If you have vertigo, don't take the metro. It's so deep that you can't see the bottom of the escalator. It just keeps going. And going. If you've taken the London Underground, you just need to double or triple the longest escalator you can think of and that would be the depth of the St.Petersburg metro. It is one of the deepest public transit systems in the world as it's built under a system of canals (see canals in Day 3). Once you get in and down to the trains you are rewarded with a beautiful station. Most of the ones I saw were fairly dark, handsome and decorated with polished stone or marble. And of course, there were also the staple: ceramic-tiled stations, however, I have never seen a glorious metro station until I saw Avtovo Station. If you're in St.Petersburg, I don't care if it's the farthest point for you, go see Avtovo Station. It looks like a ballroom. (See link below).
Once we made it out unscathed we took to the main street, a very wide and bustling Nevsky Prospect. Walking along Nevsky Prospect I saw many historical sites: Singer Building (Art Nouveau) with it's globe, metal decorations, glass facade and interior glass ceiling; from a distance the Cathedral "Our Saviour-on-the-Spilled-Blood", 1883-1907 (see Day 6) which looks like a fancily decorated cake with all the coloured enamel tiles on the domed roof and all along the facade; the yellow and white painted General Staff Building, 1820-1828 (with an arch and a 580m curve); the huge Palace Square which is marked by the Alexander Column - War of 1812 (tallest triumphal column in the world) and flanked by the Hermitage, Winter Palace, 1754-63 a 200m wide, beautiful green with creamy white painted building. From under the arch of the General Staff building, the triumphal column is perfectly positioned in the middle of the Palace Square and in front of the Winter Palace façade. What a crisp and impressive sight!
Aside: It is mandatory for Russians to be enrolled in the Military for 2 years. If there is no war, the reserves spend the time carrying-out civic duties such as scraping and painting heritage buildings to maintain their façades. No pay, its 'voluntold'. It's a big job considering 2 years of leaded exhaust from puffing vehicles creates a thick dusty layer on everything. But at least St.Petersburg looks fabulous and the respective individuals develop a trade... They also get to wear stylish military fatigues to do the duty! It's a bit surreal!
After exploring some of the city we ventured through the vicious doors of the metro, were whisked past the ballroom-like Avtovo station and arrived home with stories to tell. Mine, I saved for here considering all I could say about the city was: "fcusna" which is very wrong (in alphabet and in meaning). What that word means is "tastes good". So my summary of St.Petersburg is: mmmuuummm "tastes-good!" Yeah!
But seriously, it did also taste good! We enjoyed a nice, tasty, home cooked traditional Russian dinner and sprinted off to see Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre, 1859. We were almost late for the ballet due to my sucky-sprinting-shoes (heels). Mental note: St.Petersburg is big so wear slippers as long as possible! (See ‘godsend’ Day 2). When we arrived I simply ogled. I had one of the best seats in the house! The house: Stunning. Gold, round, shiny and twinkling. The chandeliers were calling me to touch them - they were so... twinkly! So eventually, when no one was looking, I did (shhh!). The dancing was ever so graceful as ballet is. I marveled. The music (Tchaikovsky, composed 1875/6) was wonderfully familiar and classic. If I could have, I would have increased the volume of the orchestra. And the scenery and sets were whimsical and perfectly light. What a beautiful building, what a beautiful ballet!
Avtovo Station: http://www.andrewlmoore.com/view_image.php?project_id=6&photo_id=22
Info on the Ballet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Lake
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