Sunday morning and we get going about 10:00 and head towards the Hermitage, probably the largest museum in the world spanning 5 buildings. The collection of the State Hermitage includes more than three million works of art and artefacts of the world culture of which only 5% are on display at any time. To see the entire museum you would have to walk around 40 kilometres and one minute for each exhibit would take 11 years to see everything.
The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage situated in the centre of St Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace. The collection was started by a substantial purchase by Catherine the Great in 1764. Among exhibits are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material.
We focused on the halls which I wanted to see (impressionist art, Malachite Room and Lapis Room and some others) missing the ones that had limited interest such as Roman and Egyptian periods.
In keeping with what normally happens to me in Museums these days I have a need to get out after around three hours feeling slightly claustrophobic.
We head to spilled blood church. This marvellous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. Alexander II initiated a number of reforms in 1861 freeing the Russian serfs and undertook a rigorous program of military, judicial and urban reforms, never before attempted in Russia. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 by a group of revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage outside this church.
We had decided to do a river/canal audio tourist cruise so hop on a boat which turns out to be a food/drink one hour trip up the river but it was good fun and relaxing so no issues. It is around 18:00 when we return to the hotel where we decide n program for the evening. I catch up on sleep waking at 22:00 and go out for a forest style clear mushroom soup and pelmeni dinner – yum. Finally get to sleep around 02:00
Up early on Monday and feeling sleep deprived but with a long plane journey (tuens out longer than I had hoped (see below) I wasn’t too fussed.
We decide to take a chance on the Metro which proves to be dead easy ($A0.80) including one change arriving near the Mikhailovky and Summer Gardens which are both spectacular and a not to be missed adventure.
Being the last night we agree to a pub dinner which for me was again Pelmeni – last chance and off to bed as I have to wake at 03:00 to catch my 06:20 flight to Frankfurt/Los Angeles.
I go to the front desk and ask where the taxi I had organised through them was and when it would be there. After a few phone calls turns out I was waiting inside and he was waiting outside for 15 minutes. YAWN. I get to the airport and luckily try my hand at checking in Business Class rather than economy despite my economy ticket which proves VERY lucky. No sign of my booking – well of course not my travel agent had booked it for the following week. Off to the office to sort out and luckily I didn’t have my blood pressure meter as I am guessing it would have been off the Richter scale.
Luckily I find an obliging German (hmm I was thinking of a comment but won’t) in Lufthansa whose first words are sorry can’t fix this but after tapping her computer for what seems like an eternity finally says yes I can do it and believe it or not no charge.
Down to the check-in manage an exit seat with no seat in front of me and empty seat next to me and then the security guard has to be woken up to inspect the contents of my bag. I race for the plane and a breezy flight to Frankfurt where I exit through customs/immigration to have a nice Crab Salad and Coffee as I did on my flight out of Frankfurt a week earlier. Went to go back in only to be told no you need to go to the other end of the terminal for different gates. So I get there and queue up for security and after I get through I go to reclaim my E19 Tax refund to find that the office is closed but they end somebody around after 15 minutes whose sole function is to stamp my form as they don’t actually process the refunds except in the terminal I had just come from. My day improves by the minute. But that’s not all keep watching this space.
Lovely flight on an old shitty 747-400, but at least bulkhead and empty seat next to me. I have a drug assisted 7 hour sleep and wake in good shape with a fast passage through immigration and as I get to the baggage carousel a tap on my shoulder from the Customs Border Protection Officer “sorry sir I couldn’t get your ETSA visa confirmed”.
I get dragged back to his station while he makes some enquiries and get taken to the CBP Admissibility Review area. Summary as I don’t want to relive every moment:
I ring my friends in Phoenix and find that things are a little strained again and they are driving their son to camp on Sunday so will likely stay two extra days in Los Angeles and drive to Phoenix on Sunday spending 5 days with my friends. David has offered to take me to a Gay Pride Party with his friends on Saturday night which could be fun.
