FUN-travel: Saint Petersburg – Day 12 – Uniworld River Cruise

July 17, 2014 by  

Day 14 – Monday, July 14 – St. Petersburg – blue skies w/big puffy, white clouds – high 70’s

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Catherine’s Palace

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Inside the Palace

What I LIKE

  • 6:45 – wake up
  • 8:00 – depart for Catherine Palace in Pushkin Park
  • 8:30 – arrive
  • 10:00 – enter Catherine’s Palace
  • – designed by Rastrelli
  • – a Baroque masterpiece
  • – summer residence of czars
  • – features Amber Room
  • – covered from floor to ceiling
  • – original moved during WW2
  • – have never found it
  • – recreation cost $6 million & took 20 yrs
  • Amber is petrified tar
  • See dining rooms, dressing room, sleeping rooms
  • 10:30 – walk in palace gardens
  • – park & monuments surrounding
  • – includes pond, lake, pavilions
  • 11:15 – bus back
  • 11:45 – arrive ship
  • Start packing big suitcase
  • 12:30 – nice salad – pasta w/mushrooms
  • – ham & cheese Panini for room snack
  • Finish packing
  • 4:00 – try to sleep
  • 5:30 – work on travel log
  • 7:00 – farewell dinner w/Norga & Chris
  • – lovely couple from South Africa
  • – start w/ Castelnau Rose before dinner
  • – like the Taittinger its real Champagne from Reims, France
  • – special thanks to our BA flight attendants!

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  • 7:30 – starts raining!
  • 10:00 – room phone call
  • – front desk wants us to come pay
  • – get down there & 6 people all trying to pay
  • – holds credit card terminal over her head
  • – in hopes of getting connection
  • – too funny!
  • – lucky me – good to go on 1st swipe!

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What I DON’T LIKE

  • More hurry up & wait in line
  • Every tour arrives at the same time
  • AC in room never worked!

FUN-fact – St. Petersburg is the 2nd largest city with 5 million people and the entire city center is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is 34 kilometers from east to west.
More FF – We have been so lucky to have sun everyday and no rain during our tours. St. Petersburg has 60 days of sunshine on average each year.
Not so FF – There has been a lecturer on board but due to her heavy accent we just can’t stay engaged.

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The Amber Room

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