Continuing our adventures….

After St Catherine’s Palace we managed a quick dinner before setting out on the St Petersberg Fitness Track aka a private evening tour of the Hermitage. Our guide set a relentless pace to see as much as possible in 3 hours. If you spent 2 minutes in front of every exhibit here it would take over 9 years to view them all ! We saw some amazing buildings, paintings and sculptures but after 2 hours the eyes started glazing over the 20th Rembrandt……however Alexander always managed to highlight something to keep us going. On exiting we found the Russian Army had set up May Day practice with tanks, planes, helicopters and marching cadets. Crowds had gathered and there was a festival atmosphere, despite the temperature being 2 degrees.

Another early morning start saw  Russian immigration followed by a bus ride to Peterhof. It was too early for the gardens, only a few Crocus showing, but the Palace interior and fountains outside were magnificent. Our guide Julie warmed to us as followed and kept on time. An endless stream of knowledge was transferred ! Russia is such an amazing country, slightly frightening but an amazing experience. A hydrofoil ride back to the city was followed by lunch. The Church of the spilled blood was next, whilst collecting tickets Julie nominated me to hold the spray of plastic orchid flowers keeping our group together. Everybody wanted to a photo and said I’d make a good guide. The church interior was over whelming, being entirely covered in mosaics. A shopping stop followed by a traffic jam saw us embarking 10 minutes before departure. Spasibo Julie and Spasibo Russia