pterjan's diary

  End of vacation

I spent 5 great days in Saint Petersburg this week!

This was my first visa and I was worried about the needed paperwork (insurance, hosting certificate, ...), and then the registration after arriving. Getting the visa was not easy as you need to go to the embassy on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday between 9:00 and 12:00 and spend some time there (queuing 3 times...). Then you can chose to get the visa as soon as it is ready (the same day) for 70 euros, or wait 7 days before picking it up and only pay 35 euros...

At the airport I was welcomed with huge queues for passport checks (I think I spent about 30 minutes there) and then by Ирина which was better :)

Apart from usual buildings and museums (I admit I haven't visited some major ones), I visited a great bar/club on the first evening, which I enjoyed even if I had not slept the night before (We went there again the next day and it was much better :) ).

I can now pronounce most letters (not all) and often understand the word when it sounds like French or English (or other, like CYШИ for sushi) but reading letter by letter is so slow... And I can't manage to read anything hand written :(

I hope I'll have the opportunity to go there again!

Photos are already online!

  Week End

Despite the weather, I have spent a nice Week-End with my Chilean guest Gabriela.

On Saturday afternoon we went to Buttes Chaumont park and Montmartre, and starting at 6pm to the Museum night (Museums open until midnight or 1am, and free). We started with Musée Picasso and Centre Pompidou, and then moved to Trocadero to see the Eiffel tower by night and visit Musée de la Marine. We then walked to Invalides and attended in the dome the great show telling the story of the building.

On Sunday we joined some friends to watch Vide Accordée on top of the canal Saint Martin. That was the first time I saw someone swimming in this ugly water!