Day 12 - The Hermitage!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Today is an exciting day.  Finally, our visit to The Hermitage arrives!  But first, we are treated to a canal tour, which normally would be an option but is included to make up for the lost Kizhi Island tour.  St. Petersburg is truly a beautiful city, whether by land, canal, or sea.

 

We are treated to lunch on the 2nd floor in the same elegant surroundings as housed the Russian Folklore show.  (Remember those 80+ steps?  Well, they haven't gotten shorter, and the ladies room is on the first floor.)

 

 

At last we arrive at The Hermitage.  We have a wonderful local guide, and she couldn't get over the fact we seem to be in a lucky slot.  She says it never happens that her tours aren't surrounded by hundreds of others.  We get to linger just a few minutes longer at each spot and pause where normally we'd have to hurry through.

 

The Hermitage was founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 to house the three million artifacts she collected.  It is the largest collection of paintings in the world.  Only a small portion of the museum is open to the public. 

 

The Throne of Russian Kings

 

Michelangelo's The Crouch Boy

 

 Rembrandt's The Prodigal Son

 

It is said that if one pauses in front of each item for only a minute, it would take over forty years to complete the tour!

 

Tonight is the Captain's Farewell Dinner, given a couple of days early in order not to rush.

(Paul is recuperating from a 24-hour bug here)

 

New friends and tablemates - Payette's (L), Tkal's (R)

 





 









Day 11 - Peter & Paul Fortress, Peterhof

Monday, May 13, 2013

Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg's first structure, was built in the early 1700's by Peter the Great.  It never served as a fortress but has been a military base, governmental home, a jail for prominent political prisoners, and is the burial ground of the Russian Imperial family, including Czar Nicholas II.

The cathedral

 

Peter (the Great, stylized version) and Paul

 

While Paul went back to the ship, I opted for the tour of Peterhof.  This is Peter the Great's Summer Palace (called the Russian Versailles) that he used coming and going to and from Europe.  Peter seems to have a great sense of humor; he delighted in luring guests to some of the hundreds of fountains (all operating just on gravity), tricking them into getting wet!   A photographer's paradise!

 

 

 

 

The Grand Cascade

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Grand Cascade

 

Day 10 - St. Petersburg, Russia (Mother's Day)

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Finally, today we arrive in the "other" St. Petersburg, the home city of our program director, who isn't shy about extolling his love for it.  When Peter the Great laid it out in the 1700's, he wanted a Venice of the North.  As Evgeny says, "Wow!"  This St. Petersburg has as many canals and bridges as ours and traffic is worse, but it's worth adding to anyone's bucket list.

Church of the Spilled Blood - Did you know what we call "onion domes" are meant to represent candle flames?

 



St. Isaac's Cathedral
 

St. Isacc's dome

 

Today was Mother's Day.  Program Director Evgeny did a first and invited his mother to join us.  He interviewed her and interpreted.  She misses the old ways under Communism, when things were stable; she works three jobs now, having lost a business in the 90's under capitalism; her marriage with Evgeny's father suffered from the cramped space they lived in with her parents and divorced; her greatest accomplishment is Evgeny, an only child!  He said he was only interpreting, not putting words into her mouth :)

 



 Evgeny is a 29 year-old newlywed who has a penchant for American slang and sayings.  One of his favorites: "Ready, steady, go!"
 

As a trade-off for having missed Kizhi, we were treated to a Russian Folklore performance.  The penalty was having to go up (and down) 80+ stairs.  Russia is not handicap friendly, but the show was outstanding!







Day 9 - Svirstroy

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Today is a much anticipated event, a home visit to a local babushka.  She is an 86 year-old mother with lots of stories to tell about being a teen in WW II.  She lives here with her daughter in a four-plex given to her by the government.  The mother has everyday worries such as who will fix a leaking roof, while her daughter is more upbeat and a big fan of Nicholas Cage!

More cramped space than what it appears

 

Four-plex, but looks are deceiving on the outside; much repair needed on inside

 

Tourists' shopping area in Svirstroy
 

A small chapel nearby

 



Day 8 - Goritsy

Friday, May 10, 2013

Today, we visited the Goritsy’s Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, built in 1397 by St. Kirill, who left a life of luxury to become closer to God.  By the 16th century, it was the second richest landowner in Russia and was connected to Ivan the Terrible.

The monastery has eleven churches, most dating to the 16th century. The walls are about half a mile long and almost 23 feet thick.

Arriving in Goritsky
 

The monastery
 

A religious ceremony in process
 

Back on the ship for evening dinner...
 

We helped our new friends, Pierre and Irene, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.



Day 7 - Yaroslavl

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Yaroslavl is one of the oldest cities along the Volga and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its architectural styles between Western Europe and the Russian Empire.  The day we visited was THE big day for the Russian May Day/Veterans Day celebration.  The parade and activities were so well attended we had to turn back.

 

 

A local celebrated WW II veteran.

 

Along the way, we've been notified we can't get into Kizhi Island, known for its wooden architectural structures built with no nails.  This is because the area's waters are still frozen.  Big disappointment for us as it's a highlight of the trip.





Day 6 - Uglich, Russia

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Today we actually entered the river, the longest river in Europe and which  the Russians call Mother Volga.  Forty percent of Russians live near it and its systems.  Over the course of this trip, we'll go through 17 locks.

Flooded Belfry of Kalyazin (1800-1950's)

 



 Arrived in Uglich about 2 PM for a walking tour.  It's a town of about 37,000 residents; its name relates to a "turn" in the Volga river.  Besides a reign by Ivan the Terrible, it is known for its churches.

 

   Church of St. Demitry on the Blood

 

 

Back on the ship in the evening, we were encouraged to show off our Russian outfits.

 

Two of our servers in traditional Russian dress.

With our venerable Program Director from the Orange Group, Evgeny.  Not having any traditional Russian costume, I attempted an Evgeny knock-off with a borrowed broom handle.  My prize?  A shot of Russian vodka (gave away) in a shot glass that says "Russia Forever" (kept) !