St. Petersburg, Russia: Day One

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Sunday-September 4, 2011 finds us in St. Petersburg, Russia. With a 5:00 A.M. wake-up call, and breakfast behind us, we were going through customs on the pier by 7:30. Of all the countries we've visited while on a cruise, Russia is the only one that has required a customs check to enter.

Our tour today began with a drive through downtown St. Petersburg, founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, and then an additional 30 minute drive to Tsarskoe Selo, a small town where Catherine's Palace/Peterhoff/The Great Palace of Peter the Great was located. The palace was the summer home of the Russian Tsars. We had to don booties to walk through the palace. Needless to say it was a magnificent palace. Two hours later we had seen most of the 2nd floor, which had been restored, and walked only a small percentage of the enormous gardens (Karen, not I), and learned so much about Russian history, and who was who, that I have, unfortunately, already forgotten.

Back on the bus, back to downtown St. Petersburg, and a tour of the Yusupov Palace. The highlight of which is seeing the actual room in which Grigory Rasputin, in 1916, was poisoned, shot multiple times, clubbed to death, and then taken across the street and thrown into the Moika River to drown, since he apparently wasn't already dead!!! Or so the story goes.

Lunch was served in a large ballroom with a stage. Entertainment, vodka (which we found out was not only the liquor of choice for Russians, but was going to be served to us for lunch on both our days), and caviar was provided. Lunch was a non-memorable small salad (no dressing), soup, an entree of creamed chicken with vegetables, and ice cream for dessert.

After lunch it was off to a cruise approved souvenir shop (don't get me started on those), and a tour of the Peter and Paul Fortress began in 1706 and completed in 1740, and Peter and Paul Cathedral where Peter the Great and other famous Russians, including the Romanovs, and Alexander are buried. It was built as the citadel for St. Petersburg between 1712-1733, making it the oldest Cathedral in the city.

A quick drive back to the ship ended a long Day One in St. Petersburg.

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