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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Russia 2019 Day 12: St. Isaac's Cathedral & A Russian Folklore Show
Russia 2019 Day 12: 20th May (Monday)
Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities).
Day 12 Russian Folklore Show:
Tchaikovsky House>walk>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House>Galernaya Ulitsa>Alexander Garden>Nicholas Palace (Folklore Show)>Mariinsky Palace>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House.
Day 12 Russian Folklore Show:
Tchaikovsky House>walk>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House>Galernaya Ulitsa>Alexander Garden>Nicholas Palace (Folklore Show)>Mariinsky Palace>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House.
This is page 13 of a 15-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page
< D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise | Go to Other Days | D13: Old Arbat Street >
< D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise | Go to Other Days | D13: Old Arbat Street >
1. Traffic Directions!
Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.2. Getting to & around Russia.
Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.
We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.
Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through Tanya (contact no.: +7921-923-12-27), a local agent in St. Petersburg.
Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was by the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train. Within Moscow, we got around using the Moscow Metro.
For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions. Click here for exchange rates to Rubles (presently 1MYR = 18.67 RUR, i.e. Russian Rubles).
3. Immigration & Customs Requirements
Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency affiliated with a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.
For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated; have this scanned, and you're through.
4. Places & Things of Interest
This is a walking route around St. Petersburg's historic centre and later to the Nicholas Palace to see a Russian Folklore show. There were many scenic and interesting places along the way, but one should not miss the following (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to the respective places):
- St. Isaac's Cathedral (Исаа́киевский Собо́р, Isaakievskiy Sobor) (GPS: 59.9339, 30.30648). Entry ticket 300 roubles, copula climb extra 260 roubles.
- Alexander Garden (Александровский сад, Aleksandrovskiy Sad) (GPS: 59.93587, 30.30535).
- Walk along Galernaya Ulitsa (Галерная улица) (GPS: 59.93380, 30.29603), a quiet street of stately houses.
- Mariinsky Palace (Мариинcкий дворец) (GPS: 59.93077, 30.30959), also known as the Marie Palace. It houses the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly (Законодательное собрание).
5. Food
a. Breakfast
Inclusive Russian & Western Breakfast buffet at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245).
Oldham Pub & Steak House (Website Link) (GPS: 59.93256, 30.31506):
Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears), Hungarian Goulash, Belgian beer.
c. Dinner Snacks
At Nicholas Palace (Николаевский дворец) (GPS: 59.93210, 30.29196):
Napoleon Cake (Mille-feuille), Buterbrod (Buterbrod s Hrasnoy Ikroy / Russian Open-faced Sandwich with Red Caviar (Ikra) & Butter), with Pink & White Sparkling Wine.
Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears), Hungarian Goulash, Belgian beer.
c. Dinner Snacks
At Nicholas Palace (Николаевский дворец) (GPS: 59.93210, 30.29196):
Napoleon Cake (Mille-feuille), Buterbrod (Buterbrod s Hrasnoy Ikroy / Russian Open-faced Sandwich with Red Caviar (Ikra) & Butter), with Pink & White Sparkling Wine.
d. Late Dinner
6. Accommodations
Fourth of four nights at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245) in St. Petersburg.
7. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide got the Beeline physical SIM cards (with 14 days unlimited data) at 700 RUR (MYR 37.50) for us before we arrived.
Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online; just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.
8. Communicating with Locals
At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, most locals speak only Russian. As such, it helps to know some basic Russian.
9. Dressing
When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in churches and monasteries.
10. Weather
A useful weather forecast site for Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
Yesterday was a busy day; in the morning I joined a guided cycling tour that took me to many off-the-beaten-track places.
In the evening, I rejoined my traveling companions for a beautiful Neva River Cruise on a Koryshka Boat that went along the Neva River, Bolshaya Neva, and Reka Malaya Nevka.
Today will be a free and easy day; we will visit a cathedral and attend a folklore show!
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DAY 12: ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL & FOLKORE SHOW
Many of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first.)
We kicked off the day with a visit to the St. Isaac's Cathedral.
It's a free & easy day, and we made a longer visit to the cathedral; on the previous days we had just admired it from the outside.
6:30pm - In the evening, we took a slow walk through the Alexander Garden and along the quieter Galernaya Ulitsa to the Nicholas Palace to attend a Russian Folklore show.
At Nicholas Palace snacks before the show:
Napoleon Cake (Mille-feuille), Buterbrod (Buterbrod s Hrasnoy Ikroy / Russian Open-faced Sandwich with Red Caviar (Ikra) & Butter), with Pink & White Sparkling Wine.
I just learnt that the Japanese word Ikura actually comes from the Russian word Ikra, i.e., salmon roe. The Napoleon Cake actually has a red N to indicate it.
Overall, a good appetiser to build us up for the show!
The Russian Folklore show is a presentation of Russian folk stories through traditional Russian folk music and Russian folk dance with colourful costumes. The dances were from the Russian North, the Urals & Siberia. These included the Russian North Khorovod Dances, the Ural Bashkir Folk Dance, the Siberian Суслики (Squirrel) Dance, and the lively Cossack Hopan Dance.
The Cossack Hopan Dance,
A dance with the ladies wearing colourful Platok floral shawls and dancing like butterflies ending with smooth, floating Berezka movements.
