The belfry of the Peter and Paul Fortress is the tallest in the world. The Fortress is the oldest landmark in Saint Petersburg.
July 19th! The big day arrived. We were going to St. Petersburgh. I had been to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden before. But I had never been to Russia.
We went to the Peterhof Palace and Gardens. At the entrance was the Grand Palace Church. Ah! The Russian domes. Then there were the gardens and the fountains: fountains. The remarkable thing about the fountains is they operate without pumps. The elevation of reservoirs located in the upper gardens powers the fountains in the lower gardens. There is so much gold. Many of the statues are gilded, and even the rain could not dim their gleam.
We had some respite from the weather when we toured the palace of Catherine, the Great. The ceilings were so high. The walls, clad in costly fabrics, and wallpapers, made the height even more dramatic. The furniture looked so dainty and fragile in comparison.
Our guide took us to a restaurant for a typical Russian lunch of potato salad, borscht with sour cream, stroganoff, and cake.
We went into two souvenir shops. I couldnt resist buying a Russian kokoshnik: a tall turquoise blue folk covered in an intricate pattern embellished with seed pearls. There are not a lot of places to wear something like that. But it was a hit at home.
I was so tired when we got back to our room I was almost sick. A warm shower didnt help much. I pulled a blanket out of the linen closet and wrapped myself up in it. I was still cold.
Every night in the ships auditorium, there was free entertainment on stage. Aylin and I went to see the Russian performance. I loved the ethnic costumes, dancing, and music. It was high energy, but I was still tired.
As I dressed for our excursion, I realized I hadnt charged my phone and Fitbit. I left them on the charger while we had breakfast. We were hurrying to meet the tour bus when I realized I had to go back for my electronics. I told Aylin I would meet her on the bus and went back to get them.
I got my things from our room. As I was making my way to the bus, I met several members of the tour group. They hadnt seen Aylin. I went back to the ship twice, looking for her. Finally, we went to the bus. Aylin was there. She was miffed, blaming me for making her the center of attention.
Our bus dropped us at the Fontanka, a left branch of the Neva River. We boarded an barge for an hour and a half cruise. It was nippy. We had a sweeping few of the city as we went down the river. Beautiful old mansions that once belonged to the Russian nobility stood high above the left bank. We passed under fifteen bridges as we went.
For lunch, Anya, our guide, took us to a Russian pie shop for piroshki. I ordered beef, a mushroom, and a raspberry pie. Maybe I food. Anyway, three piroshki were a bit much.
When we finished eating, we went to the Hermitage. There was a line of people waiting to get in. It went almost around the block. The advantage of paying for a guide was that we
went right to the head of the line. While we waited for the door to open, hawkers walked up and down selling souvenirs. I bought three faux Faberge eggs and three Maruska dolls. Putting my purchases in my bag, I discovered I had left my cell phone on the bus; no pictures of the Hermitage.
The anteroom was so beyond elegant. I just wanted to stay and absorb the beauty. A friend told me recently that the Hermitage is the first time the box was more impressive than the gift. I knew what he meant: the buildings are treasures themselves, but I have never seen so many masterpieces in one place. I want to go every day for a month and enjoy the paintings, piece by piece.
Sadly, I have no photos for this blog. But in a way, I am glad I didnt have my phone with me. I was able to take a little more time to absorb the glorious rooms; the floors, ceilings, light fixtures, paintings, sculptures, and furniture. I was able to stay with my group.
