#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - St Petersburg

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

We've saved the best for last from our Scandinavia / Russia (Baltic) cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation.  Can you guess where we are?

Final in a Series of Posts

In this port, you may not tour on your own.  To do so would require a visa, which isn't easy to obtain.  Therefore touring needs to be through the cruise line or arranged in advance with a local tour company.  We formed a group of 40 people through Red October.  We saw plenty of #Roads as we toured via motor coach for two days.

Our final #FriFotos entries are from St. Petersburg, Russia.  For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

On the Road - St. Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia.  It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea.

Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. Therefore it is not surprising to see #roads filled with cars, buses, and trucks.  This picture looks like a typical rush hour back home.


Taking an organized tour is the best way to take advantage of your two days in Russia.

Our Day 1 tour started with City Highlights including St. Nicholas’s Church, Theatre Square with Mariinsky Theatre, St. Isaac’s Square, majestic St. Isaac Cathedral, “Bronze Horseman” – the most famous monument to Peter the Great.

We drove by the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral for a photo stop (we'd go inside on Day 2). After a shopping stop, we drove to Peter and Paul Fortress. We opted to have lunch on the bus to save time. The next stop was at Peterhof: “Russian Versailles”, official Summer Residence of Russian Tsars. We strolled through the wonderful “Lower Park” with its 150 fountains, cascades and various pavilion and palaces. After returning to the ship, many of us went on the Folklore Boat Tour with Dinner offered by Red October.

Day 2 started with a departure for Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) which is 25km/15 miles south of St. Petersburg. We had an inside visit to the Catherine Palace founded by Peter I for his wife Catherine I and later re-built and enlarged for their daughter Empress Elizabeth. The highlight of this is the Amber Room (unfortunately photography is not allowed in that room). We drove back into St. Petersburg and had an interior visit to the Savior of Spilled Blood Cathedral. Our final stop was at the Hermitage.

Due to the Birthday Celebration, traffic was going to be closed starting at 2 PM on Nevsky Avenue, the central street of the city. We had our lunch on the bus and the driver dropped us off in front of the Hermitage. The highlight of that visit is the Gold Room, which has an extra charge. No photography is allowed in there, however. I opted not to bring my camera with me at all, so I don't have an album for the Hermitage. We had a short walk to meet our bus driver and then we headed back to the pier. This was truly the highlight of the cruise. 

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsinki
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Stockholm
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Copenhagen
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Oslo 

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Oslo

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

Our very first stop on our Baltic Cruise was in Norway.  Once again it is possible to take a city tour which begins and ends at the pier. 

Sixth in a Series of Posts

It was raining the day we were in Oslo, so we don't have many #road pictures.  What we have was taken from our balcony.  It shows some tunnels that you pass through right by the ship's dock.

We are highlighting several ports of call from our Celebrity Constellation Baltic Cruise for this week's #FriFotos photo forum.  For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

 On the Road - Oslo

Oslo is the capital and most populated city of Norway. The city is the economic and governmental center of Norway and also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping.

We disembarked the ship and outside the cruise terminal there was a City Tours bus parked. The cost was $20 for a tour that included several of the popular sights such as Akershus Castle, the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Viking Ship Musuem. Since it was starting to rain, we decided to take the bus tour. By the time we got to Vigeland, it was pouring and we purchased an umbrella from the gift shop.

Ships dock within easy walking distance of downtown. Our original plans had included purchasing an Oslo Pass and doing the Norwegian Adventure tour on our own. We also planned a walk to the shopping district, City Hall and the Royal Palace .

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsinki
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Stockholm
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Copenhagen

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Copenhagen

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

Can you guess what our next stop is on this mini-tour of the Baltic ports of call?  Hint: it is one of two ports where we stay overnight.

Fifth in a Series of Posts

The best way to see the #Roads of the country is via a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour.   The tour began and ended at the pier, making it quite convenient.

We are highlighting several ports of call from our Celebrity Constellation Baltic Cruise for this week's #FriFotos photo forum.  For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

 On the Road - Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and most populated city of Denmark. The city is the cultural, economic and governmental center of Denmark; it is one of the major financial centers of Northern Europe.

We are docked in the modern section of the city as you can see from these images.  There are many shops right by the pier which you can explore in your free time.

