scubacruiserx2

The red building behind the helicopter is the Artillery Museum.

We were there on Victory Day in 2009 and so there was free admission. It was interesting to hear the WW II music being played and seeing the kids having fun on the cannons.

At 10 pm we joined a crowd for fireworks.

All of the sarcophagi are made of the same white Carrara marble except those of Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna his wife. Their tombs are made of Altai jasper and Ural rhodonite. They took 17 years to carve and polish !

This strange statue of Peter the Great sits in the courtyard. Most people didn't know that Peter was bald and wore wigs.

If you are in the fortress at noon you will hear a single cannon shot.

On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays Baltic Air offers flights over St Petersburg from the fortress.

They also offer flights over Peterhof.

Next to the Field of Mars , fronting the Neva River is the Summer Garden. Peter the Great, in 1704, built the garden and filled it with 250 Italian statutes from the 17th and 18th centuries.

It's a nice place for a break or a lunch if you have one with you.

As you cross the Trotsky Most ( bridge) to the Peter and Paul Fortress , you see this view across the river.

The Peter and Paul Fortress is home to the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul. After Peter's death it became the last resting place of the Tsars. All of the Tsars are buried here except Ivan the VI and Peter II.

This is Peter the Great's sarcophagus on the right

Thanks! I don't mean to get ahead of you, but did you happen to visit the Grand Choral Synagogue? Any thoughts on adding this to our tour?

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

It's on our short list for the Fall , but we have not been there yet. Also Moscow , Kronstat , Russian Museum , Tikhvin Cemetery and a visit to a country Dascha with lunch. These are first time events.

Thanks Terry for sharing your wonderful pictures !

Here's a different perspective of Spilled Blood - in the Fall

Psychedelic pineapples ?

After dark - no tripod so it's a little blurry

Outside of the church there is a bridge that newlyweds attach a lock with the date and throw the key into the river. To celebrate our 35th I plan on attaching a lock with the dates when we return this Fall.

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photos/video and your wealth of information with us. This is so helpful in preparing for my upcoming visit in June!:). I am sharing the link to this thread with the members of my roll call as well. Thanks again for all your efforts. We greatly appreciate it ;)!

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

You're welcome, we're glad we can help. Hopefully you can narrow your choices for your upcoming trip. There is SO much to see and do ! You'll have a blast !

what a great thread! Thank you so much for sharing! I wish I had this while planning my first visit!

Thanks bochata for you kind words. After our cruise in 2006 we felt like we missed alot so we planned a B2B transatlantic/baltic in 2009. That morphed , using the same budget , into a TA / St. Pete stay. Maybe there's one in your future !

Thanks for providing the great tip and website for the Hermitage! I would have never thought of doing that! Great advise and thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. :)

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

You're welcome ! Glad to share and help if we can. Another great web site for St. Petersburg is http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/st-petersburg?city%5Bredirect%5D=0&go=Go

If you click on the free download there is a wealth of infomation on St. Pete and many other European cities.

Returning to our photo gallery, as we look across the river Neva from in front of the Hermitage, we see the Peter and Paul Fortress (more later) . This is the docks for many of the river cruises.

If you turn right and walk you will pass a few buildings , including the Marble Palace. As you reach the Troitsky Bridge , if you make a right you will see the Field of Mars. At the center is the Monument to Revolutionary Fighters wher a number of the Bolsheviks are buried. In the distance we see one of the crown jewels of St. Petersburg- The Church of the Savioon Spilled Blood.

Here's a few from the front

Every trip should include the interior mosaics

and a video

Across the square from the Hermitage is The General Staff Building of The Russian Army

Victory and her six-horsed chariot

The Hermitage is one of the world's great art museums and is entered by The State (Jordan, or Ambassador's) Staircase with our private guide Gennadiy

One of my favorite statues is The death of Adonis

A visit to their fantasic website to preplan your favorite stops is the way to go before you go. Their photography is professional grade.

