Our first experiences of Russia were a giant Lenin mosaic and an aging metro carriage whose lights flickered intermittently, so we couldn't have been happier. It is always interesting that travellers look for stereotypes to fulfil their notions of a place, but we quickly realised that St Petersburg is very European in many ways - though certainly not in terms of it's famous architecture.
Apart from tramping the atmospheric streets, we also visited the Hermitage museum, but didn't even manage to see a third of it's colossal collection. Surprisingly, we were able to visit for free as we hold international student cards (ISIC) and Russia kindly recognises all the world's students. It was a fantastic way to spend a rainy afternoon.
It was a real pleasure to continue couchsurfing, as we stayed with a local girl the same age as us, and were able to ask her anything that popped into our heads about language, food, culture, the soviet times and how things have changed. We stayed with her and her Grandmother (Babooshka) and spent lots of time in their cosy kitchen.
From there we learnt some basic Russian - mostly to do with avoiding meat and then double-checking there is no meat in what we ordered. We swapped recipes and tasted a delicious Cambodian soup (recipe below).
It was good fun to try and communicate with our host's Babooshka, and one night we even had two Babooshkas at once! Dani showed them the vegetables we had grown back in England and they fed us some of the apples they produced at their summer house.
We also noticed some Babooshkas on the streets in a much less pleasant scenario. Apparently many older people are forced to work by economic necessity, and we certainly saw many women near metro stations and on busy streets. We watched a policeman move along a group of old ladies who were mostly selling flowers and fruits.
A brighter side of St Petersburg was it's prodigious quantity of art. Our host was a photographer and took us to a great World Press Photo exhibition.
It was also very apparent on the streets that people feel strongly about art and decorating communal spaces - perhaps as a reaction against more austere times. It really made walking around a more interesting experience, and was one of the reasons we quickly developed a soft spot for the city.
Recipe - Somlor Ktiss (Cambodian Soup) by Olga from Russia
- Mash or pulverise a few kaffir lime leaves and some lemongrass
- Cut pineapple, onion, eggplant (aubergine) and tomato into large chunks
- Chop chilli and turmeric root finely (can use dried turmeric if root not available)
- Fry the chilli and spices, then add the eggplant to brown
- Add coconut milk and a little water if desired
- Add the other vegetables and simmer until cooked, but not soft
- Add lime juice and basil just before serving
- Serve with a communal bowl of rice for people to add to their soup
We were very enamoured with the Church on Spilled Blood - so named because it stands on the place where a Tsar was assassinated. Luckily, our second visit was in glorious sunshine, so we were able to enjoy the gaudy colours.
It was a real pleasure to continue couchsurfing, as we stayed with a local girl the same age as us, and were able to ask her anything that popped into our heads about language, food, culture, the soviet times and how things have changed. We stayed with her and her Grandmother (Babooshka) and spent lots of time in their cosy kitchen.
From there we learnt some basic Russian - mostly to do with avoiding meat and then double-checking there is no meat in what we ordered. We swapped recipes and tasted a delicious Cambodian soup (recipe below).
It was good fun to try and communicate with our host's Babooshka, and one night we even had two Babooshkas at once! Dani showed them the vegetables we had grown back in England and they fed us some of the apples they produced at their summer house.
We also noticed some Babooshkas on the streets in a much less pleasant scenario. Apparently many older people are forced to work by economic necessity, and we certainly saw many women near metro stations and on busy streets. We watched a policeman move along a group of old ladies who were mostly selling flowers and fruits.
A brighter side of St Petersburg was it's prodigious quantity of art. Our host was a photographer and took us to a great World Press Photo exhibition.
It was also very apparent on the streets that people feel strongly about art and decorating communal spaces - perhaps as a reaction against more austere times. It really made walking around a more interesting experience, and was one of the reasons we quickly developed a soft spot for the city.
Recipe - Somlor Ktiss (Cambodian Soup) by Olga from Russia
- Mash or pulverise a few kaffir lime leaves and some lemongrass
- Cut pineapple, onion, eggplant (aubergine) and tomato into large chunks
- Chop chilli and turmeric root finely (can use dried turmeric if root not available)
- Fry the chilli and spices, then add the eggplant to brown
- Add coconut milk and a little water if desired
- Add the other vegetables and simmer until cooked, but not soft
- Add lime juice and basil just before serving
- Serve with a communal bowl of rice for people to add to their soup
