Going to St. Petersburg and.. ladies who will visit me this summer...

[ECOCKS]

Turks started going to Ukraine as sex tourists long before the average Ukrainian could travel to Turkey on a tour.

Turkey is also the #1 country for trafficking of Ukrainian women.

Didn't they start this in the Middle Ages after the Greeks and Persians and then it was picked up on by the Mongols, then the Poles, the Huns, the Bulgars, the Germans, the Russians, the Brits, the Ame......?

[OlgaH]

Turkey is also the #1 country for trafficking of Ukrainian women.

and it goes back to the time when Crimean Tatar captured Ukrainian women and sold them usually to Turkey.

The history also remembers Roxelana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxelana

[Sculpto]

so I have arrived safely, if not sadly at home...

DogSpot and Seeker are right.. my eyeballs were popping.. I was trying to soak up as much scenery as I could before I came back to the land of no scenery... I remember at one point mentioning that in five minutes we would see more pretty girls than in a week in SF.. so.. ok.. I was in JFK for 3 hours and SFO for an hour and didn't see ANY pretty girls.. well not totally true.. in JFK there were the four Russian girls that got on the first flight with me out of St P...

I have so many impressions about this trip.. I don't even know where to begin.  I have some serious stuff to sort out though because I am now home with three really awesome ladies on my mind.

That last day though.. that was really something else.. here are a few things that happened when sitting with Seeker in the cafe on Malaya Cadova...

two young girls (late teen early 20s) at the next table were friendly and we started a little flirtation.. Seeker casually observed me at "work"...   After some back in forth one of the ladies revealed her obsession and hobby.. she is a porn star.. and she was sure she had "seen" us on one of her "sets"... The next move was obvious but I didn't take it..

Hours later after the pivas with DogSpot, Seeker and I returned to the same cafe for an espresso to counteract the piva.. I noticed a lovely lady who walked passed our table and flashed her a big smile which she returned.  Five minutes later she was walking back the other direction so I immediately invited her to sit with us and have a coffee.  Her English was excellent and it turned out she is a Bhuddist from Baikal in town to hear the Lama and go to a Flamenco dance party because she is also a Flamenco dancer.  Then she told me she is a nudist and invited me to visit her in Baikal where I can stay at their Zen Center for free for as long as I like.    I happened to be wearing a purple shirt that day.. exactly the same color purple she was wearing...

Olga-Mouse.. I wasn't trying to do a tour of 5 Star hotels.. it just happened that night my friend didn't have a lot of time and I didn't want to go walking all over the place looking for a cafe.. I had noticed that tent several times and that it looked nice and it was the closest cafe to the metro so that is where we went.  I usually would check a menu before sitting down if none were posted but that couch looked so nice and it was the first time I had noticed it was free.. so.. I just grabbed it.  The only thing is.. if they are going to charge 12 bucks for a glass of juice couldn't they at least chill the pineapple and filter out the fiber before serving it?  I mean come on.. it should have been an organically grown fair trade pineapple flown in from the hotels private pineapple farm in Costa Rica or Madagascar and would have only been cut with surgical grade stainless steel washed in deionized water.  Now.. I would have no complaint about a 12 dollar glass of juice with the above parameters.. but noooo.. in Russia you get a moldy pineapple served warm with all fiber left in and no one bothered to check if there was any pesticide residue left on it...

The canal wall next to the bankers bridge collapsed a couple of days ago.. fortunately I got my photos made before that happened and they enclosed two griffins in wooden coffins and closed the bridge to foot traffic.

I have been now to Moscow, Donetsk, Odessa, Kherson and St. Petersburg.  If I had been in a position to not leave St. Petersburg I would have stayed.  The city is amazingly beautiful and worth of a visit without looking for girls.  The ONLY city in the world that left me with such a strong impression is Barcelona.  The Peterhof is.. I think the most beautiful human built place I have ever been.

I am going to investigate in depth what opportunities I might have there.  On the flight out I met an Aussie who has been living there since '91.  He is currently in the real estate business and felt my talents would be in high demand with the ultra rich oligarch types...

[Gator]

Welcome back.  I am happy that you enjoyed your trip.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Was there any one woman who is making you forget about other women? 

The city is amazingly beautiful and worth of a visit without looking for girls.  The ONLY city in the world that left me with such a strong impression is Barcelona. 

