{"id":1804,"date":"2016-05-07T15:20:45","date_gmt":"2016-05-07T15:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/?p=1804"},"modified":"2016-08-21T01:00:57","modified_gmt":"2016-08-21T01:00:57","slug":"monday-may-2-loft-project-etazhi-3rd-time-lucky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/?p=1804","title":{"rendered":"Monday, May 2,  Loft Project Etazhi, 3rd time lucky"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, another day when I have to remind myself that I don\u2019t have a plan, I have a purpose, slow down and just look around. Be in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Walked towards Double B\u00a0coffee &amp;\u00a0tea for my favorite coffee. Passing through Palace Square,\u00a0I\u00a0found out just what Russians\u00a0do with that wide open area on the day the museum is closed.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 1280px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('video');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-1804-1\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/runners.m4v?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/runners.m4v\">https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/runners.m4v<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>I found a note on the Double B door saying they weren\u2019t opening until 11. Knew better than to skip breakfast, and \u00a0went looking for the pyshki (Russian Krispy Kreme-type doughnut) place. No luck, but Fruktovaya Lavka was <em>right there<\/em>, and open, so I went in and had apple pancakes (blini with chopped, saut\u00e9ed apples), a great double shot cappuccino, and updated the blog while I ate. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/apple-pancakes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1805\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/apple-pancakes.jpg\" alt=\"apple pancakes\" width=\"400\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/apple-pancakes.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/apple-pancakes-300x271.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a>With my Mac Air in my backpack, I walked over to the Russian Museum, intending to pay homage to Phryne and maybe draw for awhile.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/va-Russian-Museum1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1813\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/va-Russian-Museum1.jpg\" alt=\"va Russian Museum1\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/va-Russian-Museum1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/va-Russian-Museum1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a> Encountered the long lines I\u2019d only heard about. Turned right around, called Uber and went to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.loftprojectetagi.ru\/en\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\">Loft Project Etazhi<\/a> to snag that super cool top for Robin. Hooray, they were open, OMG they wanted cash. I tried to pull cash out of a nearby ATM with my AmEx or Visa but no go. Slightly more determined than discouraged, I Ubered back to the hotel, ate an apple, pulled my debit card out of my safe, hit the ATM in the Astoria. Back I went to the Etazhi. It is always lively, hipsters families must be coming from miles around. I\u2019m still amazed at how shoddy and squalid the building itself is, but feel right at home. I buy the shirt (third time lucky!) buy another teeshirt with flying Hermitage cats (sales\u00a0supports homeless people and autism research). Counting the few rubles I have left, I ascend the stairs to the Green Room Caf\u00e9, which I think of as the yellow butterfly restaurant. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/yellow-butterflies.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1814\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/yellow-butterflies.jpg\" alt=\"yellow butterflies\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/yellow-butterflies.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/yellow-butterflies-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>No credit cards welcome here either. I can afford tomato soup and bottle of water. There are young kids everywhere, squirming in high chairs, sleeping in their mothers arms or solemnly thumbing an iPhone A woman with beautiful dreds eats her lunch with one eye on her toddler.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/re-dred.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/re-dred.jpg\" alt=\"re dred\" width=\"400\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/re-dred.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/re-dred-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a>Headed towards\u00a0to Dostoyevsky&#8217;s parish church, Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God Cathedral. Completed in 1783, it has\u00a0five different-sized onion-shaped cupolas, some currently undergoing restoration. Bells were ringing as I walked up.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 720px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-1804-2\" width=\"720\" height=\"1280\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/bells-1.m4v?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/bells-1.m4v\">https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/bells-1.m4v<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>Inside, a priest was chanting a mass, while swinging a censor and circling a low altar for his congregation of seven\u00a0wizened, white-haired parishioners.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/church.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/church.jpg\" alt=\"church\" width=\"326\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/church.jpg 326w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/church-245x300.jpg 245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I sat half-hidden by a column and thought how lucky I was\u00a0have made this journey to\u00a0St. Petersburg. Before I left, I bought bright red wallet\u00a0cards of icons and some red\u00a0candles that I lit for my dear ones.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/candle.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1807\" src=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/candle.jpg\" alt=\"candle\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/candle.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/candle-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a> Left feeling tranquil and happy. Ubered back to the Astoria,\u00a0listening to Peter the Great.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, another day when I have to remind myself that I don\u2019t have a plan, I have a purpose, slow down and just look around. Be in the moment. Walked towards Double B\u00a0coffee &amp;\u00a0tea for my favorite coffee. Passing through Palace Square,\u00a0I\u00a0found out just what Russians\u00a0do with that wide open area on the day the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[21],"tags":[46,67,36,37,194,39,144],"class_list":{"0":"post-1804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-dostoyevsky","9":"tag-double-b-coffee","10":"tag-fruktovaya-lavka","11":"tag-loft-project-etazhi","12":"tag-restaurant","13":"tag-russian-museum","14":"tag-vladimir-icon-of-the-mother-of-god-cathedral","15":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/RM2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7OBxc-t6","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1804"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1836,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions\/1836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.virginiaparker.net\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}