Once getting onto the train, we could settle down for a peaceful night. Not that the boys did. They were very excited by the train, bunk beds and the contents of the"lunch" box. However, they were fast asleep two minutes after lying down. I think we all were.
We were woken at 5AM by a knock shortly followed by an announcement that we were minutes from Saint Petersburg. After getting off I struggled through the station with all of the bags. On the way out I noticed the left luggage room and so we left all but the backpacks there for around $10. Then we had a long breakfast at a nearby cafe. The loudest request after that was to go to a park. I found a very small one nearby so we walked there and the boys had a happy short play.
I was keen to buy the tickets for the train to Helsinki before moving on so we returned to the station. In typical Russian style there was precious little signage to tell you where to buy them. We joined a queue for about 15 minutes before the ticket sellers started work. However I then discovered this not to be the correct queue and so moved. Buying the tickets was quite easy in the end. By now it was getting on and do I suggested we collect the baggage and walk the 2 - 3km to the hotel. About half way I was all for giving up but we couldn't find a taxi and were walking down a one way street the wrong way to get one. So we kept on and reached the hotel about 15 minutes before their administrator arrived and could let us in. We left their bags and set off for the Hermitage museum complex. We had lunch before catching the metro to Admiralteyaska station. After the first of several navigational failures today we came to the huge square that surrounds the Hermitage. After a toilet stop we entered and joined the long queue. I had read that one should purchase tickets online to save time but I didn't get around to that and by the time we arrived it was too late. The first queue took over an hour. While I queued, the boys ran everywhere they could. They let people through in batches of around 25. When we finally got let in there was another queue at thee ticket counter. They were having printer problems so took longer than necessary. One armed with tickets, all we had to do was leave my backpack at the luggage cloakroom and go in.
The Hermitage is everything it is reputed to be. It is stunning as are thee exhibits. I this also busy and infested with an excess of tour groups pushing their way through in a rush to pass everything if see nothing. Michael did well at first but got a bit silly after an hour or so. Both boys had had enough by the time we got to the paintings. They couldn't care less about the priceless masterpieces they passed. So we spent a while working out how to get back to the cafe on the first floor. After expensive carrot cake and water Timothy would have continued but Michael was just not up for it. Time to go.
I must have been a bit passed it too as I led us the extra long way back to the metro and then got on the train going the wrong way. The station I should have been aiming for started with Sm not So. Even when we had got to the correct station, I made another false start before once again leading the extra long way back to the hotel. These metro stations are surprisingly deep. We timed the steep escalator at one station. It took 3 minutes and 14 seconds to descend the first section and a further minute to do the second.
I had really been looking forward to seeing a ballet at the Mariinsky while we were here. But I was told that tickets would be impossible to get at a bearable price. The Heritage Theatre was suggested as a better option but when I asked at the information centre outside the Hermitage the lady said there were no tickets available tonight. I'm not sure if that WS true but we are all far too tired anyway.
All in all not the day I was hoping for.
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