This morning we breezed through the Russian authorities and met Maria for the second day of our tour. A quick stop to purchase souvenirs and to pay the agency for the tour and we then set off across the Bay of Finland to Petergof by hydrofoil. We spent a couple of hours walking about this beautiful town of parks, palaces and fountains. This place is often compared to the French attraction of Versailles. The Russians are partial to their site and feel that it is better. Having seen both sites, I can’t claim to have a preference, they are both spectacular.
In the afternoon, after a short stop for a traditional Russian lunch (over rated and very expansive), we returned to St Petersburg by our van with a brief stop to explore one of many subway stops. We travelled down the longest escalator that I have ever seen. Gale felt uneasy travelling to the depths of Hell as she put it. This is one of the worlds deepest subway systems. It is necessary to go this deep because the subway has to go under the waterways that are everywhere and the swampy sub soil presents construction challenges. The station is decorated with exquisite decorations and artwork. The next stop was at the St. Peter and Paul Fortress. This is the birth place of St Petersburg. All Russian tsars and tsarinas since Peter the Great to Nicholas II are buried in this place. The weather today was much more pleasant with the sun shinning at times and no rain. Our tour completed with our return to the ship and departure for Helsinki in the early evening.
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