Critique my St. Petersburg plan!

I know that traffic/lines/ other issues may come up, but wondering how my plan looks to those who have visited St. Petersburg before. I am going on a private tour so I am very flexible with my day and after much negotiation with my hubby this is our plan we was currently working with.

Let me start by saying my hubby is one of those people who works through lunch most work days and is pretty type A about travel, etc. He wants to see the most exciting/photograph worthy places. I, on the other hand, am more interested in some history and a more relaxed pace.

Here is goes...

Saturday in July: we dock at 7am so planning to meet the guide at 8am

8:00 to 10:00am intro to town, bridges

10-10:45 go to St. Isaac's for opening and my hubby will climb the tower up, for a good view of town

10:45-12 Drive from town to Catherine's and stop at Chesma Cathedral for 15 minutes or less, just see outside

12-1:15 Guide eats lunch, I am likely to eat lunch also, hubby is more likely to just get some extra photos of the outside of Catherine's

1:15-2:45 See Catherine's with the guide

2:45-3:45 Drive from Catherine's to Peterhof- anything worth seeing on the way over?

3:45-5:15 see Peterhof upper and lower gardens only

5:15pm leave from Peterhof, see the St Nicholas Maritime on way back (not too far out of the way), also called Nikolo-Bogoyavlenskiy Morskoy sobor

Around 6:15pm or so go to the Faberge museum for the evening tickets, no guided tour needed and figure likely to only spend 45 minutes or so

Back to ship by 7:30pm

If I get crunched for time, since we are paying per hour, figure we might go over and if so just pay a bit more.

Sun

8:30 pick up

9-10 canal cruise

10-10:45 figure it is a ways to get to the Church of Spilt Blood so walk through the park maybe to get to Church, not sure if it would take 45 minutes

10:45- 11:30 Church of Spilt Blood - open at 11am?

11:50-1:20 in Hermitage with guide

1:20-2:20 guide has lunch while we spend longer in Hermitage

2:30-3:15 see Kazan Cathedral

3:15-3:30 drive to Peter and Paul Cathedral

3:30-4:00 see Peter and Paul Cathedral only

4:05 drive back to ship

4:30 back at ship

If I run out of time today I can skip Kazan or skip Peter and Paul, I've seen it before. Might also have less time in Hermitage. I might decide to go in a metro today if time allows, I may not be in an artsy mood for 3 hours of the Hermitage : )

Any thoughts?

Is it busy typically on Saturdays and Sunday?

Any areas you think I am missing? Should I change the order of some of these things to have less crowds? I heard the hydrofoil doesn't run reliably if it is windy. I know it would save 30 minutes of travel time supposedly, is that worth exploring?

Jenn

Let me start by saying my hubby is one of those people who works through lunch most work days and is pretty type A about travel, etc. He wants to see the most exciting/photograph worthy places. I, on the other hand, am more interested in some history and a more relaxed pace.

2:45-3:45 Drive from Catherine's to Peterhof- anything worth seeing on the way over?

11:50-1:20 in Hermitage with guide

Might also have less time in Hermitage. I might decide to go in a metro today if time allows, I may not be in an artsy mood for 3 hours of the Hermitage I heard the hydrofoil doesn't run reliably if it is windy. I know it would save 30 minutes of travel time supposedly, is that worth exploring?

Jenn

Hi, Jenn!! As a very general, quick overview reaction, your plan seems to be a good planning start. Here are some of my added reactions, comments, suggestions, answers:

1. Agree not much super special between Catherine's Palace in going to Peterhof. Agree on the Peterhof upper and lower gardens only as your top priorities.

2. Glad to see your husband's Type A style and his liking photography seem to be important. That's in my range/style and it is good you are consider his and your personal needs.

3. Have you visited the Hermitage previously? If, not, your time allowed there might be a little limited. It is five historic palaces. Lots to see there even if your arts needs are not that high. From our experiences, you do need three or more hours there. Have 90 minutes to two hours there can work well to see the main highlights.

4. We did and really loved the sights and time-saving with the hydrofoil connecting from the Peterhof and main, central area.

5. Weather, crowds, number of ships in the port, time getting off of the ship and through customs, etc., etc., can all be important variables affecting your schedule. Be flexible and willing to adjust as circumstances dictate. It sounds like you are preparing accordingly and will be able to be very flexible.

