Moscow
May 25, 2011
It’s not . . . clear . . . whether or not I have a real reservation for a tour in St. Petersburg or not Still waiting for confirmation from the website. I realized I don’t really care. I went online and in about ten minutes downloaded walking tours of St. Petersburg, Tallinn, and Helsinki. Just saved myself about $200 and I’ll probably have more fun this way. Besides, I might have some help in both Tallinn and Helsinki, companion-wise, so who needs an expensive formal tour?
Downloaded walking tours for St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Helsinki – easier, save lotsa dough.
I returned to the bakery (The Upside Down Bakery, to be precise) following a nice walk after work. I was surprised to find it stil open. Alas, they were out of the muffins I wanted, but I had a delightful conversation with the Owner/Manager, an ex-pat Brit who explained to me that in Moscow bakeries regularly stayed open until 11:00 p.m. or even all night. Very different from the American model, I told him. I know, he said, having spent lots of time in the States. I took his card and recommended them to the concierge at my hotel.
I enjoy my walks through actual neighborhoods as much or more as I enjoy formal tours. I like seeing how people really live. I’m fascinated by urban life, and I enjoy seeing the different kinds of apartment house architecture, what the streets and parks are like, how the people seem to fit into them. I’ve had this thought in all of the cities I’ve been in so far: If I was here for an extended period of time, I’d definitely spend a lot of time just walking through neighborhoods like this. I’ve spent thousands of hours doing the same thing in New York and Los Angeles, and I never get tired of it.
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I have discovered where old has-been American rock, metal and and pop acts go to die: Russia. There’s so many rich people in Russia, I guess you can charge whatever you want for concert tickets, and I guess the nouveau riche here really love American has-been acts. It’s amazing.
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Moscow has terrible drainage. Days after a small rainstorm, there are still gigantic puddles all over the place that you have to detour around. Pity.
But a Few of the Concert Ads I’ve Seen
- Sting
- Whitesnake
- Kenny G
- Ringo Starr
- The Doors (!)
- Sinead O’Connor
- Seal
- John Fogarty
- Iron Maiden
puzzling
