TravBuddy.com: portia's Baltics, Moscow and St. Petersburg 2006 travel blog Copyright 2005 TravBuddy LLC http://www.travbuddy.com/blogs/765 Visiting the Baltics and 2 big cities in Russia this summer with my parents en-us Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:35:01 PST A long day to get home, 4 airports and 6682 miles http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/long-day-get-home-4-airports-6682-17 Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:35:01 PST A long day to get home, 4 airports and 6682 miles Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 30, 2006

We had a 6:30am flight so we got up and left the hotel at 4:30am! It was the only time we had seen some real night time skies in Russia. It didn't …

]]> The Hermitage and walk around town http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Hermitage-walk-around-town-16 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 16:15:59 PST The Hermitage and walk around town Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 29, 2006

This morning was spent at the world famous Hermitage museum. It is a must-see for anyone who comes to St Petersburg, and of course there were large…

]]> pick pockets on Nevsky Prospect http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Peterhof-Peter-Greats-palace-15 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:40:56 PST pick pockets on Nevsky Prospect Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 28, 2006

Before we got to St Petersburg, we were warned by our tour director about pick pockets on Nevsky Prospect, the main shopping and tourist street in to…

]]> Grand Peterhof Palace http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Peterhof-Peter-Greats-palace-15 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 18:12:16 PST Grand Peterhof Palace Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 28, 2006

The Great Palace started by Peter the Great is outside of St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland. I recommend taking the hydrofoil there from St Peters…

]]> Peterhof, Peter the Great's palace http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Peterhof-Peter-Greats-palace-15 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:41:10 PST Peterhof, Peter the Great's palace Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 28, 2006

Our agenda today was to go to Peterhof, Peter the Great's Palace west of St Petersburg along the Gulf of Finland. We took the bus to get …

]]> Rocco Forte Hotel Astoria St Petersburg http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Peterhof-Peter-Greats-palace-15 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:30:32 PST Rocco Forte Hotel Astoria St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 28, 2006

A five-star hotel in St Petersburg, the hotel Astoria is centrally located, actually right across from the St Issac's Cathedral on the south bank of …

]]> Peter and Paul Fortress, Church on Spilled Blood and Catherine's Palace http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Peter-Paul-Fortress-Church-Spilled-14 Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:55:03 PST Peter and Paul Fortress, Church on Spilled Blood and Catherine's Palace Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 27, 2006

We are in St Petersburg! Russia's window on the west, the city built by Peter the Great in 1703 on a cluster of islands and mashland. A n…

]]> Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Moscow-Russia-13 Wed, 26 Jul 2006 08:22:17 PST Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow Moscow, Russia, Jul 26, 2006

A five star hotel at a great location, if you get the corner room with view both north and west, then it would be even better (we did not!). From t…

]]> From Moscow to Saint Petersburg, Stalin´s bunker, and the train ride http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Moscow-Saint-Petersburg-Stalins-12 Wed, 26 Jul 2006 00:16:51 PST From Moscow to Saint Petersburg, Stalin´s bunker, and the train ride Saint Petersburg, Russia, Jul 26, 2006

Our last day in Moscow. I took a little walk along the Moscow River across from the Kremlin, took some photos (to be uploaded...). There were a coupl…

]]> Airplane, Metro, Tretiakov Gallery http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Airplane-Metro-Tretiakov-Gallery-11 Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:03:49 PST Airplane, Metro, Tretiakov Gallery Moscow, Russia, Jul 25, 2006

The 19 year old German pilot landed his Cessna on the bridge right in front of our hotel window back in 1987. He then taxied to Red Square. He …

]]> Red square, Kremlin and the Amory Museum http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Red-square-Kremlin-Amory-Museum-10 Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:15:02 PST Red square, Kremlin and the Amory Museum Moscow, Russia, Jul 24, 2006

How many people have seen a photo or a painting of some place and had the image stuck in his head and wanted to go there? Ever since I sa…

]]> Armory Museum http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Red-square-Kremlin-Amory-Museum-10 Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:15:37 PST Armory Museum Moscow, Russia, Jul 24, 2006

I almost didn't want to go there, but really glad I did. If you are in Moscow, do visit this museum where they had impressive royal carriages w…

]]> Amber Museum and Gallery http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Vilnius-Trakai-8 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:00:00 PST Amber Museum and Gallery Vilnius, Lithuania, Jul 23, 2006

The Amber Museum and Gallery in old town Vilnius has an amber store on the ground floor, and the museum in the basement. The place was not big, b…

