I awaken the next morning, ready to take the city on. Looking at my saved places, it seems none open until 10 or 11.
I decide if I am going to try the metro today, I might as well go to the farthest place, then I can work my way back.
Lakhta Tower is a spire skyscraper on the edge of the Sea of Finland, and it is at the last station, Begovaya, on the green line.
I enter the metro, scan my card, and proceed. I was worried that the card I bought, still needed to be “charged up”.
It was rush hour, so quite busy. I’m in no rush, so I walk along the walls to keep out of other’s way.
The London Underground has a station with a very long escalator, one I fell on. Nevsky Prospekt had an even longer one, we must be 400 ft below the surface.
I find the correct platform and get on the next train. The stops are quite far apart, I think mostly due to traveling under an island.
Lakhta Tower
As I exit, I see a building with large lettering, “Atlantic City.” Uh oh, I ended up in New Jersey.
It is surprising how many western company names there are, all seem to be in Latin characters. KFC, Coke, McDonalds, Bulgari, John Frieda, Spar, etc.
I pull out the map, but Google is saying I’m at Rybatskoye, which is at the other end of the line. Weird that a random GPS fix would have been that specifically wrong. I definitely knew I wasn’t there, but I could imagine someone freaking out that they’d gone the wrong way.
The tower is a 22 minute walk away.
I see a section of road with a very skimpy fence across it, with razor wire. There is another fence about 30 yards beyond. There is nothing to stop anyone from just walking around the fence, nor an evidence they are doing any work on that section. I do not think it would stop anyone determined to drive through it.
I do notice they love their razor wire. It is everywhere, just about every fence, across the rooftops between buildings, around road support pillars…
I’m hoping to go to the top and check out the view, maybe there is an observation deck. I don’t get to find out, there is a fence around the building. They are still working on it.
Strike #2. Not doing too good on my chosen locations.
A park lay on the way back to the station, so I browsed through. Many people out with dogs. I saw a kid on a swing, at 9:30. Why wasn’t he in school?
Each subway station has its own theme or design. I had the idea of stopping and seeing each. I only did a few before I realize that I’ll waste too much time doing that.
I exit the metro, and spot a Spar grocery. I need shampoo, so I browse. I picked up the smallest bottle they had, I hope I can get it through airport security to Moscow. I’d hate to have to buy another, even if it is cheap.
I also grabbed a bottle of grapefruit juice, payed, and exited.
As I open the bottle, nope, it is grapefruit soda. I drink it anyway.
The irony is, my hair is too short to bother with washing too often, but I can use it as body wash. As I left for Georgia, my hair started poking up in one area. I had thought about cutting it before, but it should be good for a few more weeks. Now, it is too short to comb, but long enough to look messy if I don’t.
Okay, it was well after noon, I didn’t wake until about 4:30.
I took a shower, but did not have any shampoo or soap. Most American and European hostels have some or at least some other guest has theirs in there that I can steal a bit. A shower without soap is still better than no shower at all. It really did feel better to get rinsed off and get clean clothes on.
As with most hotel/hostel showers, this was one that either was freezing or scalding. There is no in between. Why do they pick these controls that are so hard to figure out. Hot water control and cold water control, that’s what they need. Simple. Stop all this one handle does everything BS. Alton Brown may have a dislike for mono-taskers, but I think he’d agree with me on this point.
With the large number of people who spend long periods in airports, I wonder why they don’t have pay showers. It seems to me a good income source. Maybe some do, I just never saw any.
There is a nearby restaurant with “modern Russian food.” I order 3 crêpes, totally Russian, those French must have stole the idea. Right?
One is meaty like stroganoff, the second is filled with a sweet cream, the third has red caviar. Yes, I’m extravagant. They are all good, but the caviar is too salty. If I say something is too salty, you should believe it, as I like salt on most everything. Perhaps if I had eaten that one first, while I was hungrier, I could have finished it.
Since I now had a fully charged map device, I looked at my Google map and picked the first saved location. I was going to go see Lenin. No, not Lenin, Lennon, the bloke from Liverpool. There is a small alleyway that is decorated with drawings and paintings on the walls of the Beatles.
