Russia & the Western Front

October - November 2018

A 31-day adventure by Meaghan's Travels Read more

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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 24, 2018, 10:00pm
- 🌬 16 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Australia New South Wales Sydney Elizabeth Bay -33.8671, 151.228933°52’2” S 151°13’44” E
1
Day 1
Getting out of Sydney
October 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
So off to Russia we go and about 26 hours later we are there!
Lots of last minute rushing around getting things organised for the trip. As is my usual style left the packing till the night before and was up all night. Then went to work followed by Dr, last minute shopping and finally home to finish the packing!
Then off to collect Marge and my sister rings me telling me she isn't home from getting her hair nails and pedicure done! So sister in law is sent off to track her down and sister sorts out Marge's last minute packing. Margy meanwhile is found in the chemist. So more rushing around getting her ready. The 8 year packed the toiletries so will be interesting to see what we have. She seemed to be concentrating on lipsticks!

Anyway first time flying with Qatar and the service was fantastic. Really above and beyond. The business check in even has a rug for the passengers to stand on as they check in. Nice!

I am sitting in the upstairs part of the plane in this very small economy section just behind business. Very exclusive and bonus I am sitting in the bulkhead with a spare seat next to me.

Stopover in Doha was good. We got driven around in a golf cart. So after setting up Mum in the business class lounge I check out the shopping. Its a good airport with lots of shops. Also there are lots of nice cosy places to sit. They have lots of small private tv lounge areas and quite areas with reclining lounges so a pretty good airport to hang out in.

Next flight and we get onto the plane via a hoist into a metal room on top of a truck then another hoist onto the plane! So they are certainly looking after their disabled passengers.

Finally we get to St Petersburg and our beautiful hotel. I could just hang out here watching the canal view. The staff are fantastic and could not have been more helpful. Pushkin Hotel if you are ever in St Petersburg. It really was a highlight and the location is 5 minutes from the Hermitage which you see every time you leave the hotel. And its about a 7 minute walk from the main street Nevesky Prospect, it runs parallel to one of the main cafe/restaurant streets and its 15 minutes to the markets and the Church of the Spilled Blood.

We have a nice meal in a very trendy cafe on Nevesky and collapse into bed!Read more
Margy Walsh Yes that’s me a 25 hour flight mostly sleeping & a bit of eating nota great deal ——outstanding service highly recommend Qatar also a member of star alliance so I will get some points
11/4/18Reply
Mary Maroske Good to hear QATAR is worth looking at for travel. They don’t fly out of Brisbane though
11/11/18Reply
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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 24, 2018, 11:00pm
- ⛅ 29 °C
- Altitude: 25 m
- Qatar Baladīyat ad Dawḩah Ar Rumaylah ‘Ayn Jabhān 25.28595, 51.5297425°17’9” N 51°31’47” E
Day 1
Journey pics
October 24, 2018 in Qatar ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 25, 2018, 2:22pm
- ⛅ 3 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Pertopavlovka Fontanka 59.9393, 30.3405759°56’21” N 30°20’26” E
1 1
Day 2
Journey Pics 2
October 25, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C
Margy Walsh In looks yes but a bit tacky still enjoyed my time there lots to eat No comment on Qantas have not been on them for awhile wait till our next trip to Aspen see what I think
11/4/18Reply
Margy Walsh So excited taken so long for me to get there great flight with Qatar incredible service I slept for the entire flight once I was tucked in
11/4/18Reply
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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 26, 2018, 11:03am
- ☁️ 1 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Pertopavlovka Fontanka 59.94626, 30.3379959°56’47” N 30°20’17” E
Day 3
Glorious St Petersburg 1
October 26, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Massive tour day today with our guide Alisa. I am using Toursbylocals which had great reviews. Each guide has a bio and various tours they have designed.
If you have limited time and want to see alot then its the way to go. With Mum's mobility issues its a must.

Most will customise your tour if requested.

So in the morning we saw many of the key sights: Vasilyevsky Island, Peter & Paul Fortress and Cathedral (where tsars are buried including the last Emperor Nicholas II and his royal family) St Issacs Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, Church on Spilled Blood, Palace Square and Nevesky Prospect which is the main street. Also generally just looking at the beautiful buildings, canals, bridges and statues.

