Full steam ahead! We're having a "sea day" today! First, a hydrofoil trip into the Gulf of Finland to Peterhof to see its magnificent fountains. Started by Peter The Great in 1725 as his version of Versailles, the palace and gardens had been added on to by successive tsars until it became the confection it is today.
We arrived just before the fountains turned on so we snagged a prime spot on a little bridge spanning the main canal and soon enough each little fountain spurted to life. A great symphony started pouring from the speakers and in a crescendo the large central fountain burst forth. What fun!
We didn't bother going into the palace as we have the Winter Palace (i.e. The Hermitage) on or schedule for tomorrow and they were designed by the same architect and so are said to be of similar ilk. Besides, there's only so much Baroque and Roccoco we can take! So we wandered the gardens, coming upon little houses (relatively speaking for a tsar) and boathouses and fountains. The sun was warm, the grass so green, and the trees only just starting to bud. A great day for a walk in the park.
After a little lunch and rest at 'home' we popped down to the canal just outside our front door for a little one-hour sightseeing tour. The commentary was completely in Russian so we didn't glean any interesting tidbits there, but still completely enjoyed the sun and the sights.
The Hermitage from the Neva
No comments:
Post a Comment