To Russia, with Love

I'm really bad at keeping such juicy information from everyone, so here goes - This November, I'm going to St. Petersburg and Moscow. I'm sure it wasn't exactly a big surprise to the few who read this blog. Normally, I would stay quiet out of this weird fear I have of forever jinxing myself should I dare utter anything too early. Born under a bad sign, I guess. But since I am still shocked at the prospect of visiting St. Petersburg, my dream city, I figure that if something stands in the way, it would have been expected anyway.

With so much to plan in advance and the rising costs of oil, seeking out airfare had to be completed as early as possible. This, is a difficult one as past trips to Europe almost always started out as an idea and came to fruition only around September and October. I recall one trip to London being decided upon and booked only 2-3 weeks prior to leaving.

That said, the itinerary is as follows:

1 day in Helsinki
1-1/2 days in Tallinn
5 days in St. Petersburg
1-1/2 days in Moscow

I have kept a promise to myself that Helsinki and Tallinn will not be filled with treacherous itineraries but instead, calm excursions to check out only the best and brightest these two cities have to offer. Helsinki is actually an 8 hour layover with probably about five hours for myself. The rest will be check-in and boarding protocol. Tallinn? What can I say? My original goal plan was to fly into Helsinki and spend a day or so there before hopping the train to St. Petersburg. It seems to be the natural course of action for those who do this trip. However, ever since my good friend D went there last year, I was stunned by the pictures he took of this often overlooked city. The flight I found was the same price even if it didn't include Tallinn. A sign that it would be foolish to miss out on such an opportunity. Besides, it beats lugging around and trying to find a place to store luggage for the day.

There is so much to plan and my visit happens to be in November, when it gets dark earlier. This was something clearly out of my control, time and money wise, as any earlier travel is not feasible (for my sins, I guess).

The palaces of the Romanov's, The Hermitage, The Kremlin, and Red Square. It's all too odd and out of reach to me now. I think after I come back it may very well remain as such.