Back from the cold, very cold, minus 20 to be more precise, but still under the spell of what must be the most beautiful city in the world. St Petersburg in Russia, where we took the children for the mid-term break delivered all the romance of a winter wonderland. Imagine walking down streets lined with candied coloured palaces garlanded with icicles, crossing frozen canals on exquisite bridges, walking over the mighty frozen river Neva and its far reaching vistas, all this wrapped up in the delicate winter northern light and you might get the picture. The city was built by the visionary Tsar Peter the Great in the early 18th century on a swamp provided by the Neva river delta as a way to bring his people out of the middle-ages and giving his vast country a window on Europe. Architects, craftsmen flocked in from all parts of Europe contributing to this -even in today's terms- gigantic project. Since the city was built in one go, it offers the most perfect architectural ensemble and whatever you set your eyes on looks grand and harmonious.
To see all this beauty on foot and in these weather conditions, it is recommended to have the right kit; which I took great care to pack, unfortunately our luggage got lost. Two bags out of four made it the next day, but crucially the one with the outdoor stuff took two more days to get to us ; so we piled on every single item of clothing we had, making us look like those dejected soldiers during the Napoleonic Russian retreat. The positive side effect of this was we never saw two teenagers happier to visit pristine and well heated museums! The Hermitage Palace and its treasures holds no more secrets for us given the time we spent in it, warming up. That's culture with a purpose.
On the subject of museums, visiting one that chronicled everyday life throughout the centuries we came across a bizarre exhibit; did you know that the St Lawrence family was involved in the production of early toilets seats? - see picture- Well, neither did we, I might have to get to the bottom of that if I may say so.
We stayed in a very comfy and homely hotel made out of a few rooms of what was once a grand house, beautifully looked after by a string of Tatianas and Anastasias , who organised everything for us from restaurants to ballet tickets and even a fairy tale three horse sledge ride on the snow!
Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised by the food, once we got to grips with the rather confusing menus, we tried lots of comforting dishes that although familiar in taste were cooked differently and with care.
Well , this was really more than a journey, it was an experience that we will never forget and I urge you to go there. I will be more than happy to pass on tips and recommendations, just get in touch
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Back at the ranch, Julian returned with an excited glint in his eyes from a shopping expedition, triumphantly announcing ' I've got something we have never eaten before' and right he was. He was recommended by Arnault, a Frenchman , who works in a west pier fish shops ,monkfish liver...
It is absolutely delicious and I promise this not foodie gone mad, the taste is very delicate, it looks and has the same texture of foie gras, at a fraction of the price. To cook it , pat dry with kitchen paper, season both sides with salt and pepper and pan fry in butter for four minutes on each side. Julian served it with rashers, mashed potatoes and peas. A really superior supper.
