A Grand Tour Part 15 - St.Petersburg Part 2

The idea was to only do one BLOG on St Petersburg, but...there is just so much more to share. We would really like to show you more of this magical city.

First, let's give you a few more glimpses of the wonderful buildings in St Petersburg and what better place to start then with this neo Russian style, the 'CHURCH OF THE SPILT BLOOD' - lots of onion domes and mosaics. History tells us that on this spot Alexander I was assassinated. The colour of the domes and the general appearance is something out of a fairy tale - perhaps, Carol is the Fairy godmother!
Close by, the market was teeming with Russian specials. Just great to wander through all of this.St Petersburg has also been compared with Venice, although we found it quite different, but nice:Our drive around the city included this church, which had a door that showed incredible detail of religious scenes:This cruiser has the distinction of firing a dummy shell signaling the start of the Revolution in 1917. The ship saw active service in both world wars and the Russia/Japanese war.
BUT FINALLY.......the amazing PeterhofIt is hard to tell you what was the most wonderful sight in St Petersburg as they were all quite amazing. However, Peterhof sort of stood by itself in its opulence and the use of the best of everything. This was evident both inside the palace and in the splendid gardens with about 150 fountains - we were very fortunate that these were still operating as they normally would be shutdown by this of the year.
Of course, one expects a 'royal' musical serenade and welcome:The palace was initially built by Peter the Great and added to by his successors. There simply isn't space to show you the treasures inside, including the parquetry floors that were a real treat. So let's remain outside and give you a taste of the wealth of the Tsars. Peter had visited Versailles and was determined to recreate that splendour in Peterhof. How well he succeeded. The fountains and waterfalls operate by gravity - no pumps, and the system hasn't been changed since 1721! Share the enjoyment of this magic:






And it just didn't stop!

Well may we look pleased. It was thoroughly enjoyable!The above and the previous BLOG are just a few samples of our St Petersburg experience. We haven't even told you about the Hermitage. There were so many wonderful pieces of art, including those from Michelangelo, Van Steen, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt. So let us leave you with just a tiny taste of these amazing treasures:
Last, but not least, the very special painting by Rembrandt entitled 'The Return of the Prodigal Son'. It depicts the father as a blind man just wishing to touch his son who was lost, but was now found. Pretty powerful!
Next, we sail on board MV Kirov!