We are definitely not "finnish" in Finland. Helsinki is a tiny city but don't miss it because of its eclectic church and wide variety of museums. Often called as the daughter of the Baltic. If you are interested in design and aesthetics, Helsinki is the place for you. It is a city easily explored on foot. It is just sad that we weren't able to explore the outskirts or the countryside of Finland (what Finland is known for) that is why we are not finish with Finland. I hope one day we can go back again and see the country. 

On our short visit in Helsinki, we went to see one of the world's largest sea fortress, the famous Rock Church which is neat, Senate Square and walk around the streets of Helsinki and discovered the port market where we had our awesome lunch. Beware of the birds, they can steal your lunch - this happened to me while we were there. 

Categories: Europe, Finland, Sweden, Scandinavia and Baltic Cruise, Food Adventures

This is day two of our stay here in Russia. Our day started with a canal cruise by the Neva River, after all, this is the best way to see the city. Our second day was colder, gloomier and near the water was just too cold. Luckily, we went indoors today and saw the Hermitage Museum. it is the best time to see the Hermitage Museum.  The Hermitage Museum is probably the highlight and my favorite part of the trip. Room after room inside the Hermitage left me breathless. Their collection of art is much more than the Louvre in Paris. It is also considered as one of the oldest and largest museum in the world. St. Petersburg is just beautiful to the human eye - stunning palaces, great works of art and very rich history. Truly a memorable place. People often times ask me, what is my favorite place? Without a doubt, it would be St. Petersburg. 

After the early boat ride by the Neva River, we went to the the Hermitage Museum. St. Petersburg is best seen by cruising, as Peter the Great once said. Well, he was right! He built his city by the water and there's no other way to appreciate it better. Luckily, we came in early and we didn't line up for a long time to get inside the world renowned museum. 

Main staircase of the Hermitage Museum or the Winter Palace. This grand staircase wows you as soon as you enter the Hermitage. It is often called the Jordan Staircase. 

Imperial Throne in the St. George Hall at the Hermitage and down below is the ceiling of the big throne room. The throne room is quite spacious and is used for coronation and other celebrations. 

The Hermitage Museum house a collection of great work of artists from different eras. From Van Gogh's, Picasso's, Da Vinci's, Matisse and many other notable artists from Renaissance, Dark Ages, Middle Ages up to modern art.  This started as a private collection of Catherine the Great during the 1700's. The permanent display shows a fraction of the 3 million items they collected. The museum of composed of other complex such as: the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theater. 

Sunrise at St. Petersburg. We started our day very early and was fortunate to see the sunrise by the Neva River - the rivers that runs through and around St. Petersburg.

The highlight of the cruise is St. Petersburg, Russia. Brock wanted to go see Russia and this is his first time here. Russia is one of top countries on my list that I love. Like I said on my previous post, it was convenient to book a tour in Russia for us because I still hold a Filipino passport at this time, and to avoid much hassle on our part. Remember, you cannot go to Russia without a visa (US Passport holders). If you are going on a cruise and you booked a tour through reliable tour agencies in Russia, like SPB Tours, you can get visa on arrival. On the other hand, if you want to do it by yourself, you can go to the nearest Russian Embassy in your area and apply visa.  We are very excited to dock in St. Petersburg and the trip started really early. There is a lot to cover in Russian history and of course, we wanted to see it all. 

By design, it was to be the world's most beautiful city and the capital of its largest empire. The designer was Peter the Great, the Czar of all Russians. Peter the Great hired the best Italian, French, German architects to design palaces and homes in baroque style. The canals and bridges linked the islands. This is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen, as what Peter the Great wanted, he wanted it to rival Venice - so while we were there - we just took it all in. Add it on your bucket list of travels, it will not disappoint you.

Rostral Columns. It was originally intended to serve as beacons, since St. Petersburg is a port during those times.

The famous St. Petersbug Metro. This is one of the deepest subway systems in the world - it takes at least 4-5 minutes to reach the ground. 

View of the Hermitage Museum on the Neva River

We did a hydrofoil ride going to Peter the Great's Palace - it surely is the best way to see St. Petersburg, the colossal architectures peeping through and the city vibe from the river. 

This was the view that greeted us. 

Peterhof Palace. This is built to rival Versailles, Peter the Great's palace boasts a classical facade and stunning gardens and fountains.