This morning, having gratefully received a hot shower, I had my final weird Russian breakfast.  The plan today was to make the long trek out to the Gulf of Finland and see ‘Peterhof’ (Summer Palace).  It seemed that most of the others in the group had similar plans.

We all left the Hotel Vyringburg and caught the metro.  It was going to take a couple of trains and a bus journey to get there.  The trains were easy enough but the group had to split up when it came to catching our buses.  I squeezed into a bus with an Aussie couple called Dan and Belinda who I had previously met on the overnight train to Novgorod.  After a very cramped and uncomfortable 45 minute ride, with the obligatory near-death experiences along the way, we had made it to Summer Palace.  Some of the group had not made it yet as it transpired their bus had crashed on the way and another broke down.  It felt like a platoon getting back together after battle when they eventually arrived!

The fountains and the palace itself are breathtaking and justified the pain we had to go through to get there.  I can imagine that the Tsars would have excellent summers here in such beautiful surroundings.  It took us three hours to walk around and we still didn’t see everything.  Julia, Rachel and I felt that it was time to head back to St Petersburg and have a canal tour.  However, we couldn’t face getting back on the buses again so we paid to get onto one of the hydrofoils that was moored up at the nearby jetty.  After a rather pleasant 30 minute ride we were back in St Petersburg.

We hopped onto a boat by the Cathedral of Spilled Blood and saw John and Snowy getting off having just finished their tour.  The weather was gorgeous and it looked like we would have a really relaxing ride.  Unfortunately, as with every boat trip so far, it started to rain heavily.  We had no cover other than a blanket the tour guide gave us.  The trip was still very enjoyable, despite the weather, and the sun came out as soon as we stepped off the boat.

After a quick wander through a market the three of us headed towards Café Idiot where we had arranged to meet the other in the group and have a final meal together.  We had a splendid time, I had a cracking stuffed pepper, but all too soon it was time to go.  Julia, Rachel, John, Snowy and I said our farewells as we would be leaving at 04:30 the next day.  It actually like the end of an era as we had gone though so much together in the last week.

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