Day 2 St Petersburg

Day 2 started at 0800, not as early as the day before but early enough. We were late getting to our meeting place with the rest of the group. The first day was long. We left the ship around 0700 and didn't return until after 2100.  This is a view from the boat down onto the Russian customs house, where they inspected our passports and visas before entry into Russia.

 

St. Nikolas Cathedral

Getting started with a photo op at St. Isaac's Cathedral.  The Germans intended to blow it up after the Russians surrendered St. Petersburg (thankfully that never happened).  It was not bombed during the war because it was used as a navigational point in the city, although the dome was painted over in gray to detract attention from it.

Statue of Peter the Great in front of St. Isaac's.  The statue is supported on on the horse's two back legs.

Portrait Gallery - Inside the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest and oldest in the world. 3 million item in the collection, not all on display, we arrived an hour before the general opening time. There were other tour groups in the museum as well, but it was walk and look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitage_Museum

The interior of the building (formerly a palace) was just an impressive as the art.

The queue for a look at a work by one of the masters.

Sculptures

Sculpture

Very impressive

Outside the Hermitage, looking out on Palace Square and the Alexander Column, the tallest granite column in the world.  When it was first erected, people were afraid it would fall over so no one got too close to it.

Door to St. Isaac's

Inside St. Isaac's, it was a full house.

Church dome

 

Incredible

On the way to the Yusupov Palace in the center of the city. The Palace was the place where Rasputin finally met his end.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasputin

No pictures were allowed inside.

Again, I wasn't awake for the last picture. On the way to Tallinn, Estonia.

Saint Petersburg Russia, Day 1

Welcome to Russia, 0800 on 1 July 2011, already hot and humid.

Before we had a look around here, we rode on the Metro from one stop to the next. Unfortunately no photos are allowed. It was crowded and hot but also had very artisticly decorated station stops.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg

Saint Petersburg, Petrograd, Leningrad and back to Saint Petersburg a city on the Neva River with a population of almost 5 million.

One of the many bridges of St. Peterburg. All the bridges open at 0100 every morning. The price of a water taxi across goes up at 0101.

On the water, through the canal.

Two days in the city of St. Petersburg and we barely had time to stop and enjoy the sites as we passed by them. Both of our days were spent with a local tour leader which limited our group to 12 people. It was an incredible city full of history and lots of people. Our tour was not limited to riding in the tour bus. We spent lots of time walking, rode on the Metro, took a boat tour around the center of the city and rode a ferry to Peterhof Palace which have been referred to as the "Russian Versailles".

On the water, in the canals of the city.

Our boat went under the bridge.

There are many boats on the water.

The view from the river.

A health club and restaurant are inside the schooner.

The Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachy Island.

Getting ready to go inside the fortress.

Inside, take a picture and move along please.

Burial place for many great Russians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Paul_Fortress


On to the Church of the Spilt Blood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Savior_on_Blood

Inside

CoSB

CoSB

The alter wall inside the CoSB. This was the last site before lunch on a hydroplane ferry to Petergof. Lunch was a pizza toast, apple and bottled water. I had a nap.