When we think of Russia – we think communism, strict looking buildings and even stricter looking people( they are known for having a poker face but they are actually friendly and helpful) but my visit to one of the most beautiful cities of Russia –St Petersberg -changed my view!
On a constant persistance from my husband to travel to Russia- a country less travelled(rather- less touristy) -we finallywent this summer and had the most interesting experiences and stories. Having travelled to many cities in central Europe- this seemed like a beautiful mix of Venice, florence and Paris. A city built amidst the countless meandering of canals and rivers , beautiful churches and solid b ig structures with understated opulence really got me excited to share my experience!
The ‘ white nights’ as they call it – really does justice to its name. Literally .So, in the last few weeks of June and beginning of July -due to it geographical location- the evenings turn into night wihout ever getting dark! I know i know u must be thinking – so what- there are so many countries which have the same feature; but; this is different. Theres a whiff of romance in the air which one has to be there to feel it 📷 The right weather ( comfortably cool ) where you would just need a jacket or that special someone to hold you coupled with lovely vision of blue skies turning purple to pink to orange is just spectacular.
The midnight cruise -as its advertised on the ‘must do’ list of St petersberg- it is an experience not to miss. -So when my husband and I went to book the tickets we were told that the cruise actually starts at midnight and goes on for a few hours.. so our first thought was- what! stay awake till 12 and then stay further awake for the cruise – in the dark?! We were confused as to whether it was worth it all or not...But it was! oh it so was! So there we were at the docks ready to board at 12 something am . We were so amused at the number of people going on this cruise and even more so the number and variety of cruise ships. There were ones with the ‘long route’ (3.5 hrs) and some with shorters ones(2.5) -the highlight being able to see the opening and closing of the bridges , some with pop music , some with 80’s music, some with no music !! ( At the time i didnt understand the need for’ music ‘to be the deciding factor of my cruise ship !?! )Then there were some with commentary in Russian and some with other native languages and some with none! The last variety was if you wanted the Romantic midnight cruise to get even more romantic with dinner and booze thrown in! WHEW- that was a lot of decision making ! Well we chose a cruiseliner with pop music, no commentary and snacks on board.
FINALLY we boarded the cruise. It was fairly medium sized one and had an upper open deck along with a lower closed one. As we entered we got warm blankets( cozy huh ) and got a nice spot on the upper deck. Thats when it got interesting !! Gradually I saw many many cruise liners alongside playing different kinds of music and people dancing and merry making. The energy was electrifying ( and we werent even moving yet!haha).
As we moved along the Neva River , St petersberg was turned into a beautiful port of glistening lights and grand structures on the banks. It was so so beautiful ; As we ferried further along the banks, all the boats gradually came to a halt – this was to view the opening and closing of the innumerable bridges on the river. It was a lovely sight ( AND one of the highlights of the cruise) when the bridges literally divided itself into two parts and huge ships , tankers and ferries came through . Add to this scenario- nostalgic pop music, the cool windy weather and the every minute changing of the sky hues ! At around 1: 50 am we could see the sun setting like a dark orange shade with the powerful blacknes sof the night sky and around 2:30 a.m- the sun rising. It seemed as if the skies were romancing with the sun and clouds – with shades of orange, pink, purple and blue..
True to it description.. it was truly worth staying awake for ! As we returned back to the docks by 3 am.. we were all so relaxed and cozy .. soaking in every moment of this romantic midnight cruise!
Cheers
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