Arrived St. Petersburg

 I did not sleep much last night because I was afraid of missing the 7 am bullet train this morning, as the subway starts running 6 am. In fact, the earliest subway arrived 5:53 am and I got to the Leningradsky train station 6:15 am (just to see the earlier train to St. Petersburg left. I got bottled water from the staff, settled in my seat with my sleepers on, ate my Denise pastry and yellow peaches, signed in free on board WiFi, and ready to catch some sleep during the 4-hr ride (better choice than flying). 

I walked 1.2 miles from the train station to the hostel, since the nearby subway stops are famous for pickpockets. At the same time, I previewed the Main street of St. Petersburg. I rested a little at the hostel then walked around town for about 2 hours. I feel St. Petersburg as a combination of Stockholm (several islands assembling the city) and Amsterdam (layers of water channels). 

I bought groceries to have dinner in the hostel that has a great central location, a nearby Spar supermarket, friendly staff, clean and bright public areas. Time to sleep early so I will have full energy to experience St. Petersburg tomorrow.