It seems we barely went to sleep before we had to get up for our day in St. Petersburg. 7:15am meeting for the group, and straight to the bus. We start driving through town, headed to Pushkin, a small town about 45 minutes away, and home of several palaces. I don’t know that much about the Russian Czars. I learned enough in school to pass the necessary tests, and promptly forgot it. Yesterday’s trip to Moscow was a primer for today.
We arrive at Catherine’s Palace. It’s huge and there is already a large crowd when we arrive at 8:30. The site is closed to the public, but all the cruise ships have access. We’re not sure what we’re going to see, but as the tour unfolds, it’s mind-blowing. Each new room is full of treasures. The Russian royalty had so much money and so many grand ideas.
Shoe covers for walking through the palace on the inlaid wooden floors
This is what some of the floors looked like
After the tour of the palace, we walk through the gardens, eventually making our way back to the bus for the trip back to St. Petersburg. We have an enjoyable lunch, seated with fellow passengers from England and Belgium. I enjoy listening to their opinions on Ukraine and the EU.
After lunch, we drive around St. Petersburg, visiting several impressive sites, each more impressive than the last. The last stop on the tour is the Peter and Paul’s Fortress, containing a beautiful cathedral that’s the burial site for all Czars (and families) of the Romanov Dynasty. One couple gets lost at the last stop on the walking tour, and we lose ½ hour waiting on them. The ship is scheduled to pull out at 6:00 pm (all-aboard at 5:45). We arrive at 5:50, and still have to walk in from the parking lot, then clear Russian customs. The ship pulls away about 10 minutes late.
This was an organ grinder, and he had some monkeys nearby.
Some of the Romanov remains
We’ve had a great two days in Russia. I’ve enjoyed listening to the guides over the last two days discuss the failed Soviet Experiment that ended in 1991. One can sense the frustration in their voices as they talk about the restoration of all the cathedrals we’ve been seeing. In 1919, when religion was outlawed, many of the churches were converted to warehouses, skating rinks, and so many other uses. They were given back to the people after 1991. There is no discussion of what’s happening in the Ukraine, but they’ve mentioned they know Russia is getting negative press, and they’re pleased that westerners are still willing to visit. So many of the non-historic buildings in both cities are very rough and seemingly in need of repair.
We’ve been lucky with the weather. We had good sun both days. People were laying out in their swimsuits everywhere in St. Petersburg. One of our guides said to us, discussing the weather, that it was “9 months of expectation (waiting for the warmth of summer), and 3 months of disappointment.” This particular time of the year is called the White Nights, because it doesn’t really get dark. As we traveled to Helsinki from Russia tonight, the sun set at 11:20 pm. Sunrise tomorrow is scheduled for 3:40 am.
11:15 pm. The sun is still peeping around another ship on the horizon.