St Petersburg - day 2

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Today we briefly drove through St Petersburg and headed for the countryside town of Pushkin. We visited the magnificent Catherine's Palace (also called the Summer Palace) named after Catherine the Great, restored over the last 40 years to its original splendor. We saw ceilings decorated with paintings by Italian artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. We saw many decorative plates and vases of Japanese and Chinese porcelain. The magnificent Grand Hall (Throne room) is a gilded wonder with a spectacular painted ceiling and mirrored walls that are breathtakingly beautiful. Above all, we saw the outrageously beautiful Amber Room - a brillant and painstaking re-creation built in semi precious stone by Russian craftsmen after the original panels were stolen by the Nazis during World War II. This museum visit was much better managed for crowd control and the weather was cooler than the day before. So we were much more comfortable.

We returned to the Prinsedam for the afternoon and evening with a chance to call our children at home at a decent hour PCT, and find out how their 4th of July celebration was going in Longview. They were just getting ready to attend the Go Fourth Parade in Longview, and they were all doing fine. Meanwhile, The Fourth of July Barbecue on the Lido deck was in full swing. We enjoyed the food through both Lunch and dinner.

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Photos

The church domes and spires
at Catherine's Palace in Pushkin