Day 8 – St Petersburg Russia

Checked out of our hotel in Visby and boarded the bus to take us to the airport where once again, our jet awaited. Our Swedish guide Marguerite gave us a story about the Trolls—If a Troll came out of the forest in front of our bus and cast a spell, we all had the power to lift the spell. Everyone would have to take off their clothes and put them back on inside-out and backwards. The bus driver was careful not to drive close to the forest which would attract the Trolls!

Our short flight to St Petersburg Russia, one of Europe’s grandest cities, was comfortable. We walked down the stairs of the plane, as the airport appears not to have our modern “Jetways.” We had our passports stamped at immigration along with the entrance/departure card. The passport agent neglected to give me my departure half. The Agent came out of her booth and gave it to me. I will need it to get out of the country. We were greeted by our Russian guide who gave us a description of the areas we passed through. We had a great lunch at a hotel beside the War Memorial. We were greeted in fine Russian fashion with a lady in costume presenting us with Russian “salt” bread. Traditional greeting where the guest grabs the bread and breaks off a piece to dip in the salt cup atop the expertly designed round loaf. Russians eat their large meal at lunch, and ours was no exception. Following lunch we toured St Issac’s Cathedral in close proximity to our hotel. The cathedral was ornate and colorful. The columns near the main alter were blue (lapis stone) and green (malachite) made from semi-precious stones constructed in a veneer of lapis (or malachite) over bronze.
We checked into the Hotel Astoria and had a chance to freshen up before dinner. Following dinner, we walked to the Blue Bridge near the hotel for our one hour cruise—where we had our first Russian vodka—along the Neva River and the canals of St Petersburg. Our cruise ended at the pier of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the city’s oldest structure. This fortress is set on beautiful grounds and the historic cathedral with its needle-thin spire and Baroque interior is the burial ground of Russian royalty. We were treated to a special performance by the Russian choir from the Valaam Monastery. Their voices resonated throughout the acoustically designed cathedral where we were the prized audience.
Back at the hotel, we met some fellow travelers in the hotel bar for some better Russian vodka served in a small chilled stemmed glass. It was the local brew and very good.