D+163 Letters from Madrid 5 - St. Petersburg

Lonely planet (My second bible) said "Be careful policeman, mosquitos, icicles at St Petersburg"

Policemen check your visa only for bribe. A few people die from falling icicles in every year.

Fortunately this is summer. So I don´t need worry about icicles.

Mosquitos, yes there are many mosquitos.

300years ago, there were nothing at here except swamps.

The king Peter(great, great king) made his decision to make city here, window to west.

He wanted it to resemble Venezia in Italy.

So his architects planned many cannals, islands.

But it´s much much bigger.

Now none belive it built on swamps if not mosquitos, says lonely planet also.

Everyday I walked 6-7km. Everything are big, streets, cathedrals and museums!!!

Church on spilled blood, big.

Kazan´s cathedral, bigger.

St.Issac´s cathedral, bigger.



Winter palace, Ermitage museum, the biggest, I think

It is only reason for visiting Russia to visit Ermitage museum.

It is so big, there are so many tourists.

I was frustrated at first time. I emptied my mind to see parts of exhibitions.

The most interesting picture for me is " Conversation" by Matisse.

We sit together, watching each other. It seems there is long distance between us.

Can we understand each other completely? Do you think it´s possible?

After 5days in St. Pertersburg I caught the night train to Moscow.

It was one of hard taskes to buy train ticket.

But I knew some useful expressions in Russian.

" Give me the cheapest ticket, please" thank you Eun-joo.

When I told Russian stutteringly, the women behind sail window was so helpful.

So I could buy ticket easily, not so easily.

It was uncomfortable to sit all nights, but it was cheap haha

When you talk to Russian people, start with Russian. No english, they will run away.

(Bronze horse man, famous statue in St Petersburg)