The geographical location of St Petersburg, situated so far North, adds its own particular qualities to this most magical of cities. In winter the snow and the sharp frosts give the city a fairy-tale glow, a season we call White Days. At the height of summer the sun sets for only a few hours and this natural phenomenon, known as the White Nights, is when the city becomes almost supernatural; thinking back to Peter the Great, it is the season when dreaming and reality are merged into one.

In Sestroretsk, located in the coastal countryside surrounding St Petersburg, the Northern beauty of the region becomes even more apparent seen in the waves of the Gulf of Finland and the shadows from the pine trees.