Notes from our round the world trip part V

27 May 2007 Pentecost St. Petersburg
For breakfast we had some Russian pancakes, we forget what our host called them. Served with fruit preserves and sour cream. Then we sat and talked with her for a long time. Mainly she talked about her daughter and her bad marriage, about people who have stayed with her. She told a story about writing in English to an American man for a girl here in Russia, about relatives who left Russia after the Revolution.

Nancye and I walked to the Hermitage. Our map of the museum was not of much help because the signs in the museum are not of much help. We could not tell where we were. Still we saw, just by wandering and asking questions many French Impressionists and the whole section of Rembrants. The Near Sacrifice of Isaac is in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage is huge and very beautiful, inlaid wood floors.

After leaving the museum we went to Millionaires Ultisa to a restaurant in our guide book. What was supposed to be there was not. But we still had an excellent lunch. Nancye had a chicken cutlet stuffed with mushrooms and breaded and fried. Like Chicken Kiev but different. I had beef stroganoff.

Then we headed for Peterhoff. Both getting into the Hermitage and getting tickets for the hydrofoil to Peterhoff were very trying. No line, just people pushing their way to the front. The clerks were unhelpful. You have to talk to them through a tiny little window which is waist high and if they don’t understand they just shake their heads or turn away. We finally got tickets to stand on the boat to Peterhoff. It is a half hour or 45 minutes ride on the Hydrofoil.

We wandered the gardens and took pictures of the fountains for a couple of hours. Getting back was also a trial. A man at a gate on the dock was letting some people through and not others. Finally, he saw our tickets and we could get in line for the next boat. But it landed in St. Petersburg someplace other than where we got on. For a time we were very confused about where we were and the young man at the ramp off the boat was no help. We tried to get him to tell us where we were on the map but he probably did not understand.

Some people in Russia have been very helpful and others just rude.

Anyway, the boat stopped at Vassilevsky Island instead of the Hermitage. So our walk to the homestay was shorter. We stopped at a grocery for a few things and are about out of rubles.

We are staying in this evening to rest. Tomorrow to the American Express office and a stroll on Nevski Prospect. Tuesday we head home.

28 May 2007 Monday. St. Petersburg
It as been muggy every day here, not hot, in the 70ºs, but we sweat. One last day and then we head West again.

So few men wear beards in Russia. A few more in St. Petersburg - we saw only a couple in Moscow. I cut my beard very short before we left home and have not shaved cheeks or neck as I have done for years.

To get cash we went first to Cbear Bank. That is not spelled right, but we tried to change $ to rubles. The computer was not up so we left. We dried another bank. No. Finally we walked to American Express, near St. Isaac's and Nevski Prospect and changed Travelers checks to rubles. Nancye asked to change travelers checks to Euros - no can do. But could change to rubles and then to Euros. Stupid. We’ll never use American Express again.

So finally we began walking down - up?- Nevski Prospect. Stopped to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. On the outside it looks like St. Peters’ in Rome, on the inside Orthodox. Then across the street to a book store. We had seen and gone into another book store earlier. We have been looking for comic books or graphic novels in Russian for Leighton and finally found one.

Lunch. I had herring with potatoes and mushrooms.

Then to the Russian Museum - Russian painting and sculpture from any centuries. The 1916 portrait of V. Myerhold and other modern paintings. The best piece was a wooden carving of a toy of mice burying a cat. A dozen or three mice hauling a carriage with a dead cat on its back trussed up. Clever, humorous, very nice. Tired we headed back- Nancye bought a humorous original painting We took the metro back to our homestay, bought flowers for our hostess. I had a bit of a bowel upset and no one answered our rung at the door at 4:15. So we went to Yolky-Palky a restaurant chain and I got to use the W.C., we got some food to go. While it is not hot here about 75º, it is muggy and feels hot. We are sweating and very tired. Time to go home.

Also on Nevski Prospect was St. Catherine’s RC church. It was much more plain than the Orthodox churches and we like it a goo deal. it had burned recently and while mostly restored it is not yet done.

I have joyfully prayed in Orthodox churches and in St. Catherine's for my people at home.

30 May 2007 Wednesday. Brussels, Belgium. This round the world trip is coming to an end. Monday I had a brief bowel upset. I thought I was going to pass gas, but it was liquid while we were walking in St. Petersburg.

Tuesday our guide took us to the St. Petersburg airport. They don’t give you much information about flights. The sign on the gate indicated the flight only when they started taking tickets. It was not even clear which airport we were to use! Still it was a good flight - coach class on German Wings to Köln.

We were met in Köln by Kate Adcock Siegal, my college girl friend, who has lived in German for nearly 40 years. I have not seen her since 1968. She showed us the sights of Cologne - especially the Cathedral. What a glorious building! We had tea and a marvelous piece of cake in a cafe across from the cathedral. Later to Kate’s home in the suburbs. We talked late - caught up with each others lives. She now lives alone, her four adult children having moved away and separated from her husband. She has a wonderfully decorated house with many nice things. Today we go to Brussels. If this is Wednesday we much be in Belgium.


[Added later: How strange it seemed on a couple of occasions when in Köln talking with Kate and Nancye. There I sat with the woman I loved and intended to marry 40 years ago and the woman I love and have been married to for 38 years. Strange. I wonder what they are thinking.]


I am thankful that Nancye and my two doctors pushed me to make the trip. I was so anxious and fearful in those days leading up to it. It has been a grand time with many things to remember and bore our friends and children with. Thank you Jesus!

6:30 pm . This morning Kate took us around to see a church and a very nice Japanese garden -. Please see my pictures for all of these things, I just file by name. And a large park with very interesting and innovative sculptures. Lunch at a cafe overlooking the Rhine and the cathedral. We walked to the rail station over the bridge and took the Thalys from Köln to Brussels. When we got off the train here there was no indication of how to get out of the station. I was expecting to see signs saying, “sorti” and maybe even Exit. But we asked directions and quickly found our hotel across the street from an exit from the station.

Tomorrow train to the airport and fly home.

We had the last of our bourbon and then went out searching in the neighborhood for supper. This seems like a rough area - run down and inhabited by a mix of Turks and others. We are not sure. We passed several dark and dingy places with only men in them and found a Greek cafe. We asked for a menu and were told in French to make our selection in the kitchen. Table du jour or plat du jour was selected from pans on the stove! As we watched the cook dish out food for people ahead of us we realized we needed only one serving. We got a huge plate with a stuffed eggplant , vegetables and pasta plus two beers and bread for 11 euros.

We walked back to the train station, got information and tickets for the train to the airport then back to the hotel for bed.

1 June 2007 Friday. Hamlet, Ohio. Yesterday was 30 hours long! We got up about 6:30 Brussels time - ate breakfast in the hotel. - a soft boiled egg, sausage, pastry, tea, juice. We took the so-called express to Brussels air port. Then we left about 11:30 am on Delta for the US. Arrived in NY about 1 pm NY time or 7 pm body time. We left NY about 5:30 and arrived in Cincy at 7 pm or 1 am body time. Alice picked us up at the Cincy airport. Good food all day and much too long. It will take us several days to get back on Eastern US time. We have been all around the world in the last three weeks. L.A., Korea, China, Mongolia, Siberia, Russia, Germany, Belgium, NY and home!