Blogs from Northwest, Russia, Europe - page 6

This morning we had an early wake-up call, as the ship docked at the port in St. Petersburg, Russia. The shore excursion this day, under blue skies and mild temperatures, was expected to be challenging--lots of stairs, walking and crowded tourist venues. It turned out to be even more grueling than expected, and by the time we limped back to board the ship at 5 o'clock, we were virtual zombies. The city of St. Petersburg (pop. 5.2 million) has a rich and glorious history going back to Peter the Great (1689-1725), whose vision it was to turn the city into an imperial capital. He was largely successful in doing so, and thus commenced the 300-year reign of the Romanov dynasty. After passing through the Russian passport control at the dock, we boarded our tour bus, then ... read more

New laws recently inacted in Russia and highlighted in our paperwork before we disembarked. 1) NO waving of rainbow flags 2) NO Conspicious displays of same sex affection 3) NO Pride Parades Punishment includes jail and or expulsion from the country.... You get the idea of how forward thinking and inclusive Russia is.... These were just a few of the rules highlighted to us in the Princess Patter before we disembarked for St Petersburg Russia. We have spent the last two days here and this blog will cover both days. Firstly, I love Russia, St Petersburg and the incredible architecture from the opulant churches in the city centre to the stalin-esq stone buildings which lined the streets on our coach journey to see those churches. These stone buildings are actually high rise flats, grey and dank ... read more

On a Baltic cruise, prepare to sample a delightful diversity of cultures and history and bask in the rich natural beauty of the region. You'll enter a tapestry of stories which include the lore of the Vikings, the Hanseatic League, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. Discover the lands of Hans Christian Andersen and Alfred Nobel. Cruise highlights can include ports of call in Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; and the breaktaking fjord country of Norway. Visitors to Helsinki, Finland can revel in its cosmopolitan flair as well as its historical past. Finnish cultural touchstones include the Senaatintori, or Senate Square; Temppeliaukion, the Church of the Rock; the Helsinki Cathedral, Tuomiokirkko; Ateneum Art Museum, and the National Museum; the medieval Hame Castle; and the sea fortress of Soumenlinna, built ... read more

This is our third and final night in St. Petersburg. Our days have been chockfull of activities, our tour trying to cram as much in our three days here as possible. Monday night I slept for four hours straight, and that turned out to be it, my third night in a row without adequate sleep. So on Tuesday I lasted until mid-afternoon, and then had the very unusual (for me) experience of feeling tired. This is a relatively unique occurrence for me, but without enough sleep for several nights even exciting days in a foreign country can feel heavy at times. And on Tuesday we had hardly any down time at all to catch our breath, which is actually the way I prefer to travel. Tuesday morning we visited the Hermitage, Peter the Great's (and other ... read more

Our feet are really tired from walking 65,000 miles each day, give or take a mile, so we were happy to have this morning free. Free to do the washing and just to be leisurely! We have met some delightful people - from Camden, Newport and Riverview in NSW, and the Gold Coast and Townsville in Qld, Melbourne in Victoria and Perth in WA. Such a small world. We’ve also met some lovely English and Americans. Tom has been told twice that he reminds people of Robin Williams - the first day, on arrival at Stockholm airport the passport control man commented, and the second time was our second night on board the ship at formal dinner - the American family at the table next to us. St Petersburg has been delightful. Such a beautiful city, ... read more