Day 23 - 13/8/11 -Saturday

Cinthia and I don't consider to know what it is like to live as Russian serfs, however we currently have less than 2 rubles between us, and therefore consider it time to exchange some Greenback for the local currency. We did manage to coble enough together to invest in breakfast at the chain we refer to as Russian Starbucks, so managed to stave off starvation for at least another day. I am pleased to say that a coffee culture appears to be working itself into Russian major city mentality.

After a relatively stress free arrival from Moscow to the old capital of St. Petersburg, we were again greeted by bleak and dreary weather, with slight rain. This led us to hope the weather would turn fine, as it finally did in Moscow. The overnight train trip represents a good option between Moscow and St. Petersburg, as it allows a 6-7 hour sleep on a smooth riding train in a comfortable bedseat. As predicted, Cinthia and I awoke shortly prior to arriving into St. Petersburg station.

The hotel room is conveniently located near to the centre of the city, compared to our Moscow accomodation, which was a 20 minute Metro ride to get to the centre. This location of conveninece should serve us well for the forthcoming days, as we have a leisurely 4 days to explore this apparently magnificant city. Time to go and explore!