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Visiting the Venice of the North

Posted by: | September 10, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Elbrus Northside

Hi from St. Petersburg,

We finished our adventures in Russia by exploring the wonderful city of St. Petersburg. We began the morning by walking along the Mokya Canal, one of the city’s many canals, to St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Then we climbed the 211 steps to the rotunda where we were afforded fantastic views of the city’s skyline, from the spires of the Admiralty and the original churches of the city to the cranes of the busy port city. Afterwards, we ventured across the historic center to the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood, whose magnificent mosaic frescos are built around the very cobblestones upon which Tsar Alexander II was murdered. We wrapped up our city tour at the Hermitage Museum. Containing over three million pieces of artwork, the museum’s size is daunting. But the building’s incredible beauty, with its ornately decorated rooms, is enough motivation to explore all of its halls.

After a delicious dinner at a traditional Russian restaurant we ended our day by boarding a canal boat and navigating the city’s waterways as the setting sun lit up the sky in a fiery red. It has been a memorable two weeks of adventures in Russia, from the cobblestones of Red Square to the snowy reaches of Elbrus, Europe’s highest point, to the canals of St. Petersburg, we have had a trip to remember. Tomorrow we board our flights bound for home and look forward to sharing our stories with you in person.

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