Review about by Sheri Holthouse

Hey Alex... We are back from our vacation and i just want to tell you how fantastic it was. first of all, the Scandic Marski in Helsinki was fantastic. our room was beautiful, the location was spectacular and the people there were top notch. we arrived and were greeted warmly and quickly checked in. we asked right away about leaving our giant suitcases with them while we went to Russia and they were very accommodating. the overnight ferry was great. best way to travel ever. when we arrived in St. Petersburg, after we got through passport control, we boarded our shuttle and went straight to our hotel. very convenient and easy. It was early so we were unable to check in, but they were wonderful and happy to lock up our suitcases while we spent the day with Masha. so let's talk about Masha. WE LOVE MASHA!!!! she met us in our hotel lobby as planned. she was parked nearby so we just got in her car and off we want. She is SO nice and knowledgeable, i feel like calling Masha knowledgeable is like calling the Hermitage a cute little museum. it's seriously underselling the amount of information she knows... and not just dry facts, she knows very cool things that i would characterize as "insider stories." things you don't find in textbooks that pique your interest and make history intriguing. she was super sweet and answered all of our questions, made sure we had time for our pictures, was happy to take some of us together, and of course we had to get her in a few too and she was just as gracious. She's a human encyclopedia with an obvious passion for her city and country and its history. we really had a wonderful time at Pushkin, which of course defies description. She took us to an area where there weren't any people other than us. there were old photographs of the palace with nazis standing in front of its burned-out shell. other photos of people working to restore the palace in all its beauty and detail. both my sister and i were astonished that not only was this beautiful place built once, it was built TWICE. hearing Masha talk about the Russian people who came from near and far to save the works of art before the nazis could loot and destroy them... we could almost feel their desperation... and the pride Masha had in the people who saved so much was palatable. Masha dropped us at the Faberge museum when we got back to the city. she was kind enough to mark on our map where it was and where our hotel was. She also advised us where to find an ATM and gave us great advice on negotiating a cab fare back to the hotel. that evening we checked into our room and it was just lovely. our room was comfortable and clean, the people were helpful and very friendly, it was close to the river and in a nice area. AND... this hotel has the best restaurant EVER. our breakfasts there were SUPERB. i really did not want to leave. Since i've returned, one of the questions people ask is where did have the best food, and i tell them it was in St. Petersburg, at the hotel restaurant. the next morning Masha picked us up and we couldn't get off the island. There was a marathon going on and all the bridges were closed to vehicles. after deciding to walk, the bridge we were near reopened so we were able to drive after all. Traffic was still a little hairy so we didn't cover as much ground as Masha would have liked, so after the Hermitage, when our time with her was up, she insisted on taking us around for another couple of hours. it was important to her that we got the tour she wanted to give us. she is SO amazing. here's my "short" story: Alex... throughout the entire booking process and even after everything was done and set up, YOU were a rock star. you ARE a rock star. You answered my questions, returned my emails and phone calls, you gave great advice and picked beautiful hotels in wonderful locations at reasonable prices. I very much appreciated the continued service even after your job was done. You had the money, i had my reservations and documents, and you still treated me like you were trying to earn my business. I spent a brief time in my life as a travel agent and you are the kind of agent i strived to be. Thank you. also, Masha Ganina is a rock star. Her encyclopedic knowledge, passion for sharing it and warm and kind personality made our whole trip. Leading up to this segment of our vacation, we had 3 weeks of tour guides under our belt, some better than others. Masha should be their queen. She should be queen of the whole world. She knows EVERYTHING and sharing her love for St. Petersburg and Russia gives her a joy you can see on her face and hear in her voice. Everyone should love their job so much and be so good at it. One thing Masha mentioned to us is that people are afraid to travel to Russia. St. Petersburg is a beautiful city with a fascinating story. I studied the architecture here while i was in college, but i didn't really study the people. Masha made history come alive for me, and the people in St. Petersburg that we encountered were so nice, happy to be helpful, and a lot of fun. I never felt unsafe or insecure. I would tell anyone thinking about visiting that however they need to make it happen, make it happen. It's a beautiful vibrant place. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so grateful that I took it, and so happy my sister shared it with me. I would encourage the whole world to visit Russia, with Masha as their guide and you as their travel agent. Thank you so much, Sheri