the good and the bad

What I loved about St Petersburg:
Meeting Polina and carrying her out of the orphanage knowing that she is ours.
The beautiful churches
the water
walking around
the weather
breakfast at the Renaissance.
Galina
matryoshka dolls
amber jewelry
the amber room
spending time with Romney
the food
Thanksgiving Dinner
having coffe and carrot cake for lunch while overlooking an awesome church (the Singer building).
people watching
the architecture of the city
taking Brett to the Hermitage
the beautiful painting I bought of the Church of the Spilled Blood
seeing the Christmas decorations
reading the Russian Fairy Tales
meeting the other adoptive families
seeing what products the US exports
sharing this experience with my boys
skype/internet access
being able to have a drink almost anywhere
learning the history of the country


What I didn't like about St Petersburg:
the traffic
the cost of things
shopping at the grocery store
the tap water
having to pay for water at a restaurant
the maid at the courtyard
dressing my children in snow suits
not being able to read the menu or anything else for that matter
not having a free breakfast at the courtyard or a coffee pot
not being able to wash my clothes
the smoke