A friend said to me there are three things about going on a trip. It is the planning, the doing and talking about it afterwards. I enjoy the planning as much as the doing and telling. As an independent traveler there is a lot to pay attention to - getting the best air fare with or without points, hotels, visas etc and then when you get there what are you going to do?
Why go to St Petersburg? I belong to a men's book club and a couple of years ago we read "Peter the Great" by Robert K. Massie, then I read "Catherine the Great" and then just before leaving I read "Nicholas and Alexandra". All by the same author who as an historian is a great researcher and provides amazing details. The books are lengthy and with Peter the Great at 846 pages our book club decided to make a rule that 300 pages was the preferred length for our monthly book discussions.
This year after an annual trip to the UK to visit my sister I decided to spend a week in St Petersburg. Penny had decided that she did not have the energy to accompany me so I went on my own as an independent traveler. Getting a visa from the Russian Embassy in Canada is a first step - you have to have an invitation (from a travel agent in Russia), to be able to show ones flights in and out and your hotel booking and even all the countries you have visited in the last ten years. However that is done (at a cost) and it was time for the travel to begin.
I left on Sunday 25th September. For starters the Eyewitness Travel "Top 10 St Petersburg" booklet lists - The Nevskiy Prosekt, the Hermitage, the Church on Spilled Blood, Mariinskiy Theatre, Russian Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, St Isaac's Cathedral, Peterof , Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk. So - the adventure began.
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