Janaline's World Journey

Morning spent Exploring the Old City of Jerusalem

treefrog — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 20:15:00 GMT

It was Tuesday 27 December, day 4 of my Israel Adventure and so far it had been stunning, filled with great people and extraordinary places to see.

I started my day early and walked from New Gate down to Zion’s Gate where I exited the old city to go to David’s Tomb and the room of the Last Supper.

King David's Tomb is a site traditionally viewed as the burial place of David, King of Israel. It is located near the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey. The tomb is situated in a ground floor corner of the remains of the former Hagia Zion, a Byzantine church.

The Last Supper Room is an attractive, mostly empty rectangular room with pillars and a groin-vaulted ceiling. The capitals on the pillars are mainly 12th-century and Gothic in style. There are traces of 14th-century paint on the wall just inside to the right of the door. The east end originally had an altar and choir, but these were destroyed when the dome was built over the Tomb of David in the lower level.

I ended up in the magnificent Domica Cathedral which is located on Mount Zion, southwest of the Old City and it immortalizes the deep sleep of Mary, mother of Jesus. "Dormitio" in Latin means "to sleep".

This Cathedral commemorates the memory of Virgin Mary, in the traditional site of her death (the name means "Eternal sleep").

The church was first built in the fourth century and called "Hagia Zion" (Holy Zion) but since then it has undergone many periods of destruction and renovation by the various rulers of Jerusalem. The church as it stands today was built in the neo-Romanesque style of the Middle Ages and was inaugurated in 1910.

It is maintained by the German Benedictine Order and is decorated in the style of many churches in the Christian world, with mosaics showing figures from the Old and New Testaments and paintings of a variety of saints.

The beauty and grand design of the church is very impressive as I approached it from the alley that leads from the Zion gate.

Once inside my eyes were drawn to the painted ceiling, decorated walls and even the floor. The floor is decorated with the symbols of the Zodiac, names of Prophets, and a verse from Proverbs (8, 23-25) written on its circumference.

Inside the church are two spiral staircases that lead down to the crypt. The crypt is a round pillared room, which is located in a level under the church. In the center of the crypt, surrounded by six pillars, is a sculpture of Mary's deathbed, made of ivory and cherry wood. Visitors light up candles before the sculpture. While I was down there a priest conducted a service, it was beautiful to sit and listen to.

On the ceiling of the crypt above Mary are Jesus (in the center) surrounded by famous Biblical women figures: Eve, Esther, Ruth, Yael, Judith and Mary sister of Moses, they are here to honor Mary.

I bought myself a beautiful mother of pearl rosary here as it will have special memories attached with my visit to this extraordinary church.

The Bell tower of this church is crowned with a sign of the cock, similar to the Gallicantu church. The Biblical text (Mark 14: 26-72) describes the story of Peters' triple denial of Christ and the cock crowing twice, which happened on MountZion.

The story is as follows: Jesus was sitting with his disciples before his arrest, and doubted their loyalty. Peter declared that he will not be among them, but Jesus predicted that within that night, even before the 2nd crow of the cock, Peter will deny him 3 times. This is exactly what has happened, as Peter found out himself.

Exploring Mount Zion in Jerusalem, Israel

treefrog — Fri, 1 Mar 2013 23:12:00 GMT

Day 3: Monday 26 December, of my adventure

The rain finally let up so this morning I took the hostels free city tour, it is a 3hour walking tour that was very informative and we had a great guide that made it a lot of fun!

We walked through little alleyways and past so many old buildings it was a bit overwhelming.

We went to the Western Wall where everyone goes to pray. I also put a small paper with a prayer in the wall, they say you have a better than average chance then that it will be answered.

I met a Canadian Girl that morning, Bobby, she was also staying at the hostel and decided to join me for the days outing.

The two of us took a small local bus number 75 up to Mount Zion. We went into the Mosque of Ascension where there is supposed to be a footprint of Jesus in stone. Couldn’t actually make out the footprint, it looked distorted but was still interesting.

Unfortunately the Church of Ascension was closed for the day. We walked down the mount and entered the Paternoster church where the Lords prayer is in tablets in every known language. This church is built over a cave in which Jesus was said to have taught the disciples the prayer that begins "Our Father who art in heaven". It was absolutely beautiful and I even found the prayer in Zulu and Afrikaans.

Leaving, we stood looking out over the graves that fill the side of the hill right next to the city and enjoyed the stunning sunset.

Right after sunset we went into the Garden of Gethsemane, the last remaining rays shining through the trees and we watched the sun disappear behind the olive trees and the Old City walls.

There are eight olive trees in this garden that may be at least 2,000 - 3,000 years old. They still bear fruit. If they are not the actual trees in the area where Jesus prayed, then they could have been young saplings when Jesus came here with the disciples on that night after the Last Supper.

Stunning end to a great day!!

Christmas Day at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem

treefrog — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:38:00 GMT

Day 2: Sunday 25 December 2011

It rained all day long and was about 15 degrees and very foggy. The city was covered in a white mist. I took the tram to the Holocaust museum, it is a stunning building and everything was so well presented. It was a stunning yet very depressing experience.

Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

The origin of the name is from a Biblical verse: “And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) that shall not be cut off”.

Located in the western region of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrancein Jerusalem on 804 meters above the sea, Yad Vashem is a 180,000 square meters complex containing the Holocaust History Museum; memorial sites, such as the Children’s Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives and a research institute.

Yad Vashem honors non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust at personal risk, as the “Righteous among the Nations”.

Yad Vashem is the second most visited tourist site in Israel, after the Western Wall. It receives on average one million visitors annually. Admission is free.

Afterwards I went and walked through the food market close to the hostel to cheer myself up. I had a fabulous bowl of whole wheat pasta before spending the rest of the evening at the hostel reading and just relaxing with a glass of wine.

Spices and herbs!!

The night before Christmas which I spent in Bethlehem!!

treefrog — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:40:00 GMT

Saturday 24 December

At 3o’clock the afternoon on my first day in Israel I joined the Abraham hostel tour to Bethlehem. Unfortunately the guide was absolutely useless, he didn’t give us any extra information about the area or even tell us where we were going or what we were going to see.

