St Petersburg, Russia day 1

Finally, we have arrived at the highlight city of the trip. The dock was post industrial apocalypse...UGLY!

We are greeted before passport security by a Russian band of musicians playing standards... however, these were American standards..weird. They could all use some serious bleach on those beige shirts that are supposed to be white and a new pair of shoes. We meet our Russian agent, I mean tour guide Anna and off we go to Catherine's Palace. On the way she explains to us that the subway system and the trolleys all run on time (as long as they don't fall apart) and that the ugly as hell cement buildings are Stalin architecture. In her defense, she was very good at telling us how wonderful things are in the new Russia (post USSR era). Interestingly, one of the previously USSR states (Estonia) is about 20 years ahead of them already.

Once at the summer home of Catherine the Great, we realized how exquisitely these people lived. It is just amazing, the grounds are amazing, the paint job is amazing and the fact that they spent all this money to live like this is amazing. From there, we were off to the Hermitage (Catherine in town home) now a major museum. Also incredible. Somehow our guide always skipped the lines and managed to push people aside so that we could get a better view. Interestingly, even the pick pockets on the street got out of her way... and she is not an agent... sure...