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Six Year Gap Year

Six Year Gap Year

Long term solo travel on a budget.

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Category: China

Posted on October 23, 2018October 25, 2018

How to survive your Trans Mongolian adventure

Depending on your route, time schedule and goals, you could spend anything from a few hours to 7 days on the train. My longest was a 57 hour journey from Vladimir to Krasnoyarsk, followed immediately by a 17 hour journey to Irkutsk, and thankfully I was well prepared. Here's everything you need to know, and …

Continue reading "How to survive your Trans Mongolian adventure"

Posted on October 23, 2018October 23, 2018

How to plan your Trans Mongolian adventure

If you take the train regularly at home you might not even have to think about planning your journeys past choosing your departure time and destination. If only it was that easy to ride the Trans Mongolian. I first had the idea to ride one of the longest railways in the world while I was …

Continue reading "How to plan your Trans Mongolian adventure"

Posted on August 29, 2018October 25, 2018

A step by step guide to your Chinese visa application

If I thought the Russian visa application was difficult, it's nothing compared to the Chinese visa application. Not only do I need a few more documents, I also need to provide proof of accommodation and ongoing travel (meaning I need to book ahead), or a letter of invitation which is not easy to get. It's …

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The Nikolsky Cathedral is one of the most beautiful in St Petersburg with its baby blue and gold exterior and finely carved wooden iconostasis inside. ☦️ It's dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and many others, and his habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the legend of Santa Clause.
A short bus ride from the city centre is the beautiful sky blue Smolny Cathedral, part of Smolny Convent. The interior is bright white and full of golden icons, a change from the usual dark and colourful cathedrals. ☦️ You can pay 150R and climb ancient steps and rickety ladders to the top of the bell tower, and you're rewarded with stunning views of the city and the Neva River. Add this one to your St Petersburg To-Do List!
The Hermitage. The most popular tourist attraction in St Petersburg, and the second largest art museum in the world. It's also one of the most beautiful! The interior is even more impressive as it was the former residence of Russian emperors. ☦️ Over three million items are housed across six historic buildings; the Winter Palace (photo), the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of Porcelain, the Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya, and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building. ☦️ It's always busy, but mornings are especially chaotic with all of the tour groups going at that time. Late afternoons are the best time to visit. The first Thursday of the month is free, but you'll have to queue for hours!
St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city and the fourth largest in the world, it's golden dome dominates the city skyline. ☦️ It was built in the 1800's and now houses a museum. You can also climb up to the collonade for incredible views. The most impressive part is the columns, each made from a single piece of red granite!
Across the Neva River is the island fortress of Peter and Paul, the original citadel of St Petersburg, built in the 1700's. ☦️ Inside you can see the Peter and Paul Cathedral and its bell tower (the tallest in the city), you can walk along the fortress walls or visit the bastion and its grim prison cells.
My first onion-domed church! No it's not St Basil's Cathedral, it's the smaller (and almost as beautiful) Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood in St Petersburg. ☦️ It was built in memory of Alexander II, who was assassinated in 1881. The church stands in the very place where a bomb was thrown into his carriage by a young man who opposed the Tsar's reforms. ☦️ One of his main accomplishments was to bring an end to slavery of the Russian peasantry, five years before the emancipation of slaves in the USA.
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