Peterhof in photos
For a country as ostentatiously palace-packed as Russia, you’d think you’d get your fill of ornate czar-era mansions after spending 5 or 10 minutes walking around in St. Petersburg, but …
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My love affair with Russian train travel
Welcome, children. Welcome one and all. Welcome to my nightmare. The nightmare of insufficient transportation infrastructure. But for all the night-bus-related nightmares I’ve experienced, I have lived the dream. And had …
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The White Nights Festival: How St. Petersburg celebrates the longest day of the year
Hint: It involves vodka. Lots of vodka. St. Petersburg is an absolutely spectacular destination that for whatever reason, a disproportionately small number of people choose to experience. It’s Venice on steroids, …
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How my poor Russian language skills got me out of paying a bribe
That’s right, kids! My abject failure to understand a few cursory expressions of elementary Russian resulted in a somewhat-accidental dodge of the dreaded ex-Soviet police officer and his daily hobby …
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Why St. Petersburg is Venice on steroids
Any cursory rumination on Venice will revolve around the city’s adorable little canals, snaking through the city blocks and ferrying gondolas full of starry-eyed but overspending couples throughout the day …
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Entertaining a 5 year old at the Hermitage
The Hermitage is one of the great museums of the world, boasting an astonishingly vast collection of art, totaling 3 million pieces, including the world’s largest collection of paintings. And …
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Why Americans should travel more
AKA “Why patriotism perplexes me” Years ago I met an elderly man, extraordinarily proud of being American, and eager to announce it. Pride of nationality often makes me curious, so I …
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