Is it a spy movie? No but it feels like one…..
Maria’s view
I still remember when Alex proposed Russia as our next destination and immediately different images came into my mind : the furry hats that people wear in winter, the colourful churches with the funny shaped roofs, the matryoshkas and vodka.
Another exciting trip, it was my first time in that country, so the surprise factor increased the excitement even more. So, first of all, get a visa.
You have to go to the Russian Visa Application Centre here in London, this was the first surprise…what an ugly building, very grey, very dark, very Russian.
When I went in, I had to queue, not for too long, and then it was the first contact with Russians as all the people working in that place were from Russia. Although I do not like stereotypes, if you have a stereotype of a Russian person in terms of seriousness, cold behaviour and unfriendliness, yes indeed, the first impression ticked all the stereotypes points. Well, interesting, let’s wait until I had the real experience surrounded by Russians to make up my mind.
I gave them all the papers required along with my passport and in a few days they will get you the visa after paying the required amount (it is cheaper if you don’t need an express visa).
When we arrived in St. Petersburg, we had to wait a long time for them to let us into the country. People don’t give you a clue of what they are thinking and make you feel that you could have problems to enter, it is a weird feeling to explain. Just to clarify, that was all in my head and at the end we didn’t have any problems entering the country.
As already mentioned in previous posts, when I travel with Alex we travel in style, so as soon as we approached the arrivals hall in the airport, an elegant guy wearing a spotless suit was waiting for us.
The guy led us to the car, a huge car (well, I didn’t know at this part of the story that absolutely everything in Russia is huge, I will explain properly later) and the car was matching the guy, it was shining as if it was just polished inside and out.
It was the first time that I was in a car with wi-fi, isn’t that amazing? Well, I found it amazing, what Alex found funny was that I was so amazed with the fact that we could contact people even before we were in the hotel.
We stayed at Astoria Hotel, very good location in the middle of the city, in front of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. We thought (a very naive thought) that we could walk everywhere in the city centre, but the distances, as with everything else in Russia, were huge.
I especially remember breakfast because it was the first time in my life having caviar that early in the morning, caviar with pancakes, what else do you need to start the day?
One day, we went for dinner to a restaurant that WAS within walking distance, my poor memory doesn’t remember the name of the restaurant, but the meal that we had was exquisite. Unless you have been to Russia, you could think that they are obsessed with vodka, I can reassure this, they are, my starter arrived to the table with a shot of vodka, well to be honest, having vodka is the most convenient option if you want a punch of alcohol as we didn’t order any wine because it cost a fortune.
The restaurant was quiet, well until Alex and I arrived, we specialise in ‘don’t go unnoticed’ because our Spanish/Italian personalities come alive when we are together. So, once Alex and myself we get in a conversation, we are a bit loud and expressive (mediterranean blood), so at some stage during the dinner the waitress approached us saying that “too many feeling were going on”, it was soooooo funny coming from a people where it seems that they do not have blood in their veins, hilarious.
So, once we went back to the hotel lounge for a drink, the hotel waitress asked us how was our meal in the restaurant, Alex and I looked at each other and laughing we said apparently too many feelings were going on LOOOL but the food was delicious. Then, kindly, the hotel waitress asked us “how do you show your feelings?”
Moral, even the kindest person in Russia is going to be surprised if you show any emotion or excitement about anything. Yes, it has been confirmed, they are the coldest people I have ever met (for now).
Alex’s view
Preparing to travel to St. Petersburg feels somewhat like a spy movie. A story of visas, passport control, sleek black cars and praying Maria would not be arrested. None of this is actually reality (other than praying Maria would not get arrested); it is all derived by people’s perceptions which are projected onto you, as they were projected onto them by the media. When you propose St. Petersburg as a travel destination and start telling people, the following statements are flung at the unsuspecting traveller:
“It’s not safe!”
“They will hack your phone!”
“They will follow you”.
Now I ask you, even if these things were to occur, which, I assure you they don’t, why would I care? They can follow Maria and I meandering the sites and arguing as Maria thinks she knows the way….. Hell, they can also hack into my phone and read the insane text messages I am privileged to receive from my equally partially deranged friends. (Apologies if you happen to be one of those friends reading this… but you know I am right). End of the day, it is a city like any other, with people who have the same priorities as those in other nations, work, food, keep your family safe, and warm. Admittedly the heating is somewhat more important here than it is in , say, Dubai.
The reality is that Russia is full of people who want and do the same things we do, albeit slightly differently, to a bigger scale and with somewhat more jam and vodka involved.
The visa process was interesting, queuing outside the consulate at 7:30 am with a bunch of other very sleepy people in an alleyway in the City (London). However, as always you abandon your passport with some trepidation and wait patiently for it to be returned to you with a Visa, it is and it is also rather swift. The Russians I have met to date have a very serious demeanour initially, which, substantiated by the press’s incessant propaganda, can make them seem unfriendly, but nothing can be farther from the truth. We were welcomed and as ever, had lovely chats with the staff in the hotel, the shop assistant in the amber jeweller in the hotel, and were even receiving suggestions for potential career opportunities. I.e. we were encouraged to start a comedy duo. We even escaped free from an incident in the jewellery shop, where the shop assistant almost shattered the most pricy necklace of the range. It was one of those moments when time stops, your jaw drops and you look at events unfolding in slow motion, the necklace falling, Maria’s eyes shooting out of her head in shock, the Lady’s hand shooting to her mouth, and then my foot shooting out to ensure the necklace had somewhere soft to land. Saved in the nick of time, with the universal language which entails a healthy bout of hysterical laughter denoting sheer relief.
We dined at the Dom Restaurant, which presented traditional Russian food, with a modern twist. The atmosphere, presentation, flavours and service are all exceptional. It is true than in the restaurant when asked if we had enjoyed our meal, we delivered the verdict with such enthusiasm, that the waitress was taken aback. I think they asked us the wrong question, If they were expecting stern disappointment, they should have asked: what do you think of the wine prices. At 28 GBP per glass of house wine, the
response would have been enough to make them proud.
The Hotel was very brilliantly located, which enabled us, on the Sunday, to witness a vast array of wedding photography with brides decked out in somewhat unusual, and remarkably shiny wedding dresses. As all Brides, they seemed happy and that is all you can ask for. The wedding guests looked frozen to death while waiting for the photos to finish. (I am very carefully reigning in my natural cynicism derived from the divorce rates statistics). The hotel rooms were average, nothing special to be honest and cleanliness was somewhat lacking for what I would expect from a five star Rocco Forte Hotel. However, I can certainly attest to the fact the cocktails are not watered down. In fact, irrespective of what you order, a martini glass filled with vodka and a tiny spot of food colouring arrives. Almost undrinkable, certainly not safe to finish, if one’s expectation is to retain the ability to navigate the demands imposed upon us by gravity and walk anywhere. The other quirk which we had to have explained to us, was the delivery of tea with jam. This was not because you are given a pastry to put the jam on… no. In St. Petersburg, you drink the tea and follow it with a spoon full of jam, neat, to sweeten it. An odd combination I grant you, but beautifully presented in the traditional St. Petersburg checked white and blue ceramic.
St. Petersburg is also littered with delightful cafes and shops which are all worth a visit, sadly there is only so much cake a woman can ingest in a given day. I particularly recommend Biblioteka. The honey cake was to die for.
So first impressions definitely work the trip.
The Lockdown Travel Guide 
Great post 😁
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Thank you
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