IMO St. Petersburg is the loveliest large city in Russia and among the best in Europe.  Shows what a good French architect can do with raw land and an unlimited budget.  I was told that there were more cathedrals at one time, one standing at the center of major intersections.  That would have made it even more grand.

Did you meet any residents who took you into their 18th C homes in center city?  Very interesting experience.

The Peterhof is.. I think the most beautiful human built place I have ever been.

Have you seen the Taj Mahal?  There are other examples in my mind.  Everyone's tastes are different.

IMO the Peterhof is merely a knockoff of the Versailles.   The gardens and fountains are extraordinary; however, the gilded lily of a palace is overdone opulence.  I admire 18th C architecture, yet not when it is on steroids.    Only when it was toned down in the Chinese rooms could I relax and enjoy.

The WWII bombings destroyed much of the palace and took its soul.  Spirit can not be captured in a replica.  IMO the best building is Peter's "little" study by the sea.  Regarding my opinion, the mother of my sons said it best, "You like everything looking old but your women."  YMMV.

I am going to investigate in depth what opportunities I might have there.  On the flight out I met an Aussie who has been living there since '91.  He is currently in the real estate business and felt my talents would be in high demand with the ultra rich oligarch types...

The city was designed by the French, so why not a San Francisco kitchen designer.   I suggest that you PM a RWD expat who lived there a long time:  Phil'd Amour (spelling close but probably wrong).

[Sculpto]

Rastrelli, Rossi, Rinaldi, Quarenghi... not so French..

My comment about Peterhof should have been specified to the gardens and fountains.. I didn't even go inside the palace.. it was way too hot..

As a sculptor.. the thing that pushes the Peterhof over the top is the way water has been used.  The ingenuity and sheer delight with which the fountains are designed is amazing.

About the girls.. here is the problem.. when I am with any of them I forget the others.  They are all awesome but in different ways.

In some ways I liked Miss Kiev the best.. it was really easy to be with her.. however.. she is the most casual and that is her definition.  To get her to make an emotional investment is going to take a long time and I worry that she could change a lot if she let her heart open up.  Meaning.. right now she is super laid back and really "in the moment" but I suspect if she let herself be vulnerable she might become exceptionally demanding.

Girl #1 is ready to go all the way I think.  But she is younger and in retrospect I can see how she was rather overwhelmed in St P.  At the time she hid it rather well but retrospect is clear.. the reason that is an issue is purely from an adaptation point of view.  I think it would be hard for her because she is from a conservative and very old fashioned part of Russia.  She is fun to be with too and her heart is totally open.  She hasn't been polluted by the liars and players.  She is smart and ambitious and wants to be super woman and is confident she can do it.  I think the only other thing that worries me with her is family interference.  There was one night when there were some issues with her tuition because her Uni had called home and spoken with her Mom about it.. her parents almost totally ruined the evening because they wouldn't leave her in peace.  I finally told her to tell them they were upsetting me and I wanted to eat my dinner with her without their constant interruptions.  I am sure I didn't score any points with them for that.. but.. she was becoming visibly upset and it really was rude on their part.  So.. I had this image in my head of her Mom calling on wedding night to give instructions... HOWEVER.. a family that tight.. would mean a wife that is equally devoted to her own family and husband..

Art store girl is kind of an older version of girl #1 in personality and style.  She has lived in Tokyo and Prague with her Russian x husband.  She was 19, he was 45 when they married.  But, he didn't let her be 19 and she got tired of sitting home waiting for him to show up... so.. she divorced him after 4 years.  She is rather beautiful and smart but she is also pretty much a closed book.  "I can feel love for a man but it doesn't mean I will open my heart to him".. her words on our last date.  She does not want to talk about herself and was rather masterful at avoiding it and getting me to talk about myself.. and then would say.. "its up to you to learn me".  Really classic.  At the same time.. she really responded to romantic gestures.. and the couch rental juice night was pretty awesome even though it was short. 

And then of course there is the lovely bhuddist nudist.. I don't even know what to think about her since we only just met on the last day.. but I have to say I found my daydreaming on the plane wandering to her quite often.. more than one might expect since I have known her for all of 90 minutes.

One way I have been trying to sort things out is by asking myself the question.. "which one would I miss the most if I dropped her from the list?"  Using that measure.. girl #1 is still number 1.

