Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1043876
18 V I K I N G C R U I S E S is time, on a Viking river cruise, we found that Russia was much more agreeable. From the moment we arrived in what is now St. Petersburg, we were superbly attended to by the most engaging guides and staff right up until we were dropped off at the airport in Moscow 13 days later. It turned out that we had embarked on not just a sightseeing cruise but a journey of discovery into the heart, mind and soul of Russia. We were free to explore St. Petersburg and Moscow, several small towns and villages in between and even to meet Russians at home. ere was also an opportunity to visit a kommunalka – a communal apartment for several families. We travellers were a mixed, international bunch. We were keen to ask our hosts all manner of questions. Some of us were very well informed and eagerly explored various topics, including political issues. And our Russian hosts didn't sidestep any questions. e ship was a very comfortable base for the duration of our journey, as well as our gentle transportation along idyllic rivers, lakes and canals between the two. Our first day in St. Petersburg began following an extensive breakfast and consisted of a full day's tour of the best of the three million artworks in the Hermitage Museum. ese include works by Titian, Matisse, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Monet and Rubens. e visit was followed by dinner and a performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake. It was after 11pm when we arrived back on board, but Viking was ready with a substantial late-night snack, including wine and beer as they do for all normal lunches and dinners. During our stay in St. Petersburg, we were dazzled by the opulence of Russia's rulers and the sheer extravagance of the palaces: the Winter Palace; the Amber Room in the Catherine Palace; the 'Royal Village' at Pushkin; and the extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site of Peterhof Palace. After four eye-popping days in St. Petersburg it felt as if we'd been guided around just about every well-known church, monument and museum there is, including the Peter and Paul Fortress. is is the original epicentre of the city, and many former tsars are now laid to rest in the cathedral, including the relatively recently reinterred remains of the assassinated last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family. Another highlight was the private viewing of the Carl Fabergé collection, chief among which During our stay in St. Petersburg, we were dazzled by the opulence of Russia's rulers and the sheer extravagance of the palaces