The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When I was trying to decide whether I wanted to study here in the spring or summer, my mother warned me that summer was tourist season and the city just wouldn't be the same. I didn't quite believe her until yesterday, when I met more non-Bard-Smolny Americans in one day than I had in the entire semester. Museums are now crowded; Nevsky overflows with picture-snapping, slow-moving tour groups; and tour buses seem to outnumber public city buses. Looks like I'll be avoiding the center for a while.