Below are a few of my visuals to help build your excitement and prove why we like the hydrofoil. Do not know if you have seen these visuals, but this might be helpful to visual what is ahead for you and your husband. Let us know any added questions and/or background for your interests/needs.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 107,265 views for this posting

Lots of beautiful church towers and buildings are located all over in historic St. Petersburg. Some “riding around time” allows an opportunity to see the variety of buildings in this historic capital. Sampling the great architecture and history in St. Petersburg are two of the big, BIG joys from being there in this charming city.:

Here is a wider shot of the Spilled Blood Church interior in St. Petersburg. Its exterior design is more traditionally "Russian" or Orthodox than St. Isaac. Spilled Blood or the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ was built on the site along a canal where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 and its building was dedicated to his memory. Construction began in 1883 and was completed in 1907. This city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but this church harkens back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics, among the most for any church in the world. It suffered much damage during the Russian Revolution and World War II, but was reopened in 1997, after 27 years of restoration. The results are beautiful!!:

Here is a unique angle for the spectacular fountains and water from the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

Here is a closer look at a part of St. Isaac's interior, including the eight columns of semiprecious stone including six of the green malachite and two smaller ones of lazurite. Internal features such as columns, pilasters, floor and statue of Montferrand are composed of multicolored granites and marbles gathered from all parts of Russia.:

From the dock at the Peterhof, here is the hydrofoil approaching before we started our trip into St. Petersburg. It is a little like boarding a "space ship". Cool and interesting ride!:

From the hydrofoil coming from the Peterhof, here was our view of the Hermitage exterior and this water feature in the main, harbor area.:

Love your photos! I'm sure my hubby would love some like those : )

My hubby and I went to St Petersburg Feb 1992 in college so it has been a long time. Art isn't my favorite thing, but figure want to spend some time there. Do like Impressionism so have a few must do rooms there!

Jenn

As Terry has said there are just so many variables to take into consideration, that having an 'official timetable' may not be the best thing. On paper your plan sounds fine and doable, but let's say it is raining cats and dogs on your day one, is that how you want to see Catherine's Palace or Peterhoff?.

When we toured we had glorious weather on day one so our tour company adjusted our schedule so we could do more outdoor activities on day one and leave more indoor activities for day 2. Most tours like to do the further places like Catherine's Palace and Peterhoff on day one, but other things , like the canal cruise can be altered.

Ourselves, our company added that Canal cruise onto day one because of the great weather and we enjoyed it very much at the end of a long day. Just to be able to sit and relax, and sip some champagne and just enjoy the ride.

Cheers

Len

Love your photos! I'm sure my hubby would love some like those. My hubby and I went to St Petersburg Feb 1992 in college so it has been a long time. Art isn't my favorite thing, but figure want to spend some time there. Do like Impressionism so have a few must do rooms there! Jenn

Appreciate, Jenn, your follow-up and nice comments. Yes, happy to share more with your husband for the "how-to" tips about getting good pictures there. Let me know any and all of his questions, interests, etc. Part of the "secret" is to have a wider-angle lens that can capture some of those spectacular interior spaces. See a few of my photo examples below.

On the camera, I had been using a Nikon D50 for these 2008 pictures in the Baltics. Lenses are also important. Mostly I shot with the Nikon 18-55mm mid-range zoom lens that came with this camera. But most of the ones below were done with my 10-20mm Sigma wide angle that is great for church and building interiors, etc.

Since 1992, so much has happened in St. Petersburg to fix, upgrade, improve many of the historic buildings in Russia. The 1980's were a bad, bad period for Russia as its USSR empire dissolved, the economy was under huge pressure, things headed towards a "third-world" nation status, etc.

It was right at the start of the year 2000 when Putin took over power from Yeltsin. The Russian economy started to turn upward for a variety of reasons. Oil, gas and natural resource revenues helped to fuel their national treasury. Putin, having been a local official in St. Petersburg, targeted huge amount of money to upgrade and restore many these historic buildings and facilities that had fallen on "hard times". Part of Putin goal was to have St. Petersburg looking very, very good for the G-8 summit that was held in July 2006. The venue was the Constantine Palace, located near the Peterhof and overlooking the Gulf of Finland. This was the first time Russia served as host nation for a G-8 summit and marked the time when its status as a full member of the G-8 was confirmed.

