With only 2 days to explore St Petersburg and the issue with obtaining a visa we decided to make use of a Russian travel company to see as much as possible in the time we had. I am so glad we did as this city is vast and getting around in traffic could be horrendous.....but not for us... we had the superb driving skills of Dimitri and the very knowledgeable guide Dina to show us their hometown. Thanks to TJ Travel and I highly recommend them for future visitors. You not only get fast tracked into all attractions but you get detailed information and fun stories to add to your experience.

We were collected from our ship once we had passed through Russian immigration (they do not smile unless you are in trouble!!) and set off as a party of 8 to see the sights. First thing Dina asks is if we want to see the Metro - naturally the answer was YES

What a spectacular sight. The Metro stations are a work of art in themselves with lots of marble, statues, mosaics, decorated columns, bronze and even gold leaf. We rode through 3 stations and got to see different styles at each station. Dina explained that the subway in Soviet times was considered to be the Palace of the People and was to be decorated as such. The first plans to build a metro in St. Petersburg were drawn in 1899, but were not implemented due to the outbreak of WWI and then the Revolution of 1917. In 1941, 8 years after the Moscow metro was opened, building was started on the Leningrad metro, but a few months later the U.S.S.R. was forced to enter WWII. After the war the construction work resumed and the first metro line (from Avtovo to Ploschad Vosstania) was opened on November 15, 1955. Since then the metro network has grown to five lines with an average of 1.9 km (1.19 miles) between its 67 stations serving 2.5 million passengers a day. As it was early morning we felt like they were all on the train with us!!

Next thing we hopped back in the van for the drive to Peterhof which is about an hour drive from the city. Along the way Dina started to give us some of the complicated history of St Petersburg, From Peter the Great to other Tsars and Empresses, from Lenin to the Siege of Leningrad....this city has seen the reign of 11 Emperors, a multitude of floods, revolutions and name changes. From St Petersburg to Petrograd to Leningrad and back to St Petersburg this city saw so much. We heard about the reign of Peter, Catherine, Ivan, Anna, Alexander and Nicholas (with multiple numbers of each!) Our minds were boggling with facts and figures...

Peterhof Palace and Gardens - What an eye-stopper!! Whilst the gardens are still recovering from winter you can see how magnificent they must look in summer. Gardeners have busily pruned each tree to a precise pattern and we could see the beginning of the summer planting. Given there was snow on the ground 4 weeks ago the gardens looked amazing. The gardens are famous for the gravity fed fountains and it is easy to see why!!

The Palace itself is built in Baroque style and boasts a regal facade. Visitors entering the palace are confronted by an incredibly ornate Ceremonial Staircase, which sets the tone for what is to come with a magnificent fresco and multitude of gilded statues. Highlights include the richly gilded Ballroom the amazing white-and-turquoise Throne Room, which has a detailed parquet floor. The Western Chinese Study is heavily Oriental, with jewel red and green walls and a beautiful Chinese tea-set. The Drawing Room of the Imperial Suite is equally influenced by Chinoiserie, with fine silk wall hangings. The rest of the Imperial Suite, the royal family's private quarters, is furnished in grand 19th century style with elegant ornate interiors, porcelain vases, beautifully decorated fireplaces and pompous parquet floors and large mirrors. By contrast is Peter the Great's charmingly simple oak study, and the adjacent Crown Room, which was in fact the Imperial bedchamber. It took Peter the Great over a decade and a few false starts before he found the right site for his summer residence. Modelled partly on Versailles, but with many features that reflected Peter's specific tastes and interests, the park was expanded under Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, to greatly surpass its French antecedent in scope and grandeur. Entry 600 RUB. Grand Palace closed Mondays and last Tues of the month. This palace can be reached by hydrofoil service by the river behind the Hermitage.

We took so many photos and gasped at the sheer luxury but Dina says we have much more to come!! We head off towards the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 30 km south of St. Petersburg where we have a traditional Russian lunch in a family owned restaurant. Tavern Khlebnikov is located in a historic building from 1836 with wonderful views of the Great Cathedral of St Catherine the Martyr. They are used to having tour groups and service was quick and efficient with a set menu. We tried borsch....but more on that in my Russian food blog!!

