Day 1 - September 27, 2006 - Wednesday:  Atlantic Ocean (D)  We will meet at the Washington, D. C. Dulles  Airport (IAD)  where we board Lufthansa Airlines (upper left) for our comfortable overnight trans-Atlantic flight which includes excellent German service (exceptionally friendly and VERY precise - upper center) with tasty meals, a wide selection of drinks, and the latest inflight entertainment on our way to Frankfurt, Germany (upper right) on our way to St. Petersburg. Join the Lufthansa frequent flyer program which partners with United, US Airways and many others by clicking here.

Day 2 - September 28, 2006  - Thursday:  St. Petersburg (B,L, D)  We arrive this morning in St. Petersburg at the Pulkovo International Airport (LED) to begin our three days in St. Petersburg, then our fascinating "Waterways of the Czars" Grand Cruise through Russia, and then our three days in Moscow. Our tour representative will meet us at the airport and transfer us to our ship the ms Tolstoy (upper center) on the shores of the Baltic Sea. St. Petersburg was founded by Czar Peter the Great in 1703 as Russia's Window on the West and was built as his showpiece with magnificent neo-Classical buildings with lavish fountains (upper left and right) with spacious avenues that soon became the country's leading seaport. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Reception and Dinner on board.

Day 3 - September 29, 2006 - Friday:  St. Petersburg (B,L, D)  After breakfast we disembark for a city tour of this fabled city of canals and Northern Lights. Drive along the Nevsky Prospect which is the city’s main boulevard lined with smart shops and restaurants and meet some of the friendly Russian people (upper center). Explore the Palace Square, the historic heart of St. Petersburg. See the spectacular St. Isaac’s Cathedral (upper right), the Bronze Horseman (upper left), the Admiralty Tower and the sinister Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Bastille of Czarist Russia, built on a small island in the Neva River. In the afternoon we have free time to explore, to enjoy an excursion to nearby Pushkin formerly known as Czar’s Village, or to see the magnificent Catherine’s Palace. We crown the day with an included evening performance at an exclusive ballet performance at the Imperial Hermitage Theater.

Day 4 - September 30, 2006 - Saturday:  St. Petersburg (B,L, D) After breakfast our morning is free to explore Peter the Great’s magnificent city on our own (upper center). To shop or to revisit the Palace Square (upper left) and marvel at the Royal Palace, or wander inside the Peter and Paul Fortress to see its extravagant Baroque interior containing the tombs of the majority of the Romanov dynasty where the remains of the last Czar and his family were recently buried. In the afternoon we have an included tour of the extraordinary Hermitage Museum (upper right) located in the former Czar’s Winter Palace, without doubt one of the greatest treasure houses of the world. We will be dazzled by its fabulous art collection. Late tonight we depart on board the ms Tolstoy for Mandrogui.

Day 5 - October 1, 2006 - Sunday: Mandroga and Lake Ladoga: (B,L, D) Midmorning arrival in Mandroga, a picturesque resort village (upper left) along the the River Svir. During our stop we can visit the museum of Russian Vodka (upper center), the country’s traditional, magnificently distilled, and over consumed spirit, and become acquainted with the history of the Russian vodka industry. (Certainly samples are shared with friendly Americans.)  Later we cruise along the 139 mile Svir River (upper right) which connects Lake Onega with Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe.

Day 6 - October 2, 2006 - Monday:  Lake Onega and Kizhi Island (B,L,D) Cruise through Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe and one of the world’s purest. In the afternoon we step ashore on the small island of Kizhi shown with the ms Tolstoy (upper left), one of the most ancient inhabited sites in Russia which is an enchanting place and one of the highlights of our waterway journey. Here the magnificent Church of the Transfiguration (upper right) is more than a match for the colorful splendor of Moscow’s St. Basil’s. Its 22 shimmering domes in three tiers are the ultimate in Russian fairy-tale architecture. A walking tour will encompass some splendid examples of 18th century Russian architecture including typical wooden churches, houses and a windmill. We visit the spectacular Transfiguration Church before sailing late in the evening. Before we leave to Russia, those of us with contacts in Russia will talk with our friends there so that we can visit with them at restaurants or their homes to get to know the people of Russia better (upper center).

Day 7 - October 3, 2006 - Tuesday: White Lake, Volga Canal and Goritsy (B,L,D) We enjoy breathtaking scenery as we sail north through the White Lake (upper right), once known as the “Czar's fishing grounds," and through the Volga-Baltic Canal. Late morning we arrive in Goritsy, a peaceful farming community where our cruise pauses for a few hours for a tour ashore. We have requested to visit an elementary school to meet and visit with the children during school (above center). We will also visit the fortress-like Kirill Belosersk Monastery (upper left) which was founded in the reign of Ivan Kalita in 1305. It was the center of a large and rich diocese. Built on a high hill the 800-metre-long fortified wall around the monastery is quite spectacular. The stone-carved Eastern Gate and Holy Gate are beautiful. Recently restored it shines again with a wealth of color. Its interior is lavishly decorated with stucco molding and beautiful murals 

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