Sunny again! We are told by our tour guide that this is very unusual for this warm sun this time of year. 98% humidity. I find it very pleasant here and very much enjoy the sunshine. We are in tour group 10 today, St Petersburg Explorer. A map, an interactive pen, and an hour for the first stop.

St Isaacs Cathedral, Hotel Astoria, monument to Nicholas 1, blue bridge, the Bronze Horseman monument to Peter 1 and the Alexandrovsky building. Total walk 1.8 km in one hour. All accounted for. Sunny and still cool in the morning. Our tour guide gave brief information of the area.

Stop two. 3.3 km, 2 hours to explore on our own. Field of Mars, Marble Palace, and several lovely gardens. Highlights included Spilled Blood Cathedral, museum of fine arts, St Michael castle and gardens. What it must have been like to be a girl and to frolic and play also to be courted in these gardens?

Stop 3′ 4.6 km… Nevsky Prospect includes Alexandrinsky Theater (UNESCO site), monument to Catherine, bridges, Russian museum, Church of Spilled Blood, winter canal. National Library, Catholic Church of St Catherine, chocolate museum …. The Metro, familiar Subway, Burger King, McDonalds, and Starbucks. Instead of crossing some roads there are underground sub bridges through busy corners. Even stores under ground. Big malls in very old buildings.

Presently walking Nevsky Prospect … Large shopping street. Posting from Starbucks in St Petersburg Russia,Love my life!

A one hour water canal boat trip up to and including the major canal, River Neva. This water all freezes in November for winter. We see ice breakers and bridges that draw up during high flood times.

Back to the coach and back to ship. We leave tonight for Helsinki Finland. Will have a great chat with our table mates tonight and compare stories. It was good to see this amazing and beautiful city, full of stories of the past.

Wish you were here,
love Pamela