That’s what our regular traveling troupe did this year. Tour leader Malu Gamboa organized our Russian adventure, a country steeped in history, colorfully interwoven with murder and revolutions, highlighted by wondrous art, beautiful ballet and splendid palaces.
Our intro to the country was via Aeroflot, Russia’s national airline. To our delight, our flight left on time and had stewardesses who could have passed for models. (Good tip: Instead of paying per kilo for overweight luggage, just pay an additional luggage fee. Aeroflot has a Manila office, tel. 7592191.)
We were extremely lucky that the day we arrived was also the birthday celebration of Philippine Ambassador Victor Garcia III. His bubbly wife Connie had prepared a Filipino feast and a dance presentation with the rest of the ladies of the diplomatic circle.
Consul Tonette Mendoza-Oblena turned out to be the younger sister of fellow triathlete Ichay Mendoza Bulaong. Tonette and her husband Dinno have been with the DFA for years. Embassy staff Eduardo Manayao arranged for his cool daughters Kim and Av to tour us around over the next few days.
Gifts
My luggage allowance went to gifts such as tinned-Beluga-caviar magnets, decorated wooden lacquer boxes called palekh, colorful dishes and general Soviet handicrafts. The traditional matrioshkas, the famous painted Russian dolls within dolls, are my favorite.
One of the most surprising, excellent tours is the Moscow metro or subway. Outstanding Soviet architects designed grand train stations that look like palaces. Among them was Alexey Shchusev, who also designed the Lenin Mausoleum. It’s true that there are chandeliers and a whole lot more art in the Russian metro.
If you have time, include St. Petersburg in your Russian itinerary. Known as “the Venice of the North,” the city was built by Peter the Great in the 1700s, as he was inspired by the more advanced cities of Europe. St. Petersburg is truly one of the most romantic cities I have seen with its countless bridges, canals, monuments and cathedrals.
Indefatigable Malu G found our Russian guide Olga at www.olgatourguidepetersburg.com. She got us “express” tickets to all the worthy museums, and rare ballet tickets, but best of all, her encyclopedic brain helped us keep our Catherines and Nicholases straight.
We splurged and stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe, renowned for its Old World charm, premier location and modern amenities. Our original plan of ordering Beluga caviar was immediately nixed when we saw too many zeroes in the price. So we settled on Beluga Vodka instead and drank it like the locals do, ice-cold and neat.
Photo-op with Victor Basa
Olga wondered if they are all relatives or just wanted a photo with our group since we had actor Victor Basa with us. As our group walked through halls of Picassos, Gauguins, Monets and works of the world’s greatest artists, we had an idea of how lavishly the tsars had lived.
One surprise to me was how many churches there are in Russia. The best is the Church of the Spilled Blood, built as a memorial on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. This Byzantine-style cathedral is the grandest in all St. Petersburg, and Twitter-happy Rosan Cruz took a ton of photos.
There are palaces and palaces, but none as great as St. Catherine’s Palace, built by Catherine I, wife of Peter the Great. Personally I found it more elaborate than Versailles!
A visit to Russia would not be complete without spending an evening at the Bolshoi Ballet and, for me, my favorite part of the visit. The Mariinsky Theater staged the original productions of “The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote” and was the original stomping ground of some of the greatest dancers of all time, including Pavlova, Balanchine, Nureyev and Baryshnikov. We were so fortunate to catch “Swan Lake” during the International Ballet Festival.
Our trip to Russia far exceeded my expectations. It is a country that should be on everyone’s bucket list and wonderful travel destination. Best of all, it is a great excuse to wear fur.
Follow Tessa on Twitter @tessavaldes or e-mail her at seaprincess@inquirer.com.ph.