When
I traveled to Russia in the fall of 2012 to lead an educational trip for Exeter
International agents, it had been eleven years since my last visit in 2001. I
was really excited to see how things had changed, and Russia did not
disappoint.
I
found St. Petersburg much brighter and more beautiful thanks to the major
facelift completed for the city's tricentennial celebration in 2003. The Grand Hotel Europe and Rocco Forte Astoria were both as glorious as ever, and
it was exciting to have a “hard hat” sneak peak at the Four Seasons Lion Palace
set to open in the summer of 2013. St. Petersburg’s palaces and Hermitage also
never fail to amaze.
But
what stood out most was the food. Whether devouring three different dishes at
the local "Russian empanada" café, Stolle, or while sitting
in the sleek, open-kitchen restaurant Terrassa, I could see the terrific
advances in the gastronomy of St. Petersburg since my last trip.
After
three glorious nights in St. Petersburg, we continued on to Moscow by the
high-speed Sapsan train. My last trip between the two cities had been by
air, but the train was far better. Traveling city center to city center in
a comfortable first class car while admiring the Russian countryside, we seemed
to have arrived faster by train, and avoided all the airport traffic and
security headaches. A shinier, more delicious, and even more amazing version of
the Moscow I had seen and loved years earlier embraced us with arms of both
history and modernity.
and the Tsentralhyi
Universalhyi Magazin, or TSUM, two of Moscow’s world-renowned shopping malls.
The Red October complex and Fallen Monuments Park are both new and wonderful,
but the Grand Kremlin Palace, of which we had an amazing private tour, was the
highlight. I had sent many clients there and seen countless photos of this
building, which originated as home to the Czars, but nothing prepared me for
the beauty of it.
That's
the amazing thing about Russia: Just when you think you can't be more
impressed, it finds another way to take your breath away.