Venice of the North

Wendy and I have begun our exploration of St. Petersburg, Russia and we have very much enjoyed everything up to this point. Everyone here in Russia has been telling us that St. Pete is the best city in Russia, however as beautiful as everything is here, we might like Moscow more. St. Pete is very European, with most of the buildings old and beautiful, very elegant cathedrals and a very important man in history; Peter the Great. He was the one who founded St. Petersburg in 1703, Russian Tsar from 1689-1724. On the other hand, Moscow truly feels Russian: Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin...Here are some St. Pete highlights:

KAZAN CATHEDRAL-OF THE LADY KAZAN. A MAJOR RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL. THE ORTHODOX RUSSIAN WOMEN ALL WEAR HEAD COVERINGS WHILE IN THE CATHEDRALS. THERE WERE MANY IN LINE TO GO TO A PICTURE OF HER AND PRAY. BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, BUT SAD TO SEE SO MANY READY TO PRAY AND WORSHIP THIS LADY.  I THINK BRIAN AND I BOTH FELT A LITTLE SADNESS IN THIS PLACE. 

THE FAMOUS HERMITAGE MUSEUM. WONDERFUL ON THE OUTSIDE, WE HAVEN'T MADE IT INSIDE AND PROBABLY WON'T. THERE ARE OVER 3 MILLION ITEMS TO VIEW INSIDE AND IF ONE WAS TO "MERELY GLANCE AT EACH ONE" IT WOULD TAKE ONE 9 YEARS TO SEE EVERYTHING.

THE METRO SYSTEM IN ST PETE IS THE DEEPEST IN THE WORLD DUE TO ALL THE CANALS AND WATERWAYS.

ANOTHER PALACE

CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR ON THE BLOOD-NOTICE THE AWESOME LILAC PLANTS BLOOMING!!

ENTRANCE INTO THE PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS- NAMED AFTER TSAR PETER AND TSAR PAUL. BUILT IN 1703, THOUSANDS LABORED AND DIED TO BUILD IT IN JUST A FEW MONTHS. 

PETER AND PAUL CATHEDRAL

HERE IS THE RESTING PLACE OF PETER THE GREAT.

AND HERE IS HIS FACE. 

PRISON TIME IN THE FORTRESS.  BOTH BRIAN AND I HAD TO DO TIME. 

HISTORICALLY THEY WOULD CRAM 10-20 MEN IN A CELL, IN THE EARLY 1900'S MOST WERE POLITICAL PRISONERS SPEAKING OUT  DURING THE 1917 REVOLUTION. 

OUR GUARDS LIKED TO CREEP UP ON US. THEY DIDN'T LIKE US COMMUNICATING AT ALL. 

THE OUTSIDE OF THE FORTRESS. 

Stay tuned, tomorrow we head to Peterhof, Peter the Great's own palace. It is a little outside the city.