American Journey to Sochi, Part 1: Sapsan Train from St. Petersburg

Every trip to Russia is memorable, but this one was special. An opportunity to attend a major world event in the motherland, to see Russia in all its glory, and evaluate how well the country handled the massive influx of foreign tourists visiting Sochi for the Olympics. At the same time, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take my first train journey. The rails are deeply rooted in American history and remain active today. However, they are primarily used for freight shipments rather than passenger transport. Most Americans have cars, our road infrastructure is excellent, and we're a very mobile nation. There's no need to ride a train long distances when you can simply drive yourself anywhere in America and enjoy magnificent sites along the way. So, I've never once taken a train ride in the States.

My journey to Sochi began in St. Petersburg, my favorite Russian city. It was here that I boarded the high speed Sapsan train, which carried me to Moscow. Overall, an impressive experience!( Read more... )