He took us to the Shepherd’s Field first.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:8-10)

The fertile fields of Beit Sahour are believed to be where this biblical scene took place, 2 km southeast of Bethlehem. The ruins at Al-Ruwat include a cave used as a church from the 4th century, of which the barrel-vaulted roof (5th century) still survives. It is approached by a flight of 21 steps and has three apses with traces of mosaic and old frescoes.

After this we went into Bethlehem and to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians.

Floor mosaics surviving from the original basilica.

It is designed like a typical Roman basilica, with five aisles formed by Corinthian columns. The columns are made of pink, polished limestone, most of them dating from the original 4th-century Constantinian basilica. There is also a vault in the eastern end, where the sanctuary is. The church features golden mosaics covering the side walls, which are now largely decayed. Trap doors in the present floor reveal sections of floor mosaics surviving from the original basilica. The mosaics feature complex geometric designs with birds, flowers and vine patterns, making a rich and elaborate carpet for Constantine’s church.

We stood in line for 3hours to get into the Grotto.

Lanterns Inside the Church of the Nativity

Church of St. Catherine

While standing in line I wandered away from the group and went into the adjoining Church of St. Catherine, the Roman Catholic Church. It was built in a more modern Gothic revival style. This is the church where the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrates Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Certain customs still observed in this Midnight Mass predate Vatican II, must be maintained because the “status quo” (the customs, rights and duties of the various church authorities that have custody of the Holy Places) was legally fixed in 1852, under the Ottoman Empire.

When I wanted to get back to the group the connecting door was locked seeing as they were busy closing and getting ready for midnight mass! Luckily I found a guard who then helped me get back in.

Inside the Church of the Nativity

We entered through a very low door, called the “Door of Humility.” We then went down a Staircase on the side of the Sanctuary that leads down to the Grotto.

Candles at the entrance to the Grotto

The Grotto of the Nativity is an underground cave located beneath the basilica, it enshrines the site where Jesus is said to have been born. The exact spot is marked beneath an altar by a 14-pointed Silver Star set into the marble floor and surrounded by silver lamps. This altar is denominationally neutral, although it features primarily Armenian Apostolic influences. Another altar in the Grotto, which is maintained by the Roman Catholics, marks the site where traditionally Mary laid the newborn Baby in the manger.

We were unfortunately rushed through a bit, and got held up because a very big lady bent down to kiss the Silver Star and then got stuck under the altar and it took two guards to pull her out of the little grotto again.

Unfortunately it started raining during dinner, it was pouring down and my shoes were not water proof. I bought a small umbrella but had to walk around with wet, cold feet the whole evening, my toes were freezing!

We walked down to see a part of the Israel Palestine wall with its graffiti; we only saw a small part of the wall as we couldn’t actually walk around much in the pouring rain.

Manger Square

I met 2 lovely Kiwi ladies who teach English in Cairo. I ended up chatting to them and spent the rest of the evening in their company. On our way back from the wall we sat down and had some mulled wine to warm up a bit. Luckily by then the rain had cleared up a bit so we headed down to Manger Square, a large paved courtyard in front of the Church. This is the site where crowds gather on Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols in anticipation of the midnight services. We could watch the midnight service here on big screens, but unfortunately because of the rain there was no sound, a bit of a disappointment.

Standing right by the Barriers of Manger Square

We were lucky enough to be right in the front when they set up the barriers in front of the church before the president arrived. I have never seen so many armed police and army guys standing around with their AK47’s.

When the president finally arrived it looked like chaos with all the police running around, but it was over quickly and the barriers were removed.

After midnight mass we all had some hot chocolate before heading back to the hostel.

This was definitely a very special and spiritual Christmas for me!

Christmas in Jerusalem, Israel starts!!

treefrog — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:51:00 GMT

This was going to be my very first Christmas all alone so I wanted to make it really special, and what better place is there to spend Christmas than in Israel?! As I started my Israel adventure I put my I-pod on random. I stepped out of the flat with my backpack and the theme song to mission impossible started. Let the adventure start was what I thought at that moment.

Friday 23 December 2011

For a trip to count as an adventure you can’t expect everything to go smoothly. I got to the airport at 9am for my 11h30 flight to Tel Aviv, only to find out that it had been delayed for 2 hours. Not too bad, at least it wasn’t cancelled right.

Leaving Moscow

It was -7 Celsius outside and snowing quite heavily so the weather was not ideal for take off and I was looking forward to a warmer climate. We eventually boarded the airplane around 12h30 but then had the “pleasure” of sitting in the plane until 15h30 when we eventually took off, 4 hours later but so the adventure starts!!

I started reading Exile by Robert North a couple of days previously so the delay gave me plenty of time to catch up on some reading. This book was definitely giving me a different perspective on Israel than the tour guide I read before it. It shows the Palestine and Israel issues from both perspectives; it also gives a lot of information on the history of how the tension between Israel and Palestine all started.

Abraham Hostel

I arrived at Tel Aviv airport around 7pm, changed money and then took a shared taxi (sheirut) to Jerusalem. They dropped me off right in front of my hostel for just 60 shekel. I stayed at Abraham hostel and it really impressed me, each dorm room had its own bathroom and you were given clean towels and sheets, breakfast and free coffee or tea all day long. They also had a lovely social area and a row of computers for internet use.

The entrance into a small church

Day 1: Saturday 24 December 2011

Jerusalem

I walked down Jafa Street and entered the Old City through New Gate. I just walked around without a plan, looking at the buildings and following the music that was playing all over the city.

I came across 2 processions, one where they were singing Christmas carols and the second was of an old guy walking with a wooden cross and doing all the stations of the cross: the stations is the whole route Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion.

The entrance to the church courtyard

I came upon the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. When I entered I was greeted by the stone of Unction where the anointing and wrapping of Christ’s body after death took place.

The stone of Unction

People were kneeling down and praying around the stone, a priest knelt down and poured some red oil on to the stone rubbing it in and praying while I was standing there. People actually came and packed candles and icons on to the stone and then removing it as it is now blessed!

The ceiling of the church…I just love the lanterns!!

Golgotha, the spot where the crucifix is believed to have stood

Inside the church is Golgotha, the spot where the crucifix is believed to have stood. While I was standing there 2 guys carried a crippled dude all the way there just so that he could kiss the spot where the cross stood. People stood in line to kneel down and touch the spot and pray.

