Da Svidaniya Russia

Our last full day in Russia. We spent it touring the Hermitage and the Peter and Paul fortress here in St. Petersburg. Both very impressive buildings from the 18th century. The weather was very nice for a stroll along the Neva and out to the fortress which is on an island in the river. There was a nice breeze (Natalie calls it a gusty wind) to keep things cool.





The Hermitage is in the Winter Palace. A masterpiece of architecture to complement the art work they have inside. We spent over two hours wandering around the halls admiring the art and the palace. It is amazing that one family could amass so much wealth. After seeing the palace it is no wonder that the communists revolted. By the end of the 19th century the royal family seemed out of touch with the common people. It is our luck today though because we can now enjoy all of the treasures - including these real taxidermic horses!





After lunch we took a stroll over the Neva to Rabbit Island, the site of the Peter and Paul fortress, where we stopped for ice cream even though it was cold. This is where Peter the Great held court while they were building the city. It was also a fort to defend the city from the Swedes. Peter, being the military man that he was, made a very strong wall around the island and then put a huge cathedral on the island. The spire over the cathedral can be seen from all over the city. We also found out that they still have working cannons on the island that fire a shot everyday at noon.




The island appears to be a favorite for brides. While we where there we saw several brides getting their pictures taken. Natalie found this very interesting. It combines the Russian love of acting like a model and posing for pictures, with fancy dresses. What is not to love?


The rest of the day was spent shopping for souvenirs. Natalie used her expert bargaining skills to make her feel like she was only getting slightly ripped off. The stuff here is very expensive and if I ever hear the words, "very expensive because hand painted" again, it will be too soon!

Tomorrow we are off to the airport to begin our two day trip home. We will probably post some more on the journey home if we can get Internet.





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Location:наб. реки Мойки,St Petersburg,Russian Federation