Easy Pace Russia

I had a ticket, a ticket to ride aboard a deluxe, business class legroom motor coach, a hydrofoil and a bullet train as a guest photojournalist of Insight Vacations to experience its Easy Pace Russia journey.

This eight-day, premium-escorted itinerary took me to St. Petersburg, residence of the imperial tsars of old, and Moscow, the capital of Russia, where Red Square and the Kremlin dazzle the eyes.

In between this “tale of two cities” I attended a ballet; was entertained by a folkloric troupe of musicians, singers and dancers; cruised up and down canals; visited iconic palaces, churches and museums; and, spent several nights in one of the “Seven Sisters,” the post-World War II skyscrapers commissioned by Joseph Stalin to impress the West, that’s now a five-star hotel overlooking the Moscow River.

And, I did my fair share of savoring mouthwatering regional cuisines along the way from the kitchens of Georgia, Russia and the Ukraine.

You’re invited to join me as I re-trace my steps on Insight Vacations’ Easy Pace Russia journey and try and solve, in the words of Winston Churchill, this “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

Just click on one of the story links below and you’ll be whisked away to Mother Russia.

Do svidaniya!

©The Palladian Traveler

Borsalino w/ props SMALL | ©Tom Palladio Images

Note: The Palladian Traveler’s participation in this journey was supported by Insight Vacations, which did not review or approve any of these articles before publication.

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Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 1. The Journey begins in St. Petersburg

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 2. Navigating Nevsky Prospekt

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 3. Peter and Paul Fortress

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 4. Spilt Blood, Red Caviar and Peterhof

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 5. A Folksy Night in St. Petersburg

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 6. Inside the Hermitage Museum

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 7. A Winning Hand at Tsarskoe Selo

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 8. Cruising the Waterways of St. Petersburg

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

9. Craning My Neck at Swan Lake

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

 10. The Beginning of the End at Yusupov Palace

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

11. Moscow by Night

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

12. Moscow’s Metro Stations are Underground Art Museums

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

13. Walking and chewing Gum in Red Square

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

14. A Glimpse inside The Kremlin

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

15. Dinner Filed under Odessa

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

16. Cosmonauts, Churches and a VIP Cemetery

Easy Pace Russia | ©thepalladiantraveler.com

17. The Battle that inspired an Overture

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