You can't put life on hold, it doesn't wait for you.
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.
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Rostral Columns. It was originally intended to serve as beacons, since St. Petersburg is a port during those times.
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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.
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View of the Grand Cascade
View of the center fountain - Samson and the Lion by Mikhail Kozlovsky.
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Grand Cascade and the status of Samson and the Lion Fountain.
The long stretch canal.
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St. Isaac's Cathedral is the largest (literally gigantic structure) Russian Orthodox church in Russia.
Can you see the people walking around the pillars? The pillars are so wide - I cannot begin to describe in this picture how big the structures are.
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On the left is the monument of St. Nicholas I on Isaac's Square
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Inside Isaac's cathedral.
As you look closer, there is a dove at the center of the great dome.
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Church of Savior on Spilled Blood. The moniker of "Spilled Blood" is most popular in preference to the likes of the Church of the Resurrection, Church of our Savior on the Blood and etc.
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Mosaics are used to decorate the interior of the church.
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View of Peter and Paul Fortress from the Neva River. This formidable bastion on the Neva River is the city's birthplace.
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The cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tzars from Peter I to Alexander III with the exception of Peter II.
One notable part of the trip, in addition to the magnificent sites, the tour company let us eat on a restaurant that literally caters for Russian people, called Mimone, not your typical tourist trap restaurant. Their savory pies are really good and deserves to be mentioned here.
We headed back to our cruise ship, with sore feet and legs but with eyes opened, minds enlightened and our heart is at awe with all the sites and rich history that St. Petersburg had shown us. We are so ready for day two!
