Trains, planes, busses and whitey tighties.

April showers bring May flowers right? I guess this is only true in America, because it definitely was a blizzard today or maybe Russian flowers prefer snow over rain. The past two weeks have been quite the adventure. We had our big holiday and I got to go on a true excursion by train, bus, ferry, and the best mode of transportation, my feet. I tried to stick to the highlights, but it ended up a novel none the less...

Purchasing a backpacking backpack, might have been one of the best decisions I have made. Packing was a joke. Two shirts, leggings, a jacket, a skirt and what I was wearing was my wardrobe for the next week and a half. The rest of the space in my bag was dedicated to food. First time I put my pack on I might have almost tipped over, but caught myself before I tipped too much. We had to bring all of our things to class so we could hop on the bus right after. I crossed my fingers I didn't forget anything as we headed into the city. We met the rest of our group at the metro and headed for the train station. Gulia, our fearless leader with her bright red coat, proceeded to lead us. I swear she should enter a speed walking competition, cause she is always a mile ahead, even with a bad leg and a travel bag. 

As we entered the platform I was amazed. Yep, call me a child but I couldn't help those butterflies from coming. I handed my ticket to the lady, hoping for a cool design like you see on the Polar Express, but she quickly handed it back with some gibberish which I am sure was very useful information. We headed down the long hall way to our cabin. It was just the greatest thing you would ever see. The interior of the train was just like the Hogwart's Express. We sat and chatted with a Russian girl that was in the room next to us as the lady came with a treat basket, not a trolley, but just as great. 

With some Russian words and a flick of the light, we knew it was time to get up. The night was quick. I looked at my clock, 3:50 a.m. Hate that I had just gone to bed less than three hours ago. So of course I turned over and slept a little more. Then the whistle of the train came and I knew we were close. We arrived just before five. St. Petersburg was surprisingly warm, I am beginning to think everywhere is warmer than Moscow. We said goodbye to the rest of the group and set up camp for the next three hours inside the train station. Finally, it was late enough that we could start venturing out into the city. 

The first glimpse of Nevsky Prospect was breath taking. The sun was just rising and the streets were very quiet. We walked and walked up and down. Seeing many cathedrals and glorious shops. We sat inside a bookstore and read while eating breakfast. Nothing opened until ten o'clock. We went to the cathedral of spilled blood which was so beautiful. It looks a lot like St. Basil's Cathedral, but almost even more spectacular. After we headed to the Winter Palace. This was nothing but amazing. I couldn't believe how enormous it was. There were so many things to see from original Picasso paintings to Egyptian mummies. We had to get to our ferry by four and had one more stop to hit before. We were all famished and the thought of American food from the City Grill made our packs feel a little lighter. It was the best food we have had in quite some time, chicken burger and fries, and it was super cheap! 

Our ferry was, well not a ferry at all, it was a full on cruise ship! We settled into our rooms and went upstairs to enjoy live music and read some more. We even got to watch a play. Definitely one of the creepiest play I have ever seen, but still great. It was a surprisingly a pleasant night sleep, but with another early arrival in Helsinki. We walked off the ferry with so much excitement which slowly dwindled as we walked off the pier. It wasn't such a great sight, very gloomy and everything was closed. We took a trolley to the center of the city and our moods were immediately changed. It was a lot more beautiful than I thought and the sun was coming out so that made it even better. 

Within hours the city was booming. We ventured all around, seeing lots of shops, live bands and a little chocolate factory. I even found my backpack twin. One of the greatest finds was oddly in the bathroom... You will know when you see the picture. We walked every inch of the city center and it turned out to be quite a cute one. It reminded me a lot of Salt Lake City. We headed to another pier to catch our ferry to Stockholm.

 This ferry was not as great as the first, but still had its perks. We watched karoake all night long, but it was a lot different than I was used to. Everyone was very serious about their singing and it was 92% slow songs, very odd. Mindy and I climbed to the top of the ship as we entered into the harbor. The sights were incredible. It was so green, filled with trees and the houses were just adorable. Pretty sure Stockholm is now on my list of places I would love to live. When we got off of the ferry, it didn't get any less beautiful. The city was very busy, yet it was oddly peaceful and very homey. Only downfall I can think of is that it must be one of the most expensive places I have ever been. 

 We hiked around for a little while trying to find our hostel. It was so nice being able to ask anyone on the street for directions and they would actually understand you. No charades! It was incredible. Forgot how nice English is. We finally found our hostel, which ironically was owned by all these Russians. We had quite the group of interesting people sharing our room. We dropped our things off and headed to explore. First on the list, Hunger Games. Our hostel couldn't have been placed in a better spot. The main market and all the stores were just down the road. We found a huge market right in front of the movie theater, where we purchased some delicious fresh strawberries. 