The place where they believed Jesus was buried

Downstairs is a place where they believed Jesus was buried, it had long lines to enter and loads of tour groups so I skipped going in.

The church has amazing lanterns hanging all over!!

I walked around the Old City some more and bought myself a falafel at Damascus Gate before I headed back to the hostel.

Photos: Christmas Adventure in Israel!!

treefrog — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:47:00 GMT

Travelling through Israel over the Christmas period

Sunset at Moscow's Gorky Park

treefrog — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:40:00 GMT

I took a late afternoon walk through Gorky Park to watch the sunset. Its already starting to get cold here in Moscow and was -2 degrees Celsius outside. I am leaving Moscow next week so trying to fit in the last couple of places left on my list.

Small church at the metro station exit on my way to Gorky Park

The bronze wall surrounding Gorky Park

The entrance to Gorky Park

The impressive archway at the entrance to the Park

Gorky park is definitely one of Moscow’s most famous parks. It is Right next to the Moscow River and use to have a huge forest and be the ideal place for pick-nicks. But ,unfortunately a huge part of the park has been turned into a theme park. Now Gorky park is famous for its ice-skating and amusement park rides.

Watching the sunset over the Moscow River

All the trees have already lost their leaves and you can see that the winter cold is fast approaching.

The wind picked up while standing next to the river and I realized that it is definitely time for my winter coat and that I was not dressed warm enough for this outing. So, unfortunately I didnt stay out as long as I would have wanted to.

While walking along the Moscow River

Gorky Park at sunset

The sun was already down and it wasn’t even 6 o’clock yet

Church at park exit

I crossed the Moscow River and at the other side of the bridge found this beautiful church.

Snow covered Moscow at Night!!

treefrog — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:21:00 GMT

Winter in Moscow is truly beautiful especially when everything is covered in snow. I just love walking around the neighborhood late at night when everybody is wrapped up warmly in their apartments and the streets are quite deserted.

During winter I suffered from insomnia and sitting still inside my little apartment was not an option. So I wrapped up warm and went for walks in the snow covered streets, hoping that this would help.

These are some random photos I took while out on my nightly walks.

The streets were covered in a layer of ice which made walking quite a challenge for me.

A fresh layer of snow covering everything.

The Secret Soviet Military Bunker and Moscow metro – Birthday weekend!! Part 2C

treefrog — Mon, 3 Dec 2012 02:06:00 GMT

How do you celebrate your birthday when it is -30 degrees outside? You go down into Stalin’s secret bunker and go for a ride on Moscow’s circle line.

Belorusskaya

Belorusskaya was opened in 1938, the station is named after the nearby Belorussky Rail Terminal, from which westward trains towards Belarus and western Europe depart.

The station is decorated with national Belarusian motives. Bronze floor-lamps decorate the pillars and at the end of the central hall is a bust of Vladimir Lenin.

Presently about 139,700 passengers pass through this station per day.

Krasnopresnenskaya

Krasnopresnenskaya was opened on 14 March 1954. The station has red granite pillars with white marble cornices and 14 brass plaques. Eight of them depict the events of the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the other six show scenes from the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Kievskaya

It is named after the nearby Kiyevsky Rail Terminal. The design for the station was chosen in an open competition held in Ukraine.

Kievskaya metro station

Kievskaya features low, square pillars with white marble and large mosaics celebrating Russo-Ukrainian unity. Both the mosaics and the arches between the pylons are edged with elaborate gold-coloured trim. At the end of the platform is a huge portrait of Lenin.

At the end of the platform is a huge portrait of Lenin

Kievskaya metro station

Platform of Kievskaya metro station

Unfortunately Park Kultury metro station was closed for repairs.

The following 3 metro stations: Oktyabr’skaya, Dobryninskaya and Paveletskaya are the only stations on the circle line that I think is not worth a visit.

I had a great day experiencing Russian architecture and learning a bit more about Moscow!!

Had a fabulous time exploring Moscow’s metro system!!

The Secret Soviet Military Bunker and Moscow metro – Birthday weekend!! Part 2B

treefrog — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:43:00 GMT

How do you celebrate your birthday when it is -30 degrees outside? You go down into Stalin’s secret bunker and go for a ride on Moscow’s circle line.

Komsomolskaya metro station

Komsomol’skaya

Komsomolskaya is located under the busiest Moscow transport hub, Komsomolskaya Square, which serves the 3 main railway stations. Because of that the station is one of the busiest in the whole system and is the most crowded one on the line.

Komsomolskaya metro station

Once on the platform level, there is an imposing Baroque ceiling, with accompanying friezes, painted yellow. Supporting the enlarged barrel vault are 68 octagonal columns covered with white marble, and topped with baroque pillars. The platform is lit up by chandeliers.

Inside Komsomolskaya metro station

The theme of the design, the Historical Russian fight for freedom and independence, is expressed in eight large ceiling mosaics by Pavel Korin. Korin said that the inspiration came from Joseph Stalin’s speech at the Moscow Parade of 1941, where he inspired the soldiers amid the catastrophic losses in the early period of World War II to remember the historical heroics of their Russian forefathers.

Me inside Komsomolskaya metro station

Komsomolskaya metro station

In 1951 both Pavel Korin (posthumously) was awarded the Stalin Prize for his work on the station and in 1958 the station was awarded the Grand Prix (“Grand Prize”) title of Expo ’58 in Brussels.

Prospekt Mira metro station

Prospekt Mira

Prospekt Mira metro station is definitely one of the most beautifully decorated stations ever

This station is filled with stain glass panels

It was originally called Botanichesky Sad after the Botanical Gardens of the Moscow State University which is located nearby. The theme of this station and the overall colour tone was inspired by the Botanical Gardens. The pillars are all white marble, and are covered with ceramic floral carvings. The colourful glass arches depict different aspects in the development of agriculture in the Soviet Union and is actually very beautiful.

Prospekt Mira metro station

Prospekt Mira metro station with ist stunning stain glass decorations

Platform of Prospekt Mira metro station

Hammer and sickle

Mendeleevskaya

Mendeleevskaya metro station

The interesting light features of Mendeleevskaya metro station

The station hall is covered with white marble and the walls are decorated with plaques depicting atomic and molecular structures. The station is decorated with unusual lighting fixtures resembling lattice.

