Lex Libertas

Valentine's Day and Cafes

Not exactly the most romantic way to pass time, but I unexpectedly spent Valentine's Day on a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Last time I was here was Christmas, and a lot has changed in two months. One of the major buildings on Nevsky Avenue (the main drag) has been torn down. They were still preparing the scaffolding when I left. It takes forever to build things here, but they can tear things down in the blink of an eye. Also, a new cafe (Kofe House - big chain) has opened in what used to be a pretty worn down book store on Nevsky. As much as I dislike this particular chain of cafes, it's a well-needed improvement.

One of the things that I most like about Europe and find lacking in America is cafes. It is completely normal in Europe to spend an hour and a half or more just sitting in a cafe drinking tea or coffee. I first learned about this in France when I was asked "Tu veux aller prendre un verre?" (Do you want to go get a glass?) Essentially this means, let's go hang out and chat at a cafe, the glass can be anything from beer or wine to coffee or tea. In Russia, this is one of the many links to European culture, with the addition of juice as a very common cafe drink.

In America, we go to restaurants to eat, and usually do it as fast as possible. Even if we're not particularly motivated, the staff wants to increase turnover, and sitting for an hour after you finished your meal is not the custom. In Europe, however, you can order a coffee and sit for as long as you want, nobody is going to bring you the check and rush you out. Though it's worth pointing out that the coffee isn't like the one you'll get in Starbucks, it's tiny, usually 150 ml - smaller than your fist. It's quite funny to see grown men holding an itty-bitty cup filled with three sips of coffee. That's one of the main reasons I order tea, you usually get at least 330 ml. Juice, at 200 ml, is also a pretty spartan choice, and it's a feminie option, men don't normally order it.

I love unique cafes with an interesting atmosphere. I absolutely hate the souless cookie-cutter cafe chain that dominate the market in Russia. In St. Petersburg there are numerous cafes, but only a handful that stand out. I haven't explored the Moscow scene too much, but I've already found at least one that I like.