ESTONIA TO ST PETERSBURG - RUSSIA

We finally made it to Estonia our turning point back  to the south.

The border had the usual old unused border control although someone was checking trucks on the way out. It doesnt matter where you go McDonalds arches will be there.

At least we know what welcome is in Estonian.

We arrived in Tallinn and booked into Tallin City Camping about  3 kilometres from the city.  We caught the local bus in to look for a travel agent to see the best way to get to St Petersburg.  The harbour was full of cruise ships and the view across the water to the old town was great.

We had not arranged a visa prior to leaving home but I read that you could get a cruise visa. Good news!! We found a travel agent and Hellena knew exactly what to do and we left with tickes for the Tallink ferry to Helsinki return. We had our return trip, our cabins and breakfast on St Peterline Cruise Ship to St Petersburg which gave us a 72 hour visa and our 2 night booking in a Hotel. We were to leave the next day. We arranged with the Camping management to leave Harry there and next morning off we set for our next adventure.

Saturday

Along with our cabin information we were given the visa information and cards we had to carry all the time to show we were on a cruise visa.

On our evening walk. It is quite cold out.

We had dinner then a good nights sleep. Down to breakfast early so we were ready to get off as soon as we could. Breakfast seemed to cater mostly for Asians and Russians.

  The passage into port is a long one through all the outer ports. I have never seen so many cranes.

Going through passport control was the usual Russian stare out and grunts. Once outside, the band was playing and we got on the bus which takes us into St Petersburg.

Our bus stopped outside St Issacs Cathederal and would pick us up there in 3 days time, we are only allowed 2 nights here but we do get here early in the morning.

Today is Saturday and now we are on our own. We have thousands of roubles in our pocket. (40 roubles to 1 euro)

Our first stop is 'The Hermitage ' the 'Winter Palace' now an art museum. It has art works displayed over 9 buildings.  As it will be closed tomorrow we decided to visit now before we booked into our hotel. Off we walked in the direction we thought it was. Russian maps are not easy to follow!! Finally we came across it, how could we miss such a big building.

 As we have our bags with us and a very nice attendant showed us the way to the cloakroom to deposit them. Then it was lining up with the multitude to get tickets to go in, it cost another 10 euro to use the camera so no photos to show until we came out when I took a couple of sneaky ones.

Later as we were walking around I nearly came to grief on  this big pipe which juts right out onto the footpath.

Around 4pm we headed off to our hotel. We were going to take the Metro there as it was about 7 kilometres out. After walking for ages which was very interesting but getting footsore we thought we would take a taxi instead.  OH boy ! wrong decision. The taxi went straight there as we had a map and could follow where he was going and we made sure he used the meter, what we didn't know is they have several ways of working the meter depending on if you are a foreigner and maybe if you come from the west. Anyway we had to pay 32 euro for a 7 kilometre ride. From now on it is the Metro for sure.

Our hotel is very nice but a bit far for walking around in the evening which we had hoped to do. We had a suite with a small kitchen and fridge. We did go for a walk around the corner and found a 24 hour shop where Kevin bought beer , cheese and chocolate.

Tonight we are pooped so it was rest the weary feet and down to the restaurant for dinner. The food was lovely and served by delightful staff who knew no english and if we asked for something they didn't know off they would run to the office to get the girl to interpret.

Sunday. Today we are going to 'Catherines Palace' the summer palace'. It is 25 kilometres out of the city and the hotel arranged for us to pay a young man to take us there and pick us up for 1700 rouble. What a bargain.

On arriving we had to use our best pigeon Russian to find where the ticket office was. Obviously our russian was not very good as no one understood us.Finally we found out that first you have to pay to go into the garden. Which was a pleasant place to be and make your way up the stairs towards the building. I was so excited as I have been waiting since 1985 when we went to Moscow but weren't allowed to travel to St Petersburg.

The sky was looking very threatening as we joined the queue.

Not long later the queue looked like this.

Finally in typical russian fashion the doors opened up after queuing for 2 hrs outside then we queued for tickets inside. However it was worth it. We put cloth boots over our shoes to protect the beautiful parquetry floors and off we went. Being on our own we could wander long at our own pace. What magnificance was on display.

The corridor along the rooms stretches out before us.

The Amber Room entirely covered in slivers of every shade of amber from almost black to almost white. Photos can't be taken inside the room but just outside one can get a quick shot.

The parquetry floors in every room are beautiful.

Everything here inside and out is amazing, especially when you know it has been restored from a burnt out shell after the german occupation during the seige of Lenningrad during the 2nd World war.

This is from a photo of what it looked like before restoration. It is amazing that there were so many people who could do this.

What a day!! Another dream come true.

Monday. We need to be on the bus back to the ship by 4pm. We are up early, pack our bags and off to tackle the Metro. Kevin wonderfully talked his way into getting the tokens and we made our way down the long long escalator to a platform.

 We wote the russian names in their funny alphabet for where we wanted to change trains. 

Eventually we make our way up and out to visit Peter and Pauls Fortress.

There is also a small canals through parts of St Petersburg.

We came across this part of it on our way to the Church of the Spilled Blood.

Some of the sights we saw while walking.
On the way back to the bus we passed this display of the little russian babuska dolls and it bought back memories of Moscow when I bought some there.

a restaurant with a unique way of bordering their property.

cute little dog, shoes and suit.

an Ikea sign, how I would have loved to visit there.

It was lovely to see street flowers instead of the drab Moscow I remember.

Oh dam! I just missed another church on the way back to the boat.

Then we were back at the port and through passport control with another stare down competition. It was time for happy hour and half price cocktails and back to Helsinki by morning then back to Estonia.