Sunday March 24 2013 (ST. PETERSBURG)

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Waking up bright and early on the pulsating train. We’ve arrived in Saint Petersburg. The glorious morning sun greets us and keeps the cold temperature more bearable as we walk around the city. It’s just me, Aysena, Aina, and Tristan. We’re a team.


Russian Adventures (March 2013)


The whole day is a blurry adventure walk to places like The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Winter Palace (State Hermitage Museum), and the frozen Neva River. The collection of antique furniture and rooms is entirely awesome. I get the pleasure of hearing a five-man acapella ensemble sing ancient Russian chants in front of an ominous religious sculpture. As well I can’t even keep track of all the places we eat and more importantly the amount of food I’m consuming on this tour. It’s discouraging in regards to my health but what can you do when you’re in a strange city like this but walk, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat.


Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*
[The sight of a black person causes quite a humorous stir amongst a group of Russian teens. Tristan is a celebrity for this moment in his life.]


After a charge-up break at the hostel we check out this D.I.Y. free space downtown called Ziferblat. Apparently they have a lot of these sorts of anti-cafés where an inventive space is open to the public and you pay a fairly cheap price by the hour. In this space in particular they’ve created somewhat of a mock city with loft-like lighting. As soon as we walk in there’s a boy trotting on these mechanical legs as a sport. Mingling with a few patrons. There’s a piano that gets played periodically and it seems that practically everyone here is musically inclined. We resign to a wooden table with Tea and Cookies. Playing a few card games like Podkidnoy and Bullshit that get some of us riled up.


Russian Adventures (March 2013)*

Russian Adventures (March 2013)*


After that we sit down at a decently priced restaurant. Sharing Garlic Toast sticks stacked like Jenga blocks because the waiter noticed we were playing Jenga. I sip on Cognac for that smooth stingy sensation down my throat. 


Russian Adventures (March 2013)


Back at the hostel Aysena and I get comfortable in our cozy private room. I notice the room number is 111. Things heat up pretty quick. She gets a real kick out of taping a little video recording on her iPhone of our sexual moments. This sexual resolve was much needed.

...

While she snoozes off to sleep I reflect in the commons area of the hostel. Thinking about how young her perspective is on life and how that contrasts from mine. Not that she’s naïve or anything because she’s not. We’re both aware at the differences in how we see certain things pertaining to romance. I’ve got a couple more years of life on her. And sometimes that can have a big effect. But she makes me feel younger than I really am and that’s important. 

Sleep at some point after 4 a.m.


* Images by me. 
Images by Aysena.

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