A Sapsan train

April 2013

 

Sapsan trains, Moscow, 2013. 

Most people probably fly from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, but I chose another way, the Sapsan high speed train.  It travelled at a speed of 250 kilometres an hour, taking around five hours to get to the destination.  It was not just a matter of saving time, the railway stations are in the centre of cities, so it is more convenient.  I had also heard that on domestic flights every single piece of luggage would be opened for security.  I also heard that people have claimed their possessions got lost after they had checked in their luggage. 

 

Although the train is convenient, I was confused by the name of the stations; the station in Moscow is called Saint Petersburg and the one in Saint Petersburg is called Moscow. 

 

The name of the station in Moscow, 2013.

Both stations were very similar and simple.  I went through the entrance, passed the security check, and now onto a long platform, where I found my carriage.  An inspector told us to wait in front of the door and I joined the queue.  While I was waiting, a group of Russian came and waited next to my carriage and chatted with the inspector.  Later on, he let them get on the train first even though we got there earlier.  I suppose that because they spoke the same language. 

 

After I got into the train, I wanted to go to the toilet, which was in the next carriage, where the Russian were .  Half of them were busy taking care of their luggage.  Others were standing in the corridor, waiting for their seats.  There were two doors to go into the toilets, but they were block by people leaning against them.  I was wondering how to get in, where a man dressed as a cowboy, that standing at the end of the group, suddenly turned to look at me and then said something with a grin which I did not understand.  Not knowing what to do, I wanted to go back to my seat.  At the same time, he asked me where I wanted to go, I told him and pointed to the toilet.  He spoke to his friends in a loud voice, stepped aside and pushed me forwards.  They stopped talking and laughing and turned to look at me.  The man kept talking until one or two ladies stood aside and let me in. 

 

After this happened, I did not dare to go to the buffet car or stretch my legs when the train stopped at a station.  I felt I was in somebody else's train, I had better sit tight. 

 
 

The train normally travelled around a speed of 200 kms./hr,
from Moscow, 2013.

 


The Sapsan train system map, from Moscow, 2013. 

One of the stations during the route, from Moscow, 2013. 

 

Bridges over the river

April 2013

The Neva river is one of the main rivers in Saint Petersburg.  If you go on a river cruise, you can see some of the beautiful old buildings on both sides of the river, but you also feel the cold and wind, even on a sunny summer's day.

The river is wider than Victoria Harbour in HK.  There is a network of canals running through the city centre, so there are many bridges built over the canals.  The bridges are made of brick, wood, stone, metal and cast iron, and, their height, colour, patterns and structure are different, but they all have a sign showing their height. 

 

There are orange chairs, is my boat,
St. Petersburg, 2013 

As my boat passed under the bridges each time, the local guide would say mind your head, because there was only 2 to 3.8 - meters' headroom; when the river is at high tide, people have to sit down to avoid bending their heads on the bridges, because there was no roof on the upper deck.

When we were sitting in the boat and passing under the bridges, we held up our hands to try to touch the bottom of the bridges and yelled together with excitement.  If anyone was walking over the bridges or wandering on the riverbank, and they heard and saw us, they would wave their hands and smile and say hi, and we would return the greeting.



A group of lovely children chased us,
we waved our hands with greetings,
St. Petersburg, 2013. 

I specially remember a group of children who chased our boat to the end of the riverbank grinning broadly.  I once worried they would fall into the river.

I think laughter bridges the gap between strangers.
 

An adventure restaurant

April 2013

I brought an ocarinas, which is in a shape of owl, and
one of my friends brought the other one,
St. Petersburg, 2013

When you travel aboard, you probably want to explore the local culture and have some adventures.  I am not a person who likes taking big risks.  But you have to eat something during the trip, and I think trying the local food is an exciting experience.  Also, I quite enjoy eating. 

 

Russia is famous for caviar, vegetable soup, and vodka, so I tried some traditional cuisine while I was there. 

 

The starter, St. Petersburg, 2013

The welcome drink and snack consisted of caviar with a cracker and a glass of sparkling white wine.  The starter was fresh tomato with egg mayonnaise, cold sliced meat with fresh sliced cucumber, chopped beef with yogurt, basil and cranberries on top, pickles-tomato, cucumber, garlic and asparagus.  There was vodka, red and white wines to drink.  The most delicious dish was mushrooms in cream sauce.  This was eaten with bread, then we had vegetable soup.  However, the main course, pan-fried chicken with rice was not very good.  The chicken was not too bad but the rice was quite dry and solid as if it was a week old.  The dessert was a pancake with ice-cream and a hot fudge sauce.



Vegetable soup, St. Petersburg, 2013

Delicious mushrooms in cream sauce,
St. Petersburg, 2013

Chicken with rice, St. Petersburg, 2013

Pancake with ice-cream,
St. Petersburg, 2013



Singers with the band, St. Petersburg, 2013

One of the singers holds a percussion instruments,
St. Petersburg, 2013

In general, the food was not my kind of thing, but the mood in the restaurant was distinctly joyful.  This was because there was singers with a band, who lent customers percussion instruments.  Although we did not know what they were singing, we just played in a long time with the music.  When they finished, they sold us the instruments, such as mandolin and ocarinas were in shapes of different birds.  The percussion was a string of ten long pieces of plastic.  You held the first and the last one and shook the hold thing from side to side and make a noise.

The restaurant was in a beautiful wooden house, and had four or five slopping roofs and a round tower with a weathercock made of metal and several pieces different colours of glass.  Beside the restaurant, there was a huge wooden slide, more than four metres high.  Regrettably it was closed. 

 

The restaurant, St. Petersburg, 2013

The huge wooden slide, St. Petersburg, 2013

Inside of the restaurant, St. Petersburg, 2013

Back inside the restaurant, their furniture made of wood from the top to the floor.  It was full of animals specimens - bears, birds, deer, squirrels - They looked alive as if they could make noises.  I thought if the place went dark, they wold walk around or flutter their wings, or even eat in the kitchen. 

Not only did I go far the gastronomic adventures, I felt I could go hunting in the house.