Then we headed off to see Catherine Palace - If I thought Peterhof Palace was luxury then this palace blew my mind with its sheer elegance as it was built as the summer home for Russian royalty. The Catherine Palace, also known as the Summer Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, is part of a gorgeous complex of parks, guest houses, as well as the blue-and-gold palace itself. The palace's ornate, baroque design is breathtaking, and its 740 -metre length is massive. The Great Hall, also known as the Hall of Light, measures nearly 1,000 square meters, and occupies the full width of the palace so that there are superb views on either side. In the evening, 696 lamps are lit on 12-15 chandeliers located near the mirrors. Catherine Palace is laid out with all the doorways exactly the same distance from the exterior walls. Therefore, guests standing in a doorway could see for hundreds of feet and through many rooms. The jewel of the palace is the Amber Room (no photos allowed), rightly called a wonder of the world. King Frederick William of Prussia gave Peter the Great the original inlaid amber panels after Peter admired them in a room in Frederick's palace. The 16-foot jigsaw-looking panels were constructed of over 100,000 perfectly fitted pieces of amber. The Nazis dismantled the amber panels and shipped them from Russia to Germany during World War II, and they have never been found. Much mystery surrounds the fate of the amber room panels, and many Russians believe that they still exist somewhere in Germany. Russian artists began recreating the amber panels using the old techniques in the early 1980's, and the room was opened to the public in 2003. Visitors are often left flabbergasted at how Russia's royalty once lived. Every inch of the Catherine Palace speaks of luxury, elegance and grandeur and is regarded as a splendid monument to Elizabeth's wealth and Catherine II's glory. Entry 720 RUB. Closed Tuesdays and last Monday of the month (off-season only).

We were simply left speechless as we headed back into the city. Dina continues with her history of Russia and added personal anecdotes to bring everything alive. When her voice needed a break she put on some Russian folk music for us and described the story behind each song. It was now time to leave the palaces and head to the churches....

Church of Our Saviour on Spilt Blood is one of St. Petersburg's most instantly recognizable landmarks with its riotously colourful Russian Revival architecture. This onion domed Russian Orthodox Church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881 and contains the most elaborate mosaics inside. The more than 7500 sq. meters of mosaics link Alexander II's murder with the crucifixion. I think the best thing is to let my photos speak to the intricate detail as I am lost for words to describe this amazing church. Entry 250 RUB. Open daily at 10am. Closed Wednesday.

Our final stop for this very long day was the Peter and Paul Fortress. This is the place where the city of St. Petersburg began but the Peter and Paul Fortress never actually saw military action. Instead it has fulfilled a rich, huge variety of functions over its 3 century history including as a military base, a home of government departments, the burial ground for nearly all the Romanov Emperors and Empresses, the site of groundbreaking scientific Soviet rocket experiments, and a notorious prison that held some of Russia's most prominent political prisoners.

The highlight of the trip is the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul as this is the oldest church in St. Petersburg, and also the second-tallest building in the city (after the television tower). The walls of the cathedral are adorned with paintings of various bible themes, including many paintings of gospel stories by artists of the early and mid 18th century. It is intimately linked to both the history of the city and to the Romanov dynasty, as it is home to the graves of most of the Romanov rulers of Russia from Peter the Great onward. Peter's grave is at the front right, and people still leave fresh flowers and coins on it. Also here are both Catherines, Elizabeth, all three Alexanders, Paul, Peter III, Anne - and now both Nicholases as well, as the remains of Nicholas II and his family were re-interred in the small Chapel of St. Catherine on July 17, 1998. Entry 350 RUB - cathedral only. Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Wednesday.

Back to the ship in time for dinner, our heads are spinning with everything we have seen and heard today. We have been bedazzled by both the palaces and churches and remain bewildered by all the facts and figures that Dina has provided us. An early night for me tonight as I contemplate what tomorrow will bring.....