Russia

 29 July 2018

We flew out of Stockholm yesterday on plane that was left over from WW2, it had propellers! Anyway, we landed safely in Helsinki then checked into the hotel. Because it was a bit late, we only took a short walk though part of town and down to the harbour. Lady Tourist had seen an ad for a restaurant called The Woolshed and it turns out that it was very close to the hotel, so we went there for dinner - very Australian, had a steak for dinner.

This morning, we went down to Market Square and hopped on a cruise that showed us the sites around the many islands that are in the harbour on which Helsinki is situated. After the cruise we poked around town and checked out a few shops etc. and picked up some new supplies, toothpaste and deodorant.

Tonight is the official start of our tour with a meet and greet and a quick drive around town followed by dinner.

More later.

1 August 2018

A few snaps from Helsinki.

1 August 2018

We set off from Helsinki and crossed the border into Russia - took a while, and headed for St. Petersburg which was the capital before the revolution in 1917. Once we had checked into the hotel, we took a short drive around town and were then left to our own devices for dinner.

The next morning, we picked up our local specialist and went to the Peter and Paul Fortress which was built in the 18th century to protect the city.

While we were here, we went into the cathedral built by Peter The Great (has a nice ring to it that name) which has been restored to its original condition.

From here we went for a cruise on the canals and along the River Neva and has been compared with Venice - maybe. Once on board we were given a glass of the local champagne which was followed by a couple of shots of vodka.

The following morning, we took another drive around the city, taking in various landmarks such as the Tsar's Winter Palace and Nevsky Prospekt. We then visited The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, constructed on the precise location of Tsar Alexander II's assassination, which houses some exceptionally detailed mosaic icons.

Our subsequent visit was to St. Isaac's Cathedral, the fourth largest cathedral globally.

After an eventful day of sightseeing, we hurried back to the hotel to prepare for the ballet. Indeed, the Gentleman and Lady Tourists embraced some culture and watched a performance of Swan Lake, which we both immensely enjoyed.

More to come.

1 August 2018

I neglected to mention the last stop of the day: The Hermitage Museum, pronounced with a French accent. Formerly five palaces, it now houses many of Russia's significant artworks. It's important to note that temperatures exceed 30 degrees, multiple cruise ships are docked, and the museum lacks air conditioning, as it's typically unnecessary. Despite the discomfort, the visit was immensely rewarding.

2 August 2018

Today marked a significant day as we visited several summer palaces. The first stop was Petrodvorets, where Peter the Great's summer residence is located. We toured the gardens amidst a throng of other tourists. Peter the Great had an affinity for fountains, and they were abundant.

Lady Tourist at the palace.

From here we went to Pushkin where Catherine’s summer residence is found. This place is in the process of being renovated with the outside being prepared for gilding - when it is finished it will look amazing.

After all this excitement we had to rush back to the hotel and get ready for a night of Russian Folklore which was a night of Cossack entertainment. The entertainers were terrific with their dancing and singing - great night.

Off to Moscow tomorrow. More then.

3 August 2018

We went to Moscow via a fast train which was very comfortable once we got on. The train station was packed, and it took us a while to get on.

Heading towards the entrance to the station. We had to go through 2 security checks to get on board as well as show our passport. It turns out that the train takes 4 hours, by road up to 18 hours.

By the time we got to the hotel it was time for the buffet dinner and straight after it was on the bus and off to have a look at the Metro and Red Square by night. Our local specialist took us to half a dozen stops on the metro and the stations are absolutely magnificent. The stops we went to were constructed in the 1950’s but any new stations are decorated just as well.

We left the metro and walked down St. Nicholas Street to Red Square. This street is decorated with party lights and would put Christmas Vacation’s decorations to shame.

We walked out into Red Square, and it is everything you think it would be after seeing it on TV. Unfortunately, they were setting up the square for a military tattoo, but it did not take away from the magnificence of it.

Another late night so back to the hotel. This morning, we headed off for the Monastery at Sergiyev Posad which is considered to be the equivalent of the Vatican to the Russian Orthodox religion. Once again, we had to battle the other tourists to get around, but it was very interesting.

Part B coming up.

3 August 2018 (Part B)

Shots of the monastery.

Then it was back on the bus and back to the hotel for about 1 hour's rest and then off for a sightseeing tour of the city by day.

The Kremlin from across the river.

We were then cut loose for a couple of hours to find some dinner and have a look around before going back to the hotel and calling it a day.

One of the many universities of Moscow (There are over 80 in the city)

More later.