I walked along admiring the sites. Occasionally looking at the map or taking a photo of some interesting building.
I was looking, but didn’t see it. I walked back a bit, with the map open, and went down it.
There was just an ordinary area between two buildings, then a gate. There was a small group ahead of me that stopped at the gate, which was chained. They turned around and left. I did the same.
I don’t know if the artwork was past the gate or if it had been removed, but I was disappointed. My first item was a strikeout.
Nothing else was nearby, and it was starting to darken, so I picked a different route and headed back.
As we enter Saint Petersburg, I see signs for “9 Maя” (May 9th) and banners being removed. I don’t know what May 9th is, but I guess I missed some sort of celebration.
We made a few stops, letting people off. Including at the stop where I have to get the airport shuttle, good to know it for sure.
Finally, my last stop, 5am.
I walk up the street to the Metro, but I already know it doesn’t open until 6. Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier?
I wait there a bit before deciding that if I walk to the next station, I will not only be closer, but the station might be open then. Spend the time walking or spend it freezing.
I easily find the next station and I’m able to go in to get a pass.
The machines have multiple languages, but only dispense singles. I want a 7-day pass.
Using Google translate, I ask a guard (yes all the stations have military guards, normal?) he has me go over to a window.
I try to get a 7-day pass, but am told they don’t have that. Wikipedia has failed me. I do get a 5-day pass, 1000₽.
I think more about using the metro right then, I have my bags and I don’t want to have to go through more security. I only have one stop to go, so why not walk and see more of the city. Actually, if I rode, I would have to walk back a little towards where I was anyway.
I walked through a park. It had a very fine gravel, so I had to carry my suitcase. But I saw a lot of interesting buildings and statues.
After a while, I arrived where I needed to be. As I feared, I see nothing of my hostel. I had looked at street view on Google, but the images were years old and they blur out some signs sometimes.
Using the camera translate, I found a hostel and went in. There was a million year old elevator. I didn’t know what floor, so I had to use the stairs anyway.
I walked all the way to the top, translating at each door. The top door had a sign that had something to do with a hostel, so I hope it is it. The door is locked. I press a button, no answer. I’m about to go back down, when a couple of women in robes and head coverings come out. They know a tiny bit of English, but let me in. I walk down the hall, all the way to the end. No sign of an office, so I walk back to the main door.
I recheck my mail again. A week ago, I had sent a support notice asking about the location and still had nothing.
Now I have to do the thing I didn’t want to do, I had to take my phone off airplane mode and make a call.
I call the hostel, but only get a recording in Russian. Great, now I don’t have a room and I may have an additional charge on my phone bill.
I go back down and out, rechecking every sign on every door. Nothing.
There is a kebab place with its door open, so I go in to ask. Still no English, but I guess he’s had other people ask, so he points me to the right place. The sign on the door says “Diskette”. I had seen this on streetview, but that isn’t the name on the booking site. It doesn’t even make sense.
Again I climb the stairs, translating at each door. I find it. The main door is a jar, but there is another just inside. I press the button that has an English sign telling me to.
I wait a few moments, but no one comes. I look more through the window, the clerk is laying her head on the desk. I press the button again (which does make an audible tone), her head comes up, she looks around and then lays back down.
I don’t want to be rude, but she needs to let me in, so I press a third time. This time she looks through the window and sees me and indicates I have to open the door after I press the button. The sign says nothing about that.
I show her my reservation and she verifies I am at the right place.
Check in is at 2, but I can leave my bags in the corner.
After my walk, I’m a bit sweaty, so I take off my jacket and leave everything there. My iPad was below 20%, so I left that too.
As I get back outside, I realize, I can’t go very far, I have no directions. That’s alright, the building on the corner has a row of balloons, so I should be able to return easily enough.
I walk down towards the metro station where I was originally going to get off, looking for breakfast.
The reason Russians are poor is because the businesses are never open. I could not find a single place on that street that opened before 8am, many were 11 o’clock openers.
Irony is that there are bakeries everywhere, but none open early enough for workers to get anything on the way.
