The last day here in this beautiful city.

We got a taxi into the city about 10am and got him to drop us at the Peter and Paul Fortress on the northern bank of the River Neva. This was the original settlement founded by Alexander Nevsky in the 1200s, but then made into a city by Peter1, more often known as Peter the Great in the early 1700s. He was the first of the Romanov dynasty and responsible for the main layout of the streets and canals. We walked into the fortress and along the Main Street until we came to the Peter and Paul Cathedral. This is where al the Tsars except 2 are buried and many of the nobility. It is a mausoleum and there is a chapel where the last Tsar, Nicholas 2nd and some of his family are buried. This has been closed as the other 2 members of the family, Alexi and Maria, were due to be buried on 18 th October but this has been delayed for further tests on the remains. We went into a side room and heard 4 men singing acapella including very deep bass. We came outside just in time for the 12 o’clock cannon being fired, which made me jump.

We walked on to the commandants house which was a museum of the history of Saint Petersburg from early archaeological finds up to the 19th century. We then walked over the bridge back into the main part of the city, along the river Neva,  through the hermitage square and went to the four seasons hotel for lunch. This was living like a tsar in a royal palace. We had a lovely lunch of Bortch served in a rye bread bowl, followed by lamb souvlaki.

After lunch we went into  Saint Isaac’s cathedral where there was a service going on in the left hand side chapel. The choir was singing behind the screen, presumably with the priest. In front there was a congregation who after every phrase, crossed themselves and bowed.

We walked back through the city to the Russian museum on the arts square to meet the coach at half past 5. Then a really slow journey back through the rush hour, only arriving back at 7.30 for our final dinner.

We went up to the sky bar for the last entertainment, Marinsky, which was a male tenor singer with a female accompanist on the piano. Very enjoyable.