The interesting light features of Mendeleevskaya metro station

The Secret Soviet Military Bunker and Moscow metro – Birthday weekend!! Part 2A

treefrog — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 02:40:00 GMT

How do you celebrate your birthday when it is -30 degrees outside? You go down into Stalin’s secret bunker and go for a ride on Moscow’s circle line.

Me in the Moscow metro system

I decided to have a Russian weekend for my birthday in February. Seeing as it was in the middle of winter and -30 outside we decided to visit the Bunker 42 Cold War Museum and afterwards do a tour of the circle metro and all its fabulous stations.

**The Koltsevaya Line (Circle Line)**

After a lovely lunch we headed off to the metro for our circle line tour.

The Moscow Metro Opened in 1935 with one 11-kilometre line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 185 stations and its route length is 305.7 kilometres.

The Moscow Metro is the world’s second most rapid transit system after Tokyo’s twin subway. The Koltsevaya Line (Circle Line) is a railway line of the Moscow Metro. The line was built in 1950-1954 encircling the central Moscow.

Of all the lines, the ring remains the most famous, mostly due to its notable stations built at the height of Stalinist Architecture. Each of the twelve stands out in their own right, and it is these stations that we went exploring.

Taganskaya metro station

Taganskaya

Opened on 1 January 1950 this station was built with the post-war flamboyance in mind; the overall design is based on the traditional Russian motives. The central feature of the station are profile marble carvings of various World War II Red Army & Navy servicemen each dedicated to a group such as pilots, tank crews or sailors.

Me at Taganskaya metro station

Profile marble carvings of various World War II Red Army & Navy servicemen

Me taking pictures of this beautiful station!!

The panels facing the central hall are on a blue background, whilst the platform hall panels are monochromatic. Lighting comes from a set of 12 gilded chandeliers in the central hall with the same blue center.

Kurskaya metro station

Kurskaya

Found in the connecting tunnels leading to Kurskaya metro station

This station was designed by architects G. Zakharkov and Z. Chernysheva who were awarded the Stalin Prize in 1950 for the design. Kurskaya is a rare deep column station built in the 1950s style of Stalinist Architecture.

In the centre of the station is a large open space with a large vault overhead that rests on four pillars from which a staircase leads off as a transfer to two other stations.

An interesting detail of the station is the lack of sculptures and artwork, instead however this is compensated for by small details such as hidden lamps in the niches of the vault, which is covered by a bronze frieze symbolizing the dawn and blossoming of Mother Russia. There are eight elegant chandeliers hanging from the roof.

There are eight elegant chandeliers hanging from the roof.

My friend Yve inside Kurskaya metro station

The Secret Soviet Military Bunker and Moscow Metro - Birthday weekend!! Part 1

treefrog — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 01:49:00 GMT

How do you celebrate your birthday when it is -30 degrees outside? You go down into Stalin’s secret bunker and go for a ride on Moscow’s circle line.

Entrance to the Secret bunker of Stalin!

Map of the bunker system

My friend Judith and I got off at Tagansky metro station and waded through the snow to the bunker. We had to book in advance via the Bunker 42 website to make sure that we would be part of an English speaking tour. The entrance is so well disguised that I myself have passed by this building many times before and I never guessed that this was the entrance to an underground tunnel system. It looks like the entrance to a normal building from the outside.

We had to walk down 18 flight of stairs to get into the bunker

It is located an ear-popping 60 meters below the streets of Moscow. The 7000 square meters complex was completed in the 1960s and originally designed to house officials from the Ministry of Defence in the event of a nuclear attack, but has since been converted into a fascinating museum to showcase one of the most intriguing eras of modern times.

Judith, about to launch a nuclear attack!!

Me inside the small lift

As we started the tour we passed by an incredible 6 ton concrete door which slide open to reveal a small set of stairs which went down, and down, and down for 22 flights. (Those who did not wish to walk could take the small elevator down. We made sure that we were first in line to take back up as the elevator was tiny and only 4 people could squeeze in.)

The communications equipment set on display

Love the propaganda posters that are up everywhere

Me playing around with some of the communications equipment

The entry fee included a tour of the bunker’s expansive tunnels and they even did a mock drill of what would happen in case of an attack. We viewed an enlightening video about the tensions between the USSR and the USA, showing the development and testing of atom bombs. We also had the chance to survey some period weapons and communications equipment.

Visiting this bunker was one of my dads highlights during their visit and we had him try everything out

My dad playing around with the period weapons on display

We even had my dad try on one of the old Russian gas masks

Down in the tunnels during a mock drill of what would happen in case of an attack.

“Underground Command Post Tagansky” was built in 1951 during the height of the Cold War and is located in the center of Moscow.

Down in the bunker they have a space where you can sit and rest and even have a ciggaret

This super-secret bunker served as the command post, the main artery for communication for the Soviet Union in the event of a nuclear war. It was built to withstand direct hits and to insure that normal telecommunications in the worst case scenario could continue.

Some of the tunnels have colourful light fixtures

The walk through the tunnels is simply breath-taking and you can get lost in your imagination of what it must have been like 50 years ago. For those fans of Soviet history and the Cold War, this is a must see.

An empty section of the bunker

Visiting the BOLSHOI THEATRE in Moscow

treefrog — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:46:00 GMT

Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi is still one of the greatest theatres in the world, with its own proud traditions and unforgettable atmosphere. An evening at the Bolshoi really is an essential part of a visit to Moscow.

Bolshoi Theatre

The building itself is one of Moscow’s most symbolic sites, a truly impressive example of Russian Classical architecture that faces the Kremlin walls, and some fairly tacky open air bars and restaurants, with proud indifference.

Bolshoi Theater at night

The Bolshoi is the second biggest opera house in Europe (after La Scala), and its grandeur and artistic strength are combined in everything from the impressive statue of Apollo that crowns the facade to the ballet’s famously muscular style of choreography.

Inside the Bolshoi Theater

I went and watched Romeo and Juliet in ballet here, it was absolutely amazing!!!

