A GLIMPSE OF RUSSIA - CHAPTER 1

I had not intention of writing a chapter on Russia. Too much information and very little that I had retained. Pierrette took notes. A reminder from the Saga cruise outline and my very few photos will have to suffice. There had been a video made of our trip which looked quite good when we viewed it on one of our last evenings. However, when I showed it to my daughter the other evening, she made a few disparaging remarks about our fellow passengers although added some interesting descriptions to what we had seen along the way. I will not be posting it on YouTube. 



Our trip from the UK to St Petersburg was uneventful. Saga had warned us that there could be a hold up customs, getting out luggage but we sailed through although it took sometime to find our guide. Three buses full of passengers! It was here we would learn that this was the last trip of the MS Surikov before the winter months. I tried to find out what the staff did over this period but without much success. We also learnt that we were the only group on board - 100 or more passengers.         


A map of the trip may enable you to visualise the cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow - 10 days with five stops on the way. 








The Lakes and rivers we sailed on

Founded by the Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. It was a showpiece then with magnificent neo-classical buildings and spacious avenues. Renamed « Petrograd » in 1914 and then Leningrad in 1924. I visited Lenigrad in the early 80’s with close Finish friends, Jorma and Helena. We had taken a very rickety train from Helsinki to Lenigrad. Wooden seats shared with chickens cackling and large baskets of what seemed to be food...

The following day dawned grey and spitting with rain. Divided into three groups and three buses, we started out to discover St Petersburg in the bus with frequent stops for photos. We saw the Summer and Winter Palaces, the Admiralty building, the Victory Column and different churches or cathedrals. Sure  I took photos and my iPad has given me the names in Russian. Those who have visited St Petersburg will know where I took the photos. Others will see how « grandiose » the buildings are. All very clean as well. 

Smoiny Convent
Smoiny Convent
A cup of coffee?


Nicola 1er
Place Saint-Issac
Nicolas 1er
Admiralty Building (?) - The Blue Bridge


Vasil'yevskiy Ostrov







 



Saint Saviour Cathedral

A beautiful gate column

A Rostral Column depicting the four rivers. Volga, Dniepr,Volkhov and the Neva


Pierrette arrived back soon after I had got back myself. Full of her visit despite a few tireseome moments....
Now dinner and onto The Hermitage tomorrow

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