4 August 2018

This is our last sightseeing day in Moscow and our first stop was the Memorial to the Great Patriotic War (WW2) was is very imposing. The memorial is made up of dioramas that depict the Russian defence f its country.

War memorial building

Sample of one of the many dioramas.

From here we went to Old Arbat street which was once inhabited by the tsar’s artisans but is now lined with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. We had some lunch here and then headed to the Kremlin for a look inside.

As you would expect the security here is very strict as it is still where the president has his office. The Kremlin covers an area of some 23 hectares and has a total of 6 churches/cathedrals on the grounds - of course we had to go and have a look at a couple of them.

Going into the gate of the Kremlin.

Step off the path and one of these blokes blows his whistle at you.

One of the churches in the grounds.

Our next stop while on the grounds was at the Armoury which is where a lot of the Russian Tsars treasures are now stored. This collection is fantastic and includes Imperial carriages, coronation thrones, Faberge eggs and Catherine the Great’s diamonds and many gowns. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos while we were here so you will have to take my word for it.

More later.

16 August 2018

I am a little bit late updating and we are now safely home, but I thought I would finish off the rest of the trip. The last few days were very hectic and left little time for updating.

We left Moscow and headed for Minsk in Belarus and the road we took followed the footsteps of Napoleon’s defeated army in 1812. We stopped along the way for a regional lunch which started with the traditional beetroot soup which a lot of the group did not particularly like - no worries for me.

After lunch we had to stop at a couple of checkpoints to cross the border into Belarus which took up a couple hours - they are very pedantic over here. We eventually made it into Minsk and had dinner at the hotel. 

The following day we meet up with our local specialist for a tour around the city to look at the local sights.

One of the many memorials to WW2.

Angel of Tears - actually cries tears

Most expensive apartment block in Minsk.

Later in the afternoon we went to the Saint Elizabeth Convent which is a relatively new establishment which is situated next to a mental health facility and offers assistance to the patients. They also take in alcoholics and drug addicts to assist with rehabilitation. The main purpose of the visit was to view their stain glass and mosaic workshops which produces pieces for lots of different churches.

Mosaic work produced by the convent.

This evening, we went to a farmstead for dinner and were met by Anatolij who showed us how to drink vodka correctly and then provided us with a traditional meal and some musical entertainment as well as some more vodka - some of the Americans had a bit of trouble with the vodka.

Vodka lesson number 1.

Concert. Great voice but couldn’t understand the lyrics.

More later.

16 August 2018

This morning we headed off to Lithuania and arrived at the capital of Vilnius where we were met by our local specialist for a tour through the old town.

Inside St Peter and St Paul’s church.

From here we went to the old Lithuanian capital of Trakai which is situated on a lake and then toured through the castle which is in the process of being restored.

Not another bloody castle!

This evening, we went to a local restaurant for a dinner of traditional foods and were entertained by locals in traditional music and dancing.

More later.

16 August 2018

We set off the next morning for Latvia and on the way, we stopped at Siauliai which is the site of the Hill of Crosses where crosses began appearing in the mid 19th century. During the Soviet era the crosses were bulldozed a couple of times, but they kept reappearing as some sort of protest.

The Pope has even placed a cross here.

We moved on from here and went to Riga and arrived at the hotel just in time for dinner. Next morning saw us meet up with our local specialist for a walking tour around Old Town who pointed out some interesting sites.

From here we jumped on the coach and went to Bergi open Air Museum which showcases 90 odd traditional buildings.

A traditional inn where we were served lunch.

Typical church.

Inside the church

Farmhouse.

Inside the farmhouse.

More later.

16 August 2018

This morning, we set of for Estonia and followed the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) and stopped at a popular beach along the way. It looked very much like Redcliffe to me.

Next stop was Tallinn which was the site for 1980 Olympic sailing. We met with our local specialist who took us for a drive around the town and we stopped at the old town to take a look at the wall that used to go around the city.

We then wandered around the markets and were shown where the restaurant was for the evening meal. Charmaine and I were a little late getting there and got the last table for 2 outside the toilets - not impressed.

Next morning we set off for the ferry to take us to Helsinki to end the tour. The crossing took around 2 hours and when we reached Helsinki, we were given a tour by a local specialist who pointed out a lot of the buildings we had seen previously before the tour started but it was nice to know what the buildings were.

We had a bit of free time before our farewell dinner which we used to have a wander.

That is the end of our second excursion into Europe and I think there may be some more to come.

Til next time.

Gentleman and lady Tourist.