And of course don't forget Miss Sacramento hasn't eliminated herself though she tried pretty hard.. and there is still part two of this TR.. the girls who will visit me this summer.. that part should kick into gear in the next couple of weeks...

No one asked for a commitment.. so.. none was offered.  Am I being selfish?  Hell yes!!!  And for once in my life.. I deserve to be.. especially after my last effort.

[Jumper]

Eric,
 thanks for clearing up Miss Kievs comments,
makes sense,and probably a common general view ,
certainly not unexpected.


Sounds like you had a geeat time.. !very cool..
and thanks for sharing the experiences.


my guess is , miss Sac , did what most any woman who is ,into a man, would do.
If he openly leaves,  mid " budding relatioship" to go off to meet more women lol
  I don't thuink you can hold much of that as self elimination?
just  fairly normal reaction to a situation , perhaps not pleasant , and a bit beyond her control.
Not many will sit back casually and say "hey go have a great time with some other women.."
no matter how casual the relationship started or progressed?
 

Good luck!

[wicheese]

I have been now to Moscow, Donetsk, Odessa, Kherson and St. Petersburg.  If I had been in a position to not leave St. Petersburg I would have stayed.  The city is amazingly beautiful and worth of a visit without looking for girls.  The ONLY city in the world that left me with such a strong impression is Barcelona.  The Peterhof is.. I think the most beautiful human built place I have ever been.

Sculpto,

I would agree that St. Petersburg and Peterhof was well worth the vist (enjoyed your report).  But, for anyone out there thinking about jumping on a plane to visit this city after reading the TR, my words of advice are, just do not visit towards the end of October and early November as its overcast and raining all the time, so best get your visit in May to September.

[Sculpto]

Sculpto,

I would agree that St. Petersburg and Peterhof was well worth the vist (enjoyed your report).  But, for anyone out there thinking about jumping on a plane to visit this city after reading the TR, my words of advice are, just do not visit towards the end of October and early November as its overcast and raining all the time, so best get your visit in May to September.

very good point.. I would also wonder if it is such a nice place to visit round about December 21.. opposite of white nights..

[Sculpto]

btw.. here is the page of an amazing lady from St. Petersburg

http://home.comcast.net/~kneller/Akhmatova.html

[Rubicon]

Anna Ahmatova was born and educated in Odessa Ukraine but later moved to St Petersberg.

[Sculpto]

Anna Ahmatova was born and educated in Odessa Ukraine but later moved to St Petersberg.

Akhmatova was born at Bolshoy Fontan, near the Black Sea port of Odessa. Her father, Andrey Antonovich Gorenko, a civil servant, and her mother, Inna Erazmovna Stogova, were both descended from the Russian nobility. Her family moved north to Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg when she was eleven months old.[1] The family lived in a house on the corner of Shirokaya Street and Bezymyanny Lane; (the building is no longer there today), spending summers from age 7 to 13 in a dacha near Sevastopol.[4] She studied at the Mariinskaya High School, moving to Kiev (1906–10) and finished her schooling there, after her parents separated in 1905. She went on to study law at Kiev University, leaving a year later to study literature in St Petersburg.[2]

[Rubicon]

thanx for the expanded information/correction. 

[Sculpto]

no problem.. I didn't know much about her until a few days ago.. but I understood from the moment I read about her that she is of the stature of Frida Khalo and has been largely missed by people in America.  I just posted some info about her on my facebook page and some rather interesting people have already responded. 

[SANDRO43]

btw.. here is the page of an amazing lady from St. Petersburg

Our FSUW friends will probably chime with more appropriate details, but IINM Anna Akhmatova is a MAJOR figure in Russian 20th century poetry .

[Sculpto]

Our FSUW friends will probably chime with more appropriate details, but IINM Anna Akhmatova is a MAJOR figure in Russian 20th century poetry .

She certainly is Sandro and I was a little surprised to discover someone so important that I had somehow missed.  I have really enjoyed becoming familiar with her work in the last few days.

[SANDRO43]

Anyway, I'm glad you were fascinated by the only Russian city I would willingly visit - possibly for family reasons, my grandmother was born there, in a quite different but still perceivable era, apparently .

