scubacruiserx2

With the Da Vinci Room becoming crowded , we moved over to one of my favorite artists in the Hermitage - Rembrandt .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rembrandt

They have a large gallery with some of his more famous paintings there which we had hoped would be less crowded . We were wrong .

Flora

In the room with the painting

The Return of the Prodigal Son

Viewing the Prodigal

In order to portray the painting and the museum in it's best light , I 'll borrow a couple of previous postings from our Total Eclipse thread . The photos were taken last May when we stayed in SPB - BEFORE THE BUSY SEASON , and it's the reason that we prefer , and would recommend , a stay in SPB . :) :D

Here's a close up of the Benois Madonna .

And with a quick pause between groups , I could get a quick picture of it , with Ty .

This is the Madonna Litta , also by da Vinci . A passing guide shared it's story with us also ( my , what big ears you have grandma ) .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_Litta

The doors in the room are a work of art themselves .

They are decorated in the Boulle style , and made from tortoise shell and gilded brass .

Thank you so much for this excellent thread. Your photos are amazing and your posts are a great read.

We did a Baltic cruise 2007 on celebrity Century and enjoyed it. Your photos bring back good memories. Thanks very much, Jean.

You're welcome Jean , and thank you for your kind words . There have been a number of positive changes since you last visited . More people speak English , and the signage reflects it also . And many of the building have been further restored as a result of , and in search of tourist revenue . Also , the new port and the Fabrege Museum are first rate . On the down slope however , there are many more visitors now , than before . :eek:

The clock comes to life when it's wound up . Please see the video here :

There is also a large , beautiful mosaic in the room .

We now entered room 214

The da Vinci room

The room features 2 paintings from the true renaissance genius , Leonardo da Vinci .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

The first is the Benois Madonna - 1478 .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benois_Madonna

At this point there is a transition between buildings with some nice windows and views .

I do love this piece of glass

and the garden

In the next room is the peacock clock

And the crowds began !

Lol! No - we have two Cocker Spaniels!

 

 

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Very nice , my wife's parents had one also .

Ty could see the crowd in the courtyard growing

The next room was The Hall of 1812 which was filled paintings concerning the war after Napoleon invaded Russia .

Field Marshal Kutuzov is considered a major hero in the war against Napoleon . In this painting , he appears to have three arms to me .

The next room is The Saint George Hall

with it's beautiful throne .

And directly behind it in the next room is this hand carved piece .

The top of the Jordan Staircase

In the next room was this display case

It contained Prussian Military Batons

The next room was the Hall of Peter the Great

The next room was even larger , The Armorial Hall .

The golden hue there ,reminded us of the Golden Hall in Stockholm .

Loving your review and photos. Will be in the Baltic next summer and hoping for good weather!

 

 

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Thank you , and we hope that you have great weather also . Are you any relation to Joe , cocker2 ? :) :D

I got a Fujifilm X-T1...I'm going mirrorless to lighten the load. Trudging through the rainforest of the Dominican Republic earlier this month I really struggled with the weight of my camera, even on a sling. I also know I need to cut down on my carry-on weight because we're flying Lufthansa. Now, I'm certainly not ready to get rid of my Canon, but I might consider it down the road if this new camera works for me. I will probably, however, sell a lens or 2 since I seldom use them and I want to get, at the very least a wide angle and a good low-light fixed distance lens before the trip. I figure parting ways with my 70-200 L will help in the funding department!

 

Sorry to hijack your thread with camera talk. I'm a little apprehensive because I used a Sony NEX for a while and HATED it, but I'm going to try to take the time to really explore this camera and see if it will work for me.

 

 

 

 

That's about the temperature it was when we convinced our guide to change the afternoon's itinerary. We were cold and wet! Here's our group (plus some other people) waiting outside Catherine Palace while our guide got our tickets. It was a long wait...the computers were down, and they had to hand-write the tickets for each group wile we waited. In the cold. And the rain.:rolleyes:

 

That's my mom in the middle (with the hat under her hood). She was trying to smile, but I think at that point she was probably secretly wondering what the heck she was doing in Russia. Standing outside. In the cold. And the rain.:D

No worries about a hijack since camera speak , is spoken here ! ;) . It looks like a nice system (I took a peek ) . And at first glance with the 3 dial array , it looked kinda familiar !

And it looks like a fun group enjoying the Russian Weather ! That reminds me of our Moscow guide's comment about the cold , rainy weather when we first met her ; " Russian weather , 9 months of anticipation , and 3 months of disappointment ! " :rolleyes:

Strange, I always understood that the coming of the Wise Men was celebrated on Epiphany (my birthday, January 6 th) which in Catholic countries is Christmas Day. Certainly in Tenerife they we have seen processions which include camels, which the wise men were thought to have used.

 

My mother used to tell me I was born on 'old Christmas Day.'

