so after the Hermitage Daddeeo had a cool idea about taking a 'canal crusie'. I was like 'umm YES!' :)
Here we are on our boat making our way towards the Neva river....
As we came out of the canal onto the river we saw quite the sight - BRIDES! AGAIN! LOL....(maybe there is just one and then the rest are bridesmaids....I don't know....)
But still...St. Petersburg = Marriage Capital of Russia! :)
Looking back towards the Hermitage, etc. Loverly...
Then we saw another bridge on a boat getting her pix taken....hmm....
Peter and Paul Fortress again....
Now we're back in the canal again...
On the right are the 'Summer Gardens' and in the background Tsar Paul's palace (Catherine the Great's husband who 'mysteriously' died, uh-huh....)
cool bridge with Trinity Cathedral in the background....
St. Nicholas Church (I think...I forget its name, but I think it is that...)
St. Isaac's Cathedral in the background...
This building....our guide said it used to be a German Protestant church and then became a night club....
It looks more like a KGB building to me...
Those peeps don't seem...'worshipful'...they seem 'comrade-angry'! ;)
Loverly canals....loverly St. Petersburg....
Thanks Dad for the canal cruise! Twas wunderbar!
Then we walked around....here's the Admiralty building in the background....
Here is St. Isaac's Cathedral....do you wanna go in?
Lovely!
This is the third-largest domed cathedral in the world and was built between 1818-1858.
WOW! I love this pic!
The 'beginning' of the altar....
I really liked this Jesus....
as opposed to the Jesus actually inside and behind the altar....
Look above the Madonna's head....the All-Seeing Eye was LITERALLY everywhere! I remember seeing it in the palace chapel in Versailles...also in Vienna, in churches, etc....I guess it must've been the religious fashion during the day....OR a SECRET COMBINATION conspiracy!
:) Sorry...I digress...yet again....
Turning around for a photo....going up the stairs to the roof...
Did I mention I LOVE views!!
Mariinsky Palace aka St. Petersburg City Hall down below....
Looking out over the city....the Hermitage is in the background....the Admiralty's spire in the foreground...
Looking down at the Neva river....the Senate buildling is on the left....
St. Petersburg....IS A PORT!
Love the views! Thanks Heavenly Father for the good weather....
Now we're headed to that blue-domed church in the background...
Looking back at St. Isaac's....sometimes looking back is good :)
Now towards our Ziel (goal)....
So this is Trinity Cathedral built between 1828-1835.
The canon memorial is for the Russo-Turkish war of 1878 when Russia freed Bulgaria from the Ottomans...
Wish the scaffolding were gone...PHOTO SHOP where are you?!!
Don't see too much of this stuff anymore, so I had to take a pic....
For dinner we had 'Bliny' (essentially crepes), Borscht and Russian cranberry juice....
a VERY 'red' meal wouldn't you agree? LOL!
I just thought the name of this mobile phone company was funny ;)
Bridal dresses for ALL OF THOSE BRIDES in St. Petersburg! Sheesh!
Ummm.....what a name for a store! Seriously.....
At least they weren't selling baby products ;) Can you imagine that? A generation of Marchiavelli's unleashed on the world...oh wait....mind/conscioius numbing violent video games and movies...umm...nevermind...
Here are some Russian Rubles....
And now...to sleep....I normally would've just gone to the airport but Daddeeo has an idea about us going to see Peter the Great's palace...umm...am I nervous? Would someone who has missed three flights in their lifetime be nervous about missing another and possibly getting in trouble with Russian authorities for overstaying their visa and the possible financial consequences, etc.? ...... :)
