Victory Day Hurray! and our last weeks in Russia

Our last few weeks in Russia were jam-packed with school, studying and last minute sight-seeing so we feel pretty relieved at the moment to be relaxing in . . . Germany (more about that later)!

May 9th - Victory Day is perhaps the largest holiday in Russia apart from the Christmas/New Year season, but is unlike any holiday I have seen before. It commemortates the end of the war with Germany (part of the Second World War) in Russia called the Great Fatherland War or the Great Patriotic War - in other European countries this same event is celebrated on the 8th of May because the armistice was signed at 11:01 pm on that day however, because of the time difference, it was already the 9th of May in Moscow. Today this holiday has lost some of its intensity since the collapse of the Soviet Union and likely as a result of the younger generations feeling somewhat detatched from the meaning of the holiday. Nevertheless, it is still celebrated nationally and in the major cities is marked with military parades and fireworks shows. We woke up very early that morning and made our way to Palace Square to latch ourselves onto the metal, fence dividers that held the spectators back off of the square (we were determined to get a front row seat) and waited 2 1/2 hours for the parade to begin. Thousands of people filled the section of the square designated for onlookers, and lined the streets around the palace to watch the parade. We were able to hold our positions at the front of the croud quite well (apart from the woman who elbowed her way in next to me so that her six-year-old could see and caused me to stand sideways for the rest of the morning). The parade began with different regiments marching into formation on the square, and following several speaches and the saluting of their commanders as they drove their jeeps around the square, they all marched their way around the square and into the streets making way for the military vehicles to follow their lead. We saw tanks, amphibious assault vehichles, armoured personelle carriers, artillery units, rocket launchers . . . all number of military equipment (although our Media teacher informed us that because of the bridges and narrow streets of St. Petersburg the most impressive equipment cannot be brought into the city - the Moscow parade for this reason is apparently more impressive because as well as being in the capital and therefore being more ellaborate, these vehicles as well as jets, are included in the celebrations. Following the parade we spent the day relaxing and enjoying the sunshine, talking in a nap in the afternoon just in time to avoid bad weather - the wind picked up so quickly and blew in storm clouds that poured rain for a while. Luckily however, despite remaining windy and quite cold, the rain stopped long enough in the evening for us to watch the fireworks. We made our way again quite early to the tip of Vasielevsky Island (the island on which we live) which justs out into the river opposite the Hermitage and the Peter and Paul Fortress Island which they happened to be shooting the fireworks from. It was pretty cold, standing in one place (dancing to keep warm) along the wall above the river, and it was still quite light at 10 o'clock when the fireworks started, but because the fireworks were shot out of artillery cannons it was quite the experience. The sound echoed across the river making it sound like a second shot was being fired from the Hermitage. Dozens of boats collected in the river below us, and thousands of people were crowded along the banks of the river and across the bridges. All in all a great first Victory Day.

In our last few days before leaving on the 17th, we were busy with regular classes and prepping for our test as well as starting to pack, doing laundry, mailing home excess clothing and items which we wouldn't need in the next few months so we didn't really do much sightseeing except for a day to Peterhof. Peterhof is yet another of the many palaces surrounding the city but is special because of the dozens of fountains on its grounds, and because it is a copy of the Versailles Palace in Paris. We waited to go and see it until May because the fountains are not turned on until May Day, and they are most certainly the highlight of the grounds. We took a hydrofoil boat, from the banks of the Neva right by the Hermitage, out into the ocean and then to the palace where we also toured the palace. Unfortunately, because we had a late start, not going until after our classes ended at 1 o'clock, and because the last boat left the palace at 5, our visit to Peterhof was quite short. It would have been nice to wander around the gardens for a full afternoon, but I am happy that we were able to see it.

Now, after finishing up our last classes, having our 'graduation ceremony' and spending our last days in the Russian Federation, Ross and I have made it safely to Leipzig, Germany where we are visiting our former roommate in Russia, Mila. We flew into Frankfurt on the morning of the 17th after camping out overnight in the St. Petersburg airport (we had to get there super early because our flight was leaving at 6am . . . but because the bridges which connect our island to the rest of the city are raised from about 1am to 5am we had to leave the island at around 12:30 and stay in the airport until our flight left at 6). Mila had predicted the train we would be arriving on (we had no way to contact her but had planned to phone from the train station once we arrived in Leipzig) and so was waiting for us at the train station when we pulled in. It was great to see her! I will save the stories of Germany for the moment and hopefully will be able to post more soon but here is our plan.

17th -20th May in Leipzig with Mila; 21st going with Mila and her roommates to Dresden; 22nd leaving with Mila and a friend to drive to Prague, Czech Republic; spending 22nd-24th in Prague; 25th-27th in Krakow, Poland; 28th-30th in Vienna, Austria; 31st May and 2nd June in Berlin, Germany; 3rd-5th Paris, France; then a week in Reykjavik Iceland before meeting up with my parents in London for a week; then heading with them to first Denmark (yay!) and finally a week in Spain. It is going to be quite the whirlwind trip! But we have found some great hostels to stay in and thanks to suggestions from Mila and her roommates have some fantastic attractions on our list. Thanks to them for their advice, as well as them graciously inviting us to stay these last few days - it has been wonderful to have these last few days to relax, plan, and detox in a way after those last four months in Russia. I still cannot really fully believe where we are, but Germany, and the people here, have been a welcome change. It feels so much more comfortable, cheerful and welcoming here. Russia is certainly a beautiful country, mysterious and historically fascinating, but there is something to be said for bright sunny weather, smiling people, clean streets and diversity.