Leningrad and Moscow. As a raised in a Russian language primary school, I have a lot from the Russian culture with me. I've learnt a lot from my teachers, mostly Russian descendants, skills for life. We were starting our classes with fiz-zariadka (физзарядка), exercising our bodies, before exercising our brains. We did a lot of hand-writing (a beautiful one), we had to organise our titles and sub-titles with different colours, to always write the date in the left field of the notebook. Once a month the teacher would pass to see if you maintain a good and ordered notebook, if you are writing in a good style, and if you have wrapped your tutorials with paper and plastic, in order to preserve them better. This looks really freaky, when we speak about 7-8 years-old children, but now I realise, 20 years later, that these are basic things for life. To be ordered in your thoughts, you need to have a well-ordered note-book. I follow many advises even nowadays.

But to come back to my event: one week of holiday! Three nights in Leningrad, a night in the train, and three nights in Moscow. I can't wait. I crossed 33 countries, for less than 10 years, but they have been in their majority some conference talks and trainings given and received. Hmm... but travelling for fun, this is something unexplored yet, which I am looking forward to.

Now I need to search for:

• visa (invitation -- what is that?)
• a ballet or a concert to assist to. Bolshoi teatr, Kirov... this is my dream
• things to not miss in both cities. Especially in Leningrad.
• friends who are there.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to send me links and ideas.

Here are two interesting sources of info about SP : In your pocket and Travel from Russia