I left the hostel about 6:15 and can’t check in until 2, but I also can’t go anywhere for the next 8 hours. Total catch-22. Also, I still don’t have my watch on and don’t have my phone or iPad, so I have no way of knowing the time.
I went down to the mentioned subway, crossed the street, then went down to another subway entrance, crossed and returned. Nothing for food was open, even when I asked someone the time, and waited at a restaurant doorway. I never saw anyone inside.
Finally, I found a place and got a pastry and orange juice. I went down to the subway plaza and sat in the sun to eat.
I noticed I was the least dressed person, period. I was not even that uncomfortable, in the sun. So much for the hardy Russian.
Since I had nothing to do and I was getting tired (Ok, more tired), I went back to the hostel. There was a new person, still no English, I asked if I could pay extra to check in early. She typed on the computer and made a phone call, but told me that the room wasn’t ready yet. It was around 8:30, so likely no one had checked out yet.
She allowed me to sit in the lobby, where I was beginning to pass out. Finally, around 11, she let me check in, for an extra 250₽, that’s a lot for 3 hours, but I was glad to.
We were on the 5th floor and she led me down to 3rd to my room.
I plugged in my iPad and considered a shower, but went straight to bed.
As the bus arrived, the bus had windows all the way to the back, no sign of onboard toilet.
We all gather around shoving our bags at the driver to put underneath.
There was an old lady (a babushka) in front of me and the steps were high, so I tried to offer a hand up, but I think she thought I wanted to cut in front of her. I was trying to be a good Samaritan, but I should act like a normal Russian.
I was in the second row, but I was in seat #1. WTF were the seats in front of me called?
I had the pillow and blanket, still in the bag, from the flight. So I placed them against the window and tried to sleep. Mostly successfully, I didn’t see much of the Estonian country side.
About midnight, as we neared Narva, on the border, we made a few quick stops and some people got off.
Then we entered a heavily fenced area, with multiple swing gates, and parked. The driver got off, spoke to the border police and opened the luggage compartments. An officer came on board, took our passports, examining each against our photos.
After about 45 minutes, the officer returned and handed back our documentation.
The bus departed, and stopped again about 1000ft later, another swing gate. The driver got out and showed some paper, the guard made a phone call, then let us proceed.
I thought we were through, but that was just the Estonian side.
After crossing the river, we went through another swing gate. OK, now we’re good.
Nope.
We drove a bit further and then stopped at a building. We all exited the bus and took everything inside. Oh, I see metal detectors and baggage x-rays. Great, more dis-robing.
Once I reached the window where the guard was checking documents, she did not know English, but scanned my passport and visa, then directed me to go back and wait a few minutes. I guessed she need to get an English speaker to come out.
Another guard comes over and takes me to a back room. Oh, great, secondary screening. The bus is going to leave me, I just know it.
He didn’t know English, either, but used Google translate on his phone. Super sophisticated. I presume that there would be someone in the daytime or weekends that knew English, just not now.
He asked me “Do you have metal in your pockets?” Then had me pass through a metal detector and back again.
He asked for my phone which I provided and he wanted my password. I indicated I had none and just swiped up to open it to show him. I asked if he also wanted my iPad, but nyet, he didn’t. I was then told to go back through the metal detector and sit down, and I waited a while.
I had to remove my watch for the security check in the frantic run to catch my plane. I had not replaced it yet, so no idea how long it was, much I’m sure it was shorter than it felt. The only consolation was there was another man there sitting before I went in.
Finnally, he called me back in (before the other guy) and gave me back my phone and escorted me back out. Phew, no rejection. I presume he swabbed the phones for explosive or drug residue.
The scanners were simple, just place everything on the belt. Nothing to remove, not even my jacket. But I had all empty pockets already.
I rejoined the rest of the passengers and a few minutes latter we all re-boarded the bus and departed.
After one last swing gate, we really were in Russia. Time, just under two hours.
We stopped a mile further up, at a gas station. Where some of the passengers got off and departed.
Many more were getting off and going into the store. So I decided to follow.
