St Petersburg
Monday July 12th - Arriving at St Petersburg
Having had to purchase our replacement ticket so close to departure, we were not able to get a sleeping carriage.
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But it was no worse than an overnight flight, and at least we were on our way.
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At 6:60 am on Monday morning, two hours from our arrival
in St Petersburg.
Like most long distance trains in Russia, this one was equipped with a samovar in every carriage, providing a plentiful supply of complimentary hot water, so there was never a problem getting a cup of tea. |
| At 08:35, a tired looking Lena leaving the train at the station in St Petersburg. (I have no idea who that is on the right..) |
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| Me on St Petersburg station platform, looking no better. |
| Lena had managed to use her contacts to arrange accomodation at the halls of residence of St Petersburg University. At 11:22am we had checked in, and it was time for some lunch and to get some sleep after our long night on the train. |
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| At 17:47 we had re-emerged, rested and ready to see some of the city. |
| At 17:48 - I think this is approaching the Troitsky bridge (trinity bridge) over the Nerva river toward Admiralty Island. |
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| 18:33 - In front of the central fountain in the garden encircled by the stone colonnade of Kazan Cathedral, off Nevsky Prospekt. |
| A rather touristy shot of Lena in Dvortssovaya ploshad (Palace Square) at 19:04, with the Alexander column and the Winter Palace in the background. |
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| A rather similar shot of me, except I am about to get run down by stampeding horses.. |
| A glimpse of St Isaac's Cathedral through the trees at 19:25. |
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At 19:28, at the base of the famous Bronze Horseman monument
to Peter the Great in Senatskaia Ploschad.
Having been asked by some passers by to take their photograph for them, we took advantage of the opportunity to get one taken in return. Of course you can't actually see the monument in this shot - just the base. |
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At 19:36 we rounded a corner and against all the odds, ran into
the missing Ju Hung and Liu Jung.
We discovered that they had arrived at the metro station before us the night before, and had decided to go on to the train before we arrived, deciding to carry on regardless when we didn't turn up. Not knowing the details of the accomodation that Lena had organised, they had spent much of the previous day finding their own accomodation. |
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| At 20:15 we lead them back to check in to the less central but nicer University accomodation. |
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