The bus tour can take you to historic icons such as Rosenborg Castle which was built in 1606.   Another famous landmark is Tivoli Gardens which is a amusement park not to be missed.  Since the ships stays in port overnight, it is suggested that you visit Tivoli early evening, perhaps having dinner there.

Sightseeing buses share the #roads with bicycles, as you can see in this picture. Another thing you'll notice about Copenhagen is that it is a very colorful city. This was certainly a highlight of the cruise.


If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsinki
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Stockholm
 

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Stockholm

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

Our next stop on our Baltic Cruise features modern roads.  Gone are the overhead wires of the trolleys.  Our tour started with a bus ride from the port to the heart of the city and then we took to the waters for most of the day.

Fourth in a Series of Posts

We continue our reflections of our Celebrity Constellation Baltic Cruise with a series of articles showing the countries we visited featuring their #Roads in order to share tweets on the weekly #FriFotos photo forum.  For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

 On the Road - Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden as well as the cultural, media, political, and economic center.

One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. That was the highlight of our tour following the "Under the Bridges of Stockholm" boat tour.

Following our ferry ride to the museum, we walked along the main road back to the bus.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg 
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsinki

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsinki

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

Our next stop on our Baltic Cruise features several cobblestone roads.  This was another destination that could easily be toured on our own via a walking tour.

Third in a Series of Posts

If you are just joining us, we are reflecting on our Celebrity Constellation Baltic Cruise with a series of articles showing the countries we visited featuring their #Roads in order to share tweets on the weekly #FriFotos photo forum.  For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

 On the Road - Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland. Located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea, it's closest neighbors are Tallinn, Estonia, Stockholm, Sweden, and St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Helsinki is Finland's major political, educational, financial, cultural, and research center as well as one of northern Europe's major cities.

As with many of its neighbors, Helsinki's public transportation still uses trolleys with overhead wires seen in many parts of the city.  In the image above, you'll notice that there are also bike paths along the major #roads as well.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn
#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg 

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Helsingborg

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

During our Baltic Cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation, we visited many port cities and toured them on our own.  We would either use Hop-on-Hop-off-Bus tours, use a ship shuttle to get to town, or in some cases, just walk from the ship.

Second in a Series of Posts

Whenever possible we post some of our images which satisfy the weekly theme on #FriFotos.  This week is no exception.  This series of posts will focus on just a few of the #Roads we have traveled.

For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We even had the chance to co-host one week late last year.

 On the Road - Helsingborg

Helsingborg is one of the oldest cities of what is now Sweden.  This coastal port city is the closet Swedish city to Denmark.  Historic Helsingborg's many old buildings include stone-built churches and a 600 year old medieval fortress in the city center.   We were able to walk here from our ship.


The following view was from the medieval fortress and shows the old buildings lining this main road.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

Other Posts in the Series

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn

#FriFotos Takes to the Roads - Tallinn

#FriFotos Theme: #ROADS

During our Baltic Cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation, we visited many port cities and toured them on our own.  Many of them involved getting around via Hop-on-Hop-off-Bus.   This is a cost effective method to get around town and tour on your own schedule.   Most of the tours start and end close by to the cruise terminal.

First in a Series of Posts

We are sharing many of our images captured during our travels around the globe.   Some of the #Roads we are sharing are close by while others are "across the pond".   For this series of articles, we'll focus on destinations in the Baltic region.


For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We even had the chance to co-host one week late last year.

 On the Road - Tallinn


Tallinn is the largest city and capital of Estonia.  This northern coastal town was one of the highlights of our Baltic Cruise.  It is located south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg, all of which were also included in our list of ports.

The first image above was taken through the front window of the tour bus we were one.  This is the modern section of Tallinn.  The picture above is a poor section of town that is pretty run down.

Toompea (Cathedral Hill) is in the central part of the city.  It is part of the Tallinn Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 City of Contrasts

When you focus on #Roads and their surroundings, you can't help but be struck by the contrasts of old and new architecture.  The limestone road leading up to Toompea contrasts with this modern road on the left with buses, cars, and electric cars which are part of the transportation system in use. 

Plan on spending a leisurely day exploring this capital city.  We'd suggest starting your visit with the Old Town and ultimately returning  to your ship after visiting the modern parts of the city.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

What #Roads have you traveled? 

There is still time to share your pictures on #FriFotos.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.