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St Petersburg & Moscow, Russia
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8-14 July 2002
Trip Diary by Winnie So
Forget the drab, grey picture of Moscow in the
Soviet era. Today's Russian cities are about living
it up. Our trip, as much as we enjoyed the sightseeing,
was really about shopping, dining, clubbing and
seeing those who wanted to be seen.
A Russian friend of mine from business school had
been trying to get me to visit him in Moscow for
years. I always thought I would visit him, but there
just wasn't any urgency. Finally, when he sent out
an e-mail announcing that he would be throwing an
unforgettable black-tie party, I was hooked. I had
just started WANLILU Play, a boutique travel planning
service that would like to pride itself on arranging
exceptional experiences abroad. A black tie ball
in an old imperial era palace seemed to fit the
bill. Andrei also happened to own one of Russia's
largest corporate visa and travel agencies, Andrews
Travel House, so I knew he would be able to take
care of us.
I sent out an e-mail saying I would be willing to
bring 9 people. In the end, we were a group of 10
people (9 girls and 1 guy). Andrei had warned me:
?ussian guys are ugly, but Russian chicks are hot?
But none of us girls really cared. We set off for
St Petersburg on 8 July from London. Some had flown
in a few days ahead of time to squeeze in some shows
and shopping in London. We flew out of Gatwick on
British Airways to St Petersburg. None of us opted
for the Aeroflot option, which would have cut down
the flying time, but also significantly cut down
on the comfort levels (one American tourist who
dared fly Aeroflot between St Petersburg and Moscow
complained of flies in the toilet).
We arrived St Petersburg and were met at the gate
by a rather stern-looking Russian woman who ushered
us to the VIP lounge where we were to wait until
our luggage had been picked up and the immigration
queues had abated. Meanwhile, we helped ourselves
to refreshments and delighted in the fact that money
could buy convenience in Russia. Of course, we had
paid for this VIP service, but in very few other
countries can one actually pay for this kind of
service. Usually, you have to be a diplomat, head
of state or a real VIP that gets a mention in Fortune
every now and then.
Within 45 minutes, we had cleared immigration, met
Elena (our English-speaking guide) and Dmitris the
guy who would queue for all our admission tickets,
had our luggage loaded into the minivan and were
on our way to the Radisson SAS hotel on Nevsky Prospekt.
By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was around
6:30pm. We decided to book Davidov's in the Hotel
Astoria for dinner at 8:30pm. While Radisson SAS
was a very comfortable hotel with all the amenities
you would expect from a modern, business hotel,
it lacked the charm of a more stately hotel such
as the newly-renovated Hotel Astoria or Grand Hotel
Europe. But after visiting the two other hotels,
some actually preferred the Radisson.
Hotel Astoria was a 20-minute walk from Radisson.
But after stopping for many photo-ops, we finally
arrived at Davidov's for dinner at 9pm, and it was
still very light outside. By the time we finished
dinner, 11:30pm, it was still light outside. As
it was our first night in Russia, we had decided
we couldn't skip the caviar and vodka. We also ordered
borsch, pelmeni (dumplings), Chicken Kiev, etc.
All of which was excellent, except the cold borsch
wasn't so popular.
The next morning, we headed straight for the Hermitage.
We were told that the place would be swarming with
tourists, and indeed it was. Dmitris had been queuing
for tickets early on. When we got there, we bypassed
the long queue and went straight into the Hermitage.
To say the least, it was stunning, but this would
be true of all the other palaces we were to see
in the next two days. Neither the Hermitage nor
its amazing collection disappointed, but what did
disappoint was not being able to have the space
to appreciate and take-in everything. I will definitely
go back, but next time, it will be in winter.
The weather was beautiful, warm bordering on hot.
The sun was out in full force, and there was hardly
a cloud in the sky. By the time we were in the boat
for our river and canal cruise, munching on caviar-topped
canapes and drinking Russian sparkling white wine
(which cannot be compared to Champagne because it
simply tastes nothing like it), some of us were
basking in the sunshine while others were shying
away from it trying to avoid the sunshine by covering
themselves like bandits. It was on the cruise that
you really get a feel for how beautiful St Petersburg
is, and to think that this was a Disneyland conceived
and realized by Peter the Great. Where there was
nothing but marshland, he created the ?enice of
the North?
By the time we got off the boat, we were all starving.
We had skipped lunch to visit Yusupov Palace where
Rasputin was murdered, and the canapes simply made
us more hungry. I suggested afternoon tea at McDonalds,
because McDonalds is everywhere. While it is a symbol
of American fast food and imperialism, it's also
a chance to see the local adaptations. McDonalds
is a culture unto itself; it has its own language.
Don't try to order ?at fries?or ?ig fries?because
they will give you a large order of normal fries.