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/00/hm0_2.html

Truly amazing pictures in all these posts! I pulled them up on my kindle and what a difference as oppose to my iPhone! Amazing! Looking forward to my visit in June. Thanks for sharing!

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

Thanks Dolfans , I'm sure will love St. Pete. We're in Miami tomorrow. DD is getting married on the Carnival Victory !

If you returned to the city and begain walking along the Neva River starting at the Bronze Horseman, you could see most of the sites that St. Petersburg is famous for.

In this picture you can see the yellow buildings with the spire and flag that comprise the Admirality building. The green building is the Winter Palace which houses the Hermitage. In the distance is St. Issac's Cathedral.

On the other side of the Winter Palace is Palace Square with the Alexander Column, at 600 tons making it the largest free-standing monument the world.

Across the river Neva from the Admirality is the Rostral Columns

If anyone chooses to drive to Peterhof there are many sites along the way:

The Narva gate commerates the Russian victory over Napoleon

This Soviet Realism painting appears on a building near the gate. It says "Proletariat of the World Unite".

Down the street we found Catherine's Park with this statue of The Komosol ( Communist youth).

And had a nice Fall walk

Before you enter Petrodvorets, you see the Constantine Palace where the 2006 G8 summit was held. This is also where Putin stays when in town.

Just before entering Peterhof you will see the cathedral pictured earlier, Peter and Paul. If you drive one way and use the hydrofoil the other way we think you get the best of both worlds.

Yusupov's Palace

The Moorish Dining Room

Loved the tapestry

And the glass

Seats for the performance

Yesterday's Sunset.

Thanks Linda, we will be doing that this September.

Another useful map is the expanded view showing the Port. It is 6.2 miles from Palace Square and a 20 minute drive.

Thanks Terry for your kind words. Because we went to Catherine's Palace and Peterhof on our Baltic cruise in 2006 we missed Yusupov's Palace and The Peter and Paul Fortress . Yusupov's Palace is 2 blocks South and 2 blocks West of St. Issac's Cathedral on the posted map. It is most famous for the bizzare death of Rasputin.

Catherine's Palace is 18 miles South of the Palace Square in Tsarskoe Selo ( Tsar's Village) but is a 1hr. drive due to traffic. The Heroic Defenders of Leningrad is along the way just before the airport.

The most interesting attraction of the palace is the reconstructed Amber Room ( which they don't allow you to photograph).

Here's a link to a quick video clip of the palace grounds.

Peterhof is 28 miles West of Palace Square and is an hour each way. If you go by car maybe your guide will let you visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral near Petrodvort.

Peterhof is known for it's fountains and we had a unique opportunity to watch some young people play in fountains.

The most frustrating part of leaving the city was the 4 hours used in commuting to the 2 palaces. You can see alot using some of that time in the city.

We used Blue Water Divers. They are fantastic ! The blue horizon is the wall.

Beached Whales ?

You have some great shots Justin! Our son lives in Boca Rat.

As we look at our map in the lower left hand corner we see the Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great.

If you were to walk to the Cruiser Aurora it would take 42 minutes at the distance of 2 miles (according to Google Maps).

Damselfly's lunch

Osprey's lunch

Great Blue Huron

Wildflower

Great Blue Heron

We have booked our 4th visit to St. Petersburg this Fall. We will be glad to help - if we can. About 90% of what most visitors will see will be in this

3 square mile area.

We booked a last minute cruise on The Westerdam last week and were treated to a Sunset after St. Martin on 12-13-2012. Wish I had taken my DSLR !

And it got better.

DW and I drove down to Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami to meet some out of state friends for dinner. While waiting I'm glad I brought my little P&S.

Solar powered lighthouse

Catching some rays

Art Deco crankshaft

We saw the new Reflection sail (click for video).

And was treated to a infomercial in the sky (click for video).

Sunrise:

Fort Pierce

Reflected in the Miami skyline

Saginaw Bay

Mackinac Island