When the remains of Nicholas II and his family were found and DNA verified they were buried in the church with the other former tsars in 1998 with various world figures attending including Yeltsin. Most of the remains of the family were found in 1979. In 2007 the remains of the son and a daughter were found making the family complete.

In 1981 the Russian Orthodox Church made them Saints and in 2008 the Supreme Court of Russia determined that the royal family were victims of political persecution.Read more
Traveler Your readers need more !
11/7/18Reply
Meaghan's Travels I know I know! I am desperately trying to catch up!
11/7/18Reply
Mary Maroske But at least you have started! Have been looking out for your blog!! St Petersburg is one of the best places I have been. Could spend a week at the hermitage
11/11/18Reply
Traveler wanting to know what the 8 year old packed!!
11/12/18Reply
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- Oct 26, 2018, 1:00pm
- ⛅ 2 °C
- Altitude: 21 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Saint Petersburg 59.93498, 30.3342459°56’6” N 30°20’3” E
Day 3
Glorious St Petersburg 2
October 26, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
Continuing on with the day.

The Church of Spilled Blood was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was killed by terrorists.

Next the majestic St Isaacs Cathedral which took 40 years to build and is the 4th largest cathedral in the world.

It is all mosaics inside. The original paintings started to deteriorate due to the cold so they were made out of mosaics.
When you look at the artwork from a short distance it looks like its painted.
During the soviet era it was used to store vegetables. In the photo you can see 100s of cabbages!Read more
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- Oct 26, 2018, 2:00pm
- ⛅ 2 °C
- Altitude: 34 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Saint Petersburg Nevsky Prospekt 59.93297, 30.3328959°55’59” N 30°19’58” E
Day 3
Hermitage
October 26, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
Continuing on from one of the most jam packed tour days we have lunch in a local cafe where the speciality was pies. We had a no name some sort of meat pie which was served cold! Horrendous! Still having nightmares!

Then onto the Hermitage. When I was here in Soviet times not many people and no cafe or tourist shops. I literally had the place to myself and part of the Hermitage's collection of impressionists were on the top floor in a couple of crappy rooms.

Now its packed. In summer its like being in a jam packed lift. Given its off season it wasn't too bad so the guide and I had a nice time wandering around.

Then the guide went on her way and mum and I staggered to the General Office Building across the road from the Winter Palace where the impressionists are now exhibited. Most of the collection is now on display.

By this stage we were exhausted so the visit was a speed visit!

And the eight year old did a splendid job with everything neatly packed. And you can never have too many lipsticks! Margy has a nice selection to choose from.Read more
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- Oct 26, 2018, 3:00pm
- ⛅ 2 °C
- Altitude: 25 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Saint Petersburg Nevsky Prospekt 59.93381, 30.3338159°56’2” N 30°20’2” E
Day 3
Hermitage 2
October 26, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 26, 2018, 4:00pm
- ⛅ 2 °C
- Altitude: 23 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Saint Petersburg Shostakovich Philharmonic 59.93522, 30.3316959°56’7” N 30°19’54” E
Day 3
Hermitage 3
October 26, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
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- Oct 27, 2018, 9:00am
- ☁️ 1 °C
- Altitude: 63 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Pushkin 59.71767, 30.4091559°43’4” N 30°24’33” E
Day 4
Catherine's Palace
October 27, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Off to the palace! I didn't go here last visit as I wanted to explore soviet St Petersburg given it was going to disappear. I figured one day I would be back and the palace wasn't going anywhere.
And now finally I am back to see the summer palace!Read more
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Meaghan's Travels Russia & the Western Front
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- Oct 27, 2018, 9:30am
- ⛅ 1 °C
- Altitude: 86 m
- Russia St.-Petersburg Pushkin Upper Bath 59.71613, 30.3956559°42’58” N 30°23’44” E
Day 4
Catherine's Palace 2
October 27, 2018 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C
Traveler Looks beautiful ! Where are you now ?
11/16/18Reply
Meaghan's Travels Back in Paris and fly out tomorrow. So much for the blog! I have done most of the western front entires just need to catch up on the russian ones!
11/16/18Reply
Traveler Was it fabulous ?
11/16/18Reply
Meaghan's Travels The western front tour was fascinating. Definitely recommend it. Loved Russia and want to go back again.
11/16/18Reply
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