Russia and Turkey
Anna's entry:
SAINT PETERSBURG
I was standing in the middle of the Winter Square. Fluffy snowflakes were falling down the Alexander Column above me. I looked at the Triumphal Arch in front of me and the Winter Palace behind, then took a deep breath and slowly extended my arms out... "Is it a cross?", Rob asked me. "No," I said, "the wings"... In reality, it probably was a little bit of both. St. Petersburg was the city I had gained my strength, and now - many years later returning here, I felt somewhat a pariah - rejected by whatever was left of my original family. What most people read about Russian history in books or see in movies, had been a regular household conversation topic in my family when I was growing up. There were a few untold stories (for my own good as I was told as a child), and when my parents passed away fifteen years ago, they took with them all the mysteries that I probably will never find out about. Now, I had only the city left. And, yet, sometimes, there is comfort in silence... Palaces, cathedrals, squares, monuments, bridges and statues have witnessed more history and secrets that it is possible to bear, and yet time goes on...
Rob and I spent almost three months walking around the city - sometimes it was so cold that we could not feel our toes. The city's architecture and history was so stunning that I felt I'd never have enough time to absorb it all. Anywhere we would look, a piece of history was right in front of us. The tsars and tsarinas, their reign and betrayal, revolts and revolutions, Dostoevsky and Nabokov, Mariinsky Ballet and the Hermitage, it seemed like every central street or canal had something to say... And, when the night would arrive, and the palaces, columns, bridges and streets would be illuminated, it just felt surreal, almost straight from a fairy tale, it just took my breath away.
Am I being a little too romantic? Perhaps. However, I was also raised on Dostoevsky - so, here is a not-so-glamorous reality synopsis. The gap between the new rich and the poor is mind boggling. The corruption seemed to have become a norm. The life expectancy is one of the lowest in Europe. People's intellectual interests have ceased to exist, or at least drastically diminished. Educational system (from what I heard) is collapsing. The sense of identity is still being defined, it is still "lost in translation". I do need to add, however, that compared to my last visit here eight years ago, I found St. Petersburg residents a lot more polite (especially the younger generation) and helpful. Personally, Rob and I were treated very well anywhere we went, and on a number of occasions we were impressed by people's attitude which vastly exceeded our prior expectations.
Russian Food
Prior to our arrival to St. Peterburg, my friends had given me me heads-up that the food situation in the city has become very challenging. Limited food items and ever-growing prices were a reflection of the economic sanctions as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. So, we mentally prepared ourselves what to expect - not the first time for us as we had spent a good amount of time in the developing world (and I grew up in the poor USSR). Imagine our surprise when instead of empty shelves we were met by fully-stocked displays of unmeasurable variety of groceries in every supermarket we entered.
We were shocked with the abundance of food items, especially fantastic dairy products - dozens varieties of milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and an unimaginable variety of specialty items. Once, I counted over fifty varieties of sausages, thirty varieties of cheeses, ten varieties of red and black caviar, etc.. And, bread and wine options? You just don't have enough time to count them all! And, Russian salads available at stores? You need hours to sample them all! And, don't get me started on the countless varieties of baked goods and chocolates! We could only imagine what a food utopia it must have been here before the sanctions hit Russia. It was so difficult not to gain weight - products were a big upgrade to our standard North American variety (at least for me). Where else in the world, you would have champagne and caviar for breakfast? And, all the countless delicious, elaborate (and affordable due to the favourable currency exchange!) cakes offered in regular (non-yuppie-oriented) supermarkets? Since my return to North America, it is almost pitiful to look at local bakeries after all the Russian cakes and treats we were exposed to.
Quirky Things
St. Petersburg has always offered top classical art, ballet, music, and literature. However, probability due to a conservative/reserved nature of the Russian society, it somewhat lacked a more quirky side. In the recent years, it picked up a few of those though. Here are a few examples we came across.
An unusual Erotic Museum was opened within a fully functional venereal clinic. Up till recently, the museum claimed to have the genuine Rasputin penis on display. Unfortunately, when we went to check it out, the exhibit was no longer available - my guess, it probably "mysteriously" disappeared to become someone's private collection. In either case, a few cute items were remaining, right next to the reception area of the clinic. Next to the book of Hippocratic Oath, there was a statue of a nurse with a skirt pulled up. On the next shelve, various wood carvings of Kama Sutra positions were on display. And, other things of a similar nature were around. Again - we are talking the reception area of the venereal medical clinic here. So, it is nice to see that St. Petersburgers developed a lighter sense of humour.
