In 2019, I had a long summer in front of me and no real plans, so I made a snap decision to sign up for a rowing tour to St. Petersburg, Russia. Arranging passports and travel was a whirlwind - I was sure my visa wouldn't get to me in time. Everything worked out just fine, and I took off for Amsterdam at the beginning of August. After three days solo in Amsterdam, I met up with my crew in Russia. Each day we rowed on a different section of the canals of St. Petersburg and the Neva River. Our final day was spent in the country on the Volkov River - a real contrast to the big city.
Long days of rowing 20+km a day and then site seeing by foot in the afternoon led to really great nights of sleep and wonderful memories. My new friends from Britain, Australia, Sweden, and Russia jumped into coastal quads and rowed through what may be the most scenic city I've been to. Amazing.
I highly recommend Rowing the World. Ruth is a fantastic organizer and offers well-researched trips with expert guides.
On the Fontanka with St. Isaac's cupola in the background.
On the Volkov.
