So. Many. Photos. While this is definitely a good thing, it also means that it is going to take some time to sort through them all. I have decided to share photos and stories from our vacation in pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Ben and I took a late afternoon train to St. Petersburg on Christmas Eve. Trains leave from Moscow for St. Petersburg, and vice-versa, close to every few minutes. The specific length of time varies, but most are approximately four or eight hours. We selected one of the four hour departures that would arrive after Heather and Kevin, giving them a chance to settle everything with the rental flat and rest a bit. After we got in, we chatted and enjoyed a nice holiday toast of Havana Club rum. Why not celebrate being out of the States with something you cannot have in the States?

On the train to St. Petersburg
Christmas day was spent at the Hermitage. We visited the collection housed in the Winter Palace, which is part of Palace Square. We spent probably five hours there and still only saw about one-third of the collection. Ben and I have been saving many of these museums and sites, anticipating having family and friends visit. The Hermitage is one that we can easily visit again and not feel like we are seeing the same thing over and over. Not only was the artwork itself amazing, but since it is housed in the Winter Palace, the rooms themselves are artwork, rich in history.

Inside the courtyard of the Winter Palace
We were all pretty exhausted by the end of the day and decided to find dinner on the walk back. We ended up at Gogol and I don’t think we could have planned a better first dinner out in Russia. Excellent food and atmosphere, with an English-friendly staff and menu. Designed to be the flat of a writer in the 19th century, each room is themed. We were seated in the Reception room. We all enjoyed our soups and main courses, but the highlight was the vodka. Heather tried to order the homemade spicy horseradish vodka only to be told it was not available. A short time later another server came out to let her know that it was now available if she still wanted some. At that point, we all ended up ordering it and not one of us regretted it. Not my first horseradish vodka, and not even the only one of the vacation, but definitely the best I’ve had.

Reception Room at Gogol
(Photo from Restaurant’s Website)
We don’t have too many photos from these two days, but this is a pretty good place to stop for now. The photos are a mix of all of our photos, so big thanks to Ben, Heather, and Kevin for their contributions. See below for the gallery!
до свидания!
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On the train to St. Petersburg
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Christmas Cuban Rum
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Ben and his new hat
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Me in front of Palace Square
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Palace Square
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The Winter Palace / Hermitage Museum
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Kevin was so excited to visit the Hermitage!
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Details on the Winter Palace
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Detail on the Winter Palace
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Inside the courtyard of the Winter Palace
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New Year’s tree at the Winter Palace
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Leaving the courtyard of the Winter Palace
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Palace Square in the snowy evening
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Almost back to the flat on Christmas night
Tags: food, history, holidays, monuments, museums, tourist, travel, vacation