I got all dressed up for the evening and was beside myself with excitement. It was an amazing experience actually sitting in the theater and watching my very first ballet ever!

Waiting for Romeo and Juliet to start

The breathtaking beauty of the setting and the historic atmosphere along with a magnificent ballet made it a truly memorable evening out.

Inside the Bolshoi Theater

The Bolshoi takes its role as Russia’s national theatre seriously, and the policy is to ensure that 70% of its repertoire is made up of Russian masterpieces.

It is possible to book tickets on the internet, but it works out considerably more expensive than going to the theatre box office and buying it in person. However, some performances sell out very fast, so it may be worth the extra cost.

Inside the Bolshoi Theater

Moscow's Donskoy Monastery a bit of a Disappointment

treefrog — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:39:00 GMT

As it was the middle of autumn the days were getting shorter and opportunities to walk around without freezing were getting fewer and fewer. I have been exploring some of the churches and monasteries while living in Moscow but there are still many left that I haven’t seen. I went for a walk to Donskoy Monastery which is in the south of Moscow.

This small monastery was founded in 1591 to commemorate Boris Godunov’s repulsion of a Tartar invasion under Khan Kazy-Girey. The Donskoy Monastery is one of the most impressively fortified in Moscow but is not nearly as impressive on the inside.

The big Cathedral in side Donskoy Monastery

Godunov roused his troops on the eve of battle by parading the icon Our Lady of the Don, which legend claimed had been carried by Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. When the Tartar forces fled after a brief skirmish, the decision was made to build a church to house the icon on the site and a monastery around it, which would also serve to protect the main highway from Moscow to the Crimea.

Little church inside the monastery complex

Bell tower of the small church

According to Ukranian custom, the five domes of the cathedral are positioned to represent the four corners of the earth, a design which scandalized Old Believers, who gave it the name “The Antichrist’s Altar”.The most impressive part about this monastery was its history.

White walls surrounding the monastery

My South-African friends visit Moscow!! Day 3+4

treefrog — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 01:27:00 GMT

Izmaylovo Russian market

Day 3

Izmaylovo Russian market

We spent the morning shopping for souvenirs at Izmaylovo marketwhere we had some lovely hot mulled wine and chicken kebab for lunch. We then visited the small Vodka museum and fake wooden Kremlinright next to the market.

The fake wooden Kremlin right next to the market.

Adriaan and I inside the fake wooden Kremlin right next to the market.

Here we had the opportunity to get acquainted with the centuries-long history of Russian vodka, from its invention to the present day. In the museum exhibition we saw the first distillation unit, by means of which burning wine was produced in the XVth century. We also read about the secrets of the vodka production process as well as the main ingredients of the Russian national drink.

Me in front of the Vodka museum

During our visit to the museum we also read the captivating story of the role vodka has played in the history of Russian civilization and how it could have influenced the course of important historical events in Russian history. Vodka played a vital part in the realization of Tsar Peter’s reforms. Yet vodka served as reason for Russia’s defeats in several major battles.

The Fake Wooden Kremlin

The museum can justly be proud of its collection of over 600 exhibits: various brands of vodka, XVIIIth century vodka recipes, vodka posters, vodka labels and vodka bottles of different sizes and styles.

I bought myself a Matrioshka bottle of Vodka here.

The three of us having a shot of Vodka at the end of the tour

The shot of vodka we were given at the end of the tour helped brave us against the cold again. It was -3 degrees outside but we were all wrapped up in our winter clothes and ready for a walk in the cold.

Walking through the park we had the Izmaylovo market in the background on the other side of the lake

Cathedral of the Protection of the Virgin

We went for a walk through Izmaylovo Park up to the Cathedral of the Protection of the Virgin (1671-1679). During the Soviet period the church had been closed and the most valuable icons have disappeared. But the Cathedral opened again in 1990 and is today it is a working church.

This Cathedral is absolutely beautiful and as it was a Sunday they were having a church service so we stood around listening to the choir for a while.

Cathedral of the Protection of the Virgin when we left in the dark

Day 4

Last on the list was visiting Lenin’s mausoleum and seeing Juri Gregerins grave. We had a last walk through the Red Square, pancakes at the coffee house and then they had to head off to the airport.

Me in front of Lenin’s mausoleum

Was great having them visiting and had loads of fun showing them Moscow and being a part of their Russian adventure.

Adel and Adriaan heading to the airport

My South-African friends visit Moscow!! Day 2

treefrog — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:07:00 GMT

Novodevichiy convent

Adel and I at the entrance to the Convent

Autumn in Novodevichiy convent

Day 2

Autumn in Novodevichiy convent

This morning Adel, Adriaan and I headed out to Novodevichiy convent. We had a great time walking around the monastery and even went through the cemetery and looked at the tomb stones of some famous people buried here.

Adel and I in front of a small chapel in the convent

Autumn in Novodevichiy convent

Head stone of Boris Yeltsin in the cemetary

Having a cup of coffee in a small Russian Café

We had coffee in a small Russian Café on the way back to the metro and went up to VDNKH exhibition center.

Adel and I in front of the cosmonaut statue

VDNKH exhibition center.

Our first stop was at the cosmonaut statue close to the exit of the metro station. We took a late afternoon stroll through the exhibition center to show them all the Russian communist buildings.

Adel and I at VDNKH exhibition center.

Adel , Adriaan and I sitting in front of the Friendship Fountain at VDNKH exhibition center.

On the Moscow Ferris wheel,

In the Southern area of the site near the central entrance there is anAmusement Park with the Moscow-850 Ferris wheel, built in 2004 as part of Moscow’s 850th anniversary celebrations. I am very scared of heights but was convinced by Adel to join her on this Ferris wheel. I spent most of the trip holding on for dear life and trying not to look down!

For dinner that night we had sushi at Nagasaki sushi at Tverskaya.

My South-African Friends Visit Moscow!! Day 1

treefrog — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:31:00 GMT

Moscow is filled with churches with onion domes

Day 1

I was so excited that two of my South-African friends were coming to visit me in Moscow!!!!

They arrived early morning in late October and made their way to my small flat in the east of Moscow. I live very close to the metro station so it was quite easy for them to find.