If you don't want the skinny fries, order ?edges?
Fortunately, someone in the group had been a marketer
for McDonalds for years and managed to do the ordering.
I had a McFresh, which was a cheeseburger with fresh
lettuce and tomatoes, and five different sauces
to dip my wedges in. There was the normal mustard,
barbecue (which tasted a bit more mesquite-flavoured
than it does here), sweet-and-sour (which tasted
a bit more tangy), sweet curry and a white, creamy
sauce with dill. McDonalds, as it is most everywhere
else in the world, was packed; even at 4:30 in the
afternoon.
We were on Nevsky Prospekt, and the group split
to do their own shopping and strolling. One group
walked into a Hugo Boss shop sporting a -50% sign
and did not walk out empty-handed. Another walked
into a porcelain shop and also did not walk out
empty-handed. This marked the beginning of what
was to become a major shopping trip.
For dinner, we headed to a restaurant recommended
by a local. She assured me that this was one of
St Petersburg's hottest restaurants, not only because
the food was good, but also because it was frequented
by the ?et-setters? We arrived to find that Aquarell
was a restaurant anchored to the side of the river.
The structure was three-storeys high with glass
all around. The restaurant is on the middle floor,
while the top floor normally is a club (but on that
night, it was the venue for post-nuptual celebrations).
The food, continental fusion, did not disappoint.
Everything was delicious, the risotto, duck breast,
foie gras and chocolate cake were amazing. Sitting
in the restaurant, looking out onto the river, I
actually felt like I was having dinner in a London
restaurant overlooking the River Thames.
We had an early start the next day -- 9:15am. Elena
picked us up to take us outside the city to visit
Catherine's Palace and Peterhof. Catherine's Palace
was a lesson in imperial excess. The scale and beauty
of the palace was breathtaking, and this is with
restoration work still ongoing. One can only imagine
in what absolute splendour and decadence the Romanovs
were living (There was a story of Elizabeth ordering
that no woman could wear a dress twice to one of
her balls. To ensure this, she had all the dresses
stamped at each function). Peterhof's fountains
and gardens were even more breathtaking. Not only
were they beautiful, they were also something we,
as lay-people, could enjoy. The palaces are merely
museums, they are windows to the past. We can admire
their beauty and imagine the lives people led in
these magnificent halls, but we can't quite fully
appreciate it.
To return to St Petersburg from Peterhof, we opted
for the hydrofoil option, a bit of reprieve from
travelling by tour bus all day. We arrived back
by Hermitage around 6:15pm. We had 45 minutes to
spare before dinner at Caviar Bar in Grand Hotel
Europe. Caviar Bar served up Russian fare, with
of course an emphasis on caviar. There were a few
misses here with a very dry salmon and the atmosphere
was a bit less interesting than Davidov's or Aquarell,
but overall the food and service were worth the
visit.
After a satisfying dinner and a bit of last-minute
souvenir shopping in Grand Hotel Europe, we headed
for the train station to take the overnight train
to Moscow. We had booked first-class compartments
with two beds to a compartment. For US$77, we could
not expect the luxury of Orient Express. As train
travel goes, it was neither the worst I've seen
nor the best (and by best, I'm not even talking
about Orient Express, more SBB). I slept well, though
I was pestered by a persistent mosquito and wondered
whether the bedding was bug-free. The bathroom was....well,
tolerable. I arrived Moscow at 7:15am pretty well
rested, though there were others in the group who
were not. In the end, we were torn 50-50 between
whether train or domestic flight (which would have
lasted only 1 hour) would have been the better option.
I would still take the train now that I know what
to expect.
The one problem with arriving Moscow by train at
7:15am during peak tourist season when all the hotels
are at capacity is not being able to check-into
a room straight away to take a nice, refreshing
shower. Fortunately for me, the Marriott Aurora
had a fitness center equipped with pool, jacuzzi,
sauna and showers (which Radisson did not have).
Without a second thought, I headed straight for
the water. By the time I had freshened up and had
breakfast, the room was ready.
I had spied a Sergio Rossi with a -50% sign in the
window along the same street as the hotel. So, of
course, that was the first stop. The first thing
one quickly learns about shopping in Russia, and
in particular Moscow, is not to expect service.
Even if they have a size 37 in the storeroom, they
will tell you they don't have it. But somehow, after
lots of whining, a size 37 miraculously appears.
Maybe the salespeople just aren't on a commission
scheme yet. We were having trouble communicating
with the not-so-friendly salespeople when relief
came in the form of a Gucci and Prada-clad woman,
speaking very basic English. One of us asked for
a shoe in size 35, and she brought out all the shoes
she had in size 35 (granted, there weren't many,
this being Russia, land of women with large feet,
but this was a marked improvement from having no
service at all). Of course, she was duly rewarded
with many sales, because the prices were just too
good to pass up on.