Yes, lots of Impressionism and other more contemporary art is available inside the Hermitage. Check their website and/or recent tour books to prepare and plan accordingly.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 177,178 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

These next two pictures offer two example where a wide-angle lens captures more of the "environment" in these dramatic settings. As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

Inside Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg with our personal guide from Anastasia, we view this spectacular reception “ballroom”, painted ceiling, gold, etc., at our pace and timing schedule, getting our personal questions answered, etc. This majestic setting requires a little time to “soak it up”.:

Here are three more examples where a good wide angle lens can capture more of these dramatic settings. This is the Grand Staircase at St. Petersburg’s Hermitage. It was restored after the fire of 1837. This white marble staircase is divided into two flights with ten solid columns of granite supporting the vaults of the staircase. Full of light and gleaming with gilding and mirrors, the staircase extends for the whole height of the Winter Palace. The painted ceiling is by 18th-century artist Diziano Gasparo representing the gods of Olympus Olympus. This gives an impression of an additional height to the staircase. The décor of the staircase includes monumental sculptures brought by Peter the Great from Italy. In the 18th century the staircase was known as the Ambassadorial Staircase because the envoys of foreign countries ascended it when going to the palace for official receptions.:

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya from Anastasia, we are viewing and learning more about one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such paintings by this artist existing in the whole world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, lessening the crowd battles and adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place/set of five palaces AND museum. It is both! This Madonna and Child was probably painted in Milan, where the artist moved in 1482. The Madonna's tender gaze as she looks at her son, and the tranquillity of the distant mountainous landscape, reflect humanist dreams of Ideal Man and a Harmonious Life. Experts says the painting reveals great beauty in its coloring and composition. The painting came to the Czar's collection and museum in 1865 from the collection of Count Antonio Litta in Milan.:

At St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, here is just one of the many, many great galleries with so many different and great architecture details, soaring ceilings, dramatic floors, etc., in areas where the Czars entertained and impressed other Royals and nobility. Even without the art items, these five palaces are so spectacular! This room is adorned with 19th-century Russian lapidary works and feature Italian and Spanish canvases of the 16th-18th centuries, including Veronese, Tintoretto, Velázquez and Murillo.:

Here is a more contemporary example from the Hermitage. It is by Henri Matisse and it is called ''La Danse'' or The Dance from the late 1909. This large decorative panel, painted with a companion piece, Music, was done for the Russian businessman and art collector Sergei Shchukin, with whom Matisse had a long association. Until the October Revolution of 1917, this painting hung together with Music on the staircase of Shchukin's Moscow mansion. The painting shows five dancing figures, painted in a strong red, set against a very simplified green landscape and deep blue sky. It reflects Matisse's fascination with primitive art. The painting is often associated with the "Dance of the Young Girls" from Igor Stravinsky's famous musical work The Rite of Spring. Dance is commonly recognized as "a key point of (Matisse's) career and in the development of modern painting". Many other late 19th and early 20th Century pieces by Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas and Claude Monet are there at the Hermitage. It is more than just the "Old Masters" here at this world-class museum.:

Thanks! I know we will adjust the times as needed and we may spend longer somewhere and not make it to everything, just wanted to make sure there wasn't any evident issues with my plan. I was trying to not backtrack too much, I imagine traffic is busy.

Glad to hear it sounds doable. Wish I could bring you along to take our photos for us, then we might have photos of the 2 of us instead of it looking like just one of us on vacation : )

Jenn

 

If I run out of time today I can skip Kazan or skip Peter and Paul, I've seen it before. Might also have less time in Hermitage. I might decide to go in a metro today if time allows, I may not be in an artsy mood for 3 hours of the Hermitage : )

 

Any thoughts?

That's pretty much the exact same trip I was trying to do. But, they couldn't make this trip make work for me because there wasn't enough time- I think you're willing to do an extra half hour or hour after-hours tour more than I wanted to.

But, the biggest issue I had was with trying to see the Faberge Museum and whether or not it was a viable option. My first day would have been a Friday, the day its closed so I wouldn't have been able to do an after hours tour. But, that won't be a problem with you since your tour begins on a different day.

But, if you've already seen Kazan and Peter and Paul, why are you seeing it again and not something different this time?

Thanks! I know we will adjust the times as needed and we may spend longer somewhere and not make it to everything, just wanted to make sure there wasn't any evident issues with my plan. I was trying to not backtrack too much, I imagine traffic is busy. Glad to hear it sounds doable. Wish I could bring you along to take our photos for us, then we might have photos of the 2 of us instead of it looking like just one of us on vacation. Jenn

Hi, Jenn! Glad to hear that you are going to do some adjusting for your timings and priorities. As wisely noted by hobbess, you are trying to do "lots" and some narrowing of your goals will allow more time to enjoy what you are seeing and visiting in amazing St. Petersburg.

Appreciate your interest in having me as your "official photographer". As I checked my schedule, I think that I might be available to fit your timing needs. Just need your credit card number to get it all booked. I will let you pay and get the frequent flyer miles on your credit card. Good luck! Keep the good questions rolling along.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 198,791 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Hi Terry,

I am hoping I am on the right thread for this info.... you look like a real expert on N European cruising!

We will be on RCL's Brilliance of the Seas out of Harwich in early June. The itinerary includes : Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, St Pete, Skagen.

Having been in Stockholm for Mid-Summer in 2013, it seems very do-able on your own. I am just wondering where our pier will be relative to Gamla Stan?

From Gamla Stan, I think we can walk the old town and make it to Vasa. FYI: we happen to be there on Mid-Summer Night again, so Skansen may be too crowded.

Also... as we are doing a number of walking tours, I am thinking my teen kids might enjoy something different in one of the port.... like a tour by bicycle.

Do you have any view as to which of our ports would be best to do by bike?

Many thanks!

Cruiznuts

Private photographer sounds incredible!

Back when my hubby and I were in college I was only 20 and him 19, University of Lancaster in England many years back, we had old film cameras and honestly let's just say I didn't appreciate history and architecture the way or take photos. Life has changed in our 40's. That trip to Russia was a university group. It was incredibly fun, sightseeing, but what I remember was nightclubbing, drinking vodka with the locals, dining with the locals and sightseeing was lower on the list. We have some incredible fun memories, but the pictures were quite different!

We do like to revisit places we've been before. Think we've been to Paris a few times since the 90's and would happily go again!!!

I know it seems to cover a lot, but figure why not if we can. I am assuming we will have to dump/rearrange something but wondering if I had the general jist of it.

If I had more energy I would have paid for more hours and stayed out for the white nights, that sounds amazing and if I were in my 20's that would have sounded like a viable option. Now, my feet will kill me if I go that route...

Sorry I have no input on cycling, we did not look into that at all for any of the ports.

Jenn

Hi Terry, I am hoping I am on the right thread for this info.... you look like a real expert on N European cruising! We will be on RCL's Brilliance of the Seas out of Harwich in early June. The itinerary includes : Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, St Pete, Skagen. Having been in Stockholm for Mid-Summer in 2013, it seems very do-able on your own. I am just wondering where our pier will be relative to Gamla Stan? From Gamla Stan, I think we can walk the old town and make it to Vasa. FYI: we happen to be there on Mid-Summer Night again, so Skansen may be too crowded. Also... as we are doing a number of walking tours, I am thinking my teen kids might enjoy something different in one of the port.... like a tour by bicycle. Do you have any view as to which of our ports would be best to do by bike? Many thanks! Cruiznuts

Appreciate your good questions and comments. Not sure that I am the perfect and/or all-knowing expert for Stockholm, but I can offer some suggestions and comments.

From:

http://cruiseportwiki.com/Stockholm

you can find added details and options. There are several locations where your ship might dock and it might be at a place that is not that totally close to Gamia Stan and the wonderful Vasa Museum. You will probably be at S167 STADSGÅRDEN based on my quick checking. Are you scheduled to be in Stockholm on June 19? That Stadsgården location is closer to Gamia Stan.

BUT, here is my big warning and caution. There is so much that is very good in Stockholm to see and do. If you try to walk it on your own, that takes time and limits what you can do. It's Logistics 101!! We fortunately had two days in Stockholm as our cruise ended there. We did a boat tour around the harbor area that worked very well. Below are a couple of my picture samples.

Many view cruise tours as over-priced (which they can be). BUT, you need to consider the value of your time. It's very valuable and in some ports such as Stockholm, you can save money by trying to do it DIY. Unlike in some parts of the Caribbean, the wonderful sights and options in the Baltics can be amazing and so varied!! You could fail, however, to be "time-efficient" in seeing and doing more in a manner that is enjoyable and informative.

The Vasa Museum was one of our highlights from visiting Stockholm. A ship tour got us there with easy, allow getting and in with good speed and easy. We got an overview/orientation of the other highlights and then had time later in the day to explore on our own.

Pick what fits, but be aware of the timing "trade-offs" and how best to maximize your efforts for success.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 107,401 views for this posting.

At the Vasa Museum with this large salvaged ship from the 1600’s. This is their website: http://vasamuseet.se/en/ Taking almost two years (1626-1627) to build Vasa, carpenters, sawyers, smiths, ropelayers, sailmakers, painters, carvers, gun carriage makers and other specialists struggled to complete the navy’s great, new ship. The king, Gustav II Adolf, visited the shipyard to inspect the work. With a hull built of more than a thousand oak trees with 64 cannon, masts over 50 meters high and hundreds of painted and gilded sculptures, this was a spectacular ship. BUT, it was too heavy and sunk sailing out from the harbor.:

From the harbor in Stockholm, here is a view of the Royal Palace, the historic Saint Nicolaus Church, or as commonly known Storkyrkan. To the left in the picture is where the historic Gamia Stan area starts. Walking around in the Gamia Stan is wonderful as you soak up its history, charm and interesting architecture. Lots of fun outdoor dining places there for lunch, etc.:

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard was one of our highlights from visiting this historic capital in Sweden. Loved this part of our visit.:

Private photographer sounds incredible! Back when my hubby and I were in college I was only 20 and him 19, University of Lancaster in England many years back, we had old film cameras and honestly let's just say I didn't appreciate history and architecture the way or take photos. Life has changed in our 40's. We do like to revisit places we've been before. Think we've been to Paris a few times since the 90's and would happily go again!!! Jenn

Appreciate Jenn's follow-up and added travel details. YES, Paris is wonderful and deserves many follow-up visits. I am still available to be your private photographer on this Russia/Baltics trip. Just need that credit card info and authorization.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 51,658 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Walking through cities is lovely, but if you find yourself running low on time, another option to consider is the fact that Stockholm has excellent, easy to navigate public transportation. We easily started our day at Vasa (having purchased a one stop HOHO boat ticket), then took public transport to Skansen (we wanted to see the lemurs, and the skansen entrance closest to the aquarium is not the one closest to Vasa), got on public transport again to the History Museum, more public transportation to Galma Stan and then finally took the HOHO boat one stop back to the port. We just stopped at the information desk of each attraction, and asked them for directions on how to get to the next attraction we wanted to visit. It was quite easy, and all the forms of transportation (tram, subways, and buses) were quite fast and included in a Stockholm card.

Appreciate your good questions and comments. Not sure that I am the perfect and/or all-knowing expert for Stockholm, but I can offer some suggestions and comments.

 

From:

http://cruiseportwiki.com/Stockholm

you can find added details and options. There are several locations where your ship might dock and it might be at a place that is not that totally close to Gamia Stan and the wonderful Vasa Museum. You will probably be at S167 STADSGÅRDEN based on my quick checking. Are you scheduled to be in Stockholm on June 19? That Stadsgården location is closer to Gamia Stan.

 

BUT, here is my big warning and caution. There is so much that is very good in Stockholm to see and do. If you try to walk it on your own, that takes time and limits what you can do. It's Logistics 101!! We fortunately had two days in Stockholm as our cruise ended there. We did a boat tour around the harbor area that worked very well. Below are a couple of my picture samples.

 

Many view cruise tours as over-priced (which they can be). BUT, you need to consider the value of your time. It's very valuable and in some ports such as Stockholm, you can save money by trying to do it DIY. Unlike in some parts of the Caribbean, the wonderful sights and options in the Baltics can be amazing and so varied!! You could fail, however, to be "time-efficient" in seeing and doing more in a manner that is enjoyable and informative.

 

The Vasa Museum was one of our highlights from visiting Stockholm. A ship tour got us there with easy, allow getting and in with good speed and easy. We got an overview/orientation of the other highlights and then had time later in the day to explore on our own.

 

Pick what fits, but be aware of the timing "trade-offs" and how best to maximize your efforts for success.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 107,401 views for this posting.

 

 

At the Vasa Museum with this large salvaged ship from the 1600’s. This is their website: http://vasamuseet.se/en/ Taking almost two years (1626-1627) to build Vasa, carpenters, sawyers, smiths, ropelayers, sailmakers, painters, carvers, gun carriage makers and other specialists struggled to complete the navy’s great, new ship. The king, Gustav II Adolf, visited the shipyard to inspect the work. With a hull built of more than a thousand oak trees with 64 cannon, masts over 50 meters high and hundreds of painted and gilded sculptures, this was a spectacular ship. BUT, it was too heavy and sunk sailing out from the harbor.:

 

 

 

 

 

From the harbor in Stockholm, here is a view of the Royal Palace, the historic Saint Nicolaus Church, or as commonly known Storkyrkan. To the left in the picture is where the historic Gamia Stan area starts. Walking around in the Gamia Stan is wonderful as you soak up its history, charm and interesting architecture. Lots of fun outdoor dining places there for lunch, etc.:

 

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard was one of our highlights from visiting this historic capital in Sweden. Loved this part of our visit.:

 

Terry,

You are my hero! Thanks for the great advice, photos and link to the port schedule.

