Warming up to Russia

GROWING up in the
’70s, my limited
exposure to Russia
was the US and Russian
space race to reach the
moon. As a result, I jumped
at the opportunity to visit
this enigmatic country that
had long been on my bucket
list.
Our Emirates flight
connections were pretty
good, with a five-hour
stopover in Dubai, which
offered excellent retail
therapy. I also bought
access to the Marhaba
Lounge for a reduced rate
of R610 (via the Lounge
Buddy app) which provided
access to clean, spacious
toilets, showers, changing
rooms, good food and
drinks and a quiet lounge
to kick back and chill in.
On arrival we were looked
after by Travel Vision’s
ground handers. These
young, university-educated
ladies were fluent in
English, passionate about
their country and incredibly
knowledgeable and
hospitable.
St Petersburg is
absolutely beautiful and
offers a generous selection
of good four- and five-star
hotels. We stayed at the
five-star Sokos Palace
Bridge Hotel, which was
central, offered a healthy
and abundant breakfast
and a choice of two
restaurants for dinner in
the evenings.
The Hermitage Museum
ranks very high on the list
of the many museums that
I have visited in my 30
years of travel experience.
You will leave with a real
appreciation of the arts
after seeing pieces by
Rembrandt, Michelangelo
and others.
The Catherine Palace was
jaw-droppingly magnificent.
Encrusted in gold, in typical
Russian style, it offered a
great insight into uppercrust
life three hundred
years ago.
Before we left South
Africa, our biggest concern
had been how we SAffers
would cope with Russian
winter temperatures of
-15C. So, during our train
journey from St Petersburg
to Moscow, we tried two
Russian favourites…
pancakes with caviar,
washed down with vodka.
We weren’t cold at all by
the time we arrived!
The Kremlin and Armoury
Museum stand out as
particular highlights in
Moscow. We saw Catherine
the Great’s clothes, golden
carriages, royal crowns and
much more.
We were also lucky
enough to see the ballet
Giselle at the famous
Bolshoi Theatre thanks to
the efforts of one of our
colleagues, who shopped
around and bought us
tickets in advance, (a real
benefit of travelling with
good travel agents!) The
seats were ‘up in the Gods’
for R2 000 apiece.
Expect to pay more for
a better view.
Moscow at night is
stunning with all its
buildings illuminated,
the latest addition being
champagne-glass-styled
street lights.
Shopping in Tsum or Gum
(famous Russian shopping
centres) requires a hefty
overdraft facility. So after
window shopping only, we
headed to the affordable
Aviapark centre and made
up for lost time.
We used Uber which is half
the price of what we pay in
SA. The drivers spoke zero
English, but it was definitely
quicker and easier than
the subway which, although
beautifully decorated, is
tricky to navigate with
Russian signage.
Russia is a must-see
destination. SA passport
holders don’t require
visas for short stays.
The architecture is
breath-taking, the
history enchanting and
the culture rich. Definitely
a worthwhile trip!