Anyway four hours sleep and I am writing my blog. No real plans for the next two days which suits me just fine after a busy schedule of touring.
I finally leave the hotel around 10:00 and head to the TMobile shop to sort out my US Sim Card and go to Noah’s Bagels for a breakfast bite. Noahs are great and I discover something they have made just for me a thin bagel. Now I have always felt that the bread to Lox ratio is very poor and a thin everything (poppy/sesame/onion/garlic etc) bagel with Lox addresses this perfectly. Back to the car and a F*$%&^g $58 parking ticket – oh well could be worse although at that second I don’t know how.
I go to a few of my favourite haunts, Frys Electronics etc. and wind up at Bouchon Café Beverley Hills for a great lunch complete with his unbelievable macaroons. A fe more shops and back to the hotel to change. I pick David up from his work and we go to….OK now folks the things we do for friends……the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Clinic where David is to have his regular check-up for HIV and STD’s/ Moving right along we go to Fogo da Chao Churascaria Brazilian Grill which proves very disappointing as we are out in one hour due to their serving us so quickly. In a sense that is OK as I am very tired so I drop David home and back to the hotel. David has his own car but he normally car pools with his mum so wound up at work without a car hence my driving him.
Over the past 9 months David and I have become very good friends. He is an exceptionally charming guy having been raised in Italy. One thing he has done is take an interest in my health and whereas I used to buy chocolates and sweets continuously I almost never do any more after his tirades as to how I was harming myself so there has been a nice dividend to this friendship. The other dividend has been his insights into the gay world and to be honest it is an amazing world and very interesting – but that’s for another time.
I manage a drug assisted seven hour sleep which I certainly felt I deserved and needed.
Talk Soon
The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage situated in the centre of St Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace. The collection was started by a substantial purchase by Catherine the Great in 1764. Among exhibits are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material.
We focused on the halls which I wanted to see (impressionist art, Malachite Room and Lapis Room and some others) missing the ones that had limited interest such as Roman and Egyptian periods.
In keeping with what normally happens to me in Museums these days I have a need to get out after around three hours feeling slightly claustrophobic.
We head to spilled blood church. This marvellous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. Alexander II initiated a number of reforms in 1861 freeing the Russian serfs and undertook a rigorous program of military, judicial and urban reforms, never before attempted in Russia. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 by a group of revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage outside this church.
We had decided to do a river/canal audio tourist cruise so hop on a boat which turns out to be a food/drink one hour trip up the river but it was good fun and relaxing so no issues. It is around 18:00 when we return to the hotel where we decide n program for the evening. I catch up on sleep waking at 22:00 and go out for a forest style clear mushroom soup and pelmeni dinner – yum. Finally get to sleep around 02:00
Up early on Monday and feeling sleep deprived but with a long plane journey (tuens out longer than I had hoped (see below) I wasn’t too fussed.
We decide to take a chance on the Metro which proves to be dead easy ($A0.80) including one change arriving near the Mikhailovky and Summer Gardens which are both spectacular and a not to be missed adventure.
Being the last night we agree to a pub dinner which for me was again Pelmeni – last chance and off to bed as I have to wake at 03:00 to catch my 06:20 flight to Frankfurt/Los Angeles.
I go to the front desk and ask where the taxi I had organised through them was and when it would be there. After a few phone calls turns out I was waiting inside and he was waiting outside for 15 minutes. YAWN. I get to the airport and luckily try my hand at checking in Business Class rather than economy despite my economy ticket which proves VERY lucky. No sign of my booking – well of course not my travel agent had booked it for the following week. Off to the office to sort out and luckily I didn’t have my blood pressure meter as I am guessing it would have been off the Richter scale.
Luckily I find an obliging German (hmm I was thinking of a comment but won’t) in Lufthansa whose first words are sorry can’t fix this but after tapping her computer for what seems like an eternity finally says yes I can do it and believe it or not no charge.