The restroom was bright and clean, but good bye to comfortable toilet paper, we’re in Russia now.
Yes, this is the first chance I had to go since I was on the plane to Warsaw, about 10 hours ago. It felt so good. I know, TMI, but true never-the-less.
Still a long way to go still, I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t. So I finished a TV episode on my iPad before trying again.
At about 3:30, I notice the light is starting to show on the horizon. It also did not get dark until 10pm in St Petersburg, which I think has something to do with the latitude and upcoming solstice.
The bus has a clock and a temperature display. It gets down to 5C (27F), but rises again as the sun comes up.
I arrived in Tallinn and proceeded to the exit. I called for an Uber to take me to the bus station where I had to get the bus to Saint Petersburg. The app said it was a grey Mazda, but when I see the front plate, it is white. I asked the driver, who had decent English, he said he didn’t know why. Once it said the car was pink. I don’t believe him, but he isn’t my competition, so I don’t care about reporting it.
Classic Soviet style building.
I went to the desk and verified I was at the right station, an import step if you want to get the right bus. It was correct.
Since I had over three hours to wait, I was going to browse the city a bit. I didn’t want to lug my bags around, I notice they have lockers, down a set of stairs, of course.
The lockers are 2 euros, but I don’t have any euros. There is an ATM, but even if I use it, I won’t have 2 euro coins. Likely, I’d have a 20 euro note, then I’d have to find some one to exchange it.
I know what most of this means, but what is a “pood”? Do I want to know?
A quick G-search and there is an exchange nearby, about 20 minute walk. I have the time, so I start walking. After about 7-8 minutes, I see that Google says it is still 19 minutes away. What? I am a faster walker than most people, so I should have covered way more.
Also, the sidewalks, where there was one, were cobblestone, not the best rolling surface for tiny luggage wheels. Took a few photos of interesting buildings along the way. But at some point I realize that I would still have to return all the way back along the same rough sidewalks. I turned the corner and went down a parallel street, back to the station.
I could just sit in the station and update my site while I wait.
Problem, no wifi at the station, so laptop can’t be used.
Second problem, the toilet is €0.40. Again I don’t have euros and especially coins. Another quick search shows a nearby McD’s (the only time I ever go, is to use the toilet), but it is further than the exchange. Well, I hope the bus has one.
There is a lot of bird screeching around the station, calls and what sounds like a fight. Only I realized later, it was a recording, probably to keep pigeons from shitting on everything.
It is cool, but I can handle it with just my flannel jacket. When I arrived, it was 16C/60F. By the time the bus pulled up, it was 20C/68F, but felt colder as the sun was going down.
In Atlanta, all 3 boarding passes printed out. But I had no boarding zone on the Polish Air ones. I asked the lady checking as people boarded and was told I had to check in with the desk, where they issued me new ones. WTF were the boarding passes that I had good for?
I had managed to charge everything beforehand, but the bottle filler was too slow to stand and wait for, so I only had a bit.
They served meals, drinks, and snacks, so I didn’t dehydrate or starve.
Surprising me was the fact that I had metal fork, spoon, and butter knife. Actual metal, not plastic or bamboo.
I won’t comment on the meal. Airline meals are to give you something to do and maybe some nourishment, they have no need for flavor or quality. Even so, you are so grateful to get it.
I couldn’t figure out how to recline, so I did the same as my neighbor and laid forward on the tray table. Not comfortable at all, but got a few hours. That’s about what I’d get at home, so that’s OK.
I had noticed during the flight, that the Orbitz app had a gate listed for my flight out of Warsaw, but never for the flight in.
While boarding and then as people were getting off, I noticed they were playing music on the PA. I thought I recognized the latter music as Chopin. Then it hit me, we were at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Duh.
I had a aisle seat, near the front, so I exited quickly. I had to use the toilet, but we were about to land, so I figured I would just wait and use a real toilet.
A man was asking people their destination and directed them accordingly (well, at least mine was right).
There was a long hallway, with signs pointing towards my gate. However, there was a crowd down near the end. There was a security ribbon splitting the hall in 2, one side for EU/Shengen citizens and the other for every one else.
