MEAD & METAL

Russian motorcycling revelry unfolds as rumbling exhausts engulf the quaint seaside town of Vyborg

- Sherman Nazareth

As we landed in St. Petersburg, the summer air was crisp and cool, and we were eager with anticipation. Our entry into this city was as charming as always. The fascinating architecture from centuries ago, and the deep culture and history this place is renowned for is something I never tire of experiencing. My wife, Polina, and my friend, JP Singh, and I were on our way to the Baltic Rally Motorcycle Festival.

We made our first stop at my friend Arseniy’s restaurant called, of all things, ‘Oh, Mumbai’. While an Indian restaurant is the last place I'd want to go to in the motherland, the quirky décor and authentic food was something I wasn’t expecting. The feni bottle I'd suggested to Arseniy back in Goa stood proudly on the bar shelf. And it turned out the tandoori food tasted even better in Russia thanks to the chicken being of a higher quality. Who would’ve thought?

But our main destination was still to come. We made our way to the train station where we'd catch the Lastochka; a high-speed intercity Russian/ German train that would ferry us to the coastal town of Vyborg. Interestingly, all the high-speed intercity trains that run through Russia are named after birds; this one meant ‘swallow’. The Moscow to St. Petersburg train we took the last time is called Sapsan, which translates to ‘peregrine falcon’.

While the Sapsan cruised at 250 kph, the Lastochka held a more modest 155 kph. And with a meagre 140 km to cover, we reached in just over an hour including stops.