Down to the check-in manage an exit seat with no seat in front of me and empty seat next to me and then the security guard has to be woken up to inspect the contents of my bag. I race for the plane and a breezy flight to Frankfurt where I exit through customs/immigration to have a nice Crab Salad and Coffee as I did on my flight out of Frankfurt a week earlier. Went to go back in only to be told no you need to go to the other end of the terminal for different gates. So I get there and queue up for security and after I get through I go to reclaim my E19 Tax refund to find that the office is closed but they end somebody around after 15 minutes whose sole function is to stamp my form as they don’t actually process the refunds except in the terminal I had just come from. My day improves by the minute. But that’s not all keep watching this space.
Lovely flight on an old shitty 747-400, but at least bulkhead and empty seat next to me. I have a drug assisted 7 hour sleep and wake in good shape with a fast passage through immigration and as I get to the baggage carousel a tap on my shoulder from the Customs Border Protection Officer “sorry sir I couldn’t get your ETSA visa confirmed”.
I get dragged back to his station while he makes some enquiries and get taken to the CBP Admissibility Review area. Summary as I don’t want to relive every moment:
- rude arrogant gun toting pieces of shit
- 60 year old lady told she wouldn’t be allowed to go to the toilet and they finally let her go
- held for 3 hours in a holding area with illegal immigrants and others in my situation.
- told I wouldn’t be allowed into the USA and resisted the urge to say that sounds like a plan to me
- All that had to happen was for me to fill in a form and for Lufthansa to go online pay $14 and enter my details
- I found a senior officer who had been a shining light among a group of very unpleasant people and suggested that their staff needed some sensitivity training and just as if to prove my point the officer at the entry point starting screaming and being abusive to a woman without reason.
- oh and they all carry guns because I am sure there is a huge history of violence in customs halls.
I ring my friends in Phoenix and find that things are a little strained again and they are driving their son to camp on Sunday so will likely stay two extra days in Los Angeles and drive to Phoenix on Sunday spending 5 days with my friends. David has offered to take me to a Gay Pride Party with his friends on Saturday night which could be fun.
Anyway four hours sleep and I am writing my blog. No real plans for the next two days which suits me just fine after a busy schedule of touring.
I finally leave the hotel around 10:00 and head to the TMobile shop to sort out my US Sim Card and go to Noah’s Bagels for a breakfast bite. Noahs are great and I discover something they have made just for me a thin bagel. Now I have always felt that the bread to Lox ratio is very poor and a thin everything (poppy/sesame/onion/garlic etc) bagel with Lox addresses this perfectly. Back to the car and a F*$%&^g $58 parking ticket – oh well could be worse although at that second I don’t know how.
I go to a few of my favourite haunts, Frys Electronics etc. and wind up at Bouchon Café Beverley Hills for a great lunch complete with his unbelievable macaroons. A fe more shops and back to the hotel to change. I pick David up from his work and we go to….OK now folks the things we do for friends……the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Clinic where David is to have his regular check-up for HIV and STD’s/ Moving right along we go to Fogo da Chao Churascaria Brazilian Grill which proves very disappointing as we are out in one hour due to their serving us so quickly. In a sense that is OK as I am very tired so I drop David home and back to the hotel. David has his own car but he normally car pools with his mum so wound up at work without a car hence my driving him.
Over the past 9 months David and I have become very good friends. He is an exceptionally charming guy having been raised in Italy. One thing he has done is take an interest in my health and whereas I used to buy chocolates and sweets continuously I almost never do any more after his tirades as to how I was harming myself so there has been a nice dividend to this friendship. The other dividend has been his insights into the gay world and to be honest it is an amazing world and very interesting – but that’s for another time.
I manage a drug assisted seven hour sleep which I certainly felt I deserved and needed.
Talk Soon
Love to all
David
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