Dear Judy and Denise and others re shopping and eggs...
A word of warning...the guides rush you along to their shops and you really have a hard time to focus on shopping at all. It's made more difficult when there is so much to see and you are paying by the hour. If you are using Red October or Red Baltic, specifically tell them you want to shop for Faberge eggs. There are copies and copies of copies and Faberge company made faberge eggs. There are enamel eggs, glass eggs and wooden eggs. There are eggs that are solid and eggs that open up. There are gold eggs, gold plated eggs and brass eggs. You have to do research and ensure your guide knows what you want and takes you to a few stores that specialize and not JUST to their stores. Make sure you get to spend time at the Hermitage store if this is important to you.
We found prices of caviar varied dramatically. Our guide wouldn't make the time to take us to Beluga which sold caviar for 55Eu and Red October sold it for 69EU. We could have insisted, but decided to not take the time away from the wonderful art.
The Hermitage is spectacular. If there is some particular artist you would like to see, do look up what the Hermitage collection has to offer and let your tour guide know what you want to focus on, so you are not hurried along. For example, do you want to see a bit of all the highlights or do you really want an in-depth of their wonderful impressionist collection? If you are really into art, you may want to spend 2-4 hours there.
Our lunch was fine and not bad at all as reported on the CC board. A nice salad and wonderful mushroom soup, a choice of stroganoff, chicken or fish, coffee/tea and a crepe. There was one short shopping stop at 2 of their other stores located across the street from one another. Coffee, tea, vodka and very clean and nice WCs were offered as well at this stop, which was just before lunch.
Our weather was funny...rainy to sunny and warm and back to rainy. We went to Catherine's and Elizabeth's Russian Baroque Palace in the AM and it was lovely.
St. Petersberg is certainly a place that cannot be seen in two days and warrants a return visit. We will definitely return for another cruise here. Do put this trip on your agenda. If you cannot make the 10 day trip, wet your whistle on the 7 day trip like we did. We will return on a 10 day cruise and not a 7 day trip however. Tomorrow is a sea day and we will say our goodbyes and relax and gain our strength for DOF.
Denise, this is a trip for you and Alan. You will really love it.
