The centre vaguely resembles Copenhagen & Amsterdam with a network of canals around the imposing River Neva. Over the next few days were intensive; we visited  the Church of the Spilt Blood, full of beautiful mosaics, & walked thro the summer gardens where the World Cup draw was in progress. We did a tour of the amazing Hermitage with its enormous art collection including Lionardo de Vinci's, Tisian’s, Raphael’s, Rembrandt’s, in a huge 18th century palace wrapped in masses of gilt & marble, & St Isaacs Cathedral full of beautiful fresco’s. We coached out to the Peterhof Palace & Summer gardens (the Russian equivalent of Versailes) & that evening we went to the Marlinsky Theatre for the ballet La Corsaire - what a spectacle. Finally we visited the Peter & Paul Fort including the Cathedral where Peter Great, Catherine the Great, & the Romanov’s who were murdered in the 1917 revolution are buried. The prison & the history museum were also very interesting. Only founded in the early 18th century St Petersburg has been through much turmoil & suffering & it is amazing how much has survived, mostly beautifully restored.

The was as much wealth as squalor in evidence & Russia is more of an enigma than I expected. The few that speak English are very friendly but the officials are generally not. There was an overbearing threatening feeling that left us constantly on edge. Sadly we were relieved to leave, but had to endure another lengthy boat search at Kronstadt - God knows what they were looking for?