24 – 26 june Sankt Peterburg

Slow train to St P, arrived lunchtime. Our hostel accom was interesting so say the least. 12 bunks in each room, one shower, but bed it was. A couple of wet days in the city and, at almost 60 degree North, no sign of getting dark even at 11pm. Many people out and about for white nights festival and first day of school hols.

Moscow had a few big buildings. St Petersburg has massive colonnaded buildings that go the length of the street, soft yellow and white, or luscious pink with facades borne by greek gods, the usual outstanding cathedrals and churches and canals. We took the city doubledecker bus tour with audio history, architecture and cultural explanation. We continue to gain by osmosis a little more knowledge of St p as an important and wealthy city over the last 1000 years.

And then, of course the impressive summer palace of Elizabeth and Catherine. We arrived early and beat the crowds, straight though to the egyptian mummies and then by stages through one jaw dropping visual assault to the next. grand ballrooms with enormous chandeliers, rooms that made you feel as if you were inside a blue and white Wedgewood vase, the next inside gold tinsel and christmas lights, the next blood red velvet walls, frescos rivalling the Sistine, tapestries, thrones, boudoirs, hanging gardens the size of Olympic swimming pools on the second floor, artworks by the Who’s Who of french renaissance, impressionism, add in Van gogh, Rodin. Do not know what the poor russians must make of it. Guess they are proud of such a public treasure. It was too much for us.

After two nights in Hostel Dodgy, we treated ourselves to a room to our selves in a brand new hotel, its name on an A3 page near the door. The walls were being washed for the first time ever but the room was clean and the shower was hot. We had tickets for the Symphony orchestra. The band was a good size- 8 double base, 8 cello, 8 viola, perhaps 32 violin, various wood and brass and two harps. The conductor waved wildly and the instruments played as one. Unbelievable. Precise. Beautiful. exciting. Never have we heard anything so wonderful. Prokofiev , Stravinski and Tchaikovski. The last with opera singers who made the floorboards rumble and the chandeliers tremble. And also a male choir of thirty voices. Wow!