2012, SEPTEMBER 4: RUSSIA, ST. PETERSBURG - CITY TOUR

Since last afternoon, we have been lucky regarding weather. We have been blessed with the rare sunshine and dry days.

We had a very hectic sightseeing schedule today. We started with an orientation tour of St. Petersburg. First we went to the Neva river. 

 

 

 Neva River, St. Petersburg

The port area has old lighthouses and a stock exchange.

 Lighthouses & Stock Exchange, St. Petersburg

Stock Exchange &   Lighthouses, St. Petersburg

 

 

Then we headed to the major shopping and culture area of the Nevsky Avenue.

 

 

Nevsky Avenue, St. Petersburg

 

 

Our first stop here was the Catherine Gardens, in which stands an enormous statue of the once powerful Russian Queen, Catherine the Great, surrounded by smaller statues of some of her renowned statesmen.

 

 

 

Statue of Catherine the Great, Catherine Gardens, St. Petersburg

 

Behind the gardens is the famous Alexandrinsky Theater. And nearby is the National Library of Russia.

Alexandeinsky Theater, St. Petersburg

 

We passed by some well known canals and streets, all lined with beautiful buildings with many ornamental architectural and sculptural embellishments.

 

 

 

 

 

We ended this part of our day with a shopping-coffee-toilet break at a department store.

 

Department Store, St. Petersburg

 

 

In the next three installments I will talk about our visits later today to the Church of the Resurrection (aka Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood), St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the world-famous Hermitage Museum.