St Petersburg 8th June 2019

Alla Tours 2 day St Petersburg day 1

Wow....since joining this cruise the weather has been perfect, high 20C, clear sky and no wind. Today, though 30C (yes!) is no exception. We have been blessed with the weather conditions. A lot of passengers are saying they packed a lot of colder weather clothes and have needed to buy extra short sleeve tops. I am not complaining, it is just the best. 

As we are on a private tour and not a Princess, we had to wait 90 minutes after the ship docked to disembark and meet our tour guide. No problems as it was 8.10am when we walked off, a lot more civilized than 6.30am.  I had booked a Comfort Tour for the two days, considering Paul's ability.

                                  Paul going through turnstile at Admiralty Station

                                                             Mosaics at the station

                    Going down the escalators which take 6 minutes to transcend.

                                         Very SCARY! Not very good at heights!

                                                                   More mosaics

                                                          Waiting for train.

                                                                       On train.

                                                     Mosaic of Peter the Great.

Front of St Catherine's Cathedral.

                                                  Inside St Catherine's Cathedral.

                                                     Main entrance to Hermitage.

                                                Stairway entrance at Hermitage.

                                                                         Throne.

                                                    One of many opulent rooms.

                             Golden ornaments, some were gifts from foreign government
                                                       during the 19th Century.

Golden candelabra in throne room. It stands over 10 feet.

                              Tsar Nicholas 2 shirt after an attempted assignation.

                                                       View from Hermitage.

        Painting of Dresden's main square by Bernardo Bellotto painted before 1768.

Old Woman by Rembrandt.

Madonna and Child by De Vinci

                            Hallway decorated by painted canvas wallpapered on.

Dresden by Bellotto. When I zoom in on the painting I am amazed at the detail.

There is even hanging scaffold in the background. There are soldiers on horseback lined up in front of the central background bulding.

Original Mummy caskets.

Original Mummy

Lunch anyone? We had Borscht, Chicken Kiev and a cream layered pancake.

Fence surrounding Church of Spilled Blood.