A few people have complained that I haven't been updating the log very much recently. That is, of course, because I have been burning the candles at both ends, living the high life - the life of an international playboy - and so on. However, just for my fans, I will take a break from my hedonism to tell you about:


MY FAMILY TRIP TO ST PETERSBURG

So, I have had holidays all last week and spent most of that time in Saint Petersburg with my family. Perhaps not quite as eventful as last year's familial visit to Moscow, as no luggage went missing, no-one got pickpocketed, etc, etc. This year's trip was marked, however, by our total failure to get into almost anywhere we wanted to. In no particular order:

1) The Catherine Palace at Pushkin - open only for tour groups in the morning, shut for breaks all afternoon. The staff there obviously work very hard, to need breaks of two hours at a time.

2) The palace at Peterhof - we think it was open, but there was a ten-deep scrum, sorry, queue, to get in - and besides, the ticket office was - having a break. Even when it was open, the office refused to sell anyone a ticket. The fountains were on, though. Well, some of them. For about ten minutes.

3) The Lycee, Puskin's old school, coincidentally also at Pushkin. We did manage to get in here, but only to be shouted at by all ten of the babushkas (translation - irate Russian grannies) who work there. For various reasons:
- Going the wrong way round the building
- Loitering
- Hurrying
- Not being part of a group
- Getting in the way of a group
- Looking at things
- Leaving

4) The Hermitage. Gareth and Mei claim to have actually made it in here, but I don't believe them.

5) St. Isaacs. We didn't get in here, and I don't remember why. It was probably shut, or having a break, or being guarded by grannies.

6) The Church on Spilt Blood. See above.

7) The Jimi Hendrix 24 hour Blues Bar. It is closed at night, and in the mornings.

8) A bar with a big sign reading 'Open! Come in!' It was closed. They told us to go away.

9) It's not really a place, but the hydrofoil to Peterhof wasn't running either.

10) On one occasion, my hotel room, when the cleaner thought I was a burglar.