Bob and Ann in Russia 2007

Please visit September 1 slideshow.

Our river boat docked at 8:00 and we were on a bus for our city tour at 9:00. It was a beautiful sunny introduction to St Petersburg. Natalia, our local guide, said that this handsome city will be celebrating a 301st birthday this year. While fairly new, its founding by Peter the Great insured it a vivid history. His daughter, Elizabeth, started schools and had palaces built for her before she died young. Our first stop at Smolny Convent was a photo op only. Then we went to Peter and Paul's Church and saw tombs of tsars and tsarinas. On the way out, we were serenaded by an ensemble of Russian horn players. Ann bought their CD. After that we stopped at St Isaac's Cathedral which is topped by an ornate gold dome.

After several other building photo ops, we were shown the Art Square Park a central meeting place to catch courtesy buses on days we are on our own. We got off of the bus here and walked over to the Church of the Spilled Blood one of St Petersburg's most familiar and popular sights.

Church of the Spilled Blood

Passing many museums and gardens, we were eager to get back after lunch on the boat. When we did, Ann went into the Church of Spilled Blood and looked at the amazing fresh mosaics. While she was there, I wandered around the area and took pictures.

Ballet Theater

In the evening, we went to the ballet in Catherine the Great's Hermitage Theater and saw a performance of Giselle. After seeing many San Francisco Ballet performances, Ann was not impressed. She thought that the dancers were past their prime and that the old stage floor disconcertingly amplified all but the lightest steps.

The map of our route from Mandrogiis to St Petersburg below. To see it in Google Earth, follow this link.