End of the Line in St. Petersburg

We are finally in St. Petersburg, our final destination on the trip. We still have some days left in Moscow before flying home but this was to be our big one along with Moscow. We took the overnight train out of Moscow at 12:45 last night and arrive just before 9:00 this morning. We tried third class and it was very interesting. There are no compartments and therefore no privacy. We had our usual configuration of bunks with a table in the middle but no end walls or doors and where the corridor would normally be, there was an extra set of bunks. It is real communal living and a lot of warm bodies to heat things up before the train pulled out and the air conditioning kicked in.
Just as we were settling in the Provodnista that runs the car came around asking for our tickets. This was after having shown our passports and tickets to get into the car. This came as complete surprise as we were already tucked in. I looked for my ticket and could not find it in any of the usual places. Worst still I could not find my passport that was with it. I did not panic but there were some anxious moments with the Provodnista hovering over me demanding the ticket, having emptied my pockets, carry on bag several times and still no luck. When we had gotten on it was chaos trying to get everyone on the car with all of thier bags and gear, getting rolled up matresses and sheets into place from overhead storage and trying to fit all of us into space already crammed with bags to let others get down a very narrow aisle. Eventually the passport and ticket were found under some bags and under my bed but not after lots of coaching from fellow passengers and me getting down on my knees to beg the Provodnista not to through me off the train which was now moving at a good speed.

We survived the night without a lot of real sleep for some and negotiating a taxi to the hostel location. It is in a cul de sac again and a three floor walk up and with no signs, apartment numbers or owner in sight. A guest finally woke up and let us in arround 10:00 and we had to wait until the owner finally showed up around noon, very appologetic. We are having to share a dorm with another couple tonight but he is going to comp us for the first night and we will have our own room on our own for the next two. It is a bit of dump in a 200 year old building where Pushkin used to live in the 1800s. Not sure if he would consider living here now!

All in all we are here and established and I spent the afternoon walking down to the Hermitage Museum and the Palace as well as visiting several cathedrals and historic spots along the way. I paid 100R to climb 200 plus steps up a tower to the roof of the historic Central Post Office for a terrific view of the heart of Petersberg. It is every bit as spectacular as I expected and magical with the network of canals and river and all the comings and goings of tour boats, pleasure boats, row boats and even jet skis!

I will enjoy the next few days of exploring this beautiful city very much. There is so much to see and it is such a grand scale. The weather is grand. Sunny but not as hot as Moscow so a welcome relief. I am footsore and tired but happy, especially after a shower and shave. Life continues to be good, even if a bit rough around the edges, here in Petersburg. Stay tuned for more.