What an early start on the train. 6.30am and the train pulls into St Petersburg on time. Our mini bus is waiting and we pile in with all our luggage. I think the driver is very surprised at the amount of bags we have. After check in we are allowed to have breakfast in the hotel and then venture forth to explore this wonderful City.
As we stroll along Nevski Prospect we decide to try the Hop on Hop off bus. Its very cold so we are glad its not open topped. English media to help us along and we pinpoint the main places we want to see, including shops! By the time the tour has finished it is time for lunch. A Burger Bar? Why not. Not what we were expecting as its very good food and very fast. Jenny and Helen want to go to the famous book shop on Nevski Prospect. It really is quite something with books in all languages as well as sweets and chocolate and souvenirs. Just down the road is The Church of the Spilled Blood. a must see, so off we go along the canal. Its very picturesque and we eye up the boats with a view to having a cruise tomorrow. The church is massive and packed from floor to ceiling with painted walls. It feels very serene. As we leave the Church we head for the market stalls along the canal bank and yes you guessed it. More shopping. We are going to need extra bags with the amount of shopping we are doing. We have walked about 15 kilometers today so we are going to arrive home fit but tired. Dinner in the hotel and off to bed to get a good nights sleep. It.s the Faberge Museum today which is just across the river so it.s not a long walk. Words can't describe the splendor of this place and the beauty of the exhibits. I could stay here for hours just looking at the eggs. A quick coffee in the Faberge coffee shop and we make our way back to the markets to finish off some shopping. Lunch in a very up market restaurant which was fab. What next? Oh yes a Canal Cruise, Jenny barters a children's rate for us, after all, we are still children at heart. Its very relaxed with the option for coffee and cake. The Guide suddenly produces English ear phones and this makes it much better to understand. The Canal leads out into the Neva River which is very wide and very deep in places. We see the Peter and Paul Fortress and learn about it's history, but we have decided not to visit as we all want to see the Hermitage tomorrow and there would not be enough time. Too soon we are back at the Quayside and look- there's a Sweet shop. Yes, you guessed it. More shopping Our evening meal takes us to a Georgian Restaurant just along the road. Very different food from what we have experienced so far. Another busy day so we head back to the hotel. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
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