Birthday Adventure

As mentioned in my last post, Erica had a special surprise planned for the Sunday after my birthday. After church I was handed a note instructing me to look at a certain Psalm to find out who had my next clue. What followed was a city-wide scavenger hunt that we dubbed Molly's Birthday Adventure!

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First I was sent to the nearest underground station to find the horse-drawn train...

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However, I got there before my next clue- so I was told to follow Joshua's example and march around the train 7 times (slowly, if you please!) After all, what are birthday adventures for but making me look as foolish as possible? :)

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On about my 5th time around who did I spot but Arina, bringing the next clue leading us to the restaurant where we had lunch...

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After lunch I was sent downtown to a bookstore Anne had discovered in the fall. Forbidden to take public transportation, though, it became an impromptu walking tour. One stop along the way were some griffins gaurding part of the Neva river. Apparently you're supposed to rub it's head and make a wish. I added the stupid face all on my own...

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Pause for a touristy picture across from St. Isaacs Cathedral...

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Once we found the bookstore, I had to go up and introduce myself to the cashier to get my next clue which took us to the пышки (doughnut) shop a few blocks away. One of my favorite little places in St. Pete, this restaurant/cafe has been around since soviet times. It's one of those hidden treasure type places, and it's always filled with locals. The line is usually almost to the door and the tables are always so full that if there are extra chairs at a table, other customers will just come sit down with you.

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Arina, me, Erica, Anne

What you can't see in this picture is the dozen or so Russians behind the camera, looking at us like we're crazy! But it was worth it!

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The doughnut shop was the end of the scavenger hunt, but not the end of the day. Afterwards we walked back across the Neva and home where Erica made grilled cheese sandwiches and cookies and we all watched a movie. All told, I spent 12+ hours with these wonderful ladies, and it was such a fun day! What great friends I have!

Spring has Sprung!

Well, it's not exactly t-shirt weather here yet, but it's starting to feel like maybe it will be eventually (in the dead of winter, summer just seems like an insubstantiated rumor). Some signs that warm weather is around the corner:

• I haven't worn my hat, gloves, or a scarf outside for over a week now
• The snow and ice are starting to melt, though it's still piled taller than me on the side streets and in the parks
• The sun is out most days (as opposed to the 3-4 times I saw it throughout the months of November and December)
• On a walk with Anne earlier this week, we had our first encounter with Russian sunbathers- men and women who strip down to their underwear and stand (in the snow) against the wall of Peter and Paul fortress to soak up the sun!

March also brings with it Maslenitsa (or as I call it, blini week- blini being the super thin pancakes they make here), International Women's Day, and my birthday! It's a good month. :) To celebrate Maslenitsa, some of Erica's linguistics students from the fall (the same ones we went ice skating with) invited us over for blini. It was delicious, and a lot of fun, too. One of the girls had found a classic Russian movie with English subtitles, so we watched that after lunch. It was hysterical. I almost cried I was laughing so hard! Now I want to find a copy for myself to take home with me.

Women's Day was relatively uneventful for me, except that one of my linguistics classes gave me tulips. I told them that tulips were my favorite flowers, and they remembered and brought me some more for my birthday!

For my birthday, besides the shower of candy, flowers, and congratulations I got all day, My wonderful roommate promised to try her hand at homemade bagels! They were delicious, especially with the cream cheese she gave me that morning. And apparently there is some sort of birthday surprise in the works for tomorrow, but she's being very secretive. All in all, it's been a pretty awesome birthday. I'm telling you- March is a great month to be here in Russia!