Weather much warmer, mainly overcast, but some sunny periods.
Packed our bags and vacated our room. Went to Gostiny Dvor to buy a steam iron which we had seen on Sunday and would be perfect for our travels. But although there is a demonstration stand specifically for the model that caught our eye, it turns out that there are none in stock, so we came away empty-handed!
Visited three banks before being able to get any money. Had a picnic lunch and then spent the afternoon in The Hermitage. There are no free museums here, everywhere has an entrance fee and there is a two-tier pricing structure with foreigners being charged significantly more than Russians.
The Hermitage is worth visiting for the interiors alone which are incredibly lavish and ornate. The state rooms are breath-taking. The museum is absolutely huge with its collections spread over seven building including the Winter Palace and a wing of the Main Staff which faces it across Palace Square. We spent three-and-half hours browsing the art collection and trying to dodge all the many coach parties snaking behind their guides, all wearing headphones through which they listened to the guides’ commentary.