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Published: January 11th 2011
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Peterhof is a place perhaps everyone has heard about, that’s why I will not dwell on it for a very long time. I know that tourists coming to Russia would first of all visit Moscow and St. Petersburg, and visiting St. Petersburg almost certainly involves a day trip to Peterhof. When one comes to St. Petersburg House of Book on Nevsky Prospect, there are several shelves filled with books devoted to St. Petersburg and all other nearby countries. So, I have always said, don’t expect any matter-of-fact information from me.
I have been several times, five, in Peterhof and now I would like to briefly recollect the main emotions experienced there. The first time was perhaps the most emotional – in summer 2007. I am not sure whether I was there alone or with a friend of mine, and the friend of mine says he was there with me. 2007 was perhaps the best time I spent in St. Petersburg, however, 2008 was also not worse. What do usually people do in Peterhof? They visit the palaces, the museums, and are amazed by the fountains. Peterhof is certainly among the first places of interest to visit in Russia. I can
say that Versailles looked less gorgeous for me than Peterhof (I mean the park and the fountains; I’ll write about the European experience soon).
The first time in Peterhof… I didn’t have any camera then so I took a few pictures with my telephone (0.3 mega pixels, but the photos looked not so horrible on the computer). That’s the most nostalgic time of my life – really, the first several months of independent life in St. Petersburg, the missing of my home and the missing of a girl, the troubles of personal egoism manifesting itself when people rent accommodation together.
The second time in Peterhof was in 2008, July, I also went there with a friend of mine. That month I was very busy with work, so I had only several hours to show my friend around the park, we saw some of the main fountains, and soon left (the camera batteries exhausted too soon).
Then, in 2009 I visited Peterhof with a girl called Kristi. I used to like her and used to invite her for walks. It felt romantic for me to be in Peterhof with a girl. That time, for the first time, I
saw the other half of the park where I somehow did not go before.
The latest visit to Peterhof was in May 2010; I had some trouble with my tickets so I had to stay two extra days in St. Petersburg, and so had the opportunity to pay another visit to Peterhof. In spring bloom it’s admirable more than ever – the fresh air, the new leaves, the sky! I liked that visit very much and then got a bit lost, trying to walk on foot to the railway station.
My favourite fountain in Peterhof is the rose-tree fountain. I used to walk near the benches, and water used to sprinkle on me in a mysterious pattern. They said if one stepped on a certain stone, it triggered the water jets. It is such fun, especially for children! But remember, it’s rather difficult to find a secluded spot in Peterhof, because it’s always full of tourists. It’s not a quiet place, though in some areas there are fewer tourists.
Let’s us look at the photos and see some of the fountains and other attractions of Peterhof. You may omit the text, and just see the photos.
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