An overdose of Russian grandeur

All I can say is WOW and double WOW!! It started with the Hermitage museum and concluded with a canal cruise..........

 The crowds lining up for the Hermitage were horrendous!! Our group was booked in 

for 10.30 so at 10.20 we waited in the entrance. A very stern guard chucked us out in the

freezing cold because apparently we were booked in for 10.32 and no sooner!!

 I cannot put into words how amazing the experience was. I took over 250 photos today and I think 190 were in the Hermitage! So many floors, ceilings, walls and quilt designs to last me 5 lifetimes!

 Gold, gold and more gold

 Ahhhh......a quilt!

 And then two cathedrals.......looking up and up......

 The glass mosaics were breathtaking (above a detail of these mosaics)

 So then a canal cruise....so, so cold (maximum of 9 degrees today)

 So a Russian vodka to warm us up!

 We could see why it is known as "Little Venice"

Tomorrow takes us to Novgorod and then Moscow