We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

9 p.m. in St. Petersburg (1 p.m. EDT in Ohio) and we are wiped out.  13 hours of flying took us from our departure from Columbus at 6 p.m. on Sunday, to Toronto, to Munich, and finally to St. Petersburg, Russia where we arrived about 4:30 p.m. Russian time (whatever time zone that is)!

Customs was pretty difficult and took us about 90 minutes to get through the line to face a very stern looking Russian customs agent . .  no smiling, no joking.  I was afraid that jokester Cheryl would do something and the floor would drop out from underneath her .  . .off to a gulag.    When we got our bags and connected with Viking Cruises for the short drive to the boat, we could see why our customs agent wasn't loving her job. .  . .drab Soviet-era housing was all we could see from the highway.   These were nondescript, concrete monsters that must house thousands of people and there are hundreds of these types of buildings in that area.



Mary Lee and I enjoy a glass of bourbon upon arrival on The Truvor

 We got to the Viking Truvor about 6:30 p.m. and adjourned promptly to the bar for a cocktail, then dinner to follow.   I had probably slept about 2 hours in the period since leaving Columbus so was steadily falling downward into a black hole of tiredness.  Had a nice dinner with Ray and Mary Lee and off to bed to try and catch up. 

Tomorrow is a visit to the Hermitage,  the Winter Palace and former state residence of the Russian emperors, mid-morning to afternoon, then the "Sleeping Beauty" ballet at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.  See you then!