I could see ahead a passport control. OK, no problem, except I notice that my flight boarded in 30 minutes and I still didn’t know how far down the gate was.
I moved through quickly enough, but I was sweating a bit with worry.
And then…
ANOTHER SECURITY CHECKPOINT!!!!!!
I was arriving at the checkpoint right as the boarding was beginning. So I quickly kicked off my shoes (I just bought velcro shoes specifically for this) and unloaded my electronics onto the belt.
And of course, the woman before me still had her shoes on and was made to return and put them on the belt, along with her jewelry, before she could re-try. They made me wait for her to finish that. Then the guard waved the wand all over her, despite never triggering the metal detector.
I had to throw my stuff back in the bags and ran down the hall holding my shoes, because I didn’t have time to stop and put them on.
I haven’t checked, but I think the flight might have arrived late. There should have been 90 minutes for me to change over, minus the 20-25 minutes where the close the doors to begin departure.
Fortunately, they had just begun loading. I felt bad for the guy next to me, as I had run all the way from security, wearing my flannel jacket and backpack, so I was sweaty. I turned on the air vent, for the first time ever, so I should have blown most away from him.
Needless to say, but I didn’t have a chance for the toilet.
Three flights, three security screenings. Crap.
I know that the next 2 are going to also, but I am really hoping the last 2 don’t. I can’t take it.
After passing security and finding my gate, I had the munchies, more boredom than hunger.
I browsed around the terminal for something that looked good and found a gourmet pizza place that had reasonable prices. Not just airport reasonable, but outside reasonable, less than $11 for a 3-topping medium.
Only, they have an ordering kiosk and it only accepts credit cards. I have cash and don’t want to use my card, just in case it triggers a security alert with the bank.
All restaurants and stores, at least inside the secure area, only accept credit cards. I’m sure it is so that the airport gets a cut of sales.
Unfortunately, the banks and credit card companies no longer have a method of telling them that you’ll be traveling. So any transaction may be the one that sets off their algorithm, and cuts off my ability to use it.
Obviously, I won’t be able to use it in Russia, because of the sanctions, but I may need it in Warsaw, Istanbul, or Frankfurt airports or in Tallinn.
Also, the benches at the gate had AC and USB plugs, but none of the ones I tried worked, but later I managed to get the seat next to the wall, with an outlet.
I noticed my boarding pass was “Group 8.” Crap, I was in the last group to get on, so I had to put my case several rows forward. Worse, I was in row 32, out of 33. There were only 2 people behind me. That’s what happens if you don’t pony up more moollah for an assigned seat up front. Also, I was on the window, so I had to wait for the guy next to me to get up and leave first.
No real problems, but just aggravating.
The real problem was that I had to change terminals in O’Hare, and that means going back through security. Wait… my second boarding pass doesn’t have PreCheck on it. Crap and more crap.
I asked the guard and they said if it doesn’t say it, I don’t get it.
So I get to trod along with the other peons through a not too long checkpoint, but I had to remove my shoes and electronics.
I asked the “terminal manager” (his words) and the answer is that even though I paid fro Precheck, the airlines have to also pay. I guess Polish Air won’t. Still, the boarding passes were printed by AA and it should have carried forward.
My 2nd and 3rd boarding passes don’t have any gate info. Looking at the departure listings, my flight was too far down the list to be shown. That’s OK, I look at the Orbitz app. Umm, it doesn’t have a gate, either. I pull up the Polish airlines app, no gate there, either.
Even my “flight tracker” app won’t tell me. It has ALL the answers.
I went pee, then refilled my water bottle (which I had to dump because of the checkpoint) and found another departure board that had a second screen, so I had my gate number. Hurrah!
Interestingly, my iPad was able to change time zone on its own, even in airplane mode and at 28,000 feet. Not sure, but I presume that since I was getting GPS, it “knew” I was in Central.
But, on the ground, my phone could not find the signal, not for several minutes.
Plus one for Apple’s TZ recognition, but then minus one again for the bad reception.
I recently paid the $78 to sign up for TSA PreCheck. I was going to get the Global, but didn’t have time before the trip.
