On the second day, I joined an optional tour to Pushkin, some 15 miles south of St Petersburg, to visit the famous, gigantic and lavish Catherine Palace. We left the ship at 7:30 in the morning, and arrived at the palace gate before they opened. That was the only way to avoid waiting in a long queue with the other tourists that poured in moments later. This place is just as popular as the Hermitage Museum.

To some tourists who love gold decors, this place may be the most fascinating of their trip.

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