Unfortunately they chose the first properly cold week of autumn to come and visit. They were wrapped up in warm coats, scarves and hats for the whole of their visit!But this didn’t stop us from trying to fit in all the highlights of Moscow in 5 days.

The Cathedral of the Sign, a large brown-brick church topped with four green domes

Adel standing in front of the Cathedral of the Sign

Church of St Nikitniki hidden down an alleyway off Varvarka street

For their first day in Moscow I took them for a walk down the church filledVarvarka Street all the way to the Red Square.

Me and Adriaan as we were about to enter the Red Square through Resurrection Gate

Me and Adel standing on the Red Square in front of the Kazan Cathedral

St Basils Cathedral

Adel and I in front of St Basil’s Cathedral

It was 5 degrees outside so we warmed up with a lovely coffee and then went into St Basils Cathedral. I had loads of fun showing them around and it was really special being able to share Moscow with my friends.

Me and Adriaan inside St Basil Cathedral

The eternal peace flame in front of the Kremlin

Guard standing in front of the Kremlin

We were lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards in front of the Kremlin on our way to get something to eat. We had some very tasty Russian pancakes for lunch down in the underground mall in front of the Kremlin and as soon as the two of them were warmed up we headed out into the cold again.

The changing of the guards in front of the Kremlin

The changing of the guards in front of the Kremlin

We walked over to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour which is always an amazing place to visit. It is situated next to the Moscow River and you can see the whole Kremlin from the bridge next to it.

Adel and I in front of the History Museum during the Light Show

Gum Shopping Center during the Light Show

That evening was the Festivals of the Lights in the Red Square. It was amazing to experience, they played music and had a light show synchronized to the music and in turn lit up each building in the Red Square.

Gum Shopping Center during the Light Show

St Basil’s Cathedral during the Light Show

The Red Square during the Light Show

Moscow’s Koskovo Estate in Autumn

treefrog — Fri, 9 Nov 2012 18:41:00 GMT

Beginning of Autumn in Moscow!!

Walking down a tree covered lane to the Estate

I thought I would go for a nice relaxing walk all the way toKoskovo Estate at the beginning of autumn in September. I checked the route on a map and it looked like it would take me about 20 minutes at most to get there from the metro station. But the walk took a considerable bit longer than expected. I arrived at the estate after more than an hour of walking but actually enjoyed the walk along the autumn tree covered lanes. The leaves have all started to turn orange or red creating a mystical autumn world to walk through. There was a bit of a cold wind in the air, just hinting at the cold that lay ahead in the weeks to come.

I love Autumn!

Some graffiti along the way

I entered the estate from the bottom so had to walk through the forest and around the lake before I got to the palace. All along the path through the forest there were artists selling their paintings, people walking their dogs and some fruit sellers so it felt like walking through a mini market.

My first glimpse of Kuskovo Estate across the lake

In Russia it is common for foreigners to pay more to enter places than foreigners. But the ticket seller mistook me for a Russian so I got to pay the local entry price, about half of the foreigner price. I just kept my mouth shut, nodded thanks and walked off before she could realize she had made a mistake.

Little church on the Estate

Angel and cross on top of the Church tower

Kuskovo is almost unique among Russian aristocratic country houses in that it has all its original interiors to match its glorious facades.

Kuskovo was the summer country house and estate of the Sheremetev family. It was built in the mid-18th century.

Unfortunately the little church was locked so couldn’t go inside

The entrance to the little church

The salmon pink Palace

The salmon pink Palace windows

The exterior was made of wooden planks, which were plastered and painted in soft pastel colors. The palace looks out onto a court of honor, formed by the palace, the church and the large lake. The six-column portico at the front of the house was designed with a ramp so that carriages with as many as eight horses could come directly to the front door.

The back of the Palace

The palace gardens were filled with brightly coloured flowers

The palace is a single-storey, salmon pink-and-white structure (it looks like an ice-cream cake!). As I entered the palace I was quite surprised that there were few people inside, it seemed like everybody was out enjoying the huge palace gardens. The first room was hung exclusively with exquisite Flemish tapestries, an abundance of silk wallpaper and an impressive collection of 18th century European and Russian paintings.

Between the tapestries, the windows looked out onto the lake and gardens of the estate.Inside the palace I couldn’t take any pictures but it was definitely worth seeing the luxury in which they lived.

Walking through the Palace Gardens

Path leading from the back of the Palace to the main Gardens

The palace gardenswere filled with wedding parties and I counted about 5 wedding couples all having their photos taken and walking round the estate.

The palace gardens were really very beautiful, even this early in autumn it was still filled with flowers.

Approaching the Hermitage pavilion.

The Hermitage pavilion.

There were eight park alleys that all converged at the circularHermitage pavilion.

Windows of the Pavilion

After walking around for a couple of hours I was too tired to do the hour walk back to the metro station so took a local bus to the nearest metro. Luckily I could get onto any bus as all the busses in Moscow eventually stop at a metro station somewhere.

One of the many buildings dotted around the Garden

The magnificent Moscow Kremlin

treefrog — Wed, 7 Nov 2012 19:21:00 GMT

Moscow Kremlin!!

The Moscow Kremlin is a symbol of the RussianState, one of the greatest architectural complexes in the world, a treasure house of magnificent relics and monuments of art.

I delayed my visit to the Kremlin so that I could do this with my friend Riena who came to visit me in August 2011 all the way from South-Africa. I was very glad I got to share the wonders of the Kremlin with her.

Fountain in Alexander Garden in front of the Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the MoskvaRiver (to the South), Saint Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square (to the East) and the Alexander Garden (to the West). It is the best known of Kremlin s (Russian citadels) and includes four palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin wall with Kremlin towers.

The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The Alexander Garden

From the metro station we walked along the red Kremlin wall and through the flower covered Alexander Gardens in front of it. I was so excited at finally getting to visit the main attraction in Moscow!!

We passed the graves of the unknown soldiers and the eternal peace flame burning next to them. We walked along the red brick walkway and entered the Kremlin through one of the towers.

Entering the Kremlin through one of the red brick towers.

