Saint Petersburg: a city of wonders

Saint Petersburg, the city of winds, the northern Venice or call it as you may, is a city that is full of wonders and places to discover. Your innate curiosity will be awakened by the vast variety of socio-culturalism and all the touristic attractions it is very well known for. Starting from the architectural design the city holds, embracing hints of baroque, renaissance, modernism and still tightly embracing hints of communism, whispering millions of decades of history while you walk on its streets and offering a wide cultural entertainment.

Peter and Paul Fortress was one of the first places that captivated me when I first arrived, the water of the Neva, the cathedral, the monuments, the fields and museums, everything within its walls is a work of art. From the beach of the Fortress, the Hermitage can be seen at all of its glory, the opening bridges can also be seen from the spot; at night, the view is magical, and despite it having to close at around ten in the evening, when the sun sets earlier during the fall, winter and part of spring the place lights up offering a picturesque scenario.

The essence of this city is mainly defined by the wonders it holds. No, not the superficial wonders, but the very core of it: The friendliness of its people, the hidden passages that will lead you up to the roofs where you can oversee the horizon as the sun sets behind the buildings, or the cozy café's hosted in departments and making life much enjoyable, while painting the picture vintage with its museums that narrate the lives of famous Russian authors like Pushkin or Dostoevsky, as well as the public libraries where you can find yourself a good book and get comfortable before submerging for hours in a world of surrealism, history, or knowledge.

Being a metropolis, life in Saint Petersburg flies by. Every day is a race against the clock, especially for students. Saint Petersburg is a city that practically never sleeps, and alike many cities of its caliber, it holds nighttime activities such as clubbing, night sightseeing, night tours, as well as very common things like supermarkets and stores that keep their doors open 24/7. And, believe it or not, the pace of life locals hold is quite accelerated, even their walking pace can sometimes be hard to keep up with, a bit hard to get used to as well.

All of this and the experience of its surroundings, the waters from the Gulf of Finland surround some of the most attractive places at the very edge of its suburban profile, enchanting northern beaches that are charming whether it’s winter or summer.

Kamarova is one of my personal favorites, in all seasons. It holds an air of mystery and quiet, the beach is open to anyone who wants to explore it, and it is surrounded by a wide extension of nature as well as country houses or "Dachas", as they are called in Russian. When visited during fall, the sunsets are amazing (as well as the sunrises) and at night the sky is dotted with bright stars. Camp fires are allowed, so you can gather a group of friends and sit around a fire. Not only that but also make sure you walk down all the mysterious roads it offers, it is quite easy to get lost, especially when surrounded by different shades of yellow, orange, red and a golden afternoon sunshine that just makes everything a dramatic colorful scene. The smell is also unique, after a good morning sprinkle, the air smells like fresh pine and wet soil. Also, if you decide to stay a couple of nights, make sure to visit a "home for rest" or "dom otdija" as it would be in Russian. The packages often include all the meals throughout the day, all based in the soviet Russian diet.

Getting back to the urban grounds, I started by exploring the different culinary display they have. I started out by trying different kinds of food, my first option was definitely a taste of the typical Russian: Teremok. I tried out the pancakes or "blinis", and I was surprised to learn that they also make combinations of pancakes with salty fillings! Although I really like that kind, I have a sweet tooth, and I must say I prefer the pancakes with sweet fillings, starting from as simple as honey or as elaborate as apple-caramel (No, it is not like the American apple pie filling. It contains less spices, but by far it’s my very favorite!). Taking the chance, I decided to try Borsh as well, which is a red soup made out of beets and some other shredded vegetables and I was very surprised to find myself enjoying it! I was quite skeptical at first since beets is a vegetable that is not usually in my menu, but certainly the combination is unique, and very appropriate for the cold weather! And to drink, I had some Kvas which is a drink made out of fermented black or rye bread and has a very particular taste, but goes very well with the items from the menu. Pelmeni, Chebureki, black bread, cutlets and many more items in the Russian menu have given my flavor palate completely new perspective about food in general.