I had in mind that Suva is not coming to receive me at the St. Petersburg Airport. My mind was ticking on continuously with all the etched out plans to follow the algorithmic steps of crossing immigration, getting currency change at the counter enough for a cab ride to the hotel (as you get poor conversion rates at airports) , take a cab and explain the address(the hardest of it all). I went over all these steps again and again in my short flight from Helsinki to St. Petersburg.
The airport of St. Petersburg greeted me with a long queue at the immigration gate which looked exactly like the immigration line in Bangladesh when I had visited it last. The airport did not appear to be that big (well I flew out of Chicago -O Hare) I guess that's the reason. After currenncy I was lucky to get a cab who understood the address and there I started my journey.
On my way to the hotel I was wide awake even after 36 hours of flying. The roads are really broad and it appeared a very planned city to me. Interestingly I hardly found any swanky building or malls on my way. The city buildings, bridges appear to be quite old. Even for cafes and Mc.D-s,Burger King-s etc. I found them housed as parts of quite old and beautiful structures and believe me they look so cosy being part of those old buildings.
Later, I believe on the 2nd day we had visited a huge mall so snugly placed in a huge old building with long balconies just like the shops we have below The Grand Hotel in Calcutta. They have such nice feeling of being a part of the city which these new swanky malls lack( that's my opinion off course).
I reached the hotel ( it was a little difficult to find it as it was hiding behind a playground) only to find Suva very tensed (as I had missed my scheduled flight from Helsinki and had to take the next flight 5 hours later without his knowledge of the same) as narrated by the hotel receptionist. The conversation goes like this :) :
Tatiana (Receptionist) ( as soon as I entered) : Are you the wife? (in a heavy Russianised English -very concerned)
Me: :D( I was too tired but I could not help smiling as she asked those words :)) Yes.
Tatiana: Your husband is very tensed. I will call him now (her russian accent made those words so sweet to my ears)
We came across three receptionists during our stay in that hotel of whom two were called Tatiana. According to Suva after he found the 2nd girl is also called the same told me they might have a single name badge hence, they changed their names :D...well Tatiana is the most common name for girls followed by Katarina and Elena.
That evening Suva dragged me for a quick walk tour of the city.On our way we saw the admiral, St. Isacc's Cathedral, the Hermitage , the numerous fontanka-s.
We walked along the most populous Nevsky Prospekt and had ice cream in one of the many parks ( Its a city with huge parks). We finally had dinner at one of the local eateries before I collapsed to bed that night.
The airport of St. Petersburg greeted me with a long queue at the immigration gate which looked exactly like the immigration line in Bangladesh when I had visited it last. The airport did not appear to be that big (well I flew out of Chicago -O Hare) I guess that's the reason. After currenncy I was lucky to get a cab who understood the address and there I started my journey.
On my way to the hotel I was wide awake even after 36 hours of flying. The roads are really broad and it appeared a very planned city to me. Interestingly I hardly found any swanky building or malls on my way. The city buildings, bridges appear to be quite old. Even for cafes and Mc.D-s,Burger King-s etc. I found them housed as parts of quite old and beautiful structures and believe me they look so cosy being part of those old buildings.
Later, I believe on the 2nd day we had visited a huge mall so snugly placed in a huge old building with long balconies just like the shops we have below The Grand Hotel in Calcutta. They have such nice feeling of being a part of the city which these new swanky malls lack( that's my opinion off course).
I reached the hotel ( it was a little difficult to find it as it was hiding behind a playground) only to find Suva very tensed (as I had missed my scheduled flight from Helsinki and had to take the next flight 5 hours later without his knowledge of the same) as narrated by the hotel receptionist. The conversation goes like this :) :
Tatiana (Receptionist) ( as soon as I entered) : Are you the wife? (in a heavy Russianised English -very concerned)
Me: :D( I was too tired but I could not help smiling as she asked those words :)) Yes.
Tatiana: Your husband is very tensed. I will call him now (her russian accent made those words so sweet to my ears)
We came across three receptionists during our stay in that hotel of whom two were called Tatiana. According to Suva after he found the 2nd girl is also called the same told me they might have a single name badge hence, they changed their names :D...well Tatiana is the most common name for girls followed by Katarina and Elena.
That evening Suva dragged me for a quick walk tour of the city.On our way we saw the admiral, St. Isacc's Cathedral, the Hermitage , the numerous fontanka-s.
We walked along the most populous Nevsky Prospekt and had ice cream in one of the many parks ( Its a city with huge parks). We finally had dinner at one of the local eateries before I collapsed to bed that night.
There really should be a book...
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