August 5.

And so I arrive in Saint Petersburg. The trainride was nice as always. I have been listening to audiobooks and sleeping a little bit. At the station, Olga, my couchsurfing host is waiting for me. I am so grateful to her! We take a metro to Olga’s place. Later we walk around her city. Pretty. I remember the famous Hare on the small island, the Cathedral, the impressive Peter the Great buildings constructed by a host of European architect he ordered in from Germany and Italy as you probably know. Just imagine what would happen of Petersburg’s actual most famous son, Vladimir Putin, would order all European architects of democracy to advise him in the Kreml. Not of course, to teach him how to construct the most astounding facades, but how to become a real democrat himself. This city is so inviting to those kind of musings, so free and frivolous in a positive sense.

In the evening I cook some chicken-vegatable stew and Olga likes it. Very naturally, I become a traveling cook. Everything is possible.
Sleeping goes very well that night.