海上白夜行

Leaning over the rail of my balcony on Deck Ten， I can just make out the images of three men across the Neva River. They are sitting on crates along the dock， laughing and having a smoke. Perhaps they are taking a break from their jobs in the shipyard. Or maybe they simply want to enjoy this beautiful summer night in St. Petersburg.

And who can blame them？ Behind them， the late evening sun casts a soft glow across the grand domes and gold spires of St. Petersburg. The air is warm， and I can hear the tinny sounds of traffic even from here on the ship.

With the sky still so light， its hard to believe that its 11 PM. But this is the “Land of White Nights.”During summer， the sun never fully sets in this Russian city. Instead， a warm pink and blue hue fills the sky during the deepest night hours.

I could be asleep in my comfortable suite on the Seven Seas Voyager. My room is huge and high-class. But who can sleep when there is so much to see？

Our ship is docked in the deep channels of the Neva River inside St. Petersburg. Home to five million people， St. Petersburg is a major cosmopolitan city.

The Midnight Sun is just one of the reasons that people are attracted to this region of Russia. Some visitors are drawn by the countrys grand past—the history of czars and giant palaces. Others come for the arts and outstanding ballet. As for me， I am simply curious. I want to see the land that Ive heard so much about.

Our ship will dock in the Neva River for three days， offering a convenient base to explore the city. Three days is not much time， but my sister， Debbie， and I are ready to explore the city.

Its not an easy place to understand. The language barrier is real： Few tourists speak Russian， and many Russians speak only their native language. Many of the locals dont seem to know what to make of the thousands of foreigners who now visit each year. Though I smile at the vendors I buy from， many look away shyly or ignore me completely.

Several cruise lines understand the treasures that lie in the Baltics. Seven Seas Cruises is one of them. It offers tours that avoid the beaten path to stop at the often-missed ports of the Baltic nations.

Our cruise sailed from Stockholm， a city with plenty of history. From here in St. Petersburg， it will continue on to Helsinki and Copenhagen. But the two ports that have truly caught my eye have been Tallinn， Estonia and St. Petersburg， two once-ignored cities that are just now being discovered by travelers worldwide.

Our ship offers an excellent base for exploring these destinations. During the day， we discover each new port， and then retreat back to the comfort of our onboard home， without the trouble of moving to a new hotel or worrying about finding a place to eat. （In fact， the food onboard is outstanding！）

Admittedly， such brief stops cant offer a deep understanding of any destination. Rather， the visits are snapshots of life in each port—an afternoon at a cozy coffeehouse in Sweden， a shopping trip in the rain in Helsinki or a two-minute conversation， using only hand gestures， with a smiling fruit vendor in Russia.

For me， these short moments offer a taste of each location， encouraging me to come back later for more. And St. Petersburg is no exception.

My sister and I want to see all we can of this Russian city， so we sign up for several tours. Im usually not into group tours， mind you， but in Russia， theyre a god-send.

Were pleased to find that our St. Petersburg guides are some of the best weve seen. They are honest and knowledgeable， answering questions from their own personal point of view. Best of all， they know their city and people， and offer insight we would have otherwise missed.

We visit some of St. Petersburgs most famous sites—the Hermitage （the largest art museum in Russia）， Peterhof（the expensive palace of Peter the Great） and the onionshaped domes of Spilled Blood Cathedral.

But my favorite tour is one that simply shows us daily life in St. Petersburg. We journey deep into the corridors of the crowded subway system， getting jammed into the cars like everyone else， and go shopping along Nevsky Avenue. We learn about vodka from the small， yet well done Vodka Museum， and then shop for fruit at a local farmers market.

Our three days fail to give me a definitive sense of St. Petersburg. Instead， it only raises more questions. But Ive had a sample of this Russian town， and I know now what I will return for.

A cruise ship never stays in one place for long， though， and soon enough we are sailing through the Neva River， past the shipyards and back out to sea.

The Gulf of Finland is as smooth as glass when we reach the open water. My sister and I pull blankets around our shoulders and head out into the chilly night air， where we watch from our deck as Russia slowly disappears from view.

Tomorrow will bring another port， another land for us to explore. But for now we are content here on the sea， watching as that pink haze fills the Baltic night sky.

