The Petrovka Loft is in quite an upscale Moscow neighborhood, which turns out not to be the good thing it would seem. The entrance is near a porn store in an alley, which is dark and sketchy at night, and there’s no place nearby to buy a candy bar and a bottle of water beforeContinue reading “I chose our lodging because of the Vampire Diaries”
Author Archives: Kari Neumeyer
I like dogs better than communists anyway
One of the highlights of my last trip to Moscow was seeing Lenin’s embalmed corpse. When I told my guide (a friend of a friend) that I wanted to see it, he scoffed. “That is not the real Moscow,” he said. I’m still wondering what the real Moscow is. This morning, we woke early toContinue reading “I like dogs better than communists anyway”
Has Moscow changed, or have I?
I’m starting to wear down and look forward to the end of the trip when I can be reunited with my doggies. It’s not that I don’t like Moscow; I actually like it more than I did when I was here before. It seemed grittier 11 years ago, and I didn’t feel as safe onContinue reading “Has Moscow changed, or have I?”
Moscow Mule
To get in the spirit for Russia, and to educate myself, I’ve been reading a book called Moscow Mule. I thought it was a novel loosely based on a British man’s experience in Russia in the early 1990s. But since the main character’s name is the same as the author’s, I have cleverly deduced thatContinue reading “Moscow Mule”
Homage to the Hermitage
The other day when it rained on us outside the Peter and Paul Fortress, I was briefly overtaken with traveler’s fatigue (and a touch perhaps of seasonal affective disorder). “I just want to curl up on the couch with a warm dog and watch a movie,” I said over bliny. Fortunately, the rain was briefContinue reading “Homage to the Hermitage”
A word about our lodging
For our visits to St. Petersburg and Moscow, I selected bed and breakfasts suggested by Way to Russia. In St. Petersburg, we’re staying at the SwissStar, and were picked up at the airport by a good-looking young man who said almost nothing on the ride. We were greeted by Lena, who spoke not very muchContinue reading “A word about our lodging”
Autumn at the Russian Versailles
Today was a relaxing day, by comparison. The plan was to take the hydrofoil to Peterhof to see Peter the Great’s palace. But when we arrived at the pier with the big Meteorboat to Peterhof sign (in Cyrillic), it was deserted and the guy at the coffeeshop said there were no boats. “Because of theContinue reading “Autumn at the Russian Versailles”
The Rasputin Conspiracy
When I was in St. Petersburg in 2001, I wasn’t able to visit the cellar where Rasputin was murdered. Who even knows why I wanted to, except that I like macabre stuff. In my travel story, I said that it’s worth seeing the rest of the Yusupov Palace even if you can’t do the separateContinue reading “The Rasputin Conspiracy”
Everyone’s entitled to a crappy day
Rob is napping under a steel table in a Russian Laundromat, and for some reason the surly yet petite laundry lady is letting him. When we first entered, she had all eight machines running, and snarled at us something that I interpreted as “No time for your laundry. I have all these loads and eightContinue reading “Everyone’s entitled to a crappy day”
Lessons from St. Petersburg
When you’re used to visiting cities the scale of Florence or Prague, you look at a map of St. Petersburg and think it’s an easy walk from your B&B to the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood. It is not. Take the metro. I’d forgotten, but that was the advice I gave in aContinue reading “Lessons from St. Petersburg”
Kari Neumeyer 