The Hermitage......A Must See

We made it to the Hermitage and with the help of our guide, Melishka, we had a most enthralling
experience.  We walked for almost three hours through magnificent rooms and corridors viewing
many of the world's priceless objects, portraits and sculptures.  This note is for granddaughter, Amber,
if you have the chance visit this Museum in St. Petersburg.

It was an exhausting trip on this day, August 2, and although we often had to navigate many marble
staircases, Annabelle was up to the task.  She probably did as well as other folks half her age.

It is clear that the Russian Tsars had expensive tastes because money was no object as they scoured
all of Europe for the art treasures in this collection.  The collection is so vast that they tell you it would
take almost 11 years to see everything if you spent just one minute looking at each object.  We
walked at a rather brisk pace to keep up with Melishka who kept on speaking about the objects
in front of her.  Fortunately, we had an electronic device on our ear to listen as she broadcast her
information on a microphone.

This will be my last blog from the ship.  We sail this evening to Estonia where, in Tallin, we're
scheduled for a lunch and tour, then on to Gothenberg, Sweden for a visit to the Volvo museum..
Back to Harwich, where we will have transportation to Heathrow and a flight to New York.
We should be back at the homestead on August 8 if all goes well and we don't get caught in
the Olympic crush around London.

Goodbye to all you patient readers.  This was a great journey and glad you came along.

Duz vidania or Hasta Lavista!