There were so many things to see. We went to old town which is like stepping into Italy. The streets there were full of surprises and everything was so old. The views of the water were gorgeous. EVERYTHING was beautiful. Even the men. The next day we went to the temple, which was surprisingly quite easy to find. I met one of the cutest old men there. He is from Finland and loved to tell us about his life. His hair would stick straight up, probably from when he got electrocuted and he drives a little scooter with safety goggles. It was such a lucky experience to go to the temple. I love the feelings that I get there. 

Sweden has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, but sadly our journey there had come to an end. We took a long bus ride to the airport where we boarded the plane for Estonia. It was a short flight, but the city was still by the time we got there. For being the "party" city I had heard so much about, it was quite quiet. That was until we entered into the old town. We crossed the street and entered into these old castle walls. The streets were filled with bars, pubs, dance clubs, restaurants, and stores. We walked down a tiny alleyway on the hunt for our hostel. We turned the corner and were told to go down the street and click on the button to get in. Easier said than done, but we finally found it. We headed up these old stairs to this building that looked like it was about to fall apart. We got our keys and headed for our room. It was quite the scene. The bunk beds were handmade wood, but quite sturdy. Besides the wall that was falling apart in the corner it wasn't too bad. Then the partying began outside and it didn't go quiet until about 4 in the morning. 

Going through the town the next day was great. We headed to the store first. It was called Rimi and is now known as my favorite grocery store in Europe. It was unbelievably cheap, especially since we just left Stockholm, and it was filled with the best pastries I have ever tried. Ended up going there four times in the day and a half I was there. Tallinn is known for it's partying scene, but I will remember it for it's food. If you go there you will know what I mean. We walked around the whole city. First we saw the old castle walls and visited this well that they used to throw cats in to feed the devil. Kind of creepy. Then we went to this little restaurant that was right in the city center. You walk into this tiny room and it felt like I walked straight into the medieval times. We had elk soup and a pastry (the only things on the menu). It was simply delicious. 

After we went through the underground tunnels which were long and old. It was interesting to see what they were used for throughout the decades. They had been used all the way up until just a few years prior by homeless people. The night was finished with plenty more adventuring, a trip to the Sushi Cat, and finished up with a drunk old lady on the run from the cops trying to get us to translate for her in Russian. That night was a sleepless one. They weren't kidding when they said it was a town for those who like to club. The next day we were off to Latvia. Our final destination. 

Latvia was an interesting city to say the least. It was very small and quaint. Everyone was very lax and not quite friendly. Ever since we began planning this trip, I have been so excited to stay in Friendly Fun Franks hostel. It was no disappointment. We hiked up the twisty, steep stairs that were slanted slightly to the left. Immediately we were shaking hands with the receptionist who then offered us a beer, which we kindly declined and ended up with some water. (The astonishment on people's face once they hear we don't drink never gets old) We were shown all the best places to visit and showed to our room. Of course there is always a downfall, and as we walked in our room there it was, sitting on the bottom bunk in the corner. Our new Swede friend. Quite the interesting character, I won't say much, but the stench and the whitey tidies were enough to put him in the creeper category quite early. 

I had no idea how much all the countries in eastern Europe went through during the second world war all the way up to the 90's. Our last day was spent at a museum on the occupation of Latvia. These people had been through a lot. Riga was also home to the biggest open market in the world. Sadly, we did not have too much time to shop before our train was leaving and of course the snow came as soon as we got started so we ended up just eating lunch there. It was still delicious though and it was extremely inexpensive there too! 

The train ride home was a little less exciting than our first one. It was in open compartments which meant there were no doors, which meant the creeper in the car next to us had no problem staring. Our room was conveniently located next to the bathroom, that unfortunately had a very loud flusher. The smoking room was also just around the corner, which contributed greatly to the awful stench that seemed to be even worse due to the heat. My bed was moderately comfortable minus the breeze from the window that wouldn't close and I guess I am a little taller than most people that ride the train because my feet would dangle off the end and whenever someone needed to use the restroom they would run into them. 

Needless to say when we finally arrived back in Moscow, we blended right in with the deodorantless folk. It was good to be back in a familiar place. It was such an amazing week! I can't believe all the things we were able to see. 


These end photos are dedicated to my mom, she has a slight fancy for doors and I promised I would find some great ones.