A thesis in Helsinki as a great opportunity for a first visit in St Petersburg. It is not really an ideal moment of the year as the days are extremely short but it’s still too early to see the city covered by snow. The really good thing is that there are almost no tourists around, and therefore no queues at all in front of the museums. Visiting Hermitage is a pleasure, by waiting a little moment it is always possible to be alone in any room. The theaters are still pretty crowded every evening, but there is always some place left for an opera --- ballets are more difficult to get without reservation. In the second night, it starts snowing, and in the morning, I get a little glimpse of a snow-covered St Petersburg … unfortunately, the rain brings quickly the enchantment to an end.