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Getting on the road about 10 we continued south. We had thought to camp on the coast, but there were not really any nice places and we decided that if we wanted to make Helsinki the next day it would be 488 Km. This would not leave us much time to try to organize the bike fork repair. We decided to go another 160 KM to Seinajoki for a total of 582 km today.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3811/...6da19799_z.jpgScreen Shot 2015-08-08 at 7.28.58 PM by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr There was a great camp spot here, with lush grass and a river running thru the site. The lounge and kitchen was very nice. They had decent Internet also and we found a repair shop 178 KM away in Tampere. We figured we could stop here since it was on the way to see if they could repair the fork. If not we had BMW Helsinki as a back up. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/549/1...a6cd2176_c.jpgDSC03036 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Arriving at ALL RIGHT Bike in Tampere they were super awesome and found the BMW original seals for us at a shop 20 km away. They dropped everything and repair the bike for us! We were on our way again by 4 pm.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/301/2...c231ded3_c.jpgDSC03039 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm1.staticflickr.com/300/2...34170061_z.jpgScreen Shot 2015-08-08 at 7.33.05 PM by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The nice campground in Seinajoki has a sister in Helsinki and so we headed there. The place was packed mostly since it has a great location on the water and right at a Metro station. There were about 8 other bikers here too. We also met Paul and Sarah who are friends of friend in Seattle!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/440/2...ae4fc1ed_c.jpgDSC03042 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm1.staticflickr.com/438/2...61a5477a_c.jpgDSC03041 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The ship did not leave until 6 pm so we had a lazy day and got the laundry done. The campground has a vehicle storage area that we could leave the bikes for the 4 days at 16 E per day. Not cheap, but at least they are secure.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5726/...14f2a45e_c.jpgDSC03416 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5644/...ae22d5f8_c.jpgDSC03418 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We took the tram to the harbor and checked in at the St. Peter’s line. You have to go thru Finish passport control and we got an exit stamp. The ferry is a bit of a mini cruise with casino and discos and the like, but we had a drink on the sky deck, some dinner we had brought on board, and were in bed by 930. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5733/...8b3a140f_c.jpgDSC03055 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The ship left an hour late at 7 pm, but still arrived to the port of St Petersburg on time at 930 am. The number of cranes on the skyline was incredible!
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5633/...2cbedb41_c.jpgst petersburg 1 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5809/...6e8fc91d_c.jpgst petersburg 2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Getting off the boat the arrivals hall is totally chaos. You have to line up to get your tourist card. Lets say the Russians are Not like the uber friendly Brazilians! They photocopy every page of your passport as well, which was a bit creepy. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5723/...b0246722_c.jpgst petersburg 5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5670/...a84b1e12_c.jpgst petersburg 6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We had arranged a driver and guide for a city tour. Maria was awesome and very knowledgeable. She was of an age that she remembers a lot of the events that have shaped this country in the last 50 years.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5753/...d315d0a4_c.jpgst petersburg 32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We took in most of the major sites in the downtown area. Including the Egyptian sphinxes, the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Catherine palace, the Nicholas statue, St. Isaacs Cathedral. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5770/...d7be71cb_c.jpgst petersburg 10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5727/...5ecba1e5_c.jpgst petersburg 11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5794/...8db01698_c.jpgst petersburg 12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the burial place of the Russian royalty. So that means all the Nicholas and Alexanders and their wives “Maria”. There is a cannon salute everyday at noon. The entire crown flinched when it went off it was SO loud.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5640/...6a75a1b2_c.jpgst petersburg 13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5788/...f8e10dfa_c.jpgst petersburg 14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5800/...c847da9f_c.jpgst petersburg 16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5670/...fbf876d5_c.jpgst petersburg 17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5700/...1931f827_c.jpgst petersburg 18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5808/...9407306f_c.jpgClip #2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The blue of the Catherine Palace is stunning.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5656/...e4465054_c.jpgst petersburg 22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5825/...975d156b_c.jpgst petersburg 23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5723/...bbfa3720_c.jpgst petersburg 24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The statue of Nicolas I is in St. Isaac’s Square. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5770/...f04836f0_c.jpgst petersburg 27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5739/...a18cb5c3_c.jpgst petersburg 29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5756/...621077e3_c.jpgst petersburg 31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We took some time to rest and then set out again to the Main square of the city at the winter palace.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5773/...3ea90f39_c.jpgst petersburg 33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5723/...33c7e66a_c.jpgst petersburg 34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5818/...e87bc38d_c.jpgst petersburg 35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Walking past the Admiralty it started to torrentially rain and we had to hide out under the trees, but got drenched anyway. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5782/...eabb86c8_c.jpgst petersburg 38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5712/...6c666901_c.jpgst petersburg 39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5632/...ecbe0954_c.jpgst petersburg 42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
There are hundreds of bridges in this city and a number cross the Neva River.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5716/...3cf1b53f_c.jpgst petersburg 43 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5622/...303f75b1_c.jpgst petersburg 44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5808/...25dda41a_c.jpgst petersburg 45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5793/...d9a28f6d_c.jpgst petersburg 46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The bronze horseman is the monument to the founder of St. Petersburg, Peter the Great. It stands in Senatskaia Square facing the Neva River.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5724/...223466c6_c.jpgst petersburg 47 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr For our second day we spent the morning in the museum of the winter palace with thousands of others. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5672/...d7a2df83_c.jpgst petersburg 53 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5659/...9577224f_c.jpgst petersburg 52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5735/...87c73cf9_c.jpgst petersburg 51 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5659/...df62b4d2_c.jpgst petersburg 49 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/...da9428bb_c.jpgst petersburg 57 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5720/...b878956d_c.jpgst petersburg 56 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
In the afternoon we did a walking tour of the city sights. This included walking along the canal and a visit to the Church of the Spilled Blood.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5647/...e87d9d54_c.jpgst petersburg 99 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5715/...7cc611e0_c.jpgst petersburg 103 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5699/...62dc1cdc_c.jpgst petersburg 100 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
It was Harley-Davidson Days here in Petersburg so we checked it out. There were a lot of very loud bikes being driven very fast all over the city as well. Of course they were handing out condoms!
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5686/...446b8b67_c.jpgst petersburg 115 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5683/...4a83e294_c.jpgst petersburg 116 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Several venues had military bands playing and this group was very good. Here they are doing an awesome rendition of “We will rock you”. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5808/...2d993330_c.jpgst petersburg 119 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
This city is also spectacular by night. There are fireworks in St. Isaac’s Square every night.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5689/...ec6758df_c.jpgst petersburg 126 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5815/...51c6f5e2_c.jpgst petersburg 127 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5618/...3895f90b_c.jpgst petersburg 128 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5708/...a7239dff_c.jpgst petersburg 129 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5661/...29131cb2_c.jpgst petersburg 130 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5785/...e6269d90_c.jpgst petersburg 131 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5764/...c59a1e79_c.jpgIMG_4258 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
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