Another unusual thing we attended was the Russian (Orthodox) Iordan - a traditional religious event, when despite -20°C daily temperature and freezing wind, thousands of people were lined up to jump bare-skin into the icy-cold waters (of the Neva River) surrounding the Peter-and-Paul Fortress - supposedly to wash away their sins and start the New Year fresh. The event was "catered" by the real Russian military serving up hot buckwheat kasha with stewed beef (typical filling military meal), and hot freshly brewed black tea accompanied by sushki (sort of dried up slightly sweet miniature bagels). A lot of traditional music and dancing on the snow was on offer as well.
Yet, another unusual thing we came across were the previously institutionalized Soviet cafeterias (called stolovaya) converted into cute buffet-style cafes offering tons of delicious traditional food and desserts at affordable prices. A decor with candles, TV screens, comfy chairs and tables, AND old Soviet memorabilia was actually quite cozy. Various propaganda slogans and posters from 1920's to 1980's were all over the walls. They were quite interesting from the cultural perspective and some were quite clever and entertaining.
Russian hospitality is amazing. I am very fortunate to continue the connection with my childhood friends even though we have lived in different countries for almost twenty years. My friends and their families would put together an incredible amount and variety of food every time we got together. Their warmth really helped us feel welcome and created special memories of our visit to St. Petersburg.
My visit to St. Petersburg turned out to be quite different than expected. It was supposed to be just a regular visit to a remainder of my Russian family, however, it turned into a lot of soul searching and unexpected discoveries. I also got re-acquainted with the city and fell in love with its classical past all over again. Walking countless hours along the memory lanes reminded me of my own past and events in my life that had built the foundation of who I am today. There are different kinds of trips, and this one was probably the most authentic one could encounter...
MOSCOW
Last time Rob and I visited Moscow was about nineteen years ago, shortly after we got married.
Moscow is quite different from my native St. Petersburg. Moscow is quite a bit older; there are somewhat similarities in certain architectural styles from the 19th century, but St. Petersburg is clearly a very different "breed". The latter was built by Peter the Great as a "Westernized" cultural capital of old Russia in 1703, and its buildings, canals and squares had reflected French, Italian, German and English architectural styles. Moscow seems a lot more Russian - and, of course, among other things it has its world-famous Red Square and Kremlin to prove it. Moscow is larger, but also quite walkable (at least in the center), though (in my opinion) drivers and locals in St. Petersburg seem to be friendlier and gentler. It is a huge generalization though. One needs to spend a lot more time to fully understand the soul of the city.
Gorgeous, stunning, breath-taking... Marble floors, granite walls, bronze and gold statues, intricate wall mosaics, sculptured ceiling moldings, over-sized crystal chandeliers... Do I need to say any more?
The main reason for coming to Moscow was to visit Maxim - a Russian friend of ours who we had met several years ago while traveling in SE Asia. We stayed with Maxim and his mom for almost a week, and immediately felt welcomed. Shortly before our arrival they had experienced a death in the family, and despite of the tragic event, treated us with the warmest hospitality and attention. It felt so good to be surrounded by genuine kindness, and we felt the connection as if we had always been close relatives. When time came to depart Moscow, we all were very sad to bid our good-buys... This is not the first time when both Rob and I came to the conclusion that the true family is not where we are born, but who we choose to be with.
