It is probably already minus 20 degrees. About 50 degrees less than our usual weather in Australia – eeek!!! – but we are well prepared for the Russian winter adventure: no furs but a handful of warm clothes and a few shots of vodka will keep us warm (ah…Russian Vodka!)

We were not prepared for the beauty of St Petersburg though. During the Russian winter, it is an intricate network of frozen canals, baroque and neoclassical churches, statues, the Hermitage museum to name a few…all covered by snow. So picturesque!