我靠在10号甲板（我房间）的阳台围栏上，依稀看到涅瓦河对面三个男人的轮廓。他们坐在码头的板条箱上，一边嬉笑一边抽烟。也许他们是在船坞工作的空隙休息片刻，又或许他们只想欣赏圣彼得堡美丽的夏夜。

谁又能怪他们呢？在他们身后，晚霞为圣彼得堡的宏伟圆顶和金色尖塔镀上了一层温柔的霞光。空气温暖舒适，站在船上的我甚至可以听见陆上交通的细微声响。

天空依然明亮，实在叫人难以相信现在已经是晚上11点了。但这里是“白夜之地”——在俄罗斯这个城市的夏季里，太阳永不会完全落下；在深夜时分，天空反而被一层粉红加蓝的温暖色彩所笼罩。

我大可以在七海航海家号舒适的套房里睡觉——我的房间相当宽敞，布置得也很高档。但面对如此美景，谁又能入眠？

我们的船停靠在圣彼得堡内涅瓦河的深水航道。拥有500万人口的圣彼得堡是一个国际化大都市。

“夜半太阳”这一景象只是吸引人们到访俄罗斯这个地区的原因之一。一些人被这个国家辉煌的过去——沙皇和那些巨大宫殿的历史所吸引；一些则为艺术品和杰出的芭蕾舞慕名而来。对于我来说，我纯粹出于好奇。我想看看这片听闻已久的土地。我们的船将在涅瓦河停靠三天，于是它便成為了游览圣彼得堡的一个便利的基地。三天不长，但我和妹妹黛比已经为参观这座城市做好准备了。

要了解这个地方并不容易。语言障碍确实存在：极少游客会说俄语，而很多俄罗斯人只会说母语。大多数当地人在面对现在每年成千上万的外国游客时似乎不知所措。虽然我对向我卖东西的小贩微笑，但他们大多害羞地移开视线，或者完全无视我。

几家邮轮公司线路深知埋藏在波罗的海的宝藏，七海航海家号就是其中一家。它提供的路线避开了常规景点，并停靠在经常被错过的一众波罗的海国家的港口。

我们的游船从历史悠久的斯德哥尔摩出发。我们现在在圣彼得堡，随后还将航行至赫尔辛基和哥本哈根。然而最能抓住我眼球的地方则是爱沙尼亚的塔林和圣彼得堡——这两座一度被忽视的城市现在正等待着被来自世界各地的游客发掘。

我们的游船正好是探索这些目的地的绝佳大本营。白天，我们在每一个新港口探索，然后回到船上舒适的家，中途无需换新酒店或担心找不到地方吃饭。（事实上，船上的食物一流！）

无可否认，如此短暂的停留不可能让我们对每个地方都有深入的了解。相反，这些游历是我们在每个港口的生活花絮——在一家温暖舒适的瑞典咖啡店里度过一个下午，在赫尔辛基来一场雨中购物之旅，或在俄罗斯与一个笑脸盈盈的水果商贩通过手势进行两分钟的“对话”。

对我来说，这些短暂的时刻让我得以领略每个地方的风情，鼓励我下次回来发掘更多。圣彼得堡也不例外。

我和妹妹希望尽量多看看这个俄罗斯城市，所以我们报名参加了几个旅行团。告诉你，我一般不喜欢参加旅行团，但在俄罗斯，旅行团就是天赐的礼物。

我们很高兴地发现，我们在圣彼得堡的导游是我们见过最好的。他们真诚坦率，知识丰富，并从自己的观点回答问题。最重要的是，他们了解自己的城市和那里的人，让我们可以深入了解这个城市——没有他们，我们可能就此错过了（这些经历）。

我们参观了圣彼得堡最有名的景点——艾尔米塔什博物馆（俄罗斯最大的博物馆），彼得宫（彼得大帝建造的昂贵宫殿）以及滴血大教堂那些洋葱造型的圆顶。

但我最爱的是一趟简单展示圣彼得堡日常生活的行程。我们深入拥挤的地铁系统，去到那里的走道，像所有人一样挤进车厢；我们还在涅瓦大街逛街；我们在一个“麻雀虽小、五脏俱全”的伏特加博物馆里了解到这种酒的有关知识，然后在当地一个农贸市场选购水果。

三天的旅程不足以定义圣彼得堡留给我的印象。相反，它给我留下了更多问题。但我已经浅尝过这个俄罗斯城市的风情，知道下次再来的目的。

然而，游船不会在一个地方久留。没多久，我们驶离涅瓦河，将一个个船坞抛在身后，再次回到大海。

到达外海时，芬兰湾平静得犹如一面镜子。我和妹妹把毯子围在肩上，走入寒夜当中。在甲板上，我们目送逐渐消失的俄罗斯。

明天，我们将迎来另一个港口，另一片等待我们探索的土地。但此时此刻，我们心满意足地待在海上，欣赏着弥漫在波罗的海夜空的那层粉红色迷雾。