Petrodvorets - A summer palace
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Sankt Peterburg,
Russian Federation
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Continued from ; Some typical Saint Petersburg activities
4th February 2004
Three of us make a bit of a long winded journey to Petrodvorets. Which is also known as Peterhof ( Peter's place ) - the magnificent Summer Palace completed in 1714 . It sits majestically on the Gulf of Finland, about 29kms from St Petersburg. The little commuter train ride there and back is a chorus of sales people. First they will board the train and deliver a long sales pitch to the unfazed occupants of the carriage, this being normal. They will complete their monologue from the head of the carriage and then begin displaying the goods they plan to sell by strolling down the carriage. Then the process repeats itself with somebody new. With different products. Be it food or Lego sets , the train is a rolling market of bandits and chancers. Musicians and beggars. The Palace itself is too exuberant for words. Wearing little plastic overshoes to protect the parquet flooring , it becomes a sliding adventure in a playground of gold leaf , chandeliers and antiques . Wondrous huge paintings and even the ceilings themselves garnished with beautiful artwork. There are different themed rooms , such as the Japanese room with oriental silks. And black furniture with mother-of-pearl inlays of exotic birds . Outside it is a little fresh and we are disappointed to see that the fountains are switched off . Their water-spraying statues boxed away less the winter weather should harm them . It resembles a garden of vertical coffins. There are more fountains here than in any other single location in the world. We do have the most splendid day , and have to use our imagination just a little bit. We could always come back in the summer to witness the gardens and fountains at play.
Back in Saint Petersburg , a final day is spent lazily walking the streets . Up by the Neva river , I see a newly-married couple pose for photographs by the big bronze statue of Saint Peter on horseback. The bride wears a long white wedding dress and army boots. This is no place for high heels. There is a busy curio-market selling hand painted Russian dolls . It's behind a very elaborate Russian Orthodox cathedral .
After a few drinks , a group of us enjoy a standard kebab at the railway station . Equally popular in Russia, kebabs are cheap and delicious. It's time to go . Tammy and I board the night train to Moscow. We are in separate carriages and I sleep right through the entire journey . In a reclining chair with my wallet stuffed down my pants. You can keep your mitts off my roubles.
Next ; A glimpse of Moscow.
