I woke up early, but the sun had risen even earlier than me. I saw a clear blue sky through the window and decided to go for a walk in the park. I chose the Central Park of Culture and Leisure on Yelagin Island. The island was accessible by one of three bridges. I chose the Second Elagin Bridge, which was the closest to the metro and bus stops. However, the most popular with visitors is the Third Elagin Bridge, which connects Elagin Island to an area of modern housing developments. Locals love to walk in the park.
Despite the bright sun the weather was frosty, with the thermometer showing -5°C. However, the weather forecast promised that in a couple of hours the "-" would change to "+" and the day would be at least +5°C. Jumping ahead of myself I should say that this was exactly what happened. By the time I got home, my winter clothes were starting to feel too warm, even hot.
I crossed the bridge and went deeper into the park. Several cafés and stalls with pancakes, crumpets and other fast food meet visitors near the entrance, but at this early hour they were all closed. The triangular warning sign is a "Watch out for squirrels!" sign.
The round building is a public toilet building. I used to think the architecture of this pavilion was too original for such a modest utilitarian purpose. But then I changed my mind - all pavilions in the park must be equally beautiful, no exceptions.
When I crossed the bridge, I decided to turn left and walk to the western promontory. There is an observation deck with views towards the Gulf of Finland and a granite jetty with stone lion figures. I began to suspect I should have turned the other way as I passed the central part of the park and onto the long walkway leading to the bay. The farther I got, the more my alley looked like an icy river.
Soon I met the very squirrels that the sign at the entrance to the park warned me about. Squirrels keep a close eye on park visitors - what are they bringing? Nuts?
Suddenly I realised that I had been hearing a sound for some time now that was completely uncharacteristic of the soundscape of a city park. At first this sound was very quiet, but soon it became good distinguishable. "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo!" "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" - what's that? Where are those rustic sounds coming from?
I found myself in a small zoo. Once upon a time, in the 19th century, there was a farm in this part of the park. There was no trace of the farm, but in 2005 the park staff decided to set up a small zoo here. There are signs on all the enclosures that say "Please don't feed me". The animals and birds don't come close to the fence when they see people anyway. Perhaps not all visitors abide by this rule.
Meanwhile, I had almost reached the goal of my walk. It wasn't far to the west cape. The further I got, the harder it was to walk on the icy road, but I consoled myself that I would be going back another way - and maybe it would be a lot easier to walk there.
At last I reached the cape, and here I was disappointed. The lion figures were hidden for the winter in wooden protective covers. I took a picture of the view of the bay. It used to overlook the expanse of sea from this point, and one could come here to admire the sunset. No bridges, no tower, no stadium, no other buildings - none of that was there.
The way back did turn out to be a little easier. In some places the snow and ice had managed to melt completely and it was possible to walk along comfortable paths. At times, however, there were icy patches that had to be navigated with caution.
This alleyway led me to the Third Bridge. Beyond this bridge, a large housing estate begins. On this side of the park there were also a number of small cafes. Perhaps some of them were already open. I went down to the passageway, and found that the early morning walkers were taken care of, too. There was a coffee machine in this passageway.
| ○ | ○ |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
This is my entry for the #WednesdayWalk challenge by 