Tour History
St.Petersburg October 7 — 16, 2004
Flagman, Ship of Romance
Happy accidents are those that you stumble upon yourself but, as I discovered, you can be directed into them by someone else. After a long day I was much more in the mood to stay in the hotel than to go out. But the guys from our group insisted I should go with them and their dates to one of the restaurants. I could not resist their forcible argument – “you deserve having fun” – and accepted the invitation. I’m glad I went.
From the outside Flagman (“Flagship”) looked promising: a huge ship on the bank of the Neva, the masts of which seemed to pierce the low clouds. After passing the ladder we found ourselves in an elegant covered patio that served as the starting point for a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. We lingered outside for a bit before entering the restaurant proper and witnessed the preparations for the night show: hairdressers creating extraordinary coiffures, the group of young people rehearsing a dance, musicians playing tom-toms. The waiters dressed in sailor suits guided us to a table. The menu, with a selection of hot and cold appetizers, soups, salads, mains and desserts was a pleasant surprise for us. The men turned to be wine connoisseurs and ordered Cabernet for the ladies. In their turn the women recommended to opt for Russian pancakes with black caviar. Of course the guys couldn’t help trying caviar while in Russia. It was obvious that the couples were enjoying the romantic atmosphere, from the place settings to the non-intrusive jazz.
To view St. Petersburg from the river Neva whilst enjoying their dinner was a very special experience for the couples. The guys were lucky to have ladies speaking very good English. They discussed many things, and I’m sure, knew each other better that night. The ladies, including me, were impressed by the quality of the service and the food. The pancakes were such a success that our men decided to buy some caviar to take it to the USA.
Unexpected fireworks let off on the Neva contributed to the romance of the night. I joked that it was me who ordered the fireworks for the couples. The guys said they were very wise to make an Anastasia web assistant join the party. Next day the main “item on the agenda” was buying caviar. I advised the men to go to a department store not far from the hotel as the prices for caviar in the souvenir shops are a little bit different.
Author: Margarita Shesternina
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