scubacruiserx2

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photos/video and your wealth of information with us. This is so helpful in preparing for my upcoming visit in June!:). I am sharing the link to this thread with the members of my roll call as well. Thanks again for all your efforts. We greatly appreciate it ;)!

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

You're welcome, we're glad we can help. Hopefully you can narrow your choices for your upcoming trip. There is SO much to see and do ! You'll have a blast !

what a great thread! Thank you so much for sharing! I wish I had this while planning my first visit!

Thanks bochata for you kind words. After our cruise in 2006 we felt like we missed alot so we planned a B2B transatlantic/baltic in 2009. That morphed , using the same budget , into a TA / St. Pete stay. Maybe there's one in your future !

Thanks for providing the great tip and website for the Hermitage! I would have never thought of doing that! Great advise and thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. :)

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

You're welcome ! Glad to share and help if we can. Another great web site for St. Petersburg is http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg?city%5Bredirect%5D=0&go=Go

If you click on the free download there is a wealth of infomation on St. Pete and many other European cities.

Returning to our photo gallery, as we look across the river Neva from in front of the Hermitage, we see the Peter and Paul Fortress (more later) . This is the docks for many of the river cruises.

If you turn right and walk you will pass a few buildings , including the Marble Palace. As you reach the Troitsky Bridge , if you make a right you will see the Field of Mars. At the center is the Monument to Revolutionary Fighters wher a number of the Bolsheviks are buried. In the distance we see one of the crown jewels of St. Petersburg- The Church of the Savioon Spilled Blood.

Here's a few from the front

Every trip should include the interior mosaics

and a video

Across the square from the Hermitage is The General Staff Building of The Russian Army

Victory and her six-horsed chariot

The Hermitage is one of the world's great art museums and is entered by The State (Jordan, or Ambassador's) Staircase with our private guide Gennadiy

One of my favorite statues is The death of Adonis

A visit to their fantasic website to preplan your favorite stops is the way to go before you go. Their photography is professional grade.

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/00/hm0_2.html

Truly amazing pictures in all these posts! I pulled them up on my kindle and what a difference as oppose to my iPhone! Amazing! Looking forward to my visit in June. Thanks for sharing!

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

Thanks Dolfans , I'm sure will love St. Pete. We're in Miami tomorrow. DD is getting married on the Carnival Victory !

If you returned to the city and begain walking along the Neva River starting at the Bronze Horseman, you could see most of the sites that St. Petersburg is famous for.

In this picture you can see the yellow buildings with the spire and flag that comprise the Admirality building. The green building is the Winter Palace which houses the Hermitage. In the distance is St. Issac's Cathedral.

On the other side of the Winter Palace is Palace Square with the Alexander Column, at 600 tons making it the largest free-standing monument the world.

Across the river Neva from the Admirality is the Rostral Columns

If anyone chooses to drive to Peterhof there are many sites along the way:

The Narva gate commerates the Russian victory over Napoleon

This Soviet Realism painting appears on a building near the gate. It says "Proletariat of the World Unite".

Down the street we found Catherine's Park with this statue of The Komosol ( Communist youth).

And had a nice Fall walk

Before you enter Petrodvorets, you see the Constantine Palace where the 2006 G8 summit was held. This is also where Putin stays when in town.

Just before entering Peterhof you will see the cathedral pictured earlier, Peter and Paul. If you drive one way and use the hydrofoil the other way we think you get the best of both worlds.

Yusupov's Palace

The Moorish Dining Room

Loved the tapestry

And the glass

Seats for the performance

Yesterday's Sunset.

Thanks Linda, we will be doing that this September.

Another useful map is the expanded view showing the Port. It is 6.2 miles from Palace Square and a 20 minute drive.

Thanks Terry for your kind words. Because we went to Catherine's Palace and Peterhof on our Baltic cruise in 2006 we missed Yusupov's Palace and The Peter and Paul Fortress . Yusupov's Palace is 2 blocks South and 2 blocks West of St. Issac's Cathedral on the posted map. It is most famous for the bizzare death of Rasputin.

