St. Petersburg/Petrograd/Leningrad

Did you know that St. Petersburg was called 2 other names at some point in history? Me either.

THE HIGHLIGHTS.

Flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

They didn't even check my passport. Not Once. Boo. I don't know why but carrying that makes me feel soo cool.

They serve you breakfast for a one hour flight. A croissant no less. With a banana and OJ. Suddenly peanuts and a child size pop look even more lame than they did before.

SERGEI- Our Russian guide and driver. He is amazing at his job, and makes American patriotism look like child's play. Russian Pride all the way. He loved taking jabs at the US at any opportunity, and also did it in that nice way. Ya know, the way where some one us saying it nice but really insulting you? Yeah. It was a love/annoyed relationship. We also learned from Sergei that even though nearly EVERYTHING, from the Winter Palace to the Peterhof, was a replica of the original, it was, in fact, still original, because of one reason or another that makes sense only if you are Russian. I think the criteria was if it had something in it from the original than that makes the whole thing original. The second day he warmed up to us and even smiled revealing braces. He is also quite a gentleman. Always helping me up the stairs and telling me my camera lens isn't quite clean...

SERGEI. He is quite the guide...

Hermitage and Winter Palace- Amazing and yet slightly underwhelmed. I mean, Sergei was disappointed when we insisted on Dutch and Flemish art instead of the Renaissance art, but can you blame us? 27 (yes 27) Rembrandt. And Van Dykes, and Rubens. All behind glass. ?????? AND ya know how museums are usually strictly controlled? Light, humidity, temperature ect. Nyet. If a room was too hot, they opened a window. There was so special lighting. You were looking at PRICELESS works of art and you had to position yourself so you cold actually see the painting through the glare on the glass from the OPEN window. Weird. But if you go. Don't miss it. Just to see the Winter Palace is worth it.

The grand staircase in the Winter Palace. Old guy not included.

THE WINTER PALACE

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood- weird name, I know. Alexander the Second (?) had is legs blown off by a terrorist. They built a memorial to that. What is really impressive was the interior. Every inch of the floor and ceiling was completely covered in mosaic scenes from the bible. Unbelievable. This was Damon's favorite place in Russia

Yes. All of that is mosaics. Every inch.

The outside of the church. at least part of it.

We also saw many palaces that nobles lived in and even saw where the Stroganoffs lived. Yes. I know. They invented beef Stroganoff. Thank you Stroganoff Family. I give due credit to you. Here I was thanking Betty Crocker all these years... (Anything of minute historical significance like that is now restored and made into a museum.)

MUSHROOM PEROGI IS THE BOMB. I wish I had a picture to show you.

Cathrine's Palace was crowded and looked like King Midas had been there. Everything was gold. The famous Amber Room is also here. I didn't take many photos because I though the whole thing was in bad taste.

GRAND BALLROOM.
Royal booties. I am halfway shocked they didn't have gold ones for us.

This photo isn't a mistake. Short people have a disadvantage. And I am not looking in a mirror either. All those doorways are different rooms. And they all have gold everywhere.

The best part of the whole thing was a little hole in the wall blini place. Russian cottage cheese is different. Its really creamy and smooth, but still firm, and with some honey and apricots in a blini it was to die for.

BEHOLD, THE PETERHOF

That is all one building. All of it. One. I have been there and I still can't believe it.

This is my favorite thing in Russian, besides the cottage cheese and apricot blini and the cream of mushroom soup.

VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE PETERHOF. all the fountains are natural. No pumps. not one.

I can't even begin to describe this place. Even in all its excessiveness, I found it to be so beautiful. Damon made Sergei sooo mad by guessing all three names of the fountains that people get wrong. "YOU READ!!!! YOU KNOW!!! ADMIT IT!!!"

My smarty pants husband. He looks like he could take some one out in this photo. His co-workers even call him "The Asset"

After the Peterhof, Sergei dropped us off and we walked up and down Nevsky Prospekt, looking for dinner. We (not really sure how) ended up at this CRAPPY hole complete with black light above each table, techno music, and a tiny tea light candle, for ambiance, of course. We were in a rush, and had to ketch our train and they took an eternity to get our food out to us, so we got it to go and ran to the VOXALL (train station) This is where I stop this post. The Russian Trains deserve a post all their own.