A leisurely start to our day off from riding. Steve and I walk into the town centre of St Petersburg and catch the city tour bus. Commentary is in England and is a useful way to discover the delights of this wonderful city and some of its history. St Issacs cathedral and the admiralty buildings stick in my mind. A gentle walk back to the hotel and a quick nap before catching an evening meal. Clothes washing all caught up with so I am smelling sweet again. We he...

A steady ride today through more Finish forests to the Russian border. It took us about an hour to get through. The border crossing was very official but efficient and friendly. As we enter Russia the noticable difference was in the state of the roads, from superb roads in Scandinavia to patched and potholed roads in Russia. In fairness however the roads were good as we got nearer to St Petersburg. We get to our hotel (Hotel Amaranta) at about 330pm. Plain lookin...