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I recall spending laborious hours typing this story on an IBM electric typewriter that I’d lugged home from the office in the sunny annexe to my terrace in Lennox Gardens London. On proudly showing good friend Eddy, he told me that he could read about what I’ve written in any guide book.
“Go away”, he said, “Re-write it so that I feel I am following you up the stairs at Peterhof. Tell me what you’re seeing as you go, and what you’re feeling”.
Grumbling, I set about re-typing in the first person, present tense. I don’t know that what you’re about to read is all that good, but the attempt represents a big turning point in how I was to frame my stories thereafter.
As an aside, Connie, my mother was still living, and she for one always counselled against using the first person.
“Showing off”, she would chide.
My interest in photography has become keener in recent years, but you’ll see in this story that my camera and eye for a nice shot was already an important factor in my overall travel experience. Regretably, I’ve located but a couple of photographs from the 1993 weekend. So, I use ones from a second visit in 1995 when we stopped in St Petersburg for two days on a Prinsendam cruise.
Click here to read my story from 1993
I love seeing all these from your trips overseas. I have been to over 40 countries however you have been to many places I haven’t so it is wonderful to arm chair travel via your experiences.
I do not know why you re-surrected this report about St. Petersburg. It would be of some use to students of history.
I did read about half of it, but had to give up. Too much details. I much prefer your more recent reports with lots of images and little text. It is the reason I like DK Eyewitness guides with very short text and photos of what I may see rather than Lonely Planet guide which describes everything in details from the hostel to the palaces.
There you have my ‘critique’.
Eddy
19 years ago, I re-wrote the story on the good advice from good, old friend, Eddy.
Today, despite another ‘suggestion’ for change in writing style, I’m letting it sit, as is, knowing that friends like Carolyn and others are happy with it in all its verbiage.
And I have news for Eddy. I have a whole file of ‘retrospectives’ – stories from old that will come out of my archives when the mood moves me. I know where not to look for ‘approval’.
Story was good. I remember our new Russian colleague eating chinese food. Good work. Cheers Jim