Phyllis' Russian River Cruise

Last week, Sand & C's own Phyllis Glaser returned from leading a small group of clients on an incredible river cruise through Russia. (I am jealous... this is a trip I would love to take!) I have asked Phyllis to write a summary of her trip, and I am delighted to share it with you below. You can also see pictures from the trip on Facebook by clicking here. I enjoyed reading about her experiences, and hope that you will too!

If after reading Phyllis' summary you would like more information on Viking River Cruises, Russia, and/or river cruising, feel free to contact us!

Alan Rosen

President

Sand & C Travel

A Summary of Phyllis Glaser's Russian River Cruise

I have just returned from my Russian - Waterways of the Czars cruise on Viking River Cruises as a tour escort and would love to share this memorable experience with you. We were a group of 8 from Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. I was the only one who knew these people, but by the time we landed in St. Petersburg we were a most congenial and cohesive group. Only one couple and myself had cruised the European rivers before, and the others are now avid river cruisers after the fabulous experience with Viking River Cruises.

Our monumental 13 day itinerary was an epic journey through Russia's rich history.

Days 1-4- St. Petersburg included the legendary Hermitage Museum where you just marvel at the vast collection of art, antiques, and sculputres in 600 rooms. Then we visited Catherine's Palace, which is the elegant and rococo 18th century summer residence of the Russian Czars. In the town of Pushkin, 20 miles away on the Baltic sea, is Peterhof Palace- known as the Versailles by the Sea. It was built in 1721 and is known for its Grand Cascade of 64 fountains, waterfalls, and 37 statues in its sculptured gardens.

On a free time afternoon, the shuttle bus dropped us off at their downtown shopping area- Nevsky Prospect- to explore on our own. Just seeing the display of clothing, jewelry, and gifts was indeed a far cry from the former Soviet Union. Then there was a private tour of the Choral Synagogue, built in 1869. A very imposing building, it is once again becoming the cultural center for the St. Petersburg Jewish community.

In the evenings, Viking had arranged a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet at the famous Alexdrinksy Theatre, with its 19th century opulence. Another evening, after dinner we just walked along the pier to Viking River's own tent to see a traditional Cossack folkloric show.

Being the ship was moored on the Neva River about 30 minutes from downtown, we got to see the new office and apartment buildings that have been built in the post Soviet years. They rival that of any USA city, except for one thing- no central air conditioning. In the office buildings, it is called 'air cooled' but in the apartments you could spot an occasional window air conditioner which was definitely needed in their hottest summer in 130 years.

Day 5-9 were spent cruising the 2 largest lakes in Europe- Lake Lodoga and Lake Onega to the Svir river stopping off at medieval villages that were walking tours:

Mandrogy- a model Russian community with all handmade crafts of the finest quality.

Kizhi- a UNESCO World Heritage Site- site of the Transfiguration Church, a fairy tale structure built in 1714 without a single nail.

Goritzy- arrived in this typical Russia village town after cruising along the Volga River, going through 7 of the locks on the way to Moscow. The tour of the Monastery included an Acapella concert by the monks.

Yarslavl- will be celebrating its Millennium Jubilee in September, it was founded in 1010 and is now a city of 500,000. We had a bus tour that included stopping off at an outdoor farmers market- a combination of The Boys and an outdoor Festival Flea market! It is perched on the river bank with a promenade 10 miles long.

Uglich- walking tour of this provincial village on a Sunday morning where we had another traditional choir performance.

Day 10-13 Moscow- scenic cruising along the Volga River, viewing the countryside, summer homes while sitting on the deck as if we were on a Caribbean cruise! Then all of the sudden there are the high rise apartment buildings coming into sight as we are moored on the Volga River in the suburbs of Moscow- 30 minutes from the Red Square and Kremlin. It was like being on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River viewing the New York skyline.

From here on out, it was non-stop bus and walking tours for 3 1/2 days. The first tour was experiencing a ride on the famous Metro. We rode for 4 stations that had paintings, sculptures, and not one item of graffiti. Then to the impressive Red Square. We had to pinch ourselves that we were really there! It's massive and highlighted by the GUM department store, and the 16th century St. Basil's Cathedral with its 21 onion shaped colorful domes. Viking arranged an early evening musical concert of young artists that was a delightful end to a busy day.

The Kremlin, which looks like a medieval fortress, is a category unto itself. It represents every era of Russian history for the past 700 years. Just going through security, seeing the former KGB building, and all of the other military items- cannons & bells- left us with an eery feeling, not believing that we were really witnessing modern Russian politics. The churches are all museums now. At 10:00pm, we all went on a Moscow by Night bus tour- it's most impressive from the GUM department store that looks like a lit up gingerbread castle to the crimson domes of St. Basil's Cathedral and the red stars on the Kremlin towers.

An optional private tour that I had arranged but was open to anyone, was a visit to the new Holocaust Museum with a synagogue that was just built in 1999. Located in Victory Park, it was an educational experience with our local guide translating from the curator. We viewed a war film and then saw displays of family artifacts that were centuries old. It was indeed a very moving experience. Then it was the final sightseeing trip- the Choral Synagogue of Moscow, a most impressive structure built in 1906.

In between all of this cultural sightseeing, onboard we had Russian language, history, and current affairs sessions. Not only was the brain fed, but Viking's chefs prepared gourmet meals with presentations that whet the palate at all times. All eight of us agree to that- so that is testimonial in and of itself.

Read our quick guide to Russia!