July 26, 2002

On our way to Petrodvorets (Peterhof), one of the summer palaces of the Czars, we visited our last Russian church.
Previous day
Please note:- Most links are slide shows in Quicktime. A free player is available here
Peterhof was used and abused by the Germans during the war. When they left they mined it to be destroyed when the Russians returned. Fortunately,the trap was discovered.

The palace and grounds have had major restoration.
A popular tourist destination, crowds and entertainers were in full force. After touring the fountains and gardens (Peterhof is compared with Versailles in France) we discovered we had arrived on "Navy Day" ceremonies with the result we had to wait (and wait) for our opportunity to visit the Grand Palace. It was well worth the wait!
Before returning for the last time to our ship with all its memories we took the canal tour of St. Petersburg (known as the Venice of the North) then said goodby to the country and culture we had just experienced.
For background on: