Readme.me - 8 Days with Her "Mother Russia": Backpacking Russia on a Budget

Hello everyone again. Welcome back to 8 Day With Her "Mother Russia" - Part 2. This part will be about the trip around St. Petersburg on days 3-4-5 of the trip. The rough plan is as follows:

Day 3

- Catherine Palace

- St. Isaac's Cathedral & Colonnade Walkway

Day 4

- Vasilyevsky Island

- Peter and Paul Fortress

- St.Petersburg Mosque (15 seconds glimpse)

- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood & Museum of Stone

Day 5

- Peterhof

All photos in this review were taken with the Fuji X-E2. I brought two lenses with me, the XF18-55 and the XF55-200. There will be a few photos from my iPhone 5 mixed in. The exchange rate when I went was 0.58 THB = 1 RUB. All expenses in this review will be listed in Rubles.

Day 3 Catherine Palace/St. Isaac's Cathedral

I woke up around 6 am this morning, the same time I wake up for work. So I went out for a walk and took some photos outside. The weather was cool and comfortable, but the sky was overcast and white. I only walked to the main road and then came back to take a shower. Luckily, my accommodation is close to Kazan Cathedral and I can see the Church of The Savior of The Spilled Blood. So I don't have to go far to find something to photograph.

Nevskiy Prospect Street is just a 3-minute walk from the accommodation.

Kazan Cathedral is right outside the gate. Walk around to the front a bit.

From the roadside, looking far away, you will see the Church of The Savior of The Spilled Blood

We left our accommodation around 8 am. Today's plan was to visit Catherine Palace, which is located outside the city. First, we stopped for breakfast at a restaurant near our accommodation. It was a kebab shop, and the seller didn't speak English. We tried to communicate using sign language, but it was still a bit awkward. In the end, the uncle from the grocery store next door helped us. He spoke a little English. I ordered a set meal (because there was a picture, it was easy to point at 55) for 195 Rub. It was a kebab with vegetables, boiled potatoes, and roti bread.

After finishing our meal, we walked along Nevskiy Prospect to take the Metro to Moskovskaya station and then a Minibus to Catherine Palace. While walking up from the Metro, we were confused about the exit (again). We happened to meet another group of Thai people who seemed to be confused as well. We went our separate ways, with that group asking for directions from a Russian passerby. We tried to follow the directions in our guidebook, which said to go to the area behind the statue in front of The House of Soviets, which could be seen from the Metro exit.

The Monument of Vladimir Lenin at The House of Soviets

Before reaching the point mentioned in the travel guide, my teammate stopped to ask a Russian man for directions. He was waiting for the bus and spoke English fluently. However, he didn't know how to get to Catherine Palace from there. He even spent 15 minutes searching on his smartphone but couldn't find the answer. Finally, he suggested taking a taxi and told us to download a taxi-hailing app. He even recommended which taxi companies to use and which to avoid. He was incredibly helpful. We thanked him and continued on our way, feeling a little guilty for taking up almost half an hour of his time.

Following the guidebook, we walked behind the statue. There, we found a place similar to a van station, with several minibuses parked. Each van displayed its destination, just like in Thailand. Popular tourist destinations were also marked in English. As we approached, the driver immediately asked us in English if we were going to Catherine Palace. The van I boarded was a Minivan on route 342, and the fare was 36 Rubles per person. The driver seemed to be in a good mood and smiled all the time. When he saw me raising my camera to take a picture, he even posed for me (actually, I was trying to take a picture of the sign on the side of his van, haha). The van wouldn't leave immediately. We had to wait until it was almost full before it departed. During the journey, the van would stop to pick up passengers along the way. When the seats were full, passengers would stand and hold onto the handrails until the van was packed.

The side of the bus will have a number and details of the places it passes. If it is a Metro, it will have an M symbol.

Driver.

The car drove out of the city for about half an hour and stopped in front of Catherine Palace. It's not hard to notice, before you get there, it's like a village. At the entrance, there are souvenir shops lined up as kiosks. If you look beyond, you will see the golden top of the Palace. The palace opens at 10.30 am. We arrived just in time for the opening. Inside, there are two parts: the garden and the palace. We walked through the front garden for a bit before we went into the palace to escape the Chinese tourists who were following us. The front of the palace is under renovation in some parts. So there are scaffolding and a cloth covering that part of the palace. It's a bit of a fail. TT I have to accept it during the winter.

The Catherine Palace, with its bright blue color and gleaming golden domes, is absolutely stunning.

The front garden. This review will not include full pictures of the entire palace, as I did not want to capture the areas that are currently under repair.

Upon entering from the left-hand side, you will find a ticket counter. The entrance fee is 400 RUB per person. You will need to deposit your winter clothes and large bags in the provided storage room. Small bags and cameras are allowed inside. Once you enter, you will be given shoe covers and asked to wait in a room before being released in groups. However, even after entering, you will be separated as the tour guide only speaks Russian. If you want to know the history of the rooms, you will need to read the information boards, which are written in Russian for about 3 paragraphs and translated into English in about 3 lines. -/\- I recommend reading the history beforehand if you have time, as it will be more engaging. When I went, I used the method of secretly listening to other tours explaining in English. 555

The hall is big. It's so beautiful.

The rooms here are adorned with gold. It's the most gold-filled palace I've ever seen.

Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, who ordered the construction of this palace.

Inside the palace, the rooms are divided according to the wings of the palace. If you walk around the wings, you will return to the same place. Each room is not very large, much smaller than The Hermitage. Each room is designed in a similar way, mostly decorated with gold. There are not many paintings, and the focus is more on the history of the place and the way of life of the people at that time. Each room has a staff member who will control the number of people entering, according to the group that was divided at the beginning. But we sneaked around with all the groups. In some rooms, the staff wouldn't let us stop and look. It was a room with a green color scheme and a Chinese theme. The patterns on the walls and vases were also Chinese. When I stopped to look, the staff member waved me away, as if to say that I should just walk past and not look for too long. (Strange, isn't it?)

The officer will be stationed at every entrance and exit of the room.

The highlight here is the Amber Room, a reddish-orange room adorned with amber throughout. In fact, this is a newly built room. The original Amber Room was said to be so magnificent that it was called the eighth wonder of the world. However, the room was dismantled during World War II and disappeared during the relocation, becoming a mystery to this day. Photography is strictly prohibited in this room. Staff will chase you away if they see you raising your camera.

We also met a group of Thai people who were lost at the same time. They came by bus from the opposite side. They said it would be a bit of a detour and it took almost an hour.

After walking around the palace, it was time to go for a walk in the garden. Outside, the air was already starting to get (very) cold and gloomy. I like to call this kind of weather "chilly" (from "chilly"). It's very cold, with no wind. The sky is not dark, but there is no sun either. Usually, if the weather is like this, it will snow the next day. If you are visiting in April, I recommend that you dress warmly in case you encounter snow. I myself was hesitant at first whether to bring a snow jacket, but in the end, I decided to bring it and I used it all day while I was here.

Another tip, most Russians wear dark colors like black, gray, and brown. If you don't want to stand out too much when you travel, avoid wearing bright colors. The picture below is an example of what not to do. My friend who was with me said that he could follow me no matter what, because he could see the color of my backpack from the other end of the street. orz

It is highly discouraged to imitate. ;___;

In the park, there is a large lake in the center. There are ducks, swans, and seagulls flying around if people feed them. There are a few small buildings around the park for people to visit. There are some Russians walking around the park, some with their children, and some jogging. It looks very lively compared to the weather.

<3 <3 <3

We walked around the lake, taking pictures of the natural scenery (most of the trees were just branches). The highlights of my walk were the Hermitage, a small palace, and the Turkish Bath, although I'm not sure what kind of building it is. When I went, the various buildings were not accessible. I'm not sure if they will be open in the summer. There weren't many explanatory signs, so I had to guess what some of them were. Around 2:00 pm, it looked like it was going to rain, so we had to hurry back.

Park map. I only walked the path next to the lake.

Just playing around a bit.

Russian bird :3

The Hermitage will be the same color tone as the Catherine Palace.

Turkish Bath

At the exit to the main road, there is a restaurant selling European food. I stopped by for lunch. Actually, on this trip, I haven't had lunch on time any day. For example, today, it was already 2:30 pm when I left the park. The food in the palace was too expensive to eat. When I came out, I was starving and found a restaurant with reasonable prices. I didn't think twice and went in. Do you understand what I'm saying? (The waiter here speaks English, thank goodness. 55) I ordered the beef with mushroom cream sauce for 280 Rub and homemade orange juice for 180 Rub. The name looked delicious, and the food was good. The orange juice was very refreshing, but the small portion didn't fill me up much.

Stir-fried meat with mushroom cream sauce. It's delicious.

Here's how to get back from Catherine Place: We took a Minibus from the bus stop near the palace. There's a sign that shows which buses stop there, including the 342 that we took. If you're not picky, you can also take any bus with a Metro symbol on the side. When the bus arrived, the driver took our ticket. I was confused for about 5 seconds before realizing that we had the same driver as before. What luck! The fare was the same as on the way there. We rode for about 40 minutes and arrived at Moskoskaya station. We walked around the House of Soviets for a bit until it started to rain again, so we hurried back down to the Metro.

Another statue of Lenin, this one with a powerful presence.

We took the train to Admiralteyskaya and then walked to St. Isaac's Cathedral. To enter the cathedral, you must first purchase a ticket at the ticket booth located on the side of the cathedral. There are two types of tickets: one for the Museum (250 Rub) and one for the Colonnade Walkway (150 Rub). The Colonnade Walkway is a walkway on the top of the cathedral that offers views of St. Petersburg. During the summer, you can also go up to the walkway at night to see the city lights. However, during the winter, the walkway is only open until 5:30 PM. The cathedral itself closes at 6:00 PM.

One of the drawbacks of this place is that the temple is so large and magnificent that it is very difficult to find a good angle to take photos (and there are cloths covering it again TT)

This is a picture taken from Palace Square. In front of the cathedral, if you want to take a picture like this, you'll probably have to lie flat on the ground.

It was almost five o'clock then, so we decided to go up and see the view first. After panting up the 190 steps of the spiral staircase, we reached a small balcony that wrapped around the top of the cathedral. From there, we had a 360-degree view of St. Petersburg. The view was beautiful, and since it's a city without tall buildings, we could see almost all of the important landmarks. Unfortunately, the sky wasn't very clear.

It made my legs shake.

In front of the cathedral, there is a statue of Tsar Nicholas I.

Church of The Savior of The Spilled Blood used a telephoto lens to look inside.

In front is The Admiralty building, and in the distance is Peter&Paul Fortress.

Trinity Cathedral

From the Colonnade Walkway, you can see all the major landmarks of St. Petersburg. If you want to see the whole city but are too lazy to walk, I recommend bringing some coins to use the binoculars. You can see the whole of St. Petersburg in just one day! 55+

It's really hard to explain in words or pictures.

St. Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Orthodox cathedral in the world, and it's truly magnificent. We soaked in the cathedral until closing time, then walked back to our accommodation, taking a shortcut past the monument to Tsar Nicholas I. We walked along the back of the monument, which led us straight to a restaurant with a name in Russian that looked like a canteen. We decided to check it out, and the prices were very reasonable. The food was delicious too. We ordered roasted chicken, vegetables with cheese, and boiled potatoes with water. The total price was 285 rubles, and we got a lot of food. We were very satisfied with this meal (but the seller didn't speak English, so we had to point at the menu).

The atmosphere of the restaurant is easy to spot. In front of the restaurant, there are flags from many countries.

On the way, I passed by a market. I noticed it from the window and decided to stop by. The prices were cheaper than in Thailand (if you use the old exchange rate) + the currency has fallen, making the prices even cheaper. Holgarden bottles were 89 Rub, which is about 45 baht (I had to stop myself from sweeping the whole shelf into my basket). A large bottle of water cost 16 Rub, which means I've been tricked into buying it for 60 baht all along.

I tried a Russian beer called Baltika 9. This brand has numbers from 0-9, which I think represent the alcohol content. 0 is labeled as Non-Alc, while 9 is labeled as Premium Strong. I also bought bread, ham, cheese, and milk to make sandwiches for breakfast. I tried a chocolate bar with a picture of a girl on it that is said to be delicious. It cost 9 Rub and was quite small. I also bought two bottles of water for 16 Rub each.

Like finding a treasure trove

I'm not sure if I bought the right girl. 55

After walking for a while, we realized that we were not getting any closer to our destination. We opened the map and saw that we had already walked a long way from our accommodation. So, we decided to walk on the main road to be sure. On the road, there was a small market, mostly kiosks selling groceries and fresh produce, including fresh fish. After a while, we started to feel thirsty, so we opened the water we had bought and drank it. We found out that it was soda! orz It must be the reason why it was the cheapest in the store (The brand we usually drink in the market costs around 20 Rub).

The path we took led us to the back of the alley where our accommodation was located. This allowed us to discover many hidden shops tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the buildings, such as pharmacies, cake shops, tiramisu shops, bars, liquor stores, etc. I stopped to buy an ice cream to try before reaching our accommodation, 55 Rub. It was similar to a Magnum, but tastier (maybe? Or maybe it was just because the weather was cold, haha). We arrived back at our accommodation safely around 9 pm.

Day 4 Peter & Paul Fortress / Church of The Savior of The Spilled Blood

Today's plan was to watch the sunrise at Vasilyevsky Island, which is located on the other side of the Neva River, opposite The Hermitage. We set off at five in the morning, packing our sandwich-making equipment in our bags. Today, it was raining on and off again, with a light drizzle. We could only hope that the sky would open up a little when we arrived. We walked along the same route as we did to The Hermitage, but we crossed the bridge and continued for about half an hour. In the end, the sky didn't open up. Fail. Let's just say we came for a walk and some exercise.

On the way back, we stopped at a pizza place that our team had been eyeing for days. The prices were very cheap, with medium pizzas costing only 290 rubles each. We ordered two pizzas, one with mushrooms and the other with margherita and egg. The five of us were completely satisfied.

Mushroom pizza. Those who have been to The Hermitage should be familiar with this restaurant.

Our next destination was the Peter and Paul Fortress. This was a slight misunderstanding, as we thought the fortress opened at 11:00 am, so we decided to return to our accommodation first. However, the fortress actually opens at 6:00 am. The church inside the fortress opens at 10:30 am.

To get to the Peter and Paul Fortress, if you're coming from Vasilyevsky Island, you can walk across the bridge to another bridge. However, since we were already back at our accommodation, we took the Metro to Gor'Kovskaya station. From there, it's a short walk through a park to reach the fortress. Admission to the fortress is free, but there is an entrance fee of 250 Rubles to enter the church. If you also want to see the prison where political prisoners were held, it costs an additional 150 Rubles. There is also a combined ticket for both, which costs only 350 Rubles. We opted for the combined ticket. The restrooms inside the fortress cost 20 Rubles per use. In addition, there are buildings within the fortress that house various exhibitions, such as the wax figures, the torture chamber, and DaVinci's Secret, which require separate entrance fees of 300 Rubles per exhibition. We didn't go see any of these, but we figured if we had time after visiting the church and the prison, we would come back and see one of them.

The entrance to the fort is marked by a two-headed eagle, the symbol of Russia, above the archway.

The bell tower of this church is the tallest Orthodox bell tower in the world.

The main highlights of the fortress are the four places I visited: 1. Walking outside the fortress walls to a sandy beach with a view, 2. The St. Petersburg History Museum, which covers the city's history from the Stone Age to the Industrial Age, 3. Peter & Paul Cathedral, the burial place of the Romanov dynasty, and 4. The political prison.

We started by walking to the beach, which is located outside the fortress walls. From here, you can see The Hermitage and St. Isaac's Cathedral on the other side of the river, and you can walk down the sandy beach all the way to the bridge that crosses from Vasilyevsky Island.

Walk along the wall of the fort and you will find the beach.

Introducing the 4 team members

Then I went to the museum. Most of it was in Russian. The theme of the museum was mainly about transportation, from the Viking era to the industrial age. There were ships, cars, trains, and various other items on display.

We came out at noon (again) so we ate at a restaurant in the fort. It's hidden right at the archway with a small sign. Inside is like a canteen, the prices are a bit high. Ordered mashed potatoes + grilled skewered meat with onions + something that looked like brown rice for a total of 400 Rub.

The grilled meat would be tasteless without the accompanying onions. The ground meat tastes like, well, ground meat. As for the rice, I'm guessing it's some kind of grain. It has a nice crunch to it.

The tomb of Peter the Great, the first Tsar of Russia, and his wife, Catherine I.

The tomb of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Romanov dynasty

Then we went to see the prison, which wasn't very interesting. It was a prison for political prisoners at that time. I don't know much about this, but my friend tried to find the cell of Aleksandr Ulyanov, Lenin's older brother (it's the last cell at the end).

The prison cell conditions are very basic. The prisoners only have a bed like this. It must be very cold during the winter.

The rain was pouring heavily, and we had two more places to visit: St. Petersburg Mosque and The Savior of The Spilled Blood. So we braved the rain and rushed to see St. Petersburg Mosque. It wasn't far from the fortress and was easily visible because the mosque has a bright blue color. I didn't take any pictures of the exterior because the rain was so heavy, and they had covered it with a cloth for repairs (again!). This was a major fail because even with the cloth covering, it still looked beautiful.

In addition to being covered with cloth on the outside, the inside was also under repair. On top of that, scaffolding was covering the highlight chandelier, completing the hat-trick of fails. We sat there for a while to avoid the rain, but then came out. We didn't dare to stay long because people kept coming in to pray.

The rain eased up a bit, and we walked through it to get back on the same Metro to our accommodation. We figured that if it was still heavy, we would postpone The Savior of The Spilled Blood to tomorrow instead. But when we arrived at our accommodation, the rain had started to drizzle, so we decided to walk on to The Savior of The Spilled Blood. Although the rain had stopped, the wind started to pick up and the air got colder and colder. The souvenir shops along the way were starting to cover their goods with cloth.

The ticket booth for the church is located outside. The entrance fee is 250 RUB for the church and 150 RUB for the Museum of Stone. We went inside the church first. The most impressive thing about this place is the high ceiling and the beautiful mosaic tiles that make up all the images in the church. It may not be as grand as St. Isaac's, but the colors and beauty make it my number one pick on this trip. Personally, I like both the exterior and interior of this place. I even like it more than St. Basil's in Moscow (I didn't go inside St. Basil's).

Oh, this is so satisfying!

After we finished looking inside the church, we went to see the Museum of Stone. It is a small building located across from the church. The inside is very small. We walked around it in about 50 steps, which cost 2 Rub per step. orz It is a museum dedicated to stones, with details on what kind of stones were used to build each picture and temple in Russia. However, it is all in Russian, so you have to look at the pictures and imagine. No serious photography is allowed.

Today we have collected all the landmarks, so it's time to return to our accommodation. The weather outside is getting more and more extreme. The wind is blowing harder than before, so all the Kiosk shops have to be closed. The weather is getting colder, so even when I breathe, there is steam coming out. The rain is sprinkling in all directions and starts to fall slowly until it becomes snow instead. Yes, it's snowing now!! In the heart of St. Petersburg, the weather forecast that told me the average temperature this season is 10 degrees, what is it!! I narrowly escaped death by bringing the bright blue snow jacket that contrasts with the bright red backpack.

No matter how bad the weather was, eating was a big deal. So we reluctantly walked past our accommodation to find a place to eat. We found a canteen not far away. I wasn't very hungry, so I just ordered steamed fish and boiled potatoes for 190 rubles. I don't know what kind of fish it was, but it was delicious at first. Later, it started to feel dry and greasy. After we finished eating, we went back to our accommodation to rest.

I arrived at the accommodation early today because I was chased by the snow. So I went down to the common area to play. I refilled my water bottle, played table football, etc. I tried to say hello to the other guests, but most of them were Russian, so it was difficult to communicate. After a while, a group of Russian children came running and playing loudly. I guess there is also an elementary school staying here, because it felt like there were 11 children on each side of the table football (did they actually play?)

The last thing I did today was something I forgot about this morning. Can anyone remember? Yes, the sandwich I put in my bag this morning hasn't been used yet, so we have another late-night meal. Followed by a good night's sleep after running from the rain all day. That's the end of our wandering for today.

Day 4 Peterhof

I woke up a little after six o'clock, as usual on a workday. The weather today was cooler than yesterday. I went for a walk on Nevskiy Prospect as usual. The sky was still overcast, but at this point I was just happy that it wasn't raining.

At 8 am, we left our accommodation to find breakfast. We walked across the street to the Canteen on the opposite side of our accommodation. The prices were similar to other Canteens. We ordered ground beef and chicken with orange rice for 204 Rub. The chicken was delicious, and the ground beef was, well, ground beef. The rice was a bit mushy. The orange color had no significant impact on the taste. Outside, it started to snow lightly again. Today, we were going to the Peterhof Palace. We started by taking the Metro to Avtovo station to catch a Minibus directly to the Peterhof Palace.

After exiting the station, walk down the tunnel to the other side. You will find minibuses parked in a row with clear signs saying "Peterhof". The fare is 60 Rub and the ride takes about 30-40 minutes to reach the palace. The landmark is a large church similar to The Savior of The Spilled Blood. This means you need to get off at the next stop. Once you get off, walk back along the large wall and you will find the entrance to the garden. This is called the Upper Garden, a large garden before the palace, with a few ponds and statues. To enter the palace and the Lower Garden, you need to go around to the side. In summer, there is an entrance fee here, but during the winter, it is free to enter.

Upper Garden

Notice this building. The entrance to the palace is next to it.

Upon entering, you will be greeted by the renowned Samson Fountain subduing the lion. The golden color is magnificent and exquisite. Usually, the fountain is turned on at 11 am. However, during the winter season, it is not turned on. Fail again. Not only is the fountain not turned on, but the pool is also not filled with water.

Extra dry small tom yum spring rolls on the way.

The weather was still good, so we went down to the Lower Garden to take pictures around the fountain and walk to see other buildings in the garden first. But we found that all the buildings were still closed because it was winter, so we just walked around. And we went out to see the sea for a while. This area is the Gulf of Finland. The weather started to get gloomy, and after a while, it started to snow heavily, so we had to hurry back to the palace.

No matter where you go, there will always be people feeding the birds. In Thailand, pigeons would probably rule the city.

One day I will find an opportunity to cross the Gulf of Finland.

The palace consists of three main sections (according to the ticket seller): the main palace, the left wing, and the right wing. The entrance fee for each section is 500 rubles, but if you buy a combined ticket, it costs 1,300 rubles. There are also several smaller museums, and if you want to see everything, it will cost around 6,000 rubles (VIP). You have to check your coat and bags here, and you are not allowed to take serious photos. We opted for the 1,300 rubles combined ticket, which gave us access to the main palace and the two wings. The main palace is similar to the Catherine Palace, with many rooms. What sets this palace apart is that it has several rooms decorated with Chinese murals.

It started snowing heavily outside, with large flakes falling. The entrance to the other wing is on the opposite side of the main palace. I had to pick up my coat and bag that I had left there. I walked outside and entered the side wing, leaving my coat and bag again. It was quite confusing. When I tried to enter the wing, the staff member waved me away to buy a ticket at the main palace if I didn't show them my ticket at the entrance. At first, they directed me to the right wing, but when I walked in, the staff member waved me away, making me think it was closed. After a while, I saw tourists entering, so this time I walked in with my ticket plastered on my forehead, fearing that the lady would chase me away again. It turned out that I was able to enter safely. So, for anyone going there, remember to show your ticket before entering.

The wings were very small, not worth the 500 Rub (actually, you don't have to go in). One wing displays various items such as rings and clothes. You can walk around 4 small rooms and you're done. The other wing is a church with only one large room. It's beautiful, but we've been to so many churches that we're starting to get used to it. 55+

After visiting the palace, we followed the map to find a restaurant in the Lower Garden. I thought to myself that today I would finally be able to eat lunch at noon. When we arrived, we found that the restaurant was destroyed. It was destroyed to the point that it was still a crime scene where we could investigate the culprit. So we had to go out to eat at a restaurant in front of the palace. Facing the sea, walk out to the left side. Notice the restaurant on the right, it's not that one. Walk to the side of that restaurant and you'll find a restaurant called Family Cuisine. They sell everything from steaks to sushi.

The waiter here speaks a little English. The only issue is that many of the dishes on the menu take a long time to prepare, around 40 minutes. I wanted to eat quickly and go inside to see the sights, as the sun is finally out (after not seeing sunlight for 2 days - the photos of the fountain and palace above were also taken when the sun was out). So, for this meal, I had to order the same dish as before, minced beef with mushroom cream sauce, which cost 440 Rubles. However, the portion was large. The table in front of us was also occupied by three Thai people who were also on vacation. We exchanged greetings before going our separate ways.

We went back into the Lower Garden again to take pictures of the fountain in the sunlight. The snow has all melted now, and the weather is starting to warm up.

When the sun comes out, everything is bright and beautiful.

On the way back, we walked to the Minibus stop on the opposite side. There was a bus stop sign. We used the method of looking at the sign on the side of the car to find the letter M or the word Metro. When they stopped, we leaned forward and asked them if they passed Metro to be sure. The fare was 50 Rub, but I didn't know which Metro to get off at. While the car was running, my team and I opened the map to help find out which station they were parked at. Luckily, there was a Russian uncle and aunt sitting opposite us. They helped us point out that at first, the uncle and aunt sat still and didn't seem to care about anything. After a while, they picked up the map and pointed out where we were now and which Metro the car would take us to. Service Mind is the best in this country. The station where we got off is the terminal station of the red line, which is 2-3 stations behind Avtovo. So the fare is cheaper.

When we arrived back at Nevskiy Prospect, the sky was still open. So we decided to go back to The Savior of The Spilled Blood again to take pictures around. I haven't gotten a picture with a clear sky yet. Plus, it's our last night in St. Petersburg.

And then I got a picture of the blue sky, even though it wasn't very beautiful.

A photo from the front. You rarely see this angle.

We took photos until it started to get dark and the sky was still clear. My friend and I decided to part ways with the team and rushed back to our accommodation to get a tripod. We then hurried to a bridge near The Hermitage to wait for the sunset. It took us 15 minutes to get from our accommodation to the bridge, which is usually more than half an hour. And that's without running! Haha. When we arrived, the angle didn't look very good. It was too close to the sun and there weren't any large landmarks that could be the center of attention. So I walked on to another bridge, which is closer to Peter & Paul Fortress. Let me tell you, it was sooooooo far....

Photos on the way to the bridge. Using telephoto zoom.

The wind on the bridge was very strong, so much so that the camera strap kept floating up whenever I took it off my neck. And it was also very cold. I didn't have any gloves with me, so when I adjusted something on the camera, I was sure to lose some blood if I wasn't careful. And then, disaster struck in the middle of the bridge. The tripod I brought wasn't tall enough to clear the edge of the bridge. orz So when I took the picture, I had to take it through the bars of the bridge. It was so pathetic.

My friend and I waited for about half an hour. The sky opened up and let the sunlight through. Finally, we were going to see the sunset in Russia. It was so cold at that point that I thought my tears would freeze. I could only take my hands out for a moment before I had to tuck them back into my coat.

Even though it's not that beautiful, but the mission is complete.

Let me wipe my tears for a moment.

We took photos until the sun set, then crossed over to the side with the fort. At that point, we were cold and hungry. Luckily, there was a Burger King right there. We got a Double Whopper + Fried + Pepsi for 199 Rub, which is very cheap compared to Thailand. The staff spoke English, too. After eating, my friend and I took the Metro back to our accommodation.

After getting off the Metro, I decided to take a detour to photograph the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood at night (after being cooped up due to the rain for several days). At that time, the atmosphere was fantastic. Beautiful lights, cool air by the river, and couples cuddling on the bridge.

Turning back, I saw the Kazan Cathedral at night. It was so beautiful, it made me want to scream into my pillow.

On the way back to our accommodation near the Metro station, there was an uncle who was performing a beautiful balloon show with music. Many children went to play with him, and many foreigners gathered to watch on the street. This intersection often has open-hat shows in the early evening. On the first day we arrived, someone played music that seemed to be local folk music. People passing by would stop and sing along with the music. It was a very warm atmosphere for this cold country. I would like everyone to find an opportunity to experience this kind of atmosphere. Then you will understand why people who have been to Russia want to go back again and again. The words "Russia is a dangerous country" gradually fade away from my heart with every breath I take when I experience this warmth.

That's it for the last night in St. Petersburg, and that's the end of Part 2. In the next part, it will be the last day in St. Petersburg. We will collect the remaining churches here before taking the Night Train back to Moscow. And we will continue all the way until the day we return. Thank you all for following along. Hello.
Summary of expenses
Summary of expenses for 3 days 5,937 Rub >> 3,444 THB [1 THB = 0.58 RUB]

Summary of expenses for 5 days

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Mountain Seal

Friday, September 27, 2024 9:55 AM

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