Having seen that the shop manager (we had thought
she was the owner, but she said she was just a manager),
was decked out in vowel-ending Italian brands, we
thought that we might have hit brand-name bargain
central. So we headed for brand-name path next to
Hotel Metropole consisting of Giorgio Armani, Tod's,
Dolce & Gabanna and of course Gucci and Prada.
We checked prices in three of these stores and walked
away empty-handed. There was not much on sale here,
and even on sale it was more expensive than non-sale
prices in Hong Kong.
So back we went to Ulitsa Petrovka, the street of
our hotel, where we found a shop that is very much
like what Joyce was in the early 90s. According
to transliteration of the Cyrillic alphabet, the
shop would be called Litts Collection. Inside, the
racks were hung with Paul Smith, Costume National,
TSE among others. Here, we found a Korean salesperson
very helpful, even though his English was minimal.
We would later run into him again at one of the
hippest clubs in town.
That evening, some went off to watch the Russian
State Ballet perform Swan Lake (summer is off season,
so Bolshoi was not performing). The main complaint
was the lack of air-conditioning (which is common
throughout Moscow, even though the mercury reached
high-twenties). We all met up for dinner at Club
Propaganda. ?ost clubs in Moscow open and stay
open for about a year. Club Propaganda is a fixture
on the scene; it's been around for years,?explained
Andrei. During dinner time (which in Moscow time
is from 10pm-2am), Club Propaganda is a laid-back,
low-key kind of place with simple wooden tables
and benches. The food was good American comfort
food like Nachos, penne with salmon and dill cream
sauce, chicken wings with blue cheese dressing and
all sorts of salads. The dessert, blini with fried
bananas and nutella, was fabulous. And it was all
so cheap! All the while, we had been having US$50-80/head
(inclusive of wine, which is very expensive in Russia)
dinners. This particular night, we spent US$10 (granted,
we didn't have any wine). We didn't manage to stay
up late enough to see Club Propaganda transform
into the happening nightclub that its dj line-up
indicated it was (5-7am seemed to be the highlight
hours).
The next day, we had in store a very hot day of
sightseeing. We hit the Red Square first. Some had
already hit the souvenir shop here the day before
and came back with bag-loads of amber-studded wristwatches,
old postcards and all the usual souvenir items.
Red Square is beautiful, especially with St Basil's
Cathedral. But for me, Red Square is the irony of
the entrance to Lenin's Mausoleum facing the entrance
to GUM department store (another high-end, label-packed
arcade). We continued with our sightseeing to Cathedral
of Christ the Redeemer, which was rebuilt in the
last 10 years after Stalin ordered it blown up in
1931. We also paid a visit to Novodevichy Convent,
which was where noble women (including wives of
tsars) were dumped so that husbands could go off
to marry other women. Back then, divorce was frowned
upon and the other option, death, seemed a bit too
harsh for some husbands.
My sightseeing came to an abrupt end when I decided
to head off to Old Arbat on my own. When I finally
decided that it was just too hot to continue walking
around, I walked up to a taxi and started to negotiate
my fare back to the hotel. Just at that moment,
I was stopped by two policemen asking to see my
passport. I had read in guide books that one had
to have one's passport registered, which hotels
do for you. But I had overlooked the fact that I
was supposed to bring my passport with me. I knew
that they just wanted to make some money, but I
didn't quite know how the negotiation process worked.
They motioned for me to follow them to the police
station, which I did. On the way, I got my friend
Andrei on the phone and got him to negotiate with
one of the policemen. Andrei got my ?ine?down
to US$20 (apparently, some people have paid US$100).
The thought ran through my head to take a picture
of them, then I thought I'd better not. Andrei later
told me that the policeman he was negotiating said,
?ompared to a night at Aurora (Marriott), the fine
will not be that much?
After my run-in with the police, I headed back to
the hotel and got my passport. Dinner that night
was at Justo, a very trendy restaurant serving Japanese
food. I was very sceptical about going to a Japanese
restaurant in Moscow, but after assurances from
other friends who had been and nearly a week without
Asian food, we succumbed. The food was fabulous.
The salmon carpaccio was divine, and I was told
the black caviar hand rolls were just as good. The
fish was fresh, and even the uni was good. Unfortunately,
we neglected to specify outdoor seats when we booked.
Inside, the decor was fine, but for some reason
Russians think Fashion TV is trendy. After a fabulous
dinner at Justo, we headed for Marika where Andrei's
group was just settling in for pre-dinner drinks
(this was 9:30pm). By the time main course arrived,
it was midnight. We decided not to wait for them,
and asked to be excused to head to the club downstairs.
Andrei simply said, ?et me know when there are
people? At midnight, the club was pretty empty.
It wasn't until 2pm did the club fill up with people.
