This was the next day, and I don't know why all of my computer devices today are operating at maximum sluggishness. It's very irritating. Time is of the essence, my man.
Hostel breakfast was very nice, actually. Lots of yoghurts, coffee as always, milk, and cereal.
St Petersburg this morning dawned inclement and grey and pouring with rain, which made me delirious with joy, until I was out walking to the currency exchange and realized that it was a bit colder than I'd bargained for, so had to run back to the hostel and get my jersey. Then went off to the currency exchange, which was very conveniently located around the corner, and got a bunch of rubles, and we are in business baby.
It rained for the better half of that morning, and I didn't complain, well not too much, because I usually like the rain, and it was an experience, seeing St Petersburg in the rain. That being said, it really was pouring - not light drizzle, but heavy duty, jumbo raindrops. Ksenia told us that this was standard St Petersburg weather, and I took it in my stride, and we walked. There was a rather poetic sort of bleakness to Nevsky Prospekt in the rain which I reveled in.
Our first stop was St Petersburg's most famous sweetshop, the Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop upon 56 Nevsky Prospekt. It was constructed in 1902–1903 and is more than one hundred years old, and was a vast, ornate building that was an interesting blend of Russia's opulent imperialist past, and the new - communism and post communism. Business in the shop was very good.
More to come.
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| Within the Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop |
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| Standing outside the Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop |
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| Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop |
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| Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop |
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| Statue of Catherine the Great |
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| Outer facade of Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop |
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