"Hearing Russians Sing Thru Window As I... " a Saint Petersburg Travel Page by jumpingnorman

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Arrived today (September 2, 2008) here in Russia and finally in a big room with windows opening out onto famous avenue "Nevsky Prospect" which was fun to walk around in even with a little afternoon drizzle. From my room, I could occassionally hear some guys singing out some marching tune (maybe after vodka?). Things are much more affordable here compared to its Scandinavian neighbours (except for the souvenirs, food very inexpensive). The monuments/churches are right there smack in the middle of the city, everything walkable in a 1.5-2 hour trek which I will try later this week. Spaseebo --- thanks in Russian (but I think my spelling wrong)! "Po-ka" means so long for now (I think)!

My wife and I enjoyed Versailles in Paris, having our pre-school twins run around the grounds and the palace last year. But the fountains here in Peterhof are just unequalled by any other! This a lesser known place than Versailles (love Versailles though which I have visited 3x), but the gardens of Peterhof are just unbelievably lush with trees so geometrically aligned. And this whole imperial palace is right beside the magnificent Gulf of Finland (I think it is the only imperial palace beside a big body of water)! They are forceful powerful jets of water coming out of amazing golden statues and lots of "trick" fountains like the spraying ones my kids enjoy back home. Beware though about the walking because the place is huge (500 acres?) and can tire you out and get you lost.

In WWII, the large Samson Fountain from the 1730's by Mikhail Kozlovsky was looted by the invading Germans and the current replica of the statue was installed in 1947. Samson is shown tearing open the jaws of a lion (the one pictured here is another gilded figure opening a fish mouth), representing Russia's victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. The lion is part of the Swedish coat of arms and from its mouth shoots a 20-metre-high vertical jet of water, the highest in Peterhof.

I was walking and tired on the main road Nevsky when I stumbled upon a boat ride on the small canal river called Moyki. I rode on it and good I did because it went out all the way to the big River Neva --- and I saw a spectacular sunset on St. Petersburg!

See More of my Russian Adventure! Travelogue: From Russia with Love