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Ozbrecht 2019 - Iceland & The Baltics
St. Petersburg, Russia
August 25-26
A different kind of city than those we have visted. A huge city - over 5 million people. Here are typical living quarters
Zenit Arena, home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Our welcome to Peterhof Palace & Gardens. They were playing America the Beautiful - did we look THAT American? (video)
The palace
A few pictures from our visit inside the palace
The palace and gardens were built in the early 18th century by Peter the Great in a one upsmanship response to King Louis XIV's building of the Palace of Versailles in Paris
The highlight at Peterhof are the gardens and many fountains
This is the main fountain, The Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain and Sea Channel. It is started at 11am every day. We had some time to explore the rest of the gardens first
A few pictures of our stroll through The Lower Gardens
The far end of the gardens sits on the bay looking back toward the city
The far end of the gardens sits on the bay looking back toward the city
As 11 am approached, and the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain's scheduled starting, huge crowds emerged. We decided to lay back and view the festivities from afar, then get closer once things settled down. It turned out to be a wise strategy.
The Samson Fountain sits at the center of this complex, and depicts the biblical story of Samson tearing open the jaws of the lion. Out of the lion's mouth a 66-foot fountain emerges
There are a total of 64 fountains that make up the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain complex.
Amazingly, it all works without the need for pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference (gravity) creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over 2.5 miles in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source.
By the time we left Peterhof, massive crowds had arrived (thanks again for the early arrival, Viking!). Of course on the way out were opportunities to spend your rubles
We were in St. Petersburg for two days. Tomorrow will be more sightseeing. This afternoon we relaxed in the ship's infinity pool
Part of the afternoon's relaxation
Across the St. Petersburg bay (the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland) from our ship is the Lahkta Building. At 87 stories, it is the tallest building in Russia and in Europe.
Day 2 in St. Petersburg. This was Tserkov' Uspeniya Presvyatoy Bogoroditsy, a Russian Orthodox Church
Sphinx replica
Kazan Cathedral, Russian Orthodox
We took two excursions on Day 2. The first was a canal trip, which enabled us to see many of St. Petersburg's landmarks without fighting the crowds
Our canal boat barely fit under some of the many bridges.
This young fellow on the bridge played a game for us. He would run from one bridge to the next, position himself just above us as we passed under, and greet us. He probably did this for about 10 bridges.
(video)
Under a bridge
Faberge Museum
Bolshoi Circus
St. Michael's Castle
We're going under THERE?
Leningradskiy Oblastnoy - county court
Summer Palace of Peter the Great
Peter and Paul Fortress
Hermitage Museum
Our canal tour concluded, the excursion also took us to two beautiful Russian Orthodox churches. The first is Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Beautiful, colorful spires
Inside, it is equally colorful
The "spilled blood" is not Christ's blood, but the blood of Emperor Alexander II, who was killed by political rebels in 1781. The church was erected on the assasination site by Alexander III as a memorial to his father.
Ceiling paintings
Most of the wall murals are mosaics
Marble floor
We did not receive a private showing inside the church. It was very crowded
Much of the exterior of the church is under renovation and scaffolded. This is a model of the church in its original, and future intended, form
Back outside
The second Russian Orthodox church we visited was St. Isaac's Cathedral
Wonderful granite columns. There are 112 of these!
Massive bronze doors
In the afternoon, our second excursion of the day - a bus tour of town. Some of what we saw duplicates what we saw in the morning. This was the Magazin Tserkovnoy Literatury book store
St. Isaac's Cathedral from a different vantage point
Gosudarstvennyy Muzey-Pamyatnik Isaakiyevskiy Sobor, Muzey Kamnya. handicraft museum. Across the street from Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Different views of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Back on the bus!
In the background is St. Petersburg's Stock Exchange. In front, the Rostral Column, orignally built as a navigational beacon along the Neva River. Our last stop on the bus tour was the viewpoint on the left
From the viewpoint - Peter and Paul fortress in the background
Hermitage Museum
The other side of Peter and Paul Fortress
Back on board, leaving St. Petersburg
On our way out of St. Petersburg, we passed by Kotlin Island
Power lines are not underground here
Kotlin Island has numerous rock outcroppings, each with their own lighthouse
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