March 17, 2015
Admittedly we didn't leave the hotel after our flight and Palace visit yesterday. Our view of St. Petersburg was solely dependent upon what we experienced at our hotel and venturing out into the big Russian city caused some trepidation today.
Our first stop was the Kazan Cathedral. Upon arrival we immediately noticed the architecture bore a similar resemblance to St. Peter's in Rome. The church took 10 years to build and was complete in 1811. The interior decor is understated. The cathedral is known for its 262 ft tall dome.
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| Kazan Cathedral Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Lunch was next on schedule. We went to a trendy restaurant called the Clean Plates Society. The atmosphere was cute. Lunch was a very good chicken burger with bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickle with a side of spiced fried potato wedges and a cold veggie salad. The total bill for two people was only $10.
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| The Clean Plates Society Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Following lunch we went to St. Isaac's Cathedral. This cathedral opened in 1858 it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The interior of this church is breathtaking. There are 14 different colors of marble and 43 precious stones/minerals used to decorate the church. The malachite and lapis pillars alone are terribly impressive.
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| Ceiling of Saint Isaac's Cathedral Saint Petersburg, Russia |
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| Saint Isaac's Cathedral Saint Petersburg, Russia |
On our tour of churches in St. Petersburg we thought we would pay homage to our roots and visit some Lutheran Churches. St. Mary's was the first church we visited. It was founded in 1745 and complete in 1805. This parish is part of the Finnish Lutheran Church which has been active in Russia for over 400 years. The second church is simply called the Lutheran Church. This one has a creative history. This church was built in the 1830s however from 1936 until the 1950s it was used as vegetable storage. After that it was converted to a swimming pool with a high diving board and spectator benches. The building had since been handed back to the German-Lutheran Church of Russia. The swimming pool and diving boards have been removed; however it could be a new twist on baptisms (just thinking out loud).
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| Lutheran Church Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Our final church for the day was the Church on Spilled Blood. This church was built where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. Construction of this church commenced in 1883. What's more impressive - the exterior or the interior? That's a good question. Inside intricate mosaics cover the walls of this church portraying biblical stories.
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| Church on Spilled Blood Saint Petersburg, Russia |
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| Church on Spilled Blood Saint Petersburg, Russia |
A quick stop at Baskin Robbins was twofold. First off it was snack time and more importantly the churches we visited don't provide facilities. The ice cream was good but the seat-less commode in the bathroom was a slight challenge for Jen.
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| Neva River Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Built in 1703, the Peter and Paul Fortress is considered to signify the founding of the city of St. Petersburg. The fortress was built on an island in the Neva River. This structure is all encompassing including: a mint which produces coins medals and badges, a prison, a cathedral and the tombs of the Romanovs. With admission we had access to the secret passage way which took us through the walls of the fortress and on top of the wall for panoramic views of the city.
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| Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral Saint Petersburg, Russia |
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we stopped for a pint at Mollie's Mews, an Irish pub. The menu was a substantial three ringed binder but corned beef was nowhere to be found! While we were enjoying our pints we watched the KHL (Russia's NHL) Metallurg Mg was playing Sibir; Sibir won 3-2 in overtime.
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| Mollie's Mews Saint Petersburg, Russia |
After walking over 11 miles today we were ready to crash. Dinner was at Michelangelo, the Italian restaurant at our hotel. This evenings menu was chicken Caesar salad and margarita pizza. The chicken Caesar salad was possibly the best chicken Caesar salad we have ever indulged. We had good conversation with our server who spent 4 months in the states. She had very kind words to say about our homeland.
The weather today was remarkable. Temperatures topped off at 55 with 100% sunshine. To sum it up.... Another beautiful day in St. Petersburg.