On another note... Maxim introduced us to "Globus" - the ultimate Russian supermarket - I wouldn't be surprised if it is the largest one in the world. Rob counted 72 check-outs. It really seemed like one big food city along with the fantastic (and affordable) food-court offering not only super fresh traditional Russian dishes, but also Asian flare, European desserts and really yummy coffee options. I absolutely must pay a special tribute to one food aisle in particular - the chocolates lane. I would estimate that there were at least two hundred varieties of chocolates. It was designed as a self-service - basically you go to each box (with individually wrapped chocolates) displayed on the shelves and select how many you would like to purchase. The variety was out of this world - we asked Maxim to take us back to that store just to experience it again. I was so excited, that at one point I was approached by other Russian shoppers who inquired which chocolates they should buy - they took my suggestions seriously and began loading up their bags. It seemed to have been happening a lot lately - I would frequently start some sort of buying frenzy around here... On several occasions people would not identify me as a Russian, and even attempt speaking to me in English (or in a very slooooow simplified Russian) - followed by a puzzled look when I would respond to them in their (and mine) native language. It does create frequent entertaining situations for both them, and Rob and I. It is actually a kind of fun to experience Russia as both an outsider and as a former native.
We were able to re-connect with our friends, and spending time with Maxim and his mom in Moscow was one of the top highlights of our journey. Visiting my friends and enjoying an unbelievable hospitality was on top of the list as well.
TURKEY
On the practical note... It is always nice to travel outside high season - we were able to avoid tourist crowds, and the city seemed so much more genuine and real. In addition, the hotels offered excellent discounts in March, and in our case additional complimentary great upgrades - the second night of our stay we were offered a very nice room with a window overlooking the Aegean Sea and an ancient fortress. It was very picturesque and dreamy... The hotel staff was multi-national - our receptionist was a super nice guy from a former Soviet republic, and our breakfast host was also an ex-Russian. The location was great, the attitude was excellent, the price was very reasonable, and I must say, this was probably the most comfortable stay we have had in a long time (we normally travel in developing countries where electricity and Western toilet are considered a lap of luxury). So, you can imagine what a different world this hotel must have felt. In addition, I always looked forward to the (included) Turkish breakfast - it was a great match for my palate, but not so much for Rob's. The cheeses, olives, tomatoes, honey, real yogurt, fresh baked bread and home-made-type pastries were delicious. And, on our last night, our wonderful receptionist opened the kitchen just for us so we could load up "for the road" on the breakfast items for our early a.m. flight. What a nice gesture, and fantastic attitude! Also, despite of staying in the historical Old City (meaning tourists), Rob and I were able to find a couple of simple eateries frequented by real local people, many with nice views of historical squares and mosques. No overcharging, and the inexpensive (by choice) food was tasty and fresh. Sometimes, we would walk by posh restaurants filled with Western tourists, and in contrast, their scene seemed so boring and sterile. But, of course, it is all a matter of personal preferences.
We also took a couple of looooooong walks around the area accompanied by five large-size happy stray dogs (surprisingly of expensive breeds). There is an interesting system established around here - stray dogs are all immunized, fed from special dispensers in parks (frequently publicly funded), and are marked with small ear tags telling their history and status. As I said, many were surprisingly from highly desirable in the West breeds, and despite being homeless, the dogs seemed mellow, happy, and well behaved. Later on, we came across a similar situation in other parks of Turkey.
Antalya was a peaceful low-key stop-over, however, only during the-off-tourist season. It also fulfilled its function as a once-is-enough destination.
We spent the entire day walking bare-footed (Turkish government requirement) along the terraces, occasionally warming up our feet in warm hot springs floating around the travertines. Keep in mind, it was mid-March when we visited, and the temperatures were quite cool - so after hours of exploration, both our feet and lips had a nice blue tint to them - especially noticeable on the white travertine background. The ruins of Hierapolis were stunning - especially the ancient theater. For a good amount of time we had the entire theater to ourselves (a great benefit traveling off season), and the images of prior events taking place here were striking. From gladiator battles to poetry recitals, imagination can feel in the rest... In addition, for those curious about the history of religion, Phillip the Apostole was presumably martyred here along with his seven sons, which added even more mysticism to the already dramatic place.
A hill village of Sirince, located about 8 km East from Selcuk, was an easy accessible point by public transport. One could say Sirince had a certain charm and had nice views, but neither Rob or I liked it that much. It was touristy, lacked the genuine quality, and frankly - was quite boring. We enjoyed watching a horse and its foal a lot more than walking around the village itself. And, we were much happier to be back in Selcuk that evening - especially since the next day we would have an early train ride towards Izmir followed by a flight back to Istanbul, then a night at the airport, followed by a long-haul international flight... What I am trying to say is that our journey around this small part of Turkey came to finale...