In Russia, vodka is very cheap, but don't expect
the bartenders to know how to mix a cosmopolitan
for you. In the end, we ordered shots of vodka and
glasses of orange and cranberry juice to mix our
own cosmopolitans. Marika was our first taste of
the Russian club scene, but it gave no hint of what
was to come.
As I mentioned earlier, there was supposed to be
a Black Tie bash. While Andrei was waiting for his
main course to arrive at Marika, he whispered into
my ear, ? have some bad news for you.?He didn't
have to go on, I knew he meant to tell me that the
Black Tie bash was not to be. ?he venue called
yesterday to say that they wanted to cancel. In
Russia, these things happen all the time, like getting
stopped by police, you just get philosophical about
it. But your friends aren't Russian, and I'm really
scared to tell them until they have a few more drinks.?br>
In the end, everyone took it ?hilosophically?
We all dressed up in our black tie gear anyway,
which ended up not being too overdressed for where
we were heading. Andrei had promised to make it
up to us by taking us to Moscow's most exclusive
?ace control?clubs, which means if the bouncer
likes your looks (i.e. you're tall, blonde and gorgeous)
you get in. But before the club, there was dinner
at Goa, an Asian-feeling restaurant serving up a
mixture of French, Indian and Japanese dishes. Food,
as usual, was delicious, and not all that expensive
(US$30 including wine and several rounds of Mojitos).
By midnight, we piled into 4 Mercedes and headed
off to Jet Set. It was still quiet and we got in
without a hitch, because Andrei had put down a deposit
for a private room. Jet Set has a beautiful, modern
tented area, where most people seemed to prefer
to hangout. But again, they had Fashion TV projected
onto a big screen. Inside, there was a good-sized
dance floor with a cool decor (i.e. blue lights,
steel and glass, the exception being gilded baroque
ceiling mouldings and fixtures). In the next section
is a warm Morroccan-inspired decor, which leads
down to an Orthodox chapel-inspired decor where
a dj spins more lounge music than the club music
outside. We had the Moroccan area all to ourselves.
While Andrei had ordered Champagne, it seems that
the bartenders haven't been taught the importance
of serving up Champagne chilled, so we got warm
Champagne. But given our rather lush surroundings
and the great music, we were willing to make concessions
here and there.
By 2am, just as half the group was about to call
it a night, Andrei dashes in: ?laude Challe is
here!! He's dj-ing outside!?Claude Challe, is the
dj of Buddha Bar fame (he's since moved on, but
people still remember him as Paris' Buddha Bar dj).
From that moment on, we hit the dance floor and
it took a while before some of us left, while others
rested and then went back for more. The music was
incredible. Andrei, and his girlfriend Catherine,
who have seen him on other occasions, both agreed
he was spinning at top form. V, who had seen him
in Hong Kong on that rare occasion, also noted that
he was much better on this particular night. It's
hard to say what got Claude spinning to such mad
perfection, but we could all tell he was in his
element and enjoying it immensely. He was like a
Buddha with a smile, spinning his gospel, lifting
spirits and elevating bodies. He could feel the
floor, as Andrei put it. He knew what beat the crowd
wanted and he gave it to them. By 4:30am, though
energy levels were still high, the last of us decided
to call it a night leaving Andrei and Catherine
there. V, who owns a small bar in Hong Kong, however,
would not leave until she got Claude's namecard.
Within 15 minutes, she was back waving namecard
in hand. Who knows, maybe we'll get Claude in top
form here in Hong Kong sometime.
I had one last run-in with the police. At 4:30am,
heading back to the hotel in one of the club's cars
(which costs 500 roubles instead of the normal 200
roubles), the police stopped our driver for speeding
through Moscow's wide, empty streets. The driver
got out and got into the police car. They chatted
for a few minutes. I could not help but feel a bit
of sympathy for him. I could only imagine how much
he would have handed over to the policeman to turn
a blind eye to his little transgression. Perhaps
a few hundred roubles? I can just imagine the policeman
saying, ?ompared to what you're charging those
tourists, your fine will not be that much?
So what was this Russia trip about? It was hardly
about the sightseeing (although I would like to
go back and do some of it in cooler and less touristy
times). This Russia trip was about living it up
as the new breed of Russians do. ?et-setters?
they're called. There's a buzz in Moscow, we definitely
felt it. From the VIP airport treatment to bingeing
on caviar, to sports car spotting (the best was
a Ferrari outside Grand Hotel Europe), to shopping
(someone in our group described it as ?ike being
in Milan!? to the amazing club experience, we came
back feeling we had spent a week living it up in
two very European-feeling cities. The sun was out
in full force, and with July daylight stretching
into the early morning, St Petersburg and Moscow
were definitely two shining, bright cities worthy
of its decadent imperial past.
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