St. Petersburg, Part 2

"Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world." Thus begins a description of the Hermitage. Originally built for Peter the Great's daughter, Elizabeth, she did not live to see it completed. Catherine the Great was the first in a line of successors to enjoy the Palace. Catherine's purchase of 255 paintings from Berlin started what would become the most extensive collection of art in the world.

The sumptuous grand entrance.

The first of many ballrooms.

One of the art galleries.

The Throne Room.

Beautiful and mysterious stairway.

Mosaic circular floor.

Perfect perspective in the hallway connecting buildings.

Another beautiful art gallery. For the most part, pictures were either restricted or not allowed in the galleries. After three hours we were exhausted but thoroughly pleased and impressed with this Palace-turned-museum. Of all my travels over the last decade, I believe that the Hermitage has captured my heart and soul. Fortunately, Graham and I take a break from tomorrow's activities to digest what we've seen and prepare for our return. On Thursday we visit Catherine's Palace.

This is a statue of the poet, Alexander Pushkin. This town, a suburb of St. Petersburg, is named after him. And Catherine Palace and Park are located here. Whereas the Hermitage was the Winter Palace of the royal families, Catherine Palace in Pushkin was known as the Summer Palace. It seems that no expense was spared in decorating this lavish estate as is evidenced by the gold appointments both inside and out.

The golden gates to the Palace.

The Palace measures nearly 1 kilometer in circumference.

I was attracted to this pottery display, as it closely resembles the Mason stoneware my grandmother handed down to me.

The Great Hall, also known as the Hall of Light, measures nearly 1,000 square meters, and occupies the full width of the palace so that there are superb views on either side.

The Blue Drawing Room, my favorite, was designed by architect, Charles Cameron.

The sun catches the gold tops of the church as we prepare to leave Catherine's Summer Palace.

Our tour came to an end on this final Thursday. We had been briefed and had packed our bags with all our Russian treasures and settled into our cabins after our last meal on the ship. some of us had the Ragout of Lamb. I thoroughly enjoyed one last salmon dish, this one with farfalle and white wine cream sauce. We retired early, only to be awaken at 1:30 a.m. for a very early breakfast and a ride to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight home.

A bit out of order is this photo of the Zlatoust Singers that we heard in concert in Moscow. I had opted to leave my camera on the ship and, at the last minute, persuaded Pat to take some pictures for me of the women in their costumes. Suddenly, as the ladies were singing, an inspiration for a quilt popped into my head and I needed this reminder after our return home. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite evenings. These women, along with four very talented men, gave us a  wonderful concert of both sacred and traditional Russian music.

Our memories are varied and many. Russia is a country of contrasts. The loveliest memory I will treasure is not a building, a cathedral or palace, but a people. Without exception, every person we met or interacted with was friendly, helpful, grateful, talented, gracious... My heart is full.