A great observation Jackie , so I looked and I found this article on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_water_in_Eastern_Christianity

A partial quote :

Jesus' baptism is commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox churches at the Feast of Theophany (literally "manifestation of God") on January 6 (for those Orthodox Christians who use the Julian Calendar, January 6 falls on the Gregorian Calendar date of January 19). At the Vespers of this feast, a font of holy water is typically blessed in the church, to provide holy water for the parish's use in the coming year. The next morning, after the Divine Liturgy a procession goes from the church to a nearby river, lake or other body of water, to bless that water as well. This represents the redemption of all creation as part of humanity's salvation.

Photo: Blessing the waters of the Neva on Theophany

Thus it seems that January 6th is Epiphany is the West , but celebrated as Theophany in the East . And so it seem that you hit a trifecta Jackie , a birthday , Epiphany and Theophany ! :cool:

An early opening at the Hermitage .

With a nearly empty hall

Waiting for the ladies

Entrance to the Jordan staircase

A horizontal view

The principal or Jordan Staircase of the Winter Palace, St Petersburg is so called because on the Feast of the Epiphany the Tsar descended this imperial staircase in state for the ceremony of the "Blessing of the Waters" of the Neva River, a celebration of Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. The staircase is one of the few parts of the palace retaining the original 18th-century style. The massive grey granite columns, however, were added in the mid 19th century . From Wikipedia

A vertical stitch to show the ceiling

Anna took this group shot using Pat's little pocket camera .

After a great nights sleep and breakfast we were downstairs at 9 am to meet Polina and perhaps , her daughter . She was to be our guide and driver for the day and we had hoped that her oldest daughter may go along , as her younger had on a previous tour . But , at 9:30 we were becoming concerned .

About that time Anna showed up and explained that Polina's daughter was ill and that she would be guiding us for the next 2 days . Additionally , we also had a driver . This explained the call from Alla .

Next stop , the Naval Cathedral .

She was up to speed on our flexible plan of what we wanted to do and this stop was a bonus before an early opening to the Hermitage .

The Bell tower

I took an upper and a lower photo and stitched them together , but you can see a misalignment of the columns , at the blue arrow .

Here's a nice article and photos , including an interior shot , which we are not supposed to take . But of course , some people did anyway .

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/st-nicholas-cathedral/

And a couple from a previous trip . First from the park in the rear .

And one on a clear day with the sun back lighting the cupolas .

It was 10 pm by the time we reached the port with the uber cab and we all got a crash course in the new capitalism . The amount for him to enter and exit the port was equal to the cost of the fare . Additionally , we were trapped between two gates until he paid ! Of course we gladly paid the fee , and at $ 10 it wasn't too expensive for us , but it was quite a surprise for all of us . And we also gave him a nice tip for his trouble .

During the day we had picked up our Petersburg cards and a fur hat for Tyler as it was damp and cool .

Here's the second day's Celebrity Today .

We had promised to sleep in a little latter and we had a different guide scheduled for the next day . We also had a message on the phone from Alla tours saying that we would meet at 9 am which we thought was strange . Our guide Polina works independently , for Alla and also for Tours by Locals , which is where we first met . And we usually e-mail , or phone each other directly so this call seemed a bit different .

By the time we woke up the next morning - it was COLD .

Really enjoying your trip report. Like that you visited "off the beaten track" sites. So interesting. Thanks.

Thank you Deb . We were trying to interest Tyler and ourselves while avoiding crowds . Museum overdose was starting to set in for Ty , and on the next day we would be at some of the more known , and busy sites .

That's a great idea, but we're already pushing our limit at 3 weeks since Jim is still working.:rolleyes:

 

We're planning three plus days in Rome before our cruise, and then we'll have a total of 5 in Venice and Ljubljana before we fly home. I'm already giddy with planning and excitement...too bad I have nine months to wait!:eek:

 

Oh well, I have a whole new camera to learn and plenty of other things to keep myself occupied during the waiting period!

I have a whole new camera to learn... I love it , it's music to my ears . :) And what did you get ?

The trip sounds absolutely amazing , and we love the pre and post cruise stays , brilliant !!! :cool:

I'm really enjoying your review. I can't wait to read more of St. Petersburg! I love that you didn't take a typical tour!

 

My favorite part of our two days there was when our small group convinced our guide that seeing a few alternate sites was preferable to a canal ride in the cold rain with fogged up windows!:eek: We visited a functioning Russian Orthodox church (St. Nicholas Cathedral), then headed for the Kuznechny Market. I loved walking around the local market, and thought it was fascinating to get a glimpse of how people live vs. visiting another tourist site. My husband and I agreed that if we go back we will try to arrange a tour to see the "real" Russia, not the "tourist" Russia. Even though the churches and museums are beautiful, my real interest anyplace is in the people and the culture.