I did not think it would really be that significant of a time difference. I spent about 2 minutes goin through security. Compared to the estimated 25-30 minutes for the “normal” people, I don’t want to be normal.
It also allows you to leave your electronics in the bag and keep your shoes on. Those alone are worth the price.
I will shortly be heading off to Russia, visiting the cities of Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad or Petrograd) and Moscow, the capital city.
Yes, it was 3 years ago when Mom and I went to Houston to get visas to go. That was before lock-downs and border closings and sanctions.
My itinerary will take me from Atlanta through Chicago and Warsaw, Poland, before landing in Tallinn, Estonia. I will then need to take a seven and a half hour bus ride to Saint Petersburg. I know, you are so jealous of me getting a long bus ride.
As Estonia is in the Schengen Area, I don’t need a separate visa to enter. So I will have a few hours to walk around their capital before getting on the bus. I don’t have any Euros, but I can use my credit card if I find anything worth buying (or rather worth carrying around for over 2 weeks). But because of the sanctions imposed by the US, no American credit, bank, or debit cards will work in Russia. Fortunately, I have Russian rubbles, that I got back before the lock-down screwed everything up.
A idea I had when I went to Italy, take bank envelopes and divide up the money I need for each hostel. This allows me to spend without worrying about not being able to have my room. Russia is too cold to sleep outside <brrr>.
After Moscow, I fly through Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey, and Frankfurt, Germany, before returning to Atlanta. In total, I will spend over 72 hours in transit.
Interestingly, I will go through Atlanta, Warsaw, Tallinn, Moscow, and Istanbul. Each is the capital of their country or state. Not planned, just worked out that way.
We went for breakfast, then headed down to Johnson Space Center.
It was just 35 minutes down I-45, but the directions were for the employee entrance. Apparently this happens a lot, the guard simply gave us directions and we U-turned.
As we drove up, we could see the 747 that carried the shuttles back to Florida, and it had a shuttle mock-up, the Independence, built in Apopka. The shuttle is a “fake”, but was built to the NASA blueprints and is now owned by NASA, so I suppose it is “real” now. They only built 6 shuttles and 2 are now gone, so a mock-up is as close as we can expect.
I was amazed how small it really is, a good hallway length, but only as wide as the 747 it rides. The boosters and external tank make up the bulk of the assembly.
The black tiles at the nose all have dot-matrix numbers on them. I presume these are tracking numbers, if a tile is lost, then a new one can be made that will fit precisely. Most of the black tiles are not rectangular.
After browsing a bit, we took a tram around the complex and to Rocket Park. The park a little bit disappointing as it only had 3 rockets, but one was the Saturn V, just about the largest thing ever flown. It is over 360 feet long, more than a football field, including the end zones. My car could have easily fit inside one of the rocket cones, while the Command Module had less room than a Smart Fortwo car.
We walked above the training lab, where we could see some of the robots they are developing.
They also have a local school’s Ag class’ cattle, Texas long horns, of course. They have horns about 4 feet long. Long indeed.
Another tram took us to the original Control Center, showing original mission footage of the first moon landing. One screen showed a chart with a X and Y lines and circles indicating distance, with a paper Command Module in the center. A hand then pushes another cut out indicating the field of view of the camera, then as the astronauts exit the ship, cut outs of them are placed on the chart and later moved around manually. Ah, the high tech of the late 60’s.
It began raining lightly prior to the second tram, so when we hear they were closing soon, we were not as disappointed as we could have been.
After returning to town, it was too late to go anywhere else, especially in the rain. No zoo or parks for us.
We went out for dinner and to bed early, Mom had a 9am flight and I had a 15 hour drive home.
After dropping Mom off at the airport, I drove to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.
I did not expect too many people at 9am on a Tuesday, but there were several school buses and a lot of kids inside. With Houston being the 4th largest city in the US, I suppose they have field trips just about every weekday, during the school year.
They had a 3-story, 2-ton pendulum swinging, showing the precession that occurs through the 24-hour rotation of the planet, every 10 minutes a small block on each side would be knocked over, making the whole thing a half-daily clock.
