Into the Motherland with Roberto: In Former Finnish Land

November 13th, 2016

This day started out quite eventfully. I was late in getting to the train station, mainly because I was playing Medieval 2: Total War all night, and woke up extremely late (about an hour before I had to be at the Station, which is not enough time).

I was meeting my friend Dasha, and we were heading all the way towards Vyborg, which is a small town a few miles away from the Finnish border, and former Finnish land. It was also a very important strategic point during the Russian Wars against the Swedish.

Getting on the Elektrichka was all fun, but in my haste, I forgot to bring my backpack, which contained my books and the sorts. It was a very boring two hour ride to Vyborg, even though from time to time I maintained a conversation with Dasha.

Upon arriving, we immediately made our way to go see the Market, because I had never been inside a Russian market. There, we tried getting mittens for me, since my hands were hurting from the cold, and alas, we found none in my size. Curse my long fingers and large palms. Luckily, Dasha bought some dried Mangos, which made me wish to go to Miami and have mango everything. From the Market, we went to the Round Tower, thinking it to be a museum, but it ended up being a restaurant of all things.

So, we continued forward and went to two different churches, a Lutheran Church named Saint Peter and Paul, and an Orthodox church across the street named Спасо-Преображенский Собор.

From there, we wondered around the city, had lunch at a cafe, and went all the way to Vyborg Castle, where we roamed around for a bit. Due to the snow, you couldn't tell where you were standing on, or if there was even a ledge, so where Dasha could get up quite easily, I couldn't thinks to my size. So, I feel in the snow, and had to go around. After looking around the castle, we went into the tower, and from there went all the way to the top, which gives a great view of Vyborg, but thanks to all the ice, it was very unsafe getting in and out of the doorway.

Leaving the castle, we went to the fortress walls, which was a good trench to ambush enemies who came to the entrance with your archers and then gunmen, and at that point, they were pretty much dead. We continued forth to a monument commemorating Peter the Great's obtainment of the town, and the left to go see his actual statue, which was at the top of another slippery hill.