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| | | | Not so silent nights in St Petersburg
For the Christmas Holidays I went to St. Petersburg, together with a friend, writes Teletext Holidays viewer Cornelia Dean, of Leek, Staffordshire.
We travelled with Saga holidays. We started out from Manchester Airport with a delay of about an hour, which in turn led us to miss our connection flight in Frankfurt. No matter, the ground staff in Frankfurt showed us into a very comfortable lounge and plied us with coffee, tea and other beverages until the time came for us to board our flight to St Petersburg.
We arrived very late, around 12.30 am local time. Nevertheless, the hotel restaurant staff served us a special prepared meal fit for a king. Our rooms were large, beautifully furnished and clean. I noticed all kind of goodies, laid out on a small table and every night when the staff came to turn down the bed, a chocolate sat on the bedside table. Such a lovely little gesture.
Our visit to the Hermitage (previously the Winter Palace) was a revelation, full of richness and beauty. Beautiful paintings adorned all the ceilings, doors and walls. Most floors had inlaid wood of many colours. I was mesmerised at the beauty and artwork of the Faberge eggs.
The amber room, too, is something to remember forever. Different colour amber pieces cover the walls from floor to ceiling.
Our visit to the St Peter and St Paul Cathedral is engraved into my memory.
The sun shone on Christmas day and a visit to Catherine's Palace and Park for a sleigh ride was on the agenda. Everywhere looked fresh and glistening in the sunshine. However, even with only a little wind, it was bitterly cold.
With three horses in front of every sleigh, we were soon on our way, through the woods. Just like in the film Dr Zhivago with all the trees covered in snow, it truly was a treat not to miss.
On our return, a large table set out baring a giant steaming urn with coffee, very hot pies, (delicious), and for every one a tot of the vodka.
An enticing Prospekt
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| | | | The likely Ladas
Our next treat was a visit to the ballet where we saw Don Quixote. To our amazement, most people walked out as soon as the curtain fell after the first act. All returned when the bell rang and sat in different seats. After two more intervals - each time with different neighbours - suddenly more people entered, standing all against the walls. Presumably, they came in free of charge. However, the performance was outstanding.
You have to visit St Petersburg to believe the traffic chaos. With five million people in one city and most now owning a car, often old or very old Ladas, the traffic is slow, to say the least. Others, without a car, use the Metro. Thousands of people stream on daily basis down the stairs of the Metro, on their way to work.
Many people still live in the tenements, sharing a kitchen with five or six families. Those buildings look cheerless and drab.
One old woman, sweeping snow, held up three fingers and said, "roubles", she then offered me the shovel to clear my path. I declined, but offered her the roubles.
All the people working in the palaces and musea seem very proud of their heritage. Each offered help and advice.
Distrust still lives on in the older people, but the younger generation live with a lighter heart. The children I met in various palaces, where they were on school visits, are very well behaved and polite, dressed nicely and warm.
St Petersburg is truly a city of contrasts. The impression it made on me will last a lifetime.
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