A day to ourselves

The main group moved on to Moscow today. We had a one day extension. The hotel internet could not cope with this, hence the back blip.

Our original plan was to go to Peterhof, but it was raining and grey, so Plan B swung into action.

We started in a queue for the Church of the Spilt Blood. I enjoyed queuing because there were so many different people to watch. A group of 6 Italians appeared to be having a row about whether to stay or not, leaving, just before the queue started to move forward.

It was worth the wait. The mosaic interiors are breathtaking. It was also a bit of a relief to wander on our own and not have to listen to a long and complicated description (!)

Then to the Russian Museum which is a art gallery of Russian work. My blip is th cast of the head of Peter the Great, which stands on the first landing.

We started at the 13th century and worked our way to the 21st. The quality of the artistry varies, but we saw some wonderful paintings. The galleries are relatively quiet and very spacious. We did a lot of climbing of stairs for various reasons, but survived.

Tired and foot sore, we grabbed a coffee in the cafe of the Philharmonia Hall. Only one other person was there and we could watch a video of the upcoming Autumn season of concerts.

Our last tourist act of the day was to ride the metro to some of the most famous stations and see the ornate interiors. Julie managed to upset t th ticket clerk by including a 50 cent piece with her payment. "Russian money" she hissed as she sent the coin back!

We loved the metros we saw. At Atovo we went up to ground level to see the rows of 50s flats and the cheaper shops.

Our last evening meal was at Cafe Chairs 48 - where the food was superb but the music was a bit intrusive.