This is a fully packed day... Catherine's Palace, Disembarkation Briefing, briefing on the post-trip, dinner, and then the ballet. How will I ever stay awake through the end? I surprise myself.
The palace is associated with Catherine the Great's name, but it was actually begun and constructed by Catherine I and daughter, starting in 1717. Catherine the Great thought it old-fashioned and extravagant. It fell out of and into use, almost being destroyed by the Germans in WW II.
Views of Catherine's Palace
From the back
The gardens
Thank goodness I read the synopsis on the bus to the theater. Swan Lake was composed in 1875–1876 by Tchaikovsky (OK, I knew that much anyway). It was fashioned on Russian folk tales and is the story of a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.
Here's my story though. I was barely able to see anything below the waist at the Russian Folklore show the other night so I was determined to get a good seat at the ballet. I had a good side seat but noticed all the good middle seats were reserved. Just before the show started, the usher took up one remaining reserved sign and motioned ME to come to it! I felt like Cinderella. Everyone from Grand Circle noticed and were asking me for the next two days how I did that. The sorcerer's curse was removed for the night, I guess. Lucky me!
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