Peterhof/Petrovorets from St Pb. with RO

[mycruz]

Hoser - are the antique stores in Tallin easy to find?

 

Thanks, Carole

 

I'm not Hoser, but I did see several nice antique stores in Tallin. I wish I could tell you what street it was but I can tell you how I got there. Once we left the open market area, we walked toward the bottom of the market down a street that had several of the shops. I found one inparticular that had a nice selection of antique jewelry that I love. I wish I had some more specific directions for you...but they are there and I didn't think the prices were all that bad either.

[dileep]

We are on the Century leaving Amsterdam Aug.1 for 12 nights. We would like to hook up with others for a 2 day tour of St. Petersburg on RO or Den. Would appreciate a reply. Thanks, Bonnie

 

Try the Roll Call for your sailing!!!!

[Hoser]

Hi Lina1, I haven't been checking the board for awhile and then I found your message.

The antique shop that we bought the icon from was just a few shops down the 1 the ship recommended. It was run by an older gentleman. It looks quite clustered compared to the ship recommended store where the icons were nicely displayed. We did Tallin on our own and we found quite a numbeer of antique stores , particularly on the side streets off the main market square. Many of them sell old Soiet uniform, old photos, jewellery and icons. Do be careful though as we went to many shops and they're all too eager to sell you stuff . Since we're only interested in icons we asked a lot of questions about them and we just felt that they're not very knowledgable at all, esp those who got their stuff on a consignment basis. Those were only able to tell us the price. Some weren't sure about the time period of the icon. Of course the ship's shop was the best in terms of selection and knowledge, but their price is not the best. The old fellow we bought from was very knowledgable. He would bring out more from his back room if you tell him what you want. It took us a long time to decide from the final 3 that we'd chosen and he was so patient in giving us the history of each of them. We finally picked an 18th century 1 from the Kazan region. Wish we could afford all 3. BTW we bargained and if you're willing to pay in US or Euro cash, the price is even better. We didn't bring that kind of cash with us. We paid all we had in cash and the rest by credit card. The currency exchange charges too much to make it worthwhile. My son said we should go back to the ship to get US cash to pay him cos it w'd have saved us quite a bit but I w'd rather spend my time enjoying Tallin. So, if you plan to buy big ticket items , bring cash.

Have fun shopping.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Hoser,

 

Thanks for the info on icons. That is exactly the type of souvenir I am looking to bring home. (We are planning a trip next summer) Hate to be nosy, but can you give a price range of the icons at the store your purchased from and if you get a chance will you be able to find his name on your credit card purchase? If you don't feel comfortable sharing the info I understand. Thank you so much!!!!!

 

Happy sailing!

[Hoser]

Took me a long time to get to the board again. The price range is huge. I'm only referring to 12" X18" or 14" X20" cos those were the more common sizes and the ones that we like anyway. The ship's recommended shop does have more variety but I'm no expert on why the price was so different, say from US$1000 to $20,000. ( don't actually rememeber the bottom of the range, but I'm sure of the $20,000 cos it was one that my son liked and I refused to buy) 19th century ones are in general a lot less than the 18th C, but then they'd show you a 19th C that cost much more. It's a tough choice. The antique shop I went to has a parrot in the shop and when it was at the window , it tends to attract a lot of tourist. It's just a few shops next to the ship's recommended shop. I don't seem to be able to find my credit card slip . If I do I'll let you know the name. His price is definitely better and you can bargain too. He's very knowledgeable and not pushy. We found some younger salespersons at the ship's shop altho very friendly was not as knowledgeable, they seemed trained to say certain things and if you ask more questions the same standard response came out. Some ladies at the ship's shop was very knowledgeable tho. But when we asked to see a lower price piece she excused herself and went to help another customer. We were not impressed. We opted for a 18th C. one with no gold leave or trim ( to cut cost). Our 1st choice was actually a slightly larger 19th C one with gold trims but that cost a lot more. Anyway we received so much praise and envy from friends back home. Wait till they see those at the shops!

[cruisintwinsmom]

Thanks, Hoser. Will have to look into them. I have seen them done by a local artist and they are also very expensive. Can't wait to see them in Tallin. Thank you again for sharing.

 

Happy Sailing!

[ekp]

We just returned from our Baltic cruise. We did a Red October cruise with 3 other couples. It was excellent. The only thing I would suggest is to skip the Gold Room at the Hermitage. The men were were bored with it. I guess they had seen enough gold by the afternoon of the 2nd day.

[dileep]

We just returned from our Baltic cruise. We did a Red October cruise with 3 other couples. It was excellent. The only thing I would suggest is to skip the Gold Room at the Hermitage. The men were were bored with it. I guess they had seen enough gold by the afternoon of the 2nd day.

 

We could not see the Gold Room because we did not tell RO until the morning of our tour that we wanted to see it (our group was not unanimous). I feel better after reading your comments.:)

 

I was golded out in Catherine's Palace in the first morning!

[VinTek]

We just returned from our Baltic cruise. We did a Red October cruise with 3 other couples. It was excellent. The only thing I would suggest is to skip the Gold Room at the Hermitage. The men were were bored with it. I guess they had seen enough gold by the afternoon of the 2nd day.

 

I think that depends on what your interests are and who your guide was in the Gold Room. The Gold Room is of a significantly different nature from the other gold artifacts found in the palaces. In the Gold Room, the gold found there is typically from times pre-dating the Russian czars, so it's of different historical significance. While I don't believe that Larry (the guy in the other couple we were with) or I was particularly interested in old gold, we found the guide so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that this enthusiam carried over to us and we found ourselves very interested in what she had to say. All in all, we found it an educational experience and was one of the highlights of our stay in St. Petersburg.

[ekp]

We toured with RO on September 1 & 2. We had an excellent tour. They matched us up with 2 other couples and one couple found us from this website. I would take their suggested itinerary. They are the experts. If there is anything extra that you would like to see, they will manage to fit it in. The only hang up in St. Petersburg is the traffic - it can slow you down but they figure that in to the schedule. The 2 restaurants they took us to were very good and provided a relaxing break. We had no trouble getting off the ship to meet our tour guide at 7:30 am. We just walked off.

 

By the way, the whole cruise was wonderful.

 

Westerdam August 29, 2005

[Sevy]

Sorry. I did not cruise, but I did visit Petrovorets. The grounds are really the most fun. The castle is ornate to be sure and we had to trake off our shoes and wear slippers. If time is short, spend them on the grounds which are great fun watching the children run through the tricky fountains and the beautiful gardens.

 

My scrap book from my trip with Grand Circle is six inches thick and contains everything from menus, post cards and personal pictures. It was worth the effort to put it together and is a joy to relive the trip through. Incidentally, we visited a souveneir shop called Red October and I thought that was what you were all talking about. Finally it dawned. You'll love the trip no matter what you decide.