I travelled to Russia in 2017 and never thought that St. Petersburg would be one of my favourite cities!💖
It’s not like Russia feels exotic because I come from Asia, but I liked the vibe and felt safe when I wandered around. Plus, the Winter Palace was just in the middle of the city!
My Russian friends didn’t recommend me wandering around St. Petersburg alone, but I did it for almost one whole day and (luckily?) was fine.
I guess what made me feel comfortable were the pedestrian streets and the cold wind. The streets were wide and the weather was pleasant, although it’s midday. As my skin was very sensitive (especially to heat), being able to walk in the middle of the day without a hat or umbrella was a relief 😊
After we brought our luggage to our room, we gathered at the hotel lobby for an orientation tour of the city.
I liked this part because the next day would be a free day, so I’d already had an idea of how to go from place to place in St. Petersburg by myself.
The Handsome Paul (an engineer & part-time bus driver): “Yes.”
Strike a pose and take a photo instead!
The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
On the next day, I went out alone after breakfast. The walk from my hotel to the city center was quite far, luckily the weather was nice.
My St. Petersburg checklist of the day was:
- Visit the Winter Palace
- Look for a Russian tourist t-shirt for my dad
- Lunch at Palkin, a famous restaurant visited by Tchaikovsky, and eat beef stroganoff (the national dish of Russia)
When I reached the Winter Palace, there was already a long queue. However, it wasn’t too crowded, it’s just nice.
The good thing about it was I had many people that I could ask for help to take my photo (hint: see the cover photo) 😁
I didn’t join a guided or audio tour of the Winter Palace. As the result, I don’t have much to write about it in this blog post — what room is it, the meaning behind the paintings, from who or why the vase is displayed, etc.
Of course, you will save costs by paying only for the entrance ticket. But you’ll also miss valuable insight about the story behind it. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the photos😊
The Best Beef Stroganoff in St. Petersburg
After wandering around the palace, I felt so hungry. The restaurant that I wanted to go to, Palkin, turned out to be quite far from the Winter Palace. I had to rely on my paper map and asked some locals before finally finding it.
Some people say Russians aren’t friendly, but that’s not the case for me! They didn’t smile, but when I smiled at them, they’d smile back.
When I told my colleague about this, she said yes, generally, Russians don’t smile. Maybe because the weather is harsh during the winter.
Also, if you smile too much, they’d think that you’re a little bit stupid 😶
However, some were super kind — they didn’t speak English well so they used Google translate to show me the directions. Spasiba!🙏🙏🙏
Палкинъ – Palkin turned out to be a fine dining restaurant! At first, I thought they offered me many complimentary dishes because they pitied me, a tiny tourist who only ordered 1 dish, LOL… or because I brought my DSLR with me (a journalist?).
But recently I did some research about fine dining restaurants. Apparently, getting some complimentary dishes is something normal when you dine in upscale restaurants.
It was a very hearty and memorable meal 💖 Read more about my experience eating one of the best beef stroganoffs in Russia below:
Also read: “Палкинъ – Palkin, Where You Can Find the Best Beef Stroganoff in St. Petersburg”
The Russian Folk Show
After lunch, I had to rush back to the hotel to take bath and change, as the group will watch a Russian folk dance performance. OH-MY-FEET! I walked super fast and had to catch my breath, but it was worth it!
I picked a nice blue dress and a pair of black high heels. It’s been a long time since I didn’t go to such events.
To my surprise, most of the guests aka tourists dressed up casually. Although the dress code was smart casual, looking at the venue, stage, and amazing performance…
Like, imagine you come to a ballet or an orchestra performance, which is held in a PALACE, wearing… jeans, slippers, or sports attire🤦♀️🤦♂️
When the dancers showed up and saw the audience, I could see their reaction. Some of them were displeased, not sure why. But if I were them, I’d feel the guests didn’t appreciate me because they didn’t bother to dress up.
Then, one of the dancers saw me, looked at my heels, and smiled (see??).
Also read: “A Stranger in Moscow”
Also read: “Galentine’s Day at Sea Rock Villa, Bentota, Sri Lanka”
Also read: “My Delayed Baggage Makes Me Realise the Ultimate Thing That Gives Me Confidence”
Here’s a video clip of my favourite Russian ballet dancer, Sergei Polunin, the Bad Boy of Ballet.
Therefore, my friends, it’s good to pack at least a pair of formal shoes and clothes/pants/dresses whenever you travel. You’ll never know where you’ll end up or who you’ll meet 😉
Better be safe than having a fashion faux pas.
Remember, by dressing up according to the event, you’re showing respect to the performers, chefs, your companion, etc… and most importantly, yourself.
I hope you enjoy this blog post and visit St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace, and Palkin when you travel to Russia. Happy belated Valentine’s Day and I wish you a lovely weekend ❤️😊