We are indeed at Stadsgarden. So I am thinking we should be within view / walking distance of Gamla Stan.

Timing is tight, as you say. We r only in port from 8am till 5pm. With such a limited timeframe, I was thinking if us just doing Gamla Stan, a 2 hr or so canal tour (to break up the walking) and possibly Vasa. Sound good?

The adults in the group were in Stockholm in June 2013 for 4 days. We did Skansen and the archipelego at that time.... no time for that this "go round".

again, many thanks!

Cruiznuts

Terry, You are my hero! Thanks for the great advice, photos and link to the port schedule. We are indeed at Stadsgarden. So I am thinking we should be within view / walking distance of Gamla Stan. Timing is tight, as you say. We r only in port from 8am till 5pm. With such a limited timeframe, I was thinking if us just doing Gamla Stan, a 2 hr or so canal tour (to break up the walking) and possibly Vasa. Sound good? The adults in the group were in Stockholm in June 2013 for 4 days. We did Skansen and the archipelego at that time.... no time for that this "go round". again, many thanks! Cruiznuts

Appreciate this kind follow-up and your added info/background about your past travels. Good luck for your Stockholm visit and the Baltics "adventure". Let us know any added questions. Keep researching and planning for your options in these excellent areas. AND, be prepared with a plan "B" for each port in the event of rain and/or bad weather.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 22,341 views for these postings.

I know that traffic/lines/ other issues may come up, but wondering how my plan looks to those who have visited St. Petersburg before. I am going on a private tour so I am very flexible with my day and after much negotiation with my hubby this is our plan we was currently working with.

 

Let me start by saying my hubby is one of those people who works through lunch most work days and is pretty type A about travel, etc. He wants to see the most exciting/photograph worthy places. I, on the other hand, am more interested in some history and a more relaxed pace.

 

Here is goes...

 

 

Saturday in July: we dock at 7am so planning to meet the guide at 8am

8:00 to 10:00am intro to town, bridges

 

10-10:45 go to St. Isaac's for opening and my hubby will climb the tower up, for a good view of town

 

10:45-12 Drive from town to Catherine's and stop at Chesma Cathedral for 15 minutes or less, just see outside

 

12-1:15 Guide eats lunch, I am likely to eat lunch also, hubby is more likely to just get some extra photos of the outside of Catherine's

 

1:15-2:45 See Catherine's with the guide

 

2:45-3:45 Drive from Catherine's to Peterhof- anything worth seeing on the way over?

 

3:45-5:15 see Peterhof upper and lower gardens only

 

5:15pm leave from Peterhof, see the St Nicholas Maritime on way back (not too far out of the way), also called Nikolo-Bogoyavlenskiy Morskoy sobor

 

Around 6:15pm or so go to the Faberge museum for the evening tickets, no guided tour needed and figure likely to only spend 45 minutes or so

 

Back to ship by 7:30pm

 

If I get crunched for time, since we are paying per hour, figure we might go over and if so just pay a bit more.

 

 

Sun

 

8:30 pick up

9-10 canal cruise

10-10:45 figure it is a ways to get to the Church of Spilt Blood so walk through the park maybe to get to Church, not sure if it would take 45 minutes

10:45- 11:30 Church of Spilt Blood - open at 11am?

11:50-1:20 in Hermitage with guide

1:20-2:20 guide has lunch while we spend longer in Hermitage

2:30-3:15 see Kazan Cathedral

3:15-3:30 drive to Peter and Paul Cathedral

3:30-4:00 see Peter and Paul Cathedral only

4:05 drive back to ship

4:30 back at ship

 

 

If I run out of time today I can skip Kazan or skip Peter and Paul, I've seen it before. Might also have less time in Hermitage. I might decide to go in a metro today if time allows, I may not be in an artsy mood for 3 hours of the Hermitage : )

 

Any thoughts?

 

Is it busy typically on Saturdays and Sunday?

 

Any areas you think I am missing? Should I change the order of some of these things to have less crowds? I heard the hydrofoil doesn't run reliably if it is windy. I know it would save 30 minutes of travel time supposedly, is that worth exploring?

 

Jenn

And what about the bust of Putin as a Roman emperor?