St Petersburg with Kae

We are on our way to our hotel. Behind us is the Peter and Paul Fortress and also the Peter and Paul Cathedral. We are standing at the spot where wedding couples will drink a glass of something and then step or jump on the drinking glass. The ground is covered with broken glass.

Smolny Cathedral and Convent was built for Peter the Great's daughter Elizabeth , but she became empress instead of living a life of solitude. Our guide told us one of the builders committed suicide in the building so it was never used as a convent.

We are on Hare Island going into the Peter and Paul Fortress. Sergey (in the blue hat) is our guide. There is a little statue of a rabbit that we can see as we go over the bridge to the island.

This is a picture of a plaza in the center of the fort. In order to get all of the rocks to make this plaza, there was a tarriff put on travelers entering the city and ships coming to the island. Each person needed to bring three rocks (the size shone) and each ship had to bring 15 rocks.

Inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The tombs of all Russian czars and their families are here.

This is the entrance to the political prison. Many people that were 'innocent' as well as those that were guilty were in this prison. We were standing in the rain for this picture.

Church of the Savior on Spilt Blood. This is where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. Yes we were enjoying the rain. Life is an adventure!

St Isaac's Cathedral

Inside St Isaac's Cathedral

Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum

Throne room and patterned parquet wood floor

Ballroom

another throne room

Katherine the Great's drawing room where she would withdraw to visit with her guests.

Imagine walking through many rooms and then walking down this hallway to visit the Czar!

This is a Bank. The "banker" would sit on the bench and have the money under him and inside the bench for him to loan or for when he receives it.

These stairs lead down to the theater room. Yes, just like the ones today except they had a stage and would act in their theater room. We just turn on the 'plasma.'

This is the original 'Prodigal's Son' by Rembrandt. We saw paintings by Davanci, Raphael, Pacasso, Vangogh, Monet, Renoir and others. WOW!!

another drawing room

Catherine the Great's Boudoire

another throne

St George Hall

winter sleigh

Dinner was at Yelki Palki for borsch and a mug of cranberry juice.

I needed a picture of this building. It is the Stroganoff Palace. One of my favorite foods in Russia is BEEF STROGANOFF. Borsch is very good also!

Peterhof was like visiting a story book land. The fountains and beautiful grounds on the property are magnificent. Pictures do not do it justice.

This is one of the MANY trick fountains that Peter the Great had put on his property. As you walk by the fountain, it will 'mysteriously' come on and get the person wet. Notice the man behind the white bench. He has the switch to turn it on.

This is the building where the orange trees would grow in the winter.

We ate at a traditional Russian restaurant called the 'Podvorye'.

Kae and I had beef stroganoff (I have always had it served with dill pickles over here). I was delicious!

Another palace belonging to Catherine the Great.

I could not believe all of the gold we saw in the palaces. The beautiful paintings on the ceilings seemed to change as we walked around the room (on the patterned wood floors).

When Catherine the Greats daughter Elizabeth came into power she decided to add rooms to the palace and decorate them differently. Her mothers style was out of date.

Moscow with Kae

Izmylovsky Park eating a pork shishkebab (tasty) and Jim with his 'zhezl' stick (policemans stick used to pull cars over just because they want to) purchased as a 'gift' for someone that had been pulled over 39 times. Riding the Metro with our purchases from Izmylovsky Park. Taking the train on our way to church. The front door to our church building. The Tomb of the Unkown Soldier always guarded with an eternal flame. It is next to the Kremlin wall.

Sitting by the fountains that have statues of popular Russian fairy tales.

Outside the Kremlin Wall the flowers are starting to bloom and the walkways have just been painted the colors of the 'ribbon' (maroon and gold) to represent the 65th anniversary of the end of the Great Fatherland's War. (World War II)

Inside the Kremlin we went through the Armory and saw amazing things including the royal carriages, jewels, gold and silver everything with jewels and many more things we could not take pictures of. After the Armory we went through the Cathedrals that were inside the Kremlin.

Inside the Kremlin with the Tzar's cannon and cannon balls that were never used.

Inside the Kremlin by the Tzar's bell that broke and was never used.

We are standing by one of about 15 metal trees that has thousands of locks on it. Tradition says that on your wedding day you and your loved one put a lock on the tree and then toss the key into the river (on the other side of the railing) so your love will last forever!

Closer look at the locks.

Moscow River with the Kremlin wall, an administrative building (the Armory looks just like this building) and some of the Cathedrals inside the Kremlin.

Time for a break at Starbucks with hot chocolate and a pastry!

Beautiful St Basil with the clock tower on one side and the GUM shopping mall on the other side and Red Square in the middle of it all! (We are standing at the back of St Basil. Red Square is in front of St Basil.)

St Basil's Cathedral

Red Square snacking on apples. Bleachers (getting ready for the big celebration), the Kremlin Wall and Lennon's tomb behind Jim and Kae, and the big red building is the history museum. The yellow and white lines have just been painted so all of the military (Russian, all former USSR countries, French, United States, Poland, and Great Britian are invited) to know where to march and the Tanks know where to drive for the 65th year commeration.

Still snacking on apples on Red Square. This is the famous, and very expensive G U M shopping center. The big 'military ribbons' are in front of the building and are decorations for the celebration.

Inside the G U M shopping center.

Walking through the park on our way to one of the many summer palaces of Catherine the Great.

A Summer Palace of Catherine the Great. Back view.

Between the Palace and the Bread House (where the food is prepared).

The front of the Palace.

Trechakov's Art Gallery

Some of the pictures were the size of a wall.