Venice Of The North

Venice of the North

Today we get to experience St. Petersburg’s canals.  Alexander the Great founded this city as his own and had a vision to turn it into the Venice of the North, criss-crossing the city with canals to provide a means of transport as well as beauty.… Read the rest

A Taste Of St. Petersburg

A taste of old Russia at Eliseyev Emporium

After a day of exploring Peterhof and the Catherine Palace at Pushkin, I’m ready to delve into St. Petersburg proper.  After dropping the rest of the tour group back at the port, mum and I are taken to the metro at Primorskaya where we are handed over to another guide for the evening. … Read the rest

Catherine Palace

Catherine Palace’s Rococo facade

As the second wife of Peter the Great, Catherine I, Empress of Russia, came to the throne by chance.  She was orphaned at an early aged and spent her youth as a maid.  Nevertheless, they met soon after Peter moved the capital to St.… Read the rest

Peterhof

The magnificent fountains and facade of Peterhof

Our destination is Peterhof.  After a drive through the city, however, the metro is our first introduction to St.  Petersburg and even from the very beginning it is unlike any other metro station.  Narvskaya metro is bustling with commuters and we push our tokens into the machine to pass through the gates and are funneled onto a long escalator, perhaps the longest I have ever seen.… Read the rest