2014 - OCEAN PRINCESS - St. PETERSBURG, METRO

NOT QUITE TIME FOR BED - A DETOUR OUT ON DECK .....

FOR A LOOK AT THE SUN GOING DOWN ON THE ST.PETERSBURG SKYLINE ....

NOT DARK ENOUGH YET FOR THE FIREWORKS, BUT NICE ALL THE SAME .....

NOW IT'S SUNDAY MORNING & TIME TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE SUBWAY SYSTEM ......

BEING SUNDAY, IT'S NOT TOO CROWDED ....

THE LADY IN THE BOOTH TELLS PEOPLE TO BEHAVE PROPERLY ON THE ESCALATOR ....

SOME RUSSIAN ART ON DISPLAY .....

HOP ABOARD THE TRAIN .... NICE & CLEAN ....

MORE ART ON DISPLAY .....

JUST A COUPLE OF TRAINS & A FEW STOPS & WE ARE OUT AGAIN ....

POPPED UP IN NEW YORK, MAYBE ....

I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE ARE HEADING FOR TEA & A SNACK, BUT WE ARE A BIT EARLY. THE GUIDE ASKS IF WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WALKING .... WELLL , OK ...

AND TO SEE WHAT LIES BEHIND THE NICE FACADES .....

WE SLIDE THROUGH A METAL GATE, WHERE A RESIDENT ( NOT HER ) WHO HAD A BIT TOO MUCH TO DRINK LAST NIGHT WELCOMES US TO HIS BUILDING ....

LOOKING SOMEWHAT DILAPIDATED, BUT SOMEONE HAS TAKEN THE TROUBLE TO DRAW A QUITE NICE MURAL ....

IT'S STILL EARLY ON A SUNDAY SO NO ONE ABOUT. WE TIPTOE THROUGH THE LANES.

THE GUIDE HAD EXPLAINED THAT SHE THINKS WE ARE PERFECTLY SAFE HERE NOW BUT WOULD NOT RECOMMEND DOING IT AT NIGHT.

MUCH LIKE EVERY WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

GRAFITTI OF COURSE ... EVERYWHERE ON THE PLANET NOW...

OOPS! WE DISTURB THE CAT ...

IT IS ABOUT TIME FOR TEA & CAKES SO WE POP INTO A REALLY NICE PLACE WHICH I NEGLECTED TO PHOTOGRAPH.

A BONUS FOR ME WAS MEETING ANOTHER ONE OF THE ON BOARD PEOPLE UNDER 90 YEARS OLD. THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT SIX.

AMANDA FROM AUSTRALIA THOUGH SHE COULD HAVE BEEN RUSSIAN HERSELF ..

SOME OF THE GROUP TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE CHURCH .....

RIGHT OPPOSITE THE METRO ENTRANCE ....

AND WE ENTER THE LOCAL MARKET.

THERE WAS A LINE OF LADIES SELLING THINGS ON THE STREET OUTSIDE. JUST A FEW MUSHROOMS OR CARROTS. CANNOT BE MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY ..

WELL DISPLAYED PRODUCE INSIDE THE MARKET ...

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO VISIT SOMEWHERE ELSE. I FORGET WHAT OR WHY IT WAS CANCELLED, BUT WE WERE ALSO SLOWED DOWN AND DIVERTED BY THE MARATHON SNAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE CITY ....

ABBEY ROAD? IT'S NOT - AND WE ARE NOT BACK IN THE USSR EITHER ....

MOST OF THE GROUP GO OFF WITH THE GUIDE TO SEE THE BLOOD CHURCH. AMANDA AND I HEAD IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS WE BOTH SAW THE CHURCH YESTERDAY

OUT ONTO NEVSKY PROSPEKT ..

THIS COUPLE MUST MAKE SOME CASH, HAVING THEIR PHOTO TAKEN WITH THE TOURISTS

CATHERINE? PROBABLY ....

THIS IS THE SHOP WINDOW OF A GREAT SHOP SELLING SWEETS OF ALL KINDS. WE FOUND OUT INSIDE THAT MARZIPAN IS MADE OF ALMONDS,

WHILE I WAS TAKING THE PICTURE I HAD MY BACK TO A CROSS WALK. THERE WAS AN ALMIGHTY BANG BEHIND ME WHERE A CAR HAD REAR-ENDED ANOTHER STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS.

ANOTHER WEDDING PARTY. THEY HAVE THIS TRADITION WHERE THE COUPLE HAVE TO GO TO SEVERAL SITES AROUND THE CITY & KISS IF THE GUESTS ARE CLAPPING .....

BACK ON BOARD & WE GET TUGGED DOWN STREAM .... PASSING THE USUAL SUSPECTS ...

A CHURCH ... HO HUM!

A NUCLEAR SYMBOL ...

A COUPLE OF SUBMARINES ..

A SCRAPYARD ...

AND OUT TO SEA.

QUITE A NICE VISIT & I VERY MUCH ENJOYED JUST SITTING AROUND WATCHING LIFE GO BY.

BUT SADLY, A BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT.

CANNOT PUT MY FINGER ON WHY. A LITTLE TOO MUCH MAYBE.

AS AMANDA SAID - IT COULD DEFINITELY DO WITH SOME MORE TREES ...

I FORGOT THAT I WAS DUE IN RUSSIA AT SOCHI ON THE BLACK SEA IN OCTOBER & GAVE MY GUIDE ALL MY LEFT OVER RUBLES. NOT TO WORRY THOUGH, SHE WAS VERY GOOD & MY NEXT RUSSIA TRIP HAS BEEN CANCELED