St Petersburg, Russia

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Welcome to St Petersburg, Russia Statue of Peter the Great in front of Soviet era apartment buildings We drive by church with ornate domes Palaces line the Neva River with St Isaac's Cathedral in the background Rostral column acts as a light house along the river Spire of Peter and Paul Cathedral Linda and June The Neva River is a big river Livingston takes a picture The old stock exchange building with model in front Old sailing ship now retrofitted as a restaurant Eloise models a replica Russian Army hat We drive by a couple rocket launchers on display Bridges Burger King at a gas station Bridge and entrance to Peter and Paul Fortress Gazprom offices Museum ship RUS Aurora Tourist trap Any kind of Russian service hat you want June and Linda shop Peter and Paul Fortress Peter the Great Bronze Horseman statue by the General Staff building This cruise ship (not ours) is docked right downtown Ballet at the Mariinsky Theater St Nicholas Cathedral behind palace buildings Our tour boats Horse sculptures on a bridge Ancient looking tug boat Circus on Water Former palaces line the river People wave from a bridge as we head towards the Church of the Spilled Blood Our tour boats have very little clearance under the bridges Palace boat dock Colorful onion domes We somehow turn under this bridge The old stock exchange and both rostral columns Another tour boat Another view of Peter and Paul Fortress Chapel with gold dome Old sailing ship Blue dome of a mosque Hydrofoil to Peterhof Tour boat rush hour Hermitage Museum entrance sign Front of the Hermitage Nesting dolls for sale Hermitage guards do some shopping Our ticket for the Hermitage Museum Hordes of tourists arrive at the museum We immediately encounter gold gilding Ceilings in the entrance Stairway Gold on the columns A room full of military portraits Portraits along one wall Throne room Livingston and Eloise Ornate ceilings The ceiling design is reflect in the floor design Throne for the czars and czarinas Crystal chandeliers Elaborate peacock mechanical clock from 1766 Floor mosaic Chandliers and ceilings in the clock room Micro mosaic table top Icons from church Conegliano's Annunciation Titian's Mary Magdelene Giulio Romano's The Lovers Typical exhibit room Leonardo da Vinci's Maddona and Child Maiolica from the 1530s Michelangelo's Crouching Boy Vaulted ceiling and skylight Our tour guide explains what we're seeing Giuseppe Mazzuoli's The Death of Adonis Granite columns Regina Vasorum from the 4th century BC Zeus Egyptian sarcophagus Another sarcophagus Coffee boat The Nikolaevsky Palace - our lunch spot Lenin lived here Lunch Nesting dolls in a display case June St Isaac's Cathedral Bells from the bell tower Wedding limo Interior of St Issac's Ceiling Construction model Huge icon of St Isaac The Last Supper mosaic Looking up at the dome Iconostasis of the church Stained glass Christ above the altar The great north gate This place is getting remodeled into a hotel Wedding photos in Decembrist Square The Bronze Horseman We arrive at the souvenir store Zillions of nesting dolls Faberge eggs Better quality nesting dolls Amber jewelry June buys some souvenirs It's raining today It's raining at the Catherine Palace Angel baby Gold gilded room Those blue porcelain things are heaters Eloise and June in the tour group Close-up of some detail A dining room Another dining room Czarina's royal gown Paintings cover one wall Door upon gilded door A small side room Dining room for official Russian functions What the palace looked like after World War II and before it was restored Front gate to the palace The yellow jacket gang Restoration work in progress Front of the palace Front garden The palace chapel People waiting to get into the palace Soviet era building with statue of Lenin Hammer and sickle I think this is a sign about driving lessons That spells 'kitchen' The Moscow Gate We arrive at Peter and Paul Cathedral in the pouring rain Interior of the cathedral Everything seems to be covered in gold Tombs of the czars and czarinas Tombs of the final czar, Nicholas II, and his family More tombs of royalty Sorbonaya Square Dome of the mausoleum next to the cathedral Small dome Another view of the cathedral Stop sign McDonald's in Russian Champagne, bottled water, and vodka at both lunches Blini for lunch June, Eloise, and Livingston Putin on a bus stop poster Advertising for the upcoming G20 summit We arrive at the Church of the Spilled Blood June is our tour guide for a few minutes Colorful domes Period costumes Interior arches Everything is mosaic Looking up into the dome More mosaics Jewl ecrusted gate Arches Time for some shopping Eloise and Livingston with a Russian hat Linda Souvenirs fair Cat nesting dolls Plainer onion domes View of the harbor Rusty old cranes next to a submarine Navy training ships at Kronstadt Kronstadt Naval Cathedral Old fortress Movable flood control dam gate Container port Lighthouse as we leave Russia