Forward ~ St. Petersburg, Russia ~ April 29 - May 4, 2008

I have been touring St.Petersburg through the knowledgeable eyes of Evgueni and his Grandparents. It's wonderfully fortunate to tour a new place with locals. There are some real gems in St.Petersburg and I was fortunate to have a backstage pass to see many of them!
The city is truly beautiful. I'm very glad we did things in the order that we did, because the more I saw, the more I loved. My favourite all-encompassing aspect is the great respect Russian's have for their art, culture, architecture and history. It's such a wonderful thing to see! Russian pride is evident! I was very impressed! I loved every place I visited, each for it's own characteristics.

At times I was very aware I was a tourist and I admit, I had my guard up a little. A big part was because of my language barrier. I've never travelled anywhere that I was completely lost in terms of language. It was certainly a new experience. The things we take for granted! Evgueni's constant company did wonders as usual.

I experienced a bit of culture shock with the attire of the younger local women. I noticed that about 40% dress quite terribly, like prostitutes! I must admit I was shocked and couldn't stop staring at times. To be fair, I should mention two things:
1. These were the very first hot days this season, so the locals need the extra sun ~ all over their bodies. (See the Peter and Paul Fortress comments on Day 3) and,
2. Referring to a conversation I had with Evgueni about this: There is still a lot of poverty. People buy what they can then don't really have the selection in their "wardrobe" to find something to match it. Also, there are various influences that impose what locals think looks good i.e. North American trends.
My other fashion observation included: Like in the Czech Republic, the mullet and crimping is still haute-hair-couture.

As Val (Evgueni’s sister) said to me after the trip: “Russia is a very complex place. It’s hard to describe it." To which I totally agree. I was following Evgueni with broadly opened eyes.