A beautiful city - Churches, continued

On our way to St Isaac's we crossed a bridge which provided Mark with a photo opportunity. But poor Gayle had so much trouble trying to smile while looking at the camera as the sun was just too bright. Not much like a British winter!

St Isaac's Cathedral

St Isaac's dominates St Isaac's Square but Gayle and I did nearly become distracted by the very lovely looking Hotel Astoria which obviously had a beautiful restaurant, gorgeous for tea and cakes I'm sure. However we didn't feel that Ivan would be so understanding about our weakness so we stayed strong and continued with the planned itinerary. How saintly we felt!

  Rotonda Lounge

"In the cosy Rotonda Lounge, exquisite desserts, snacks and hot and cold beverages are served. During afternoon tea from 3 pm to 7.30 pm, guests can taste rich Russian blini pancakes and a chocolate fountain accompanied with a selection of fresh fruit. There are magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the St Isaac’s Square in the Rotonda Lounge".

But back to St Isaac's and another magnificent church to photograph and admire. I opted not to climb the stairs for the roof top views of the city which were apparently spectacular, but also showed the hugh, industrial chimneys surrounding the city.