New Neighborhood

On Tuesday I decided to head over to the Mariinskiy Theater after work so that I could pick up my ticket for the ballet the following Friday. I also wanted to test out my bus route from work to the theater so I knew how long the trip would take me. After all the money I spent on my ticket I didn't want to be late.

First I stopped into the famous Mariinskiy Theater, which is supposed to house some of the greatest ballet in the world.

While ballet isn't really my thing, I figured it was something I should definitely experience while in St. Petersburg. More on that in a different entry.

Since I was already over in the area, I figured I would walk around and see some of the sites. I should say, the theater is not super conveniently located. It's pretty far from any metro stops and the bus route over there is somewhat circuitous, so it's not a neighborhood I plan to frequent.

One of the main sites in the area is the St. Nicholas cathedral.

There was a service going on inside, so I enjoyed spending about twenty minutes listening to the music. This church is really a two in one. The worship space on the ground level, which is used for regular services, has a very low ceiling, which makes it feel very intimate and a little cave-like. The second level, which was closed, is apparently a much lighter space and is only used for weddings and special services.

There were more churches on my walk. I had seen the first one from a distance several times when I was staying in my hostel, so I was glad to finally see it up close. I also bought a cherry filled pancake from a little stand right outside. It was delicious, but incredibly hot.



The Griboedov Canal winds around in that area, as do several others. The Griboedov is especially pleasant, though, because there are a lot of trees and footbridges. It felt like a peaceful haven in all the busyness.