St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is amazing. I think I could live here.
We arrived on Sunday after a 9 hour train ride from Moscow, which was actually quite pleasant. The scenery was all birch trees, brightly painted farm houses, and kids rambling down old dirt roads on bicycles. As soon as we were on the train platform, I knew that St. Petersburg would be a very different experience from Moscow. One of the first things I saw was a map of the city written in both Cyrillic and English with a red arrow that said “You are here.” I almost dropped to my knees and cried.
It is MUCH easier to get around here, as English is spoken and written, and the feel of the city is much more European than Moscow. We learned today that St. Petersburg was saved the ruthless restructuring that Moscow suffered under Soviet rule because it was deemed a secondary city unworthy of financial investment, which is a brilliant stroke of luck because it is a gorgeous city. Ornate architecture, beautiful canals, sophistication, and a thriving art community. I give St. Petersburg a big thumbs up.
Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
The Canals of St. Petersburg
Residents of St. Petersburg
And some more residents of St. Petersburg
Nevsky Prospect: THE street in St. Pete
Tags: Amanda Formoso, Russia, St. Petersburg, Trans-Siberian, Travel
Amanda
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