We met our guide Rada from "Explore Primorye" tours at the dock as planned.
First off we drove to the iconic Tokarevskiy lighthouse in the southern most peninsula of Vladivostok and walked out on the narrow peninsula to have a group photo and to overlook Golden Horn Bay. This area is very popular with the locals to relax at weekends by walking around, swimming or fishing which is one of the most popular past times.
We then back tracked to the dock to visit the old main railway station which is also where the historic Trans Siberian Railroad terminates. The terminal is a beautiful 17th Century architectural style building and is modelled after Moscow's Yaroslavsky Railway Station where the Trans Siberian Railroad begins.
We then proceeded to walk around the "old city" which is slowly being restored. in this area there is a lot of very good street art and was the former china-town and gambling centre in the early 20th century.
We made our way to the Sportivnaya sea front at Sports Harbor where there were lots of different sporting activities taking place as it was the weekend plus a children's fun park. The walk was very pleasant and we made our way up the Central Square which was quite colourful with well maintained buildings, manicured gardens and fountains.
Next stop was the C-56 Submarine which was the only submarine to escape damage in WW2 and is now a museum. It returned home by circumnavigating the world, the first ever to do so. The park area was quite large with various memorials for fallen soldiers an the Arch of Prince Nicholas. We were there at 12 noon when they had the daily ritual of the firing of the cannons which were extremely loud!
Lunch was next which was very traditional and well received. We started off with a bowl of Borscht which was absolutely delicious. It's main base is beetroot but had a lot of other veggies and spices in it topped off with a dollop of sour cream. Our main course consisted of chicken with salad and potatoes. And not to forget the usual beer for the men.
Back on the bus and off to see the Voroshilovskaya Battery which is one of the largest military fortifications on the Russian Far East and is situated high on the hills of Russian Island overlooking Golden Horn Bay. Venturing inside the recently reconstructed battery three floors underground was very interesting and impressive. The battery is part of the Vladivostok Fortress and helped to protect the city's peace until 1997.
Heading back to the ship we travelled past the Far Eastern Federal University campus, built in 2012 specially for the APEC Summit. After passing over the Russky Bridge we stopped off at the recently reconstructed Novosiltsevskaya Battery which overlooks
the entrance to the Bay.
Our last stop was to Eagle's Nest Hill for panoramic views over the city and Golden Horn Bay.
Another excellent day on shore.
Next stop Hakodate.
Quick Facts:
Country: Russia
Population: 592,034
Language: Russian
Currency: Russian Ruble (RUB)
Climate: Warm. humid and rainy summers and cold, dry winters
A gray rainy day arriving into Vladivostok
Our welcome show of local singers and dancers
The local market of souvenirs set up on the dock
The main Vladivostok train station, home to the Trans-Siberian Railroad
Stalin rumoured to be pointing to the beer shop!
The Tokarevskiy light house which is a popular spot among locals at the weekends
Our group
Preserved ceramic plaques on the facade of the train station
The waiting room inside of the station
A Chinese jewellery shop in the train station
An old steam train given to the Russians by the Americans as part of lend lease arrangements for WW2
A little "corner" shop
The traditional uniform for street food vendors
Street art found throughout the "old city" of Vladivostok
The old area of Vladivostok
A couple of old relics….
The sea front area
The main square
WW2 Memorial park
The Russian C-56 submarine that cruised around the world
A mural for Russian WW2 soldiers
A memorial to fallen WW2 Russian soldiers
Rada our local guide and our typically Russian lunch
What can I say…..
Voroshilovskaya Battery
The Russky Bridge and Novosiltsevskaya Battery
The view from Eagle's Nest lookout on the way back to the ship
Mural on a building near the dock
This guy climbed up a crane to wave us goodbye and to take photos
Our farewell
Sailing away into the sunset…..
No comments:
Post a Comment