Day 106 - Saturday 17 August - Peterhof

Saturday 17 August

We slept in a little, then headed into town by no.17 bus again to find an ATM.
 

 Kazan Cathedral on Nevskiy Prospect.

Then we walked to the ferry wharf ...

 A nice CCCP building that looked like KGB.

... but there were no tickets for the 12:00 trip so we had to wait for the 13:00 hydrofoil.  We ate a sandwich on the grass, and bought tickets for tomorrow while we were there.

The 12:00 ferry heading out.

This trip took us for about 45mins out of the river and across the bay to the Peterhof Palace, built by Peter the Great between 1709-28.   It was styled on Versailles, but most of the gardens were just trees in parkland, and gravel paths that you had to keep on. 

A modern big bridge and a shard building in the background.

There were 4 different hydrofoil companies doing the same route.

Looking up to the palace from near the wharf.

Lots of fountains.


There were red squirrels, which are very little and cute. Someone had bought nuts or something, and were feeding them, but the squirrels were flighty beside being used to hordes. 

I touched his tail, but hardly felt anything it was so soft and wispy.

Then I got a pebble and tried to trick one, but he was too clever.

There are lots of fountains, and lots of tourists. We walked all around, watched kids playing in the sprinklers, then got the boat back to the city by 17:00.

The golden cascade

Selfie from the palace balcony

The palace chapel, now a museum.

The checker board cascade

We got the ho-ho bus from the wharf into town, past lots of grand palace houses on Nevskiy Prosoect, and found the Faberge museum.

 This was the house of Mr 'Singer sewing machines'.

There was free entry on our pass but we were in the wrong queue for audio guides so we went without. We saw eggs, and enamelling and gold and silver work in a beautiful building, but despite their intricacies and superb detailing .....

Grand entrance stairs again.

and grand ceilings.

 

The royal eggs are very beautiful,  some have mechanical bits that open or pop out, like this one with 3 cameo photographs.

There are also some very strange dishes,

 A very beautiful enameled tea set.

Some things are so tiny, yet so intricately decorated.  You can't really tell the scale from the photo.

....we couldn't help but be aware of the huge cost of these trinkets, so left with mixed feelings.

We walked down Nevskiy Prospect, the main street, did my shopping, then caught the train home again. It was going to be an early night, but it isn't. There were fireworks outside our window, and we used our spa bath.

 Technological Institute metro station

 commemorates lots of tech heads.

 Fireworks through the fly screen  (the first screened window we've had, and there were mossies in the room.)