It's happening... Again.

This is a view from across the street of Kazan Cathedral. I miss Kazan Cathedral. I think that's an open air beer salesman/lady across the street. We are probably going to cross to go to the Metro. Behind me is Dom Kniga. Book Kingdom. 

We are ready, tickets, VISA's, passports, suitcases. Counting down the days. A lot has changed in the 2 years since we went the last time. I am unsure of what kind of country we will land in.

But we are ready for the trip and to make the leap into in the unknown. 

Keep an eye on the blog for more posts! 

More from Peter Paul Fortress

Let me preface that I am not still in Russia. I am actually back in Oregon. I just haven't had an easy time to upload the photos. 

This is the what's the word for giant, crypt. Church crypt? I don't know exactly what to call it. Would you believe the name for this is, Peter and Paul Cathedral. The spire is very tall and can be seen from a the other side of the island? Bay? Water way. 

The distance you will find the mint. The mint has functioned as a mint or something industrial since 1724. 

This is loki, riding around on his scooter. Other children aren't allowed to scooter around the museums etc of Saint Petersburg. My son is allowed to scooter around because he is a spoiled child. Also his grandparents emphasize many times that he is American. 

Hey! It's a graveyard outside of a crypt. Inside are the sarcophagi of the Romanovs outside are the grave markers of mayors and such of Saint Petersburg. SURPRISE!!!! They have moved around the graves a couple of times. Because? They had to. I guess that there was something communism, or something I don't know. They had to move the graves, and grave markers around. You know a lot of the things in the crypt, have been moved around frequently. 

Here Loki desperately implores as to why he can't play on the grass. I didn't understand why he couldn't play on the grass either. Also his outfit is brought to you by a shirt his father used to wear as a child, and some shorts from America. 

This is/was the mayor residence. Why the mayor lives on a manmade island, and not in the city proper back in the day heaven only knows. Probably because according to the history they were like naval admirals. At least I think this is the mayors property. 

Here are some images of an Onion Dome, the Peter and Paul Cathedral and an image of Christ and I would assume Peter and Paul. It's frustrating because when there is an information board, it is in English, and Russian. Would you believe there appears to be more information in Russian then in English. Including dates and stuff, and just generally more information. You can carry around a "paddle" with a speaker on it to listen to information about the sites you are touring. Nothing says you are a tourist, like walking around with the paddle. This time when we were at the "fortress" I saw German tourists and Asian tourists. There were a lot of Asian tourist, Koreans and Chinese seemed to be two of the more represented Asian countries. So you can get your paddle in a variety of languages, Chinese, English (British English), Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean.. And I can't remember some of the other flags that are represented to show the countries. Spanish usually throws me, and it seems unexpected. But hey, Spaniards travel. There are so many palaces in any given European country.

So I have been distracted lately.

I wasn't feeling well, and yesterday I had my root canal finished. It was an hour and half process, and it involved holding my head still. I have lots of photos from the past few days/weeks.
I have realized that Tsarske Selo, is a different location then Peterhof palace. I am trying to unravel it all.
But I did finally make it to the Amber Room. It's amazing, and unremarkable all at the same time. I learned that the room was moved around to different locations. So it was never set in stone, at Tsarske Selo.
The majority of the palaces are dipped in gold and ornate, and extremely huge. It is a very interesting concept, a palace when you live in the united states.
More pictures to come, honest.

More from the interior of Peter Paul Fortress

This was an outdoor sculpture.

 Here's me looking my loveliest, in one of the sculpture chairs. Angry german being spoken directly to my side, because the guy was like taking a million camera photo pictures of his friends in chairs. Acting all like he's from National Geographic, it's just a camera phone. Ugh. Just move so I and the hundreds of other visitors, can sit in the damn chair. 

 The things on this sculpture moved. But the sculpture didn't move. I think it was like a sun clock. I don't know. But it was cool.

 But wait who's taking the picture now. It's your favorite four year old. He's holding the camera, and he's taking the photo. Which is why the angle is weird. But he likes taking photos. ..

 Of his scooter. You can barely see it in the photo above. I think I am gesturing to it. I have some other photo's of the scooter.

 He also likes to take photos of wild life.

 His grandma and his scooter. She motioning towards me.

Because I have this lovely pose going on. I meant to have my eyes open, but my photographer was too fast. I am also wearing his hat, and I wish the purse wasn't strangling me. Loki took several more photos of me, in this awkward pose. He likes to take photos, but it's difficult to take the camera away from him. I don't think he needs his own camera, and I don't think I am going to buy him one. I don't think he needs a camera. But he does take cute pictures sometimes, and he has fun.

Welcome to the Interior of Peter Paul Fortress

 The oldest compound in Russia. Where the majority of the Romanov family is interred. Where the mint is/was located at. Where Peter the great planned the majority of Saint Petersburg.

There was a flood I believe, or a flood, and a young woman held in the penal part of the the compound. She died of course. The marker on the wall, the not gold marker is the indicator of where the flood water reached. I can't imagine the city being flooded.

 Here I am nonchanlantly leaning against a giant rabbit. The island was home to lots of Rabbits? Something about rabbits.

Loki found a hat that he liked. Many people were site seeing at Peter Paul Fortress. They were none to excited about the pushy American lady trying to get photos of her freakishly adorable child. These chairs I don't remember from the last time we were there. Probably an art installation. Don't worry there will be dozens more photos from the fortress. I guess it's fortress and not compound. Oh well.

The view from Peter Paul Fortress

 Here is the state Hermitage. Last year we could walk across the frozen river. There is a gold church spiral in the back ground. I thought it was possibly Church of Spilled blood.

 Just going to dip everything in gold. This is Vasilevsky (sure we will go with that) "Island" I think spit is a better term. Whatever. I think those are the rostral column rising in the background.

 A different angle, both columns.

 Back to the Hermitage.

 And crooked shot including where I am standing.

So you are still at Leisure island ...

What's the next thing you do, take a quick trip out to the Gulf of Finland. Because it's 8 or 9 ish at night and nothing keeps a kid awake then a quick jaunt on a boat.

The sunset was, pretty. But it starts setting after 9 20 pm.

It was a really quick trip. A lot of the tours are in Russian, so it makes it really annoying to listen in to the tour guide. Something I can quickly pull out from the tour guides schpeel is archeticture, and Saint Petersburg. Do you like our purple blankets, yeah those were for us to use on the boat, while sitting up top. Were are they from, Ikea of course!