The Past Three Weeks

It's getting really warm in Petersburg at the moment, so I've finally been able to ditch my ski jacket and snow boots! This has been a long time coming!!

The White Nights have started nice and early, so we're currently averaging over 15 hours of daylight per day. This is set to gradually increase until it reaches around 19 hours of daylight per day in June, which is when the fun will start! The White Night period is supposed to be crazy, with lots of drinking, music and festivals etc. It's really strange to get used to, but it's so nice. Stefka and I are lucky that our room is west facing, so our room doesn't get too light (or hot, the heating's not due to be turned off until the end of April) of a morning.Our friends on the other side of the corridor are less lucky, because the sun shines in to their room really brightly, making it difficult for them to sleep. 

Today, I went to my lessons and then I went out for an Indian 'business lunch', which was brilliant and under £4 in total. Got to love a business lunch! (Business lunch = the lunch time deals that all the restaurants do. Usually a two or three course meal inc. drink for an obscenely cheap price) I can't believe all of the food available to us here!! If I don't come back at least a few stone heavier, I'll be shocked! The past few hours have been spent sunbathing in the park with friends and a few beers (making the most of legally being able to drink outdoors here). Absolute heaven.

To top it all off, after Friday we have two weeks off school for our second 'reading week' of the semester. I've booked to go to Istanbul with a few friends, so I doubt any of us will be getting much reading done. Our flight to Turkey does have a brief stop in Kiev though, which obviously is starting to get a bit worrying, considering the current tension between Russia and Ukraine. I'll update on this as it approaches. 

I think writing about the past three weeks would be far to overwhelming... so to sum up; I love my lessons and my Russian's definitely improving, the city is still proving to be one of the most exciting places I've ever been to, my blood is probably about 74% cocktail now and I am eating all of the food. ALL OF IT.

Here's the proof...

Starting off with reading week (I walked my socks off that week): This is a picture I took approaching Saint Isaac's Cathedral. Temperatures were still around zero degrees, possibly slightly still in the minus numbers.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral in all its glory! The snow subsiding nicely, showing signs of the warmer weather to come.

I could have spent hours stood in front of The Bronze Horseman. Just thinking about the history surrounding this
monument gives me goosebumps. 

I revisited Marchellis for my favourite carbonara and a smidge of German revision. I have the patience of a three year old when it comes to food, so obviously I ate half of it before taking this picture, meaning I could only capture about five strands of spaghetti -sorry, my bad. You'll just have to take my word for it. Best carbonara I've had so far. 

I spent a lot of time in the park opposite my hotel, looking at its beautiful frozen lake and watching those daring enough to walk across it. There weren't many brave (read:stupid) enough to try it though, since it'd started melting at this point.

I went to see The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood for the first time. I'm still yet to go in it though (although I'm really excited to do to),  so pictures of its interior will follow in another post. 

The frozen canals starting to thaw. 

Babushka feeding pigeons. 

Bowling for Joe's 21st Birthday. A Russian man set us up on the machine and typed our names in. I became
Anna, which is close enough. Joe, however, somehow became Joy, which was the funniest thing ever.

Eating out is still an amazing part of my time here. I'll have to update the food section on here because it's all been so good!
This picture was taken at Clean Plates Society. 

Picture taken on the stroll home from Clean Plates Society. So beautiful!

I revisited The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood again on 15th April, in much warmer weather! It looked incredible.

Nevsky Prospekt: Dom Knigi on the left, which has the ever-impressive Singer Cafe inside it & The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in the background. There is history everywhere you look. Dom Knigi is Saint Petersburg's largest and most famous bookshop, built in 1904, it is one of the most historic and beautiful buildings on Nevsky. 

I told you cocktails happened...

We're spending a lot of time in this park now that the weather is nice and warm. It's a really relaxing place to meet after
class for a bit of a chill out/sunbathe.

Picture of me & Olivia on Neksky taken on Easter Sunday

Me & Stefka in Palace Square trying to coordinate a jump for the photo. We're both hopeless though and just
look like we're doing some kind of interpretive dance.

Sunbathing today after class

So much fun in the sun, lets hope the warm weather continues!

 UPDATE ON THE STRANGE THINGS I'VE SEEN

Surprisingly, there are only really two strange things worth mentioning. (I'm starting to get worried in case this is because I'm somehow getting used to/less shocked by things here?! Lord, I hope not.)

While sitting in the park, I saw these two women strutting around the lake with hiking poles. I hope that this
picture, combined with those above, show just how flat the park is. There is absolutely no need for hiking poles. (If
anything, I think they'd be a hindrance.) After these women had finished their walk, they started using the hiking poles
for  the strangest routine of stretches/yoga/meditation that I've ever seen. It was very amusing to watch.

Managing to capture this picture was a golden moment for me. This is a picture of a man (who
was walking with his wife/girlfriend), with the classic mullet... carrying a dog with a pony tail.
A MAN, WITH A MULLET, CARRYING A DOG IN A HANDBAG, AND THE DOG HAS A
PONY TAIL. If a couple are in a serious relationship, it's not uncommon for the man to
carry his partner's handbag, just to show how devoted he is to her. A dog (have I mentioned
it has a pony tail?) being carried a handbag by a mulleted individual
though is something that I haven't seen before.