Day 6 - Saint Peterburg Day 3

We originally planned on just touring Saint Petersburg on our own.  Unfortunately we didn't check into things well enough to know that you have to have a Visa for Russia to go into the town unless you use a licensed tour guide.  At $300 apiece for the Visa we probably wouldn't have done it anyway.  As such we added on a tour which included a ride on the metro system into downtown and then 3 hours of free time in a shopping area.  We weren't particularly interested in shopping, but 3 hours of exploring suited us just fine.

The Saint Petersburg metro system is spectacular and puts most cities to shame.  It's artwork and architecture combined with cleanliness and no graffiti makes it extraordinary. These are just a few of the stations and sights we saw along the way.

We spent most of our time just sight seeing and having a fantastic lunch.  It's amazing to realize that all of these malls and shops have come to be since the fall of Soviet control in 1993.  20 years is a short time to develop this level of a free market.

Back on board we had dinner at one of the two on board gourmet restaurants on the ship.

Shortly before the above picture I took one of Tina that she didn't think I would take ... or certainly not post.  I take that as a dare ... and I never back down on a good dare.  She may be my princess, but she's got her humorous side too!  :)

Love you Tina!  Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight.  :)