Looking up at the Tower

The existing Kremlin walls and towers were built by Italian masters over the years 1485 to 1495. Its overall length is 2235 meters, but the height ranges from 5 to 19 meters, depending on the terrain. It would have been great if you could actually walk on top of the wall and view the city that way, but unfortunately half of the Kremlin is still in official use and not accessible to the public.

Guards paroling in front of the Kremlin Palace

A band marching through the Kremlin

As we entered there were guards on our right making sure we don’t enter the Kremlin palace or the grounds behind it where we could see official looking cars and people arriving and leaving.

The Kremlin was filled with paroling guards

Row of cannons at the entrance

We passed a whole row of old war cannons on our way to the Cathedral Squarewhich is the heart of the Kremlin. It is surrounded by six buildings, including three cathedrals.

Band marching past the Cathedral square

I love Cathedrals and this was like a playground for me, each Cathedral was unique with a different history and story and we spent quite a lot of time exploring them.

Onion domes on top of a church next to the Kremlin palace

Cathedral of the Dormition

The windows of the Cathedral

The first Cathedral we entered was the Cathedral of the Dormitionwhich was completed in 1479. It was the main church of Moscow and is where all the Tsars were crowned. The massive limestone facade, capped with its five golden cupolas was the design of Aristotele Fioravanti. Several important dignitaries and patriarchs are buried here and their stone coffins stand along the one wall on the inside of the Cathedral.

Riena standing in the middle of the Cathedral square

Cathedral of the Annunciation

The second Cathedral we went into was the gilded, three-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation which was completed next in 1489.

The cathedral is famous for its magnificent iconostasis (screen) which shields the sacred part of the church from view. This magnificent gold structure kept my attention for quite a while as it has very detailed work and paintings of all the saints on it.

Through the window of the Cathedral of the Annunciation

The Cathedral of the Annunciation was originally built as the domestic church of the Grand Dukes and Tsars and was connected (along with the Cathedral of the Archangel) by passages to the private quarters of the royal family. The Cathedral was used to celebrate name-days, weddings and baptisms. Unfortunately the Cathedral of the Annunciation was badly damaged during the Revolution, when the Kremlin came under attack from artillery fire. In 1918, the Cathedral was closed as a place of worship and now it operates officially as a museum.

Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

Arch above the entrance

Entrance along the side of the Cathedral

On the South-East side of the square we were greeted by the much largerCathedral of the Archangel Michael (1508), where almost all the Muscovite monarchs from Ivan to Alexis I of Russia are buried. The Archangel Michael, the heavenly figure for war, was chosen as the patron saint of the rulers of Moscow in the 14th Century.

Love the detail painted into the archway

Golden flowers above the entrance

The inside of the Cathedral was dark and atmospheric, decorated with an abundance of rich, earthy colours. The Cathedral’s frescoes were painted between 1652 and 1666 by nearly one hundred artists.

Onion domes on top of a church next to the Kremlin palace

The Cathedral of the Archangel

The Cathedral of the Archangel contains the tombs (46 altogether) of all the rulers of Moscow and Russia from the 14th Century until Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg. All the stone coffins fill the church and it feels more like a cemetery inside than a church.

Entrance to the Cathedral

One of greatest treasures of the Cathedral is the burial vault of Ivan the Terrible.Ivan was the first to take the title of Tsar and therefore merited a special burial chamber, the construction of which he oversaw himself. Nearby are the tombs of Ivan’s sons, Ivan Ivanovich (killed by his father) and Fyodor Ivanovich (who succeeded his father.)

The stunning Cathedral of the Archangel

There are two domestic churches of the Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow,the Church of the Twelve Apostles (1653–56) and the exquisite one-domedChurch of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe, which was filled with superb icons and frescoes from 1627 and 1644.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower,

The Tsar Bell at the foot of the Bell Tower

The other notable structure that we couldn’t miss was the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, which is said to mark the exact centre of Moscow and resemble a burning candle. Until the Russian Revolution it was the tallest structure in the city, as construction of buildings taller than that was forbidden. Its 21 bells would sound the alarm if any enemy was approaching.

The Tsar Bell

The Tsar Bell, the largest bell in the world, stands on a pedestal next to the tower. This bell unfortunately broke while they were transporting it and was left standing right next to the bell tower.

Riena and me standing in front of the Tsar Bell

Walking through the Palace Gardens

To enter the Armoury building which holds the treasures of all the Tsars you have to buy a separate ticket and re-enter the Kremlin through another gate. It is currently a museum housing Russian state regalia and the Diamond fund. We got ourselves an audio guide which was very useful as we could walk through the Armory admiring the treasures while listening to how it all came to be there. The Armoury tour takes about 2 hours but is definitely worth it if you have the time. Here you actually get to see and experience unbelievable extent of the wealth and treasures that existed in Russia during the Tsars reign.

Walking through the Palace Gardens

TSARITSYNO, CATHERINE the GREATS’ park in Moscow

treefrog — Sun, 4 Nov 2012 17:51:00 GMT

The entrance to Tsaritsyno Park and Estate

We followed the flower filled entrance down to the lake

I think there is no better way to spend your summer mornings in Moscow than walking around and enjoying the sunshine and the many parks it has to offer. The parks were all filled with brightly coloured flowers and loads of people also out to soak up the sunshine.

My first visit to Tsaritsyno Park was with my friend Judith for her birthday!!

Ducks and little boats on the lake

View of the city on the other side of the lake

It was a peaceful sunny day out

Tsaritsyno Park and Estate is located in the South-East of Moscow and I couldn’t believe we were still in the city after we entered the park. It was quiet and peaceful, a quiet haven away from the busy city. While I can’t say much about that neighborhood, the park itself is a real beauty with a rich historic legacy.

A great way to spend the day out by the lake

Love walking through the park surrounding the lake

The path going around the lake

We chose a peaceful place next to the lake for our picnick

We had a stroll through the huge park, all around the lake and then sat down on a lovely grassy spot for the afternoon.

We spent the whole sunny afternoon here

We had packed a picnic and enjoyed the sunny day by having some Russian vodka and blowing bubbles!

Blowing bubbles in the sun!

Love blowing bubbles

On my next visit to the park I actually went and explored the whole estate and walked around the palace buildings. It was late summer by then so I had to make the most of the little bit of sunshine that was left before the long cold Russian winter arrived.

Love Russian parks in summer!!

