 | There was no getting away from churches, however, as the Catherine Palace houses a beautiful baroque chapel, whose gilded towers you see here. The whole of Saint Petersburg is a tribute to the initiative of the Czar, Peter the Great who founded the city in the early eighteenth century. Today, it is a bustling modern city, which would grace any country as its capital. The restrictions and shortages that typify the remainder of Russia are not in evidence here. A word of warning if you are thinking of buying presents to take home. Saint Petersburg is the most expensive of Russia's cities. You would be better advised to make your purchases at the small towns that you stop off at during the cruise. |
