St Petersburgh

On our motorcoach drive out of Moscow,
we began to see how the people really live.....stacked in gray, stone Soviet block apartments ranging from six to fifteen stories high. There is no elevator below the sixth floor.

Children go to school within the buildings and I assume there were small stores within the walls also, for the people do not own cars and there are no shopping areas nearby.
Our Intourist Guide commented that the buildings, still owned by the goverment, are in ill repair...rusty, leaking plumbing and old, faulty electrical wiring.

By the way, we were required to have an Intoursit (State employed) Guide with our bus all the time we were traveling in Russia. A born and bred Moscovite, he very plainly (and with seeming appology) told us that American dollars provided the reconstruction we had seen in their country, but the Russian people do not feel in any way beholden for it.

Seeing the miles and miles of drab, apartments stacked side by side and miles deep with no landscaping except weeds, I found dehumanizing. Many families share apartments or at least three or four families would share one kitchen and one bath. We were told that they are used to having no water for a period of time.......A WEEK OR TWO !!

I felt better when we were told that those with money could own homes (dachas) in the suburban areas around the large cities......that is, until we saw the villages with the dachas.
The norm was run down, knee deep with weeds, deserted looking abodes.
For me, this was even more depressing.

Once we got to St.Petersburg things livened up again. We enjoyed an evening of Russian Folk Music and Dance.

The dancing was lively and the costumes colorful....the singing, well it was a bit too harsh and nasal for me !

St. Petersburgh has wide streets and large, impressive architecture, beautiful cathedrals and museums.

Our last day, we had lunch on a private canal boat where we had a great time with the young performers.

Our youngest tour member, Chris, is being taught how to do the famous squatted dance....think maybe I could do it in a chair also !

The fountain on the left was on the grounds of the Peter Hof Summer Palace....fabulous inside and out !

This 13th century castle was on our way out of St. Petersburg....lovely.

Crossing borders between countries was an expected long wait, but I don't believe we had any wait for more than an hour or so...which they say is good !

As we drove across the border from Russia into Finland, there was a very marked difference.
Suddenly, the farm lands were tilled, houses and barns were in good condition and the areas mowed and cleaned.
Flowers were again in flower pots and you felt you were in Europe again...a place of great pride and care.

I would not take anything for having this experience. But though I have been out of our country many times to Europe and to even to Third World Countries, I have never before felt such relief to be gone.

I pray that our country will stay strong and stand firm against aggressors
and be able to continue to be the "Land of the Free".