Thank you Cindy we're glad that you like it . And we certainly applaud your adventuresome spirit , and it's great that you were able to persuade your guide to make those changes ! ;)

I saw that you are returning to Europe in 2017 . Have you considered a stay in Russia after your cruise ? May is our favorite time there and staying there was the best way to take it all in , in real time . We just enjoyed going shopping or eating out or hopping the Sapsan to Moscow . We also really enjoyed a day in the country at a Dascha with a Banya . And if you rent an apartment , it cost less than many hotels and we could cook or do laundry there , if you choose . We never thought that we could do it - until we did ! :) :D

Thanks for all the tips!!! :)

We are glad that you enjoy the photos and we want to encourage you to take some also . Our 1st TA and X cruise was on the Connie where I bought Pat a camera and since then , she has taken some very nice photos - some which I had missed ! :cool:

After a couple of hours there , and on our third museum of the day , we were all a little tired as we completed our tour . But Tyler's energy perked up as he saw the shooting range and he had a blast !

And when we got outside with the cooler weather and the tanks - he was ready to climb !

Afterwards , we had an off the grid church which had we wanted to visit .

Because it's a working church , ladies must wear scarfs or hats and photography in not permitted inside . Below it is a cafe with tea for the adults and a piece of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream which Tyler loves for dessert .

Gennadiy dropped us at our final stop - some friend's house where we would be having dinner . We met them in 2009 on a lunch with a family "tour" , offered through Denrus . Our friendship with Yuri and Nellie has grown over the years , and it was our pleasure both to see them , and to introduce them to Tyler . 3 hours just flew by as we dined and drank together . But we all had a busy and early day coming up , and so Tyler reluctantly said goodbye to his Russian бабушка & дедушка , as we took a cab back to the port .

After our return to the ground we had a nice lunch at a cafeteria in the fortress . Our next stop was at the Artillery Museum , which had walked around on the outside before , but never the inside . Gennadiy had hired a employee there who has an exhaustive knowledge of the 850,000 items exhibited .

http://www.artillery-museum.ru/en/collections.html

We began at a statute of Peter the Great who founded the museum .

I believe that this cannon was cast in a single piece by Andrey Chokhov , who also cast the famous Tsar Cannon in Moscow .

There were also some knights in shining armor there !

Also there was a painting of Winter Palace with a chariot drawn by 6 horses . Mounted on the gilded chariot were cannons and the Artillery Banner .

And here's the real thing in person .

One of the wonderful things about your review is that I will know where to go when we DO do a Baltic cruise and I won't need a camera much because I could never take the wonderful shots you do.....but will have this review to go back to and reflect!!!

Thanks Gracie , but you and everyone can take better photos , myselfie included ! Here's how :)

1. Memory is cheap , but memories last a long time - so take lots of photos ( I have lot of bad ones too ).

2. Change camera settings of the same place - I will shoot a nice scene 3 times using Auto , Sports and Landscape settings .

3. Edit . It's a second change to fix or make things better .

4. Learn how to use your current camera better through practice , a book or instructional video on youtube .

5. Look for a basic camera school on youtube .

6. Last of all, upgrade your equipment . All of the previous things can be done free , so try them first !

:) :D

Lovely to be reminded of our cruise in May.

That's the reasons why we enjoy taking photos . To remember and to share with others . :) :D

Also at the Peter and Paul Fortress , Baltic Air conducts helicopter flights on the weekends and holidays .

As you can see , the Mil 8 is quite large .

And while we waited for the flight , I took a quick look at the cockpit .

The flight is best experienced thru video . So click on the links , set to HD and turn the stereo up and come fly with us !

Engine start up :

Take off over the Artillery Museum :

The Field of Mars with the Church on Spilt Blood in the center of the photo .

So see how many site that you recognize in this 6 minute clip :

It begins with Smolny Cathedral now covered up for renovation .

And here's Smolny Cathedral ( from a previous flight ) .

Inside of the fortress is a statue of Peter the Great in which you could sit and have your photo taken .

But access is now restricted .

If you look above Pat's head you will see a green bridge with 2 people . They are walking to the place where a cannon shot is fired every day at noon .

Followed by the bells ringing in the Cathedral .

Gennadiy tells us about the church as the bells are ringing in this video clip :

The interior of the beautiful cathedral was packed with some pushy tourists !

Some coffins containing the remains of many Czars including Catherine the Great and Peter the Great are here . You can see a small black bust and some white flowers on the lower right which mark the coffin of Peter the Great .

Before we reached the P&P Fortress , Gennadiy stopped the car in front of the Mickhailovskiy Castle and told us the story about it . Paul I , the son of Catherine the Great and heir of the throne , was obsessed with all things Medieval and was concerned about being assassinated . And rather than live in the Winter Palace he built this castle , complete with moat and drawbridge , before he became Czar .

Less than 40 days after moving into it , the new Czar was assassinated in his bedroom there .

The Peter and Paul Fortress was the first structure built in SPB .

And because of it's cathedral's bell tower , it is visible throughout the city . And at 122.5 meters , it's the tallest Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the world .

This photo , which I took at the base of a Rostral Column , shows the P&P Fortress . It is a copy of the image found on the Russian 50 Ruble note .

Here's Tyler , with wind blown scarf , entering the Fortress .