St. Petersburg is a wonderful walkabout city with wide boulevards and numerous converging rivers and crisscrossing canals. It seems easier to appreciate and savor the city afoot. We were soon confident using a combination of bus and metro to take us the short distance from our ship into the historic central part of the city. We meandered around the network of canals and rivers which are still the life-blood of the city and make it feel a bit like Venice and Amsterdam. According to locals these waterways create the city’s seasonal atmosphere–glittering mirror façades in summer, eerie mists rising in winter, and glowing sunsets. The many bridges are vital as linkage between the islands but are a lovely adornment with their decorative sculptures, intricate grills and light works.