Will Around the World

I planned to spend the whole day at Petrodvorets (also known as Peterhof), a palace thirty minutes southwest of the city. It actually took twice that time to get there. I rode in a marshrutka, a kind of mini-bus, and traffic on this warm, sunny day was a mess. Everyone was trying, it seemed, to get there.

Grand Palace, Peterhof

The Peterhof complex consists of a large building, the Grand Palace, and a great pavilion. I visited the Grand Palace first. It has 15-20 rooms that are mostly recreations of the originals. (The Nazis razed the palace during World War II. Remarkably, the Red Army saved almost all the furniture and artwork.) I couldn't help comparing this to Versailles. The French palace building is much larger, more ornate and had a grander feeling than Peterhof's palace.

Section of the Grand Palace

I had the same opinion about the pavilion. The gardens are not nearly as beautiful or well maintained as Versailles'. In fact, in most spots the grass is unkempt and ridden with dandelions. It didn't help that everyone in Russia swarmed here today. There was hardly any place where you could stop and hear yourself think. Still, the pavilion has its redemming qualities. The best part is the axis that starts at a grand fountain and extends along a canal to the Gulf of Finland. On that note, Peterhof has an edge over Versailles for its location on the sea and its view (however distant) of St. Petersburg.

Pavilion

One of many showers with hidden triggers

In the pavilion I met the four girls that I ran into on my first day in Moscow. In fact, their entire tour group was here. I followed them through the gardens. It was the early afternoon, but I was pretty out of it by this point. I guess the constant traveling finally got to me. The group took a hydrofoil back to the city, but I opted to take the bus instead. I followed the group's guide, a young woman named Nadia. She was friendly and smiled a lot. From the way she acted I guessed she wasn't from the city—sure enough, she told me that she lives outside Moscow. I learned that she is a teacher at an English language "club" for middle school students. She said that she wanted to visit England or America one day, but she is so well regarded by her school that they won't let her take a vacation!

Summer Garden

On the Neva

That evening I explored parts of St. Petersburg across the Neva from where I am staying. I walked across the Troitskiy Most (Trinity Bridge) to the Petrograd Side. This bridge has a good view of the waterfront, including the Winter Palace. I walked around the Peter and Paul Fortress. Unfortunately, the cathedral in the middle of the fortress was closed. I continued walking on the main street of the Petrograd Side. The architecture of this part of the city is more contemporary than in the city center—it reminded me of Huntington Avenue in Boston. I made it to Kamenny Island, a quiet, tree-lined area dotted with mansions owned by the the city's new elite. I stomped around here for a bit, then I headed toward the nearest Metro station. There were dozens of teenagers hanging out outside the station, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. I guess this is the cheapest form of entertainment for young Petersburgers. I wondered what kids back in the Bay Area would be doing at this time of night—going to the movies and bowling, probably. I arrived at the hostel before midnight and slept like a log.

Teens getting to know the amber nectar

# posted by billklee @ 23:12