Catherine's Palace is 18 miles South of the Palace Square in Tsarskoe Selo ( Tsar's Village) but is a 1hr. drive due to traffic. The Heroic Defenders of Leningrad is along the way just before the airport.

The most interesting attraction of the palace is the reconstructed Amber Room ( which they don't allow you to photograph).

Here's a link to a quick video clip of the palace grounds.

Peterhof is 28 miles West of Palace Square and is an hour each way. If you go by car maybe your guide will let you visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral near Petrodvort.

Peterhof is known for it's fountains and we had a unique opportunity to watch some young people play in fountains.

The most frustrating part of leaving the city was the 4 hours used in commuting to the 2 palaces. You can see alot using some of that time in the city.

We used Blue Water Divers. They are fantastic ! The blue horizon is the wall.

Beached Whales ?

You have some great shots Justin! Our son lives in Boca Rat.

As we look at our map in the lower left hand corner we see the Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great.

If you were to walk to the Cruiser Aurora it would take 42 minutes at the distance of 2 miles (according to Google Maps).

Damselfly's lunch

Osprey's lunch

Great Blue Huron

Wildflower

Great Blue Heron

We have booked our 4th visit to St. Petersburg this Fall. We will be glad to help - if we can. About 90% of what most visitors will see will be in this

3 square mile area.

We booked a last minute cruise on The Westerdam last week and were treated to a Sunset after St. Martin on 12-13-2012. Wish I had taken my DSLR !

And it got better.

DW and I drove down to Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami to meet some out of state friends for dinner. While waiting I'm glad I brought my little P&S.

Solar powered lighthouse

Catching some rays

Art Deco crankshaft

We saw the new Reflection sail (click for video).

And was treated to a infomercial in the sky (click for video).

Sunrise:

Fort Pierce

Reflected in the Miami skyline

Saginaw Bay

Mackinac Island

I have some noisy neighbors:

Always knocking

Screeching

Or borrowing Visine in the middle of the night.

Water Lelie

The helicopter flights are on weekends and holidays. I'm not sure if we got a special price because of Victory Day . It was 1000 R. The current price is 3000 R :eek:. Here's a link. http://baltairlines.ru/en/pages/72/

Thank you to those who have served and are serving.

Stuart Air Show 11-11-2012

P-51

Mirror image

F-18 Hornet

Navy Legacy Flight Corsair F-U4 and F-18 Hornet

Back from Michigan with pictures

Saginaw Bay Sunrise

Frankenmuth covered bridge

Beach walk

Lake Michigan overlook

Brisette Beach sunset

We would make several recommendations for you Baltic Cruise:

1. Book the May 25 date. There are 37 cruises in the Baltic and 68 in June. You will have fewer people at the busy places and less traffic as you travel.

2. There is so much to see and do in St. Petersburg 2 days won't be enough. Get a Visa and use a guide on the cruise stay. Return post cruise for a more relaxed stay in an apartment. The Visa will cover both stays and let you go where and when YOU choose. We have stayed twice in May 2009 and Sept. 2011.We used the guide as we pleased to help us shop for food and the transportation system. We just waved our Metro card at the gate and went all over- it war great to be free - in Russia !

We met many people who spoke English and were very helpful.

3. If you only stay during the cruise , consider the Baltic Air helicopter

that leaves from the Peter and Paul Fortress. You will see most of the city

in about 20 minutes.

Helicopter tour on Victory Day May 9, 2009

My DW told me "There are tanks outside". They were staged for the parade on Victory Day.

You will see this monument on the way to Puskin or the Airport.

If you go to the fountains at Peterhof you will see this cathedral.

Finally, if you go to the Spilled Blood make sure that you go inside to see the mosaics.

I f you have any more questions - just ask.