PETERHOF

Tuesday, August 14 may have been the nicest weather we have seen since leaving the United States of America: high in the low 70s, slight breeze, barely a cloud in the sky. So Andrea took off a day from the libraries, and we went to Peterhof, the "Russian Versailles."

I will not waste time with describing the place. For details, click here.

However, the place is more than vast. In fourth grade French class, when our teacher would show us photos of the chateaux, their grounds and fountains, at each photo, I would get the class laughing by saying, "Oh, that's my garage," "that's my side yard," "that's my closet," and "that's my toilet!"

Well, seeing Peterhof in person certainly shut me up! We covered perhaps a fourth of what there is to see in a day. And like the library, no photos are allowed inside (although plenty of people disregarded that rule and used their smartphone cameras.)

Here are some selected photos of a great day.

Dvortsoyava Embankment along the Neva River in front of the Hermitage and near the hydrofoil  launch.

Inside the hydrofoil looking at the Hermitage.

Along the Bolshaya Neva (Big Neva River) cruising past some of the  ocean-going passenger ships.

Along the Bolshaya Neva looking at Western St. Petersburg.

Disembarking from the Vodokhod hydrofoil.

Andrea en route.

Will standing along the shores of the Gulf of Finland on the way toward the Little Hermitage at Peterhof.

Marly - Peter's little family house on the west side of the estate and about two miles from where he originally built his Montplaisir chateau.

Little Hermitage - a party place along the shore.

Andrea loved Marly.

Will by the Menager Fountain. There are gravity-forced fountains throughout the grounds.

The Golden Hill Cascade.

Lion's Cascade.

Close up of the Lion's Cascade.

Eve Fountain. I liked how around the fountain, there are four little pavilions in which to play and party.

The Sea Channel that leads up to the Great Palace.

Monkey Lion. Monkey Boy.

Great Palace.

And here Professor Rusnock tells us about the famous Samson Fountain, renowned as a tribute to Peter's defeat of the Swedes in....ZZZ!

Atop the Great Cascade looking down the Sea Channel that once allowed boats to approach but is now only decorative.

Andrea atop the Great Cascade.

Church Pavilion adjoins the Great Palace on the east side through the gallery.

At 7:30 p.m., the sun shone brilliantly on the gold covered Church Pavilion.

Andrea sniffing the aromatic pink roses in the lovely Upper Gardens.

Great Palace from the Upper Garden.

Leninsky Metro station.

Moskovsky Prospekt from the "Two Chopsticks" sushi restaurant at the Leninsky Metro station.