I decided it would be easier to take the elevator up to the 4th floor and work down, letting gravity work for me and avoiding most of the kids.
The 4th floor was all about oil drilling and fracking, it is an oil state after all. They had a “ride” where you were shrunk down to Hot Wheels size and flew down a drilled hole, experiencing what went on during the fracking process. The 360 view was not bad and the whole thing was a little interesting. Fortunately, they did return us to our original size. It would’ve been real hard to drive home otherwise.
There was an Egyptian exhibit, but after seeing the real King Tut, at Highclere Castle, it didn’t appeal to me.
I browsed a mollusk shell collection, but it was a bit repetitive, pretty but not enough variation. I passed the obligatory dinosaur bones and fossils.
Aurora Butterfly of Peace under normal lightAurora Butterfly of Peace under florescent light
There was a mineral collection. So many colors and shapes of crystals. They were so vibrant, but I couldn’t capture their beauty on camera. Near the entrance is the Aurora Butterfly of Peace, a butterfly shape with 240 naturally colored diamonds, which fluoresced . I didn’t take a photo initially, so I returned as was leaving. A lady and girl were looking at it, she lifted the girl to see better and the girl noticed right away that the center diamond was shaped like a heart. Good eyes.
The collection also included Fabergé eggs and jewelry from the Russian Imperial household of Tsar Nicholas II.
Dik-diks
I had always presumed Fabergé was a Frenchman, but was from St. Petersburg, Russia. According to the film playing, Fabergé only made a few of the objects, most were designed and created by his employees. Much like Steve Jobs taking credit for the design of the early Apple computers, when he had no electronics knowledge or training.
If our visas come in, perhaps we will be able to see more Fabergé in St. Petersburg. Update: I did.
They had preserved animals from Africa, including what I consider to be the cutest deer, a dik-dik. It stands 12-15 inches tall. I think these would sell well in the US, but hard to raise as they need about 6 acres each.
The Art of The Brick was on display. An artist created pieces wholly out of Lego, including some recreated famous paintings and a T-rex skeleton.
When I was about 10, we drove around the southeast states in my dad’s schoolbus yellow pick-up truck with camper-top. One morning we stopped at the battleship USS Alabama in Mobile bay. What boy doesn’t want to check out a battleship?
I don’t know why, but we didn’t tour the ship. Too early? Too expensive? I the past decade, I have passed it 6 times, without being able to stop and tour. It is always too late.
I determined that if I left Houston before 11:30am, I might get there before closing at 6.
I left the museum just after 10, but I didn’t get to Mobile until 7pm. AHHHH, will I ever get to see it? At about 7 hours from here, I really don’t see it coming to be.
After leaving, I drove home. Both directions, I was able to cross Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana without stopping. Prius, Whooo!
I wasn’t sleepy until after I went through Perry, FL, on US19. I had just finished all my podcasts and an audiobook, so nothing but music to keep me alert. It was only a few more hours to get home, so I pushed on. There is a riverside park in Fanning Springs, so I did decide to stop there and crash out for a few, but as I pulled up, they now have a gate across the parking lot. No luck there either.
I really didn’t want to park on the side of the road, there isn’t much room between asphalt and ditch. So I had to continue. Only a little more than an hour away and almost no one on the highway.
Coincidences: Tuesday night, I went to YouTube and in my subscribed list, there was a video about Russia’s/Belarus’ name and another with the Hiho kids trying “astronaut food”.
After getting home, I had several podcasts or TV shows talk about or mention Johnson Center, the Saturn V rocket, the Lego exhibit, or the 747 shuttle plane.
I had 3 different Uber passengers who had taken a cruise to St. Petersburg. I had mentioned my trip many times before this week.
Saturday was the anniversary of the Columbia breaking up over Texas.
I’m sure these are just a case of overly noticing, like when you get a new car and suddenly that same model is everywhere.
Not a coincidence, but I have noticed more Texas tags in Orlando than Georgian, but I’m sure that’s due to population differences, than to closeness. I also see more NY tags, snow birds.
