St. Petersburg, Day Two: Doherty Baltic Adventure

Day two began with a bit of a panic: we had three of four tickets for the tour, but we were somehow missing the one with dad’s name on it. So we devised a plan, which relied a bit on luck. I went through customs and started looking for the tour guide, hoping she’d have an extra ticket or that she could vouch for dad. Step two would be for mom and Shannon to come through customs to let me know if dad got stuck behind them and needed help. The guide was apparently running late, and I walked out to the vehicle pull-out lane to see if she was still in the van. Nope. So I turned around and headed back to the customs building when, what should I see? In a classic, Jason Bourne move, dad emerged from the terminal, wearing his Russian spy hat. He coolly removed his jacket, perhaps wanting to fool the cameras, and looked around. Thinking that he took one of the tickets and left mom and Shannon behind, or that there was an issue with the others, I grew worried. Until I saw my other two family members emerge behind him! I wondered how he gave Visa Control the slip; turns out, mom was in cahoots! She left her ticket on the counter for dad to reuse. Clever parents!

The travel for this day was well-worth the finagling at customs: we started at the Hermitage Museum, and spent two and a half hours taking in the display of art and other treasures. Here, treasure is a rather appropriate word: it seemed like everything, even the walls, were gold-plated! Marble pillars held up the ceiling, elaborate paintings by famous artists decorated the walls, and magnificent household items were preserved in glass cases.

We finished the day with an early return to the ship, to ensure that Shannon was back on time for rehearsal before her show that evening. Shannon once again captured the audiences’ heart!

Overall impression of St. Petersburg: the art and interior decoration of the palaces and museum was extravagant! Here are some more specifics for what each Doherty family member enjoyed most:

Mom
Best memory: Walking around the grounds of Catherine Palace, with Tim, Sean and Shannon, admiring the brilliant colors, architecture, and craftsmanship

Fave spot: Catherine Palace, the summer residence of the Russian tsars.

Fun fact from our tour: The Catherine Palace is named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, who ruled Russia for two years after her husband's death.

Shannon
Best memory: Dad trying to understand, and speak Russian. (It usually just sounded like Spanish :D)
Fave spot: Catherine’s Palace
Fun fact from our tour: On the dark nights they only get about 7 hours of sun! AH!

Dad
Best memory: Tour of St Petersburg
Fave spot: Impressive buildings and architecture
Fun fact from our tour: All the trees that were chopped down during the siege.

Me:
Best memory: Dad pulling a Jason Bourne move to give the passport checkpoint the slip
Fave spot: The incredible palace gardens and two hundred fountains
Fun fact from our tour: Learning about some of the art and statues that were from Asia

Click here to see more St. Petersburg Day Two pictures on my Flickr page