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Orginially from Ohio, I went to the big city of New York for about 5 years (mainly for school), and now I am working towards my masters at Cambridge in England. I hope this website gives everyone a taste of what my life is like here... and if nothing else I think you will find it fun and entertaining!!
Saturday, May 28, 2005
St. Petersburg Day 3
On the third day we finally got wise and did some fun things with our free time (and our not-so-free time hahha)
First stop... the vodka museum... these are the tools they used way back in the day to make vodka. you put the ingredients in that large brown bowl, put the cover in the back on top, and when it boils, it goes up to the cover and drips down into the tray the big bowl is sitting on. Then you collect the vodka from the tray and drink it haha.
The huge circular bowl is actually what some important man would make people drink if they were late to his meetings... he would fill it all the way to the top with vodka and called it the penalty shot haha
Some of the first old bottles of vodka.
Historical vodka bottles...
Vodka was even important for their military!!
Some of the best vodka now produced in Russia... although everyone says if you can only bring back one type, bring back Russian Standard (which is not available outside of Russia)... I brought back 2 bottles... aren't i awesome?
Our complimentary shot of vodka at the museum haha.
Special bottle of vodka in the shape of a gun.
Super expensive vodka... but nice box!!
Some weird bird... someone wanted me to take this photo... don't remember who haha.
The SS Peter and Paul Cathedal at the Peter and Paul Fortress (on its own little island). Its needle thin spire is a landmark, and the sky was amazing when we went to see it.
Vivian and me sitting on the lap of Peter the Great.
either he has a tiny head, or we have huge heads, or the statue is not made to real life size haha.
Closeup of his tiny head.
His hand and fingers are NOT proportional to his body... what are they trying to say?? Well anyway it is meant to be good luck to rub his right finger... so here we are all doing it, hey i need all the good luck i can get!!
Inside the Peter & Paul Cathedral
Pretty inside... but a bit boring, unless you are religious perhaps.
Cool architecture. Baroque style... very different from traditional orthodox churches.
Huge organ.
Pretty chandeliers.
where Catherine the 2nd is burried.
Where Peter the Great is buried.
All pre-revolutionary rulers of Russia from Peter the Great and on (minus Peter II and Ivan VI) are buried here.
The bell tower is 122.5 m high and is the tallest structure in St. Petersburg.
this is what we REALLY did on the russia trip -- stood around and tried to decide what to do next...
AMAZING sky
More amazing sky
Vivian and I decide it is NOT a good idea to go walking on the ice... so we wait behind while the others go to break their necks.
Ohhh there we go now i am ready and smiling.
And now we have flash.
The others on ice preparing to go to the hospital hahaha KIDDING.
Amazing view from the fortress island!!
Some day I should merge them into a nice panorama view shot.
Waiting for the others to get off the ice.
Joseph turning around and falling on his bum.
Group shot!!
Ohhh wait we missed Kate!!
Now we have a group shot!!
And another try for good measure.
AMAZING cheese bread at a Georgian restaraunt (hehe they call it caucasian food)... they have homemade cheese and hand bake the lavash and khachipuri bread... I think the place was called Kafe Tbilisi
Yes I would say everyone is hungry.
I decided to try the fish for my main course... and ummm it was not my favorite thing. It was very very salty, although that is partially from the red caviar in th sauce. When they first brought it to me like this... I thought in my head hmmm where is the fish?? I did not order stew... but the sauce is just really thick and salty. Then the fish underneath is quite fishy... not a mild fish... and they serve it with pickle slices around the sides... definitely something unlike anything I have ever tasted before.
It was really dark inside...
Had chocolate cake type of thing for dessert... much better than the main food, but then again, can you go wrong with chocolate?
Then it was off to bed for some of us (like the tired graduate students... ) but some others went to try and find a club (having been unsuccesful on their attempts in previous nights as the clubs all seem to get shut down or go out of business here).
First stop... the vodka museum... these are the tools they used way back in the day to make vodka. you put the ingredients in that large brown bowl, put the cover in the back on top, and when it boils, it goes up to the cover and drips down into the tray the big bowl is sitting on. Then you collect the vodka from the tray and drink it haha.
The huge circular bowl is actually what some important man would make people drink if they were late to his meetings... he would fill it all the way to the top with vodka and called it the penalty shot haha
Some of the first old bottles of vodka.
Historical vodka bottles...
Vodka was even important for their military!!
Some of the best vodka now produced in Russia... although everyone says if you can only bring back one type, bring back Russian Standard (which is not available outside of Russia)... I brought back 2 bottles... aren't i awesome?
Our complimentary shot of vodka at the museum haha.
Special bottle of vodka in the shape of a gun.
Super expensive vodka... but nice box!!
Some weird bird... someone wanted me to take this photo... don't remember who haha.
The SS Peter and Paul Cathedal at the Peter and Paul Fortress (on its own little island). Its needle thin spire is a landmark, and the sky was amazing when we went to see it.
Vivian and me sitting on the lap of Peter the Great.
either he has a tiny head, or we have huge heads, or the statue is not made to real life size haha.
Closeup of his tiny head.
His hand and fingers are NOT proportional to his body... what are they trying to say?? Well anyway it is meant to be good luck to rub his right finger... so here we are all doing it, hey i need all the good luck i can get!!
Inside the Peter & Paul Cathedral
Pretty inside... but a bit boring, unless you are religious perhaps.
Cool architecture. Baroque style... very different from traditional orthodox churches.
Huge organ.
Pretty chandeliers.
where Catherine the 2nd is burried.
Where Peter the Great is buried.
All pre-revolutionary rulers of Russia from Peter the Great and on (minus Peter II and Ivan VI) are buried here.
The bell tower is 122.5 m high and is the tallest structure in St. Petersburg.
this is what we REALLY did on the russia trip -- stood around and tried to decide what to do next...
AMAZING sky
More amazing sky
Vivian and I decide it is NOT a good idea to go walking on the ice... so we wait behind while the others go to break their necks.
Ohhh there we go now i am ready and smiling.
And now we have flash.
The others on ice preparing to go to the hospital hahaha KIDDING.
Amazing view from the fortress island!!
Some day I should merge them into a nice panorama view shot.
Waiting for the others to get off the ice.
Joseph turning around and falling on his bum.
Group shot!!
Ohhh wait we missed Kate!!
Now we have a group shot!!
And another try for good measure.
AMAZING cheese bread at a Georgian restaraunt (hehe they call it caucasian food)... they have homemade cheese and hand bake the lavash and khachipuri bread... I think the place was called Kafe Tbilisi
Yes I would say everyone is hungry.
I decided to try the fish for my main course... and ummm it was not my favorite thing. It was very very salty, although that is partially from the red caviar in th sauce. When they first brought it to me like this... I thought in my head hmmm where is the fish?? I did not order stew... but the sauce is just really thick and salty. Then the fish underneath is quite fishy... not a mild fish... and they serve it with pickle slices around the sides... definitely something unlike anything I have ever tasted before.
It was really dark inside...
Had chocolate cake type of thing for dessert... much better than the main food, but then again, can you go wrong with chocolate?
Then it was off to bed for some of us (like the tired graduate students... ) but some others went to try and find a club (having been unsuccesful on their attempts in previous nights as the clubs all seem to get shut down or go out of business here).
