Rushin' through Russia

The second stop on our trip was to St. Petersburg, Russia, often called "The Venice of the North."  It was a beautiful city to visit and enjoy.  The afternoon we arrived, was cool and overcast, so we set out to see a bit of the city.    We ran upon this exhibition called the United Buddy Bears, which is a collection of bears representing over 104 different countries around the world.  The exhibit represent living together in peace and harmony.

We walked alongside the canals and the Neva River, looking at the beautiful museums and palaces lining its banks.  This is the back side of part of The Hermitage.

We were able to visit one of St. Petersburg's most famous landmark...the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood.  The construction of the church was almost entirely funded by the Imperial family and thousands of private donors.























I was able to see this church again on the inside with my English Speaking guide, who took me on a four hour walking tour of the city the following day.  Both the interior and exterior of the church is decorated with incredibly detailed mosaics, designed and created by prominent Russian artists.  It was stunning, inside and out!

We crossed the Potseluev Bridge (the "Bridge of Kisses") over the Moyka River, which has become a highly famous spot for newlyweds and lovers.



In addition to kissing on the bridge, lots of padlocks with lovers names or the date of their marriage engraved on them are being attached to the railing of the bridge by the happy couples, so that their relationship forms and unbreakable bind.  

The next day, Scott and his business associate, Ekaterina, were able to join me and my guide, Maria, to make the trek out to Peterhof Palace, which is a series of palaces and gardens designed and built by Peter the Great.  Sometimes, this site is called "The Russian Versailles."

The compound includes a Russian Orthodox church, the Grand Palace, several smaller palaces and guest homes, pavilions and multiple gardens.  The centerpiece of the entire complex is the Grand Cascade, a series of fountains, pools, and canals that extend from the Upper Gardens, through the palace grounds and all the way to the Sea of Norway. 

Ekaterina, me and Scott in front of the Grand Palace and the Grand Cascade.


Next stop was the Hermitage, which was so very busy that day.  Our guide, Maria, walked us right through the lines and into the entrance.  She guided us through many beautiful rooms and showed us several highlights by the Masters.   It was a sight that we could have spent days and days exploring!

One of my favorite paintings to see was Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son, which was one of his final works before his death.  It was completed around 1661 to 1669.  (Luke 15:29-32).

After the Hermitage, we made a short walk to one of the nearby canals for a narrated tour on a private boat!  We got to see many more buildings and landmarks, and again, learned so much about the city.

We were so spoiled, and very fortunate to have Maria educate us the entire two days.  She was very knowledgeable about the city, its history, and its current political and financial climate, and made the visit so personal for us.

After leaving St. Petersburg, we did a quick stop in London, where Scott had to check on some upcoming events.  During the day, I took a bus to Herrods to shop and enjoy lunch in the Tea Room.


The first night, Scott and I went to see Billy Elliot, which has been a difficult play to get tickets for, so we were expecting an absolutely fabulous experience.  We were disappointed ....not our favorite.




 On Saturday, we took the train west to Three Bridges to visit Roo, Annie, Esme, and Penny in their new home!  They took us into the local village where we walked through the town, window shopping and getting acquainted with everything there, and enjoyed fish and chips for lunch!  They're going to love it here!

After heading back to the city, we had a fabulous dinner, and then finished out of trip with another theater production:  Ghost, The Musical.  This one, we both like a lot!




We had a lovely trip, and it was probably the first time we've done a trip this long together without kids or friends!  It was so nice to have this time together!