Baltic Cruise 2015 {St. Petersburg, Russia Part 2}

Day 2 in St. Petersburg started at Catherine's Palace.

What a gorgeous monstrosity!

Shoes must be covered to preserve the floors.

The ballroom!

The palace was intentionally destroyed by German soldiers during WWII.  The black and white photos show the massive destruction.

The rooms inside the palace were very ornate.  Our favorite was the room completely decorated with amber, but you weren't allowed to pictures in that room.

The main staircase

Outside the Cameron Gallery.

Exploring the beautiful grounds!

We had an authentic Russian lunch complete with vodka and song!

Each course started with a shot of vodka.  Well, my FIRST course started with a shot, and I gave up after that and stuck to wine. The boys and our guide, however, had no trouble at all.  She said that if you drink it throughout the meal, it will not make you drunk.  Whatever lady!

Making "music"

Russian moolah!

STOP!

I needed a mug to add to my collection, so we squeezed in a stop at Starbucks.

It's a good thing we knew what we wanted because there was no reading this menu.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (The Church on Spilt Blood) is a highlight of St. Petersburg tours.  Since it was Wednesday, the cathedral was closed to visitors (which we knew ahead of time.)  I know...that is tragic.  I'm still trying to forget about it.  But, the outside was just lovely!

The Peter and Paul Fortress

The cathedral at the fortress

The inside of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The tombs of Alexander II and his wife made of semi-precious stones.

The tomb of Peter the Great the founder of St. Petersburg.

This fortress houses all the tombs of Imperial Russia's rulers.

After a long day of sightseeing, it was time for some relaxing in the pool.  The rest of the night consisted of dinner and a little miniature golf.  It was a great day!!!

Stay tuned for our stop in Tallinn, Estonia.

Until next time,

Wendy