Amy's Spot: St. Petersburg, Russia

Sometimes I still can't believe that I've been to Russia. The concept itself seems so foreign. I never in my life said 'I want to go to Russia one day' but we did and even though we enjoyed our time there it's not a country I would necessary need to visit again.

If you cruise here, you must book an excursion. You can't get off the boat without having a plan. Their customs are very strict and they will scrutinize your passport each time you get off and on the boat.

No offense, but trust me when I say Russia is not a place I would want to 1) lose my passport

or 2) miss my ship.

It's still a little intimidating of a country.

Private. Reserved. Guarded.

Then I met our tour guide, Nina. She often referred to herself as 'Auntie Nina' when she talked to Rhett.

She was a hoot.

But don't talk when she's talking because she'll ask your name and then demand you listen.

It was an intense yet fun tour.

Mostly fun.

Day 1 was a half day tour spent walking in the footsteps of the Russian people.

We went to their mall... their markets... their metro (Stalin's 'Palace for the People').

We sampled their vodka... tasted their food.

And then I (Chad and baby stayed on the boat) went to see Swan Lake in the city.

Going down into the underground... longest escalator ride ever.

Their metro stations were quite impressive. You were surrounded by marble and chandeliers.

And their vodka was strong. So. Very. Strong.

Day 2 was very busy.

We boarded our bus with Auntie Nina and saw St. Isaac's Cathedral, The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood and Catherine's Palace.

It was really hot.

It's bad when Russia is having warmer weather than Germany.

Anyways...

St. Isaac's Cathedral was the main church in the city - now turned museum.

It's gold dome is quite well known and remains an important landmark in St. Petersburg's skyline.

Oh and the inside is pretty remarkable.

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (although you can pick which name your prefer because there are a couple) was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

It was paid for by the imperial family and through private donors and even though it was closed for 30 years (!) it has been restored to it's former glory.

I know it's hard to tell in the pictures but there are hundreds of beautiful mosaics that decorate the facade of the church. I wish it had been sunny this morning because I can imagine it in the sunlight and it's even more spectacular.

A more recent tradition for the Russian youth is to put a lock (often decorated with initials or your wedding date) on the bridge across from the church. It's supposed to symbolize your commitment to each other and bring good luck in your union.

Catherine's Palace is one of the most popular tourist destinations around St. Petersburg.

It's named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great.

It use to be a modest building but now it's a grandiose Palace thanks to Empress Elizabeth who made it her summer home.

The most popular room in the palace among visitors is the Amber Room (no pictures allowed) where 450 kg of amber adorn nearly every inch of the room.

It was completely restored in 2003 and took over 20 years.

If you research the Amber Room online it's quite interesting as there is a bit of a mystery surrounding the original 'room.'

Much of Catherine's Palace was destroyed during an air raid during WWII so there are quite a few speculations about whether the room survived, the amber was stolen by SS, etc. etc.

Either way, the restored room is beautiful and gives a clear idea of how the original room looked.