Day 3 - St. Petersburg

On our first day in St. Petersburg, after checking into the hotel, we spent almost the day at the Hermitage. If you know anything about art and Russia, you’ve most likely heard of the Hermitage. Or if you’ve visited St. Petersburg, you’ve most likely visited the Hermitage.









It wasn't snowing upon arriving in St. Petersburg, but overnight it started. And we still didn't have our luggage. Alex's winter coat was in his checked luggage. I lent him the shell of my winter coat. And I wore the liner. Stopping frequently in shops along the way to warm up helped.



Our accommodations in St. Petersburg were nothing spectacular. They were a budget hotel, Nevsky Mayakthat I found on the NYTimes travel Guide. The review for the hotel read "unmarked and tucked away in a courtyard near the city’s main boulevard, Nevsky Prospect, it has a fetching little lobby and rooms that are small and nothing fancy, but clean."



Admittedly, the room was clean, but the sofa bed was barely holding together and the staircase to the room was a bit remote. But when I travel, I prefer not to spend extravagant sums of money for hotel rooms. I don't travel to see the hotels. Hotels are just a necessity of traveling, as a place to sleep.