The girls with a local lady wearing a Russian ethnic costume consisting of Ponyova/Sarafan layered skirt, Khlust/Rubakha shirt with voluminous sleeves adorned with geometric folk embroidery around the cuffs and forearms, a Platok floral shawl over the shoulder, and a Kokoshnik embroidered festive headdress.
On our walk back saw these yellow pansies blooming at the Mariinsky Palace, the legislative assembly.
10:15pm Late dinner, we are back to our favourite place, Oldham Pub & Steak House. We like it because it serves a good range of Russian food and also some good Western food. This time we had:
An after dinner walk, saw this bicycle and really wanted to ride it!
Aiks! It's the Ukrainian Chernigivske Beer talking!
Just a while later, I was sobered up enough to recognise the message from this poster:
On closer look, it sent a strong environmental message of a monstrous fish gulping up the earth. The fish is made of single-use PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, indicating the danger of PET usage.
I.E. PLASTICS WILL DEVOUR THE WORLD!
День долгий, но интересный.
Day 12 Russian Folklore Show:
Tchaikovsky House>walk>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House>Galernaya Ulitsa>Alexander Garden>Nicholas Palace (Folklore Show)>Mariinsky Palace>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House.
Tchaikovsky House>walk>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House>Galernaya Ulitsa>Alexander Garden>Nicholas Palace (Folklore Show)>Mariinsky Palace>Oldham Pub>Tchaikovsky House.
Distance: 3.86km.
Many of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first.)
We kicked off the day with a visit to the St. Isaac's Cathedral.
It's a free & easy day, and we made a longer visit to the cathedral; on the previous days we had just admired it from the outside.
The more adventurous can climb up to its cupola for a panoramic view of St. Petersburg. The entry ticket to the cathedral was 300 roubles; the cupola climb was an extra 260 roubles.
Lunch at the Oldham Pub & Steak House, this time I didn't go alone but went with the rest of the gang.
We had Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears) with potato chips and Hungarian Goulash, Belgian beer.
Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears).
These are different from the Chinese Stewed Pig's Ears, having more meat and being less crunchy.
We had this Hungarian Goulash, very delicious but different from the one that I had at Dürnsteinerhof Restaurant in Dürnstein during a 2015 Austrian day-cycling tour of the Wachau Wine Valley.
Lunch at the Oldham Pub & Steak House, this time I didn't go alone but went with the rest of the gang.
We had Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears) with potato chips and Hungarian Goulash, Belgian beer.
Lithuanian Kiaulės Ausis (Smoked Pig's Ears).
These are different from the Chinese Stewed Pig's Ears, having more meat and being less crunchy.
We had this Hungarian Goulash, very delicious but different from the one that I had at Dürnsteinerhof Restaurant in Dürnstein during a 2015 Austrian day-cycling tour of the Wachau Wine Valley.
6:30pm - In the evening, we took a slow walk through the Alexander Garden and along the quieter Galernaya Ulitsa to the Nicholas Palace to attend a Russian Folklore show.
At Nicholas Palace snacks before the show:
Napoleon Cake (Mille-feuille), Buterbrod (Buterbrod s Hrasnoy Ikroy / Russian Open-faced Sandwich with Red Caviar (Ikra) & Butter), with Pink & White Sparkling Wine.
I just learnt that the Japanese word Ikura actually comes from the Russian word Ikra, i.e., salmon roe. The Napoleon Cake actually has a red N to indicate it.
Overall, a good appetiser to build us up for the show!
The Russian Folklore show is a presentation of Russian folk stories through traditional Russian folk music and Russian folk dance with colourful costumes. The dances were from the Russian North, the Urals & Siberia. These included the Russian North Khorovod Dances, the Ural Bashkir Folk Dance, the Siberian Суслики (Squirrel) Dance, and the lively Cossack Hopan Dance.
The Cossack Hopan Dance,
A dance with the ladies wearing colourful Platok floral shawls and dancing like butterflies ending with smooth, floating Berezka movements.
The girls with a local lady wearing a Russian ethnic costume consisting of Ponyova/Sarafan layered skirt, Khlust/Rubakha shirt with voluminous sleeves adorned with geometric folk embroidery around the cuffs and forearms, a Platok floral shawl over the shoulder, and a Kokoshnik embroidered festive headdress.
On our walk back saw these yellow pansies blooming at the Mariinsky Palace, the legislative assembly.
10:15pm Late dinner, we are back to our favourite place, Oldham Pub & Steak House. We like it because it serves a good range of Russian food and also some good Western food. This time we had:
Borscht Soup, Fish & Chips, Ukrainian Chernigivske Beer.
See, I did not bluff you - it's a Russian staple soup, with an English pub grub AND an Ukrainian drink!
See, I did not bluff you - it's a Russian staple soup, with an English pub grub AND an Ukrainian drink!
An after dinner walk, saw this bicycle and really wanted to ride it!
Aiks! It's the Ukrainian Chernigivske Beer talking!
Just a while later, I was sobered up enough to recognise the message from this poster:
On closer look, it sent a strong environmental message of a monstrous fish gulping up the earth. The fish is made of single-use PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, indicating the danger of PET usage.
I.E. PLASTICS WILL DEVOUR THE WORLD!
День долгий, но интересный.
(that's "Den' dolgiy, no interesnyy.", "It's a long but interesting day." in Russian)
(For more photos of Day 12, Click Here)
This is page 13 of a 15-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page
< D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise | Go to Other Days | D13: Old Arbat Street >
< D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise | Go to Other Days | D13: Old Arbat Street >
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