Infiltrating Peterov, Camera Ninja Style - Day Two

This day we traveled to Peterov, the Summer home of Peter the Great. It was burnt down by the Germans as they left Russia in World War II. Gone also was most of the valuables stored within. But you really wouldn't be able to tell by how it looks now. Rebuilt over 30 years it looks very similar to how it did before it was destroyed. Very stunning!

You weren't allowed to take pictures in Peterov, which I've come to learn is a blessing cause then you don't have to worry about taking pictures. But we actually tried anyway. This prompted the invention...nay, discovery of the Camera Ninja. One became a Camera Ninja upon successfully taking a picture of a room that was monitored by Camera Haters...old Russian ladies who yelled at you for taking a picture. Once you secretly took the picture without being seen you would whisper "Camera Ninja." Not to anyon in particular, but to yourself and the room, so it KNOWS it just got Camera Ninja-ed.

This then gave birth to Master Camera Ninjas. One acheived this highly respected level of Camera Ninja upon successful secret picture taking of the Camera Haters. Brian Sage and I both achieved this coveted level.

This THEN gave birth to Brian and I trying to Camera Ninja eachother for the rest of the day. So now we each have about 150 pics of the other person in various odd angles. But it was probably the best part of the day.

After a brief half an hour break we grabbed some food and then headed to a four and a half hour production of A Midsummer Nights' Dream. Yuck. It turned out to be a student production, which was unfortunate for them after we've seen Russia's best actors on Russia's best stage. The first half wasn't too bad actually, but a group of us wouldn't see the end as we left at intermission and head to a bar. Classy I know, but I just wasn't in the mood to sit for that long in a theatre.

We went to this American feeling bar...or at least a bar that was trying to feel American. Food was ok, their beer was great, but the best part was the dance party. We were all just chillin' around a table but then the greatest song in the world came on, Twist and Shout. Like a bum on a hogey I lept to the dance floor and broke it down, white man style. It was so nice to just cut loose from our rigid itinerary and have some time to relax. Such a great time!

This was followed by our second trip to Subway in as many days. A quick word about Subway. it is Subway only by name, not at all by taste. Their turkey tasted like lunchable turkey and don't ask Jason about his steak and cheese sub. Not good.

There were also drones of people out for the Scarlet Sails festival, so we had to plow our way through to get to the Metro and back "home" to our shitty hostel.