Yes, I have been doing some traveling and my apologies for not writing sooner. I am at this moment at an Internet Cafe in Kostroma, Russia- another beautiful city on the Volga. I feel that I could write for hours on what I have seen but I only have a few minutes. I will write until my time is up. I signed up for 30 minutes- only because they have somehow run out of 60 minute cards. I have already used one thirty minute session to write a short note to Donna and try and figure out my bank card situation (more on that later).
To help update- if anyone is still out there- I will include a few little snippets from my letters to Donna.
Snippet 1
have been doing a lot of walking. Today I walked way up Nevsky Prospect In St P. to find the International Hotel that supposedly gives legendary walking tours for St. P. The streets are so confusing!!!. I was looking for Sovietskya Street.
I found out later that there are three (maybe more) Sovietskya Streets- Number one, two and three. Fortunately they are all parellel. Also there are all kinds of numbers on the houses or flats but they are like "20- 25" which bear no relationship to the house number. Maybe one house in five has a number on it. I was an hour late but I was able to book my next trains. I will go there tomarrow, now that I know where it is. Thank God that I took that Russian class. It has really helped even though I am still a basket case in Russian. I can ask for directions.
Later on today I went to the Moscow National Museum. It was very wonderful for a person like me. It was full of Russian painting, most artists I had never heard of before and I certainly had never seen their work. Rapin was the only one I knew. Really really great- As with the Hermitage I got an audio guide and also took a lot of photos.
I just took a short nap and will find a place to eat now.
Wow, I just got your note about being able to call me. that is great. I will try and call you tonight. I tried the other night , then I asked the office and they said all calls are blocked inside the hotel. Crazy Russians. I only have a little time left but I will buy another card soon. Also I will turn on my phone for you."
Snippet 2
"I must tell you that today was a glorious day- my last day in St Petersburg. I walked about a mile to the International Hostle where a well reviewed walking tour begins. When I got there only two other people were there and the guide. We decided to do the tour by bicycle. It was four hours riding around all different parts of St Petersburg. The city is beautiful and the weather was amazing as it has been the whole time I have been here ( a few short rain showers, but that only makes it better.) Peter of Petersburg was our guide- a native with more of a Scotish accent- perfect English and knows so much about the city. It was really a joy. I reflected as I rode the bicycle, what a peak experience this was.
I am getting so much out of this trip, I must tell you. Certainly the experience of travel, the information that I have learned but also it is a country that is a little difficult to travel in when one does not really know the language. It is not really geared for tourists or non Russian speakers except in certain tourist areas. Getting my railway tickets, getting on buses, asking for directions, even getting lost is a challenge and I love it. You should also know that it is a very safe city. I have never seen any kind of dangerous places like we saw in London. The people are very kind and patient and try to help me when I ask a question in bad Russian- except the babushkas."
Real me writing.
Getting tickets for trains has been a real hastle for me. I speak Russian so badly and the ticket cashiers ask so many questions in Russian- almost none speak English. Generally trains are cheap and fast. I needed a train from Tver to Rastov- not too far- maybe 150 miles, but the cashier informed me that I must go through Moscow Station and transfer (it could be my worst nightmare.). I took the elektrishka- a fast comfortable commuter train to Moscow. After standing in line for a half hour I ask for a ticket to Rastov. She informs me that I must take the Moscow Metro to another station and catch it there. It begins with the letters KOM- KOMINIEYETSKI - I think. I decide not to rely on my memory but to actually look at my ticket. I have two ticket pouches in my bag. I look at the wrong ticket. I see the abbreviation KAZ- and so go to that station instead. There are about 12 railway stations in Moscow.
I get to the wrong station and I missed my train . more later
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