[Sculpto]

Sandro it really didn't feel like any other place I have been in the FSU.  There is a cultural "edge" to the place that for someone like me is extremely interesting.. yet.. someone like you would be far from disappointed with the abundance of classical culture.  The street I stayed on had three theaters and a ballet and several museums.. I really enjoyed walking past the theaters before the shows started.. the collection of beautiful ladies was simply beyond words.. I also noticed there were very few men escorting the ladies to the theater...

[SANDRO43]

I really enjoyed walking past the theaters before the shows started.. the collection of beautiful ladies was simply beyond words.. I also noticed there were very few men escorting the ladies to the theater...

So going there as a theatre-chaperone tourist might be a worthwhile endevour ? An interesting novel approach to FSUW dating, any specialised websites ?

[Sculpto]

So going there as a theatre-chaperone tourist might be a worthwhile endevour ? An interesting novel approach to FSUW dating, any specialised websites ?

I dont know if there are websites or not.. but.. a well dressed and articulate man hanging out in front of the theater would garner a LOT of attention from the ladies.  I mean seriously.. I was in a t-shirt and converse high tops and very sweaty and they were all smiling at me as I walked past.. I would also suspect there is a good chance theater loving ladies may be multi lingual.  Anyway.. maybe one of our Russian speaking members can see if there are any theater specific sites for St P???

[Sculpto]

I am quite sure this is my favorite spot in St. P.. I returned to it dozens of times.. on some slow evenings if I encountered some interested tourists I would even walk them over there just to be sure they didn't miss it..

[Sculpto]

another favorite spot that I returned to many times.. the park surrounding this spot is a prime spot for meeting ladies too.  Lots of ladies come here to stroll hoping to meet someone.  I think this little pavillion is what inspires them.. there are wedding shoots here constantly.. one after another.. and elsewhere nice looking ladies dressed to attract strolling around.. someone in the chat the other day said "you face a lot of rejection from married women and girls with boyfriends if you don't write first".  That person didn't see this park.  Outstanding!

[Velena]

The story about juice is impressive! One thing I can't understand is why on earth any woman would want to marry an older penny pinching foreigner when there more then enough the same or even better  quality homegrown men are available.

[Sculpto]

The story about juice is impressive! One thing I can't understand is why on earth any woman would want to marry an older penny pinching foreigner when there more then enough the same or even better  quality homegrown men are available.

I am not sure if you are insulting me or not?  But.. I would like to relate one observation I noticed about the high quality men you speak about. 

Each evening I walked along the canal not far from my first house on the Fontanka.  In the evenings there were many couples along the canal.  I saw so many lovely ladies.. wearing a dress and nice shoes.. hair done properly with nice makeup.. I guessed many of them were just finished with a job in an office... and the men.. in shorts.. flip flop shoes.. dirty t-shirt or no shirt at all, they looked like they spent the whole day sitting on a couch doing nothing except watching tv.. offering their lady a beer in a brown paper bag (which I am sure she paid for at one of the 24 hour liquor stores) while standing next to the dog shit thoughtless dog owners left in the dirt where there should be grass.  So, yeah I can understand how you might have nostalgia for all the generous homegrown men. 

[Shadow]

I am not sure if you are insulting me or not?  But.. I would like to relate one observation I noticed about the high quality men you speak about. 

Each evening I walked along the canal not far from my first house on the Fontanka.  In the evenings there were many couples along the canal.  I saw so many lovely ladies.. wearing a dress and nice shoes.. hair done properly with nice makeup.. I guessed many of them were just finished with a job in an office... and the men.. in shorts.. flip flop shoes.. dirty t-shirt or no shirt at all, they looked like they spent the whole day sitting on a couch doing nothing except watching tv.. offering their lady a beer in a brown paper bag (which I am sure she paid for at one of the 24 hour liquor stores) while standing next to the dog *snip* thoughtless dog owners left in the dirt where there should be grass.  So, yeah I can understand how you might have nostalgia for all the generous homegrown men. 

That is the difference. Ladies will not be seen outside without proper dressing. Once men get home from the office, they will wear what they want.

[Velena]

Actually I didn't mention high quality men. I also didn't mean to unsult anyone. It is not about how people are dressed. It is about the standart of life man can provide. And to be honest I can't see any point to get married the older foreign man in order to move to another country and live the same very average live there.