We flew from Vienna to Moscow; upon arrival we took the overnight train to St. Petersburg. Of course, since it was Emily's birthday, we had to celebrate on the train with a cake and presents.
We arrived in St. Petersburg at 7:00 in the morning and walked through the city waiting for things to open.
Kazan Cathedral
This statue honors Peter the Great, founder of St. Petersburg.
St. Issac's Cathedral -- we walked up to the dome where we had a nice view over the city. This view shows the view to the Neva River.
View of the Winter Palace (Hermitage) from the Neva River.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is located on one of the islands of St. Petersburg. This group pic looks back at the mainland.
Peterhof -- Peter the Great Built this Palace on the Coast of the Gulf of Finland. Palace, church, gardens, fountains, extensive buildings -- makes Versailles look small.
Tsarskoye Selo - a palace a bit outside of the city; built by three Empresses, including Catherine the Great. It includes the "Amber Room" which was dismantled by the Germans and then mysteriously disappeared. It has now been restored or recreated as close to the original as possible. The grounds include gardens, statues, fountains, ponds, churches, baroque and more baroque.
A night at the Marinsky Theatre Ballet -- presenting . . . Swan Lake.
We caught the end of the St. Petersburg "White Nights"; this is sunset at about 1:00 a.m.; sunrise was about 4:00 a.m.
We stayed in a Dacha about an hour north of St. Petersburg near the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
Our modes of transportation in Russia included: . . . trains
. . . and metro
. . . and crowded buses!
We arrive back in Moscow - outside of the train station.
Resurrection Gate - entrance to Red Square
Marie on Red Square.
St. Basil's built by Ivan the Terrible.
View of red square and the Kremlin walls from St. Basil's.
Gardens and parks surrounding the Kremlin.
Time for a photo op with the Kremlin in the background.
