Russian River Cruise

Following breakfast, we went back downstairs to meet Nina for the second day of our Russian excursion. The disembarkation lines were short and required just a quick stamp of the passport so we had some time to look at the shops in the cruise terminal before Nina arrived and we were off for day two. Our first stop was back along the riverfront, where we waited for our cruise boat to arrive for a cruise along the Neva River. It was a cold morning so Becca bundled up like a Russian peasant under a blanket. We cruised under the bridges and out in the open water. As we passed each bridge, a tour guide would run onto the bridge and wave at us. Of course she was waiting to get tips, of course.

The Hermitage Courtyard

The next stop was the famed Hermitage museum, set in Catherine's Winter Palace. Why the czarina would have a winter palace in cold St. Petersburg was never answered. The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Tsars from 1732 through the Bolshevik Revolution. The palace was constructed to reflect the might and power of Imperial Russia in an Elizabethan Baroque style. The storming of the palace in 1917 became an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution. Following the February Revolution of 1917, the palace was the seat of the Russian Provisional Government. The palace was converted into a museum in 1852, one of many former royal residences that were opened to the public following the revolution. The Hermitage consists of not only the Winter Palace, but also three other buildings and the Hermitage Theatre. We waited for a few minutes in the Palace Square with its Alexander Column, the tallest red granite column of its kind that weights 500 tons and is so heavy, it is not attached to its base.

The Hermitage Entrance

We had early access to the Hermitage before regular guests, who were already lining up in the plaza several hours before opening. Nina gave us warnings about the pickpockets and we were glad she did as one of them approached one of the women in our group later in the day. We entered through the beautiful entrance hall into the main museum.

St. George's Hall

First up was St. George's Hall and the Apollo Room, which served as the original throne room, then we continued through the main hall, passing by the giant malachite vase in the aptly named Room of the Great Vase.

The Peacock Clock

The peacock clock dates to 1777 when it was commissioned from noted automaton builder James Cox. It arrived in Russia in 1797 and was for a time owned by Prince Grigory Potemkin, the secret husband of Catherine the Great. Since the 18th century it was been delighting visitors with its spectacle of three singing birds, an owl, a peacock, and a rooster, and is now the only large example of 18th century robotics to have survived unaltered into the 21st century.

Rembrandt And The Masters

Nina led us into the Rembrandt Gallery and quickly led us to some of his most famous works including Portrait of a Scholar and Danae. In 1985, a man later attacked Danae by throwing sulfuric acid on the canvas and cutting it twice with his knife. Restoration of the painting took over a decade to restore. Nina showed us the marks on the woodwork where the acid had dripped from the painting.

Leonardo Da Vinci And His Students

After Rembrandt, we followed naturally to the Leonardo da Vinci Room, which featured two of his works, the Benois Madonna and the Little Madonna, as well as works by many of da Vinci's students.

Michelangelo

Passing through the Small Italian Skylight Hall with works of 16th and 17th century Italian art and furniture. Then we visited the only Michelangelo statue in the museum, his Crouching Boy.

Dutch Art

We passed through the Large Italian Skylight room and made our way into tent-roofed hall of 17th century Dutch paintings and ended our painting tour with Dutch painter Paulus Potter's wolfhound painting. The painting of a watchdog with the artist's name over the kennel inspired Nina to point out the collar and chain around the dog's neck and the theory the painting had been made shortly after the artist had married.

Tavern Hlebnikov

From the Hermitage, we made a pit stop at a souvenir shop that also served as TJ Travel's office, where we paid for our tours and did a little more Russian shopping. Then it was back in the van for a drive to Tsar's Village, now known as Pushkin Village. With Theodore Soverign's Cathedral in the background, we stopped for lunch at Tavern Hlebnikov. The borscht was disgusting to J. R. and Janie but the chicken and lingonberry was very good. The ice cream at the end was fabulous.

Outside Catherine Palace

Rain was starting to fall as we left lunch and Nina offered us all the use of red ponchos, allowing us, in her words "to all look like little Communists". We passed on the ponchos since we had our umbrellas and rain jackets with us. The rain slowed to a drizzle as we arrived at Catherine Palace. The Palace was built in 1717 for Catherine I as her summer palace. It was razed in 1752 and rebuilt in the Rococo style with more than 100 kilograms of gold gilding the stucco facade. The northern wing's Palace Chapel is topped by five golden domes. These used to be gilded but are now just painted gold.

Catherine Palace

Inside, the palace continues in the Rococo style with ornate banisters and marble busts. The Hall of Light occupies the full width of the hall with tall arched windows and a fresco depicting "The Triumph of Russia". The portrait hall showcases portraits of the tsars. The highlight is the replica of the Amber Room, which was rebuilt by the Russian Government in the 2000s. The original amber was looted by the Nazis during World War II and the amber was never found. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed in the amber room. Supposedly this is to protect the amber, but Nina thought it was to sell more postcards.

Broken Strings

After Catherine Palace, we climbed back aboard the van and headed down the dual carriageway back to our ship. We said farewell to Nina and our driver to leave Russia behind.

We changed for dinner, got a couple of drinks and then headed to the Reflection Theater for "Broken Strings". This show starred the production cast singing popular music. The cast was once again very good even if the storyline of the show was weak.

Ensemble Lounge

We headed back to Ensemble for a drink before dinner and then also to the martini bar for a nightcap. We returned to the main dining room for dinner and then went back to the bar, finishing off the evening with a little dancing.