20180724 St. P. Theatre and Return (9 photos)

The Hermitage Theatre is an 18th century rebuild by Catherine the Great inside Peter 1's Winter Palace on the bank of the Neva River. Small and cozy, it proudly claims every seat a good seat.

Returning to the ship, we see lively bridge activity featuring local residents dancing to dj music, a nightly occurrence during summer months.

Soon the older Petrovsky soccer stadium and sports complex appears across the river, its lights and jumbo screen rising above the arena. It looks outdated especially when compared to the new St. Petersburg Stadium. This structure boasts a spaceship design with color-changing light beams. It opened in 2017 as part of Russia's $10 billion projects for the 2018 World Cup. Features include a retractable roof, sliding pitch, and inside temperature regulated to 59F year round.

Lastly, the Viking Sun, our home away from home, lights up for the night.