St Petersburg
Friday and Saturday we were in St Petersburg in Russia, but above are the pictures illustrating Tallinn in Estonia.
In Russia things were somewhat different but as you will see from the pictures below there are some magnificent buildings and architecture to be seen. We continued our separate escorting duties looking after the passengers as they waddle from site to sight! John was specially lucky on Saturday when he found himself with only two passengers and a interpreter guide as he went to Peterhof and Tsar Peter’s Grand Palace, which he had modelled on Versailles. Being in a small group gives enormous privileges like queue jumping and he had a wonderful time. Poor Sue had 34 people to look after as she went to both Peterhof and The Hermitage where there were literally thousands of people and trying to ensure she didn’t lose any was a nightmare. Old people are fiercely independent and are always wandering off, not listening to instructions or complaining as she found out when one was stung by a wasp and blamed her for not having any appropriate medicine!
In the evening Sue escorted a party to the ballet, it was a fantastic performance of Swan Lake at the St Petersburg Conservatoire only marred when an enormous man managed to break his seat which collapsed under his weight just as the first act started. He sat there on the floor until the interval and when Sue asked him why he replied “My dear woman, a Gentleman does not disturb other people’s enjoyment whatever the circumstances!”
On Saturday it was another early start for both of us. As we have steamed West the clocks have gone back and back and we are now 3 hours ahead of UK time so to get up at 0630 felt like 0330, the middle of the night! But we were off again this time to the summer palace of Catherine the Great. It is a superb palace as you can see but again there were thousands of visitors and it was John who had the problem of keeping the flock together. Sue got the lucky trip with a mini bus and only 12 people with an excellent guide who obviously had connections because we got a private choral recital in a pavilion by the lake and some shopping therapy on the way back.
Because of visa rest
rictions no one is permitted to just wander around St Peterburg so we were unable to get to an internet cafe to post the blog, hopefully we will be able to do so in Helsinki tomorrow, the last day of August.
Here are a few reminders of the last two days.
In Russia things were somewhat different but as you will see from the pictures below there are some magnificent buildings and architecture to be seen. We continued our separate escorting duties looking after the passengers as they waddle from site to sight! John was specially lucky on Saturday when he found himself with only two passengers and a interpreter guide as he went to Peterhof and Tsar Peter’s Grand Palace, which he had modelled on Versailles. Being in a small group gives enormous privileges like queue jumping and he had a wonderful time. Poor Sue had 34 people to look after as she went to both Peterhof and The Hermitage where there were literally thousands of people and trying to ensure she didn’t lose any was a nightmare. Old people are fiercely independent and are always wandering off, not listening to instructions or complaining as she found out when one was stung by a wasp and blamed her for not having any appropriate medicine!
In the evening Sue escorted a party to the ballet, it was a fantastic performance of Swan Lake at the St Petersburg Conservatoire only marred when an enormous man managed to break his seat which collapsed under his weight just as the first act started. He sat there on the floor until the interval and when Sue asked him why he replied “My dear woman, a Gentleman does not disturb other people’s enjoyment whatever the circumstances!”
On Saturday it was another early start for both of us. As we have steamed West the clocks have gone back and back and we are now 3 hours ahead of UK time so to get up at 0630 felt like 0330, the middle of the night! But we were off again this time to the summer palace of Catherine the Great. It is a superb palace as you can see but again there were thousands of visitors and it was John who had the problem of keeping the flock together. Sue got the lucky trip with a mini bus and only 12 people with an excellent guide who obviously had connections because we got a private choral recital in a pavilion by the lake and some shopping therapy on the way back.
Because of visa rest
rictions no one is permitted to just wander around St Peterburg so we were unable to get to an internet cafe to post the blog, hopefully we will be able to do so in Helsinki tomorrow, the last day of August.Here are a few reminders of the last two days.
Peterhof palace and gardens
Catherine's Summer Palace and detail inside
posted by Johnny & Sue World Travellers at
08:11
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