For those of you who don’t speak Russian (including me!) ‘На здоровье’ means ‘Cheers’ and is pronounced ‘na zda-rov’-ye’. By far the most important word to learn before a trip to Russia. And that’s me (above) practicing my toasting skills during intermission at the ballet. What follows is my ‘toast’ to Russia. A list of some of the foodie finds and new culinary discoveries that I will miss when I am home. (more…)
Arriving in St. Petersburg, I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the city. There is an almost surreal quality to it, exemplified by the Church on Spilled Blood (pictured above), that made me feel like I had just stepped into my own personal Russian fairy tale. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg was designed to someday become the new cultural center of Russia. He suceeded on this count. From the sheer size and scope of the collection at the Hermitage to the amazing number of ballets and operas being performed nightly, the arts scene here is undeniably amazing and vibrant. It has also always been the literary center of Russia and Russia’s most revered writers, including Tolstoy, Pushkin and Gogol all lived here at various times and there are museums dedicated to them all over the city. Russians take their literature seriously and no where more so than in St. Petersburg. (more…)
On our first evening in Moscow, we discovered the Esenin Cafe, which we stumbled on by accident near our hotel. This charming and cozy restaurant is named after a Russian poet, Sergei Yesenin, and features fairly inexpensive and traditional Russian fare and live music. It turned out to be our favorite restaurant in Russia and would be worth a return trip to Moscow just to spend a few more evenings there. Since we were in Russia and since most of the tables around us had carafes of vodka on the table, the first order of the night seemed to be ordering a shot of vodka. Along with the icy shot of vodka came a complimentary shot of a currant infused vodka for each of us….another example of Russian hospitality in action! (more…)
It is hard not to fall in love with Russia. All of the preconceived notions I had of Dr. Zhivago-esque romance were, actually, quite true. It was as glamourous and intriguing and complex as I had imagined. What I wasn’t prepared for was the incredible warmth and hospitality of the Russian people. I had planned this trip with my mom, who has always been fascinated by Russian history, from the Tsars to the Russian Revolution. The plan was to spend a few days in Moscow, and the majority of our time in St. Petersburg. (more…)
