed with four screws! I won’t
even bring the subject of the toilets… Walking no so far from Hermitage we have
seen building (c.f. photo) looking so old and abandoned that you think they
gonna collapse. I couldn’t believe people were leaving there! On the other side
you have palaces as the Hermitage and churches as the Savior on Spilled Blood; where
you could stand hours; both inside and outside. Personally it would be outside,
dreaming about this church made of biscuit and ice cream that I could eat! Another
thing you see pretty much everywhere in palaces and churches is gold.
The mentality of Russian is so
different that it can sometimes become a barrier between you and them. First
days we have been living here were like hell. Most of people don’t speak a word
of English. So they will act as you are annoying them; some will run away and
others will yell at you in Russian as it would make it easier to understand.
Fortunately you can find really nice people in Russia ready to help you in any
situation and show you their beautiful city and traditions. We went for example
to “Russian Bania” which is really an experience to do and a guy took Ronald to
sit and showed him how traditions are for Russian in the bania. If you are
travelling and you don’t know how to meet people go on coughsurfing website.
You can contact people easily and find what events are organized. I also met
super nice people at university.
About the food, I lost 2 kilos in
2 weeks! The food is so tasteless that I avoid eating at the beginning. I
didn’t find yet where they serve really good food but I’m sure I will find some
good places. Most places where I have eaten where places called “stalovaia”,
there the quantities are so small that you actually eat as much as a child.
Plus if your food is warm when you eat it, you got really lucky! (That’s why it
is actually so cheap). I’m sure you are thinking that I could make our on
dishes but with our kitchen and food in supermarket I still couldn’t resign
myself to it…
I have one last advice for you
if you ever come to Russia; don’t stay in your room depressing, there are so
many things to do and discover here that it would be a shame. For European like
us it can be surprising and even chocking sometimes because everything is
extreme in both sense but when you will know it better you will like it too! J