]]> Vilnius, Trakai http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Vilnius-Trakai-8 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:22:25 PST Vilnius, Trakai Vilnius, Lithuania, Jul 23, 2006

This morning we had a walking tour of old town Vilnius tour. Starting from the hotel, we saw the Town Hall, and the renovation happening in the t…

]]> fly to Moscow http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/fly-Moscow-9 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 19:10:45 PST fly to Moscow Moscow, Russia, Jul 23, 2006

A short flight on Lithuanian airline and we were in Moscow. It was very interesting to see all the Soviet built apartment complexes from the air. The…

]]> To Vilnius and the KGB museum http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Vilnius-KGB-museum-7 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 08:10:44 PST To Vilnius and the KGB museum Vilnius, Lithuania, Jul 22, 2006

Vilnius is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has a legacy of history going back to the medieval age. Supposed to have very interesting a…

]]> The restaurant in the Radisson hotel http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Vilnius-KGB-museum-7 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 18:20:14 PST The restaurant in the Radisson hotel Vilnius, Lithuania, Jul 22, 2006

We had dinner in the Radisson hotel's winter garden like restaurant, which was right by the street. So get a window seat and you can people watch a…

]]> The Museum of GenocideVictims (KGB Museum) http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Vilnius-KGB-museum-7 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 17:46:56 PST The Museum of GenocideVictims (KGB Museum) Vilnius, Lithuania, Jul 22, 2006

The museum of genocide victims (also known as the KGB museum) was opened in 1992 in what used to be the headquarters of the KGB in Vilnius. The mai…

]]> Discover historic Riga http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Discover-historic-Riga-6 Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:53:46 PST Discover historic Riga Riga, Latvia, Jul 21, 2006

Today we first went to visit some Art Nouveau style buildings in Riga. These were not in old town, but in the newer part of Riga. These b…

]]> Grand Palace Hotel Riga http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Via-Parnu-Riga-5 Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:00:01 PST Grand Palace Hotel Riga Riga, Latvia, Jul 20, 2006

Great location. Only about 1 block from Dome Square, with easy walking distanace to all of old own Riga.The hotel rooms were more comfortably sized…

]]> Via Parnu to Riga http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Via-Parnu-Riga-5 Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:00:01 PST Via Parnu to Riga Riga, Latvia, Jul 20, 2006

Today our tip took us from Estonia to Latvia via Parnu, where we are to have a beachfront BBQ. Parnu is supposed to be a prime resort area for pe…

]]> Domina Inn City Tallinn http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Cross-Baltic-Sea-Tallinn-3 Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:43:36 PST Domina Inn City Tallinn Tallinn, Estonia, Jul 19, 2006

The best hotel in old town Tallinn we were told. The room we stayed at was on the small side, on the top floor with slanted ceiling right under the…

]]> Gloria's http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Cross-Baltic-Sea-Tallinn-3 Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:40:13 PST Gloria's Tallinn, Estonia, Jul 19, 2006

Gloria's is a restaurant which has a long history. Even during Soviet times, it was the best restaurant which served the high rank officials and is n…

]]> Cross the Baltic Sea to Tallinn http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/Cross-Baltic-Sea-Tallinn-3 Wed, 19 Jul 2006 11:33:44 PST Cross the Baltic Sea to Tallinn Tallinn, Estonia, Jul 19, 2006

We got up early today to sunny skies and moderate temperatures. We took the Superseacat ferry across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn. The journey …

]]> Fishmarket http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/explore-Helsinki-Senate-Square-2 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:51:49 PST Fishmarket Helsinki, Finland, Jul 18, 2006

A very nice restaurant in downtown Helsinki. It's in the basement, with windows high on the wall where you can see people walk by. (more p…

]]> explore Helsinki, Senate Square, Cathedral and market square http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/explore-Helsinki-Senate-Square-2 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:19:28 PST explore Helsinki, Senate Square, Cathedral and market square Helsinki, Finland, Jul 18, 2006

During our morning bus city tour, we visited several different areas of Helsinki, stopped at the Senate Square with the green domed Helsink…

]]> arriving in Helsinki http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/arriving-Helsinki-1 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 15:40:45 PST arriving in Helsinki Helsinki, Finland, Jul 17, 2006

The last time I was here was in 1996. I wonder if it's much different (or if I remembered much from 10 years ago, other than the cathedral …

]]> Hotel Glo Helsinki http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/765/arriving-Helsinki-1 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:18:19 PST Hotel Glo Helsinki Helsinki, Finland, Jul 17, 2006

The hotel Kamp is supposed to be the best hotel in Helsinki. It is centrally located, within walking distance to the train station, Senate Square…

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