As I entered the park the smell of flowers and the sound of the big water fountains gave it an eerily tranquil feel even though the park was filled with people.

The huge fountain found near the entrance of the park

I bought an ice-cream at one of the carts and sat next to the big fountain eating it while watching the people around me.

Great detail on all the arches

Standing in front of the Grand Palace

The Grand Palace

This Palace is beautifully restored

In 1775, the estate was bought by Empress Catherine the Great, and named Tsaritsyno, which means “Tsarina’s” (Queens). In 1776-85 architect Vasili Bazhenov built a new palace for the Empress here, but in 1786 Catherine ordered it to be partly pulled down.

The Grand Palace of Catherine The Great

Until 1797 architect Matvey Kazakov was working on the construction, but the palace remained unfinished. The palace was then left in ruins but restored in 1984 and is now a very popular tourist attraction.

Arches and walkways surround the Palace

Another beautiful archway

The archway you walk through to get to the Palace

Small blue church opposite the Palace

The bell tower of this small church

The entrance of the church

I crossed the bridge and walked through a beautiful archway to enter the palace grounds. On my left was the huge palace and on my right a tiny blue church. The little church was quite plain on the outside but true to Russia it was filled with gold and icons on the inside.

Beautiful mosaic found on the outside of the church

I strolled past the palace and into the forest behind it where I found a number of pavilions, artificial grottos, decorative bridges and even a green house.

Loved feeding the squirells

My favourite part about the forest was watching and feeding some of the parks many squirrels. I do love watching them although I am a bit scared to actually reach out and touch one, what if it actually bites?

They were everywhere in the forest!!

“WHITE NIGHTS” IN ST PETERSBURG DAY 5

treefrog — Fri, 2 Nov 2012 23:10:00 GMT

Pavlovsk is an 18th century park and palace ensemble

Day 5: Wednesday

Pavlovsk is an 18^th century park and palace ensemble located 30 kilometers south from St. Petersburg. Catherine the Great gifted the estate to Paul 1 in 1777. It is one of the largest landscaped parks not only in Russia, but also in Europe.

It was summer and the whole park was filled with wild flowers

We took the train out to the park early in the morning and spent a couple of hours walking around there and exploring its big expanse.

One of the many bridges crossing the river in the park

The most interesting sections of the park are along the banks of theSlavyankaRiver.

The Rose Pavilion

At the foot of the stairs leading up to the palace

We headed to the east first; the river runs past a number of interesting monuments, including Pavel’s Mausoleum, built by Thomas de Thomon on the orders of Maria Feorovna. Also commissioned by the Tsaritsa, the Monument to My Parents is a charming pavilion in honour of her mother and father, the Duke and Duchess of Württemberg. Further south we found the Rose Pavilion; it is a delightful venue for classical music concerts in the summer.

Ascending the stairs up to the Palace

We then headed towards the Palace. It stands almost on the edge of the park, although a small section across the main road contains a stretch of the Slavyanka, with decorations including Cameron’s simple but striking Obelisk and the faintly ridiculous, gothic Marienthal Fortress, another testament to Pavel’s fanatic militarism.

Great Palace at Pavlovsk

Great Palace at Pavlovsk

The Great Palace at Pavlovsk is painted in the deep yellow and white colour a scheme typical of St. Petersburg neo-classicism. There is a courtyard with a statue of Pavel directly in front of the squat central block.

Walking around the back of the Palace

From the courtyard you can take a horse carriage ride through the park

The Private Garden filled with beds of brightly coloured flowers

One of the many statues dotted around the park

In the private Gardens next to the Palace

Right next to the Palace is the Private Garden filled with beds of brightly coloured flowers which are in sharp contrast to the rest of the park.

Cameron’s Apollo Column,

The circular Temple of Friendship.

From the terrace of the GreatPalace, a fine view north reveals the elegant ruins of Cameron’s Apollo Column, several delightful stone bridges across the river, and the circular Temple of Friendship.

Walking through the huge park enjoying the sunshine

The park has numerous walkways to follow through it

There were some very beautiful bridges in the park

After a couple of hours the mosquitoes chased us out of the forest and our feet were too tired to walk anymore.

Standing right in the middle of a huge bridge before it opened

Peter and Paul fort in the distance

That night we attended the 1pm opening of the bridges over the water allowing ships to pass through, it was a bit crowded but beautiful.

Watching the opening of the bridges at 1am in the morning

The opening of the bridges was beautiful!!

Even at 1am in the morning it isn’t that dark out

We took the day train back to Moscow, enjoying the landscape and arriving back relaxed and happy.

“White Nights” in St Petersburg Day 4

treefrog — Thu, 1 Nov 2012 19:33:00 GMT

Day 4: Tuesday

Sometimes you have to go off the beaten track to find small treasures you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Shlisselburg Fortress was one of these small gems we discovered. It is a town in Leningrad Oblast, situated at the head of the NevaRiver on LakeLadoga, 35 kilometers east of St. Petersburg.

We took the suburban train out to Petrokrepost station. When we got off the train it looked like a little deserted town and we really thought that we might have gotten off at the wrong place. We walked around anyway just too have a look, we found the ocean and walked out along the dock. We could see the castle across the river on a small island but no way of actually getting there. Standing on the dock trying to work out where to from there we saw a small speed boat approaching. It seemed that they were ferrying people over to the castle. There was a guy and his eagle with us in the boat and a bunch of local Russians, no other tourists.

The first fortification was built in 1299. It guarded the northern approaches to Novgorod and access to the Baltic Sea. The Shlisselburg fortress is situated on Orekhovets Island, its name refers to nuts in Swedish, Finnish and Russian. During the times of Imperial Russia, the fortress was used as a notorious political prison. Ivan VI of Russia was murdered in the fortress in 1764, and Lenin's brother, Aleksandr Ulyanov, was hanged there too.

The fortress is a little more than ruins today. Out of ten towers, only six remain standing.The remains of a church inside the fortress were transformed into a memorial to the fortress's defenders.

We had a wonderful day walking around and exploring the ruins.

We had lunch back in the town sitting on the dock before taking the last train back to St Petersburg.

That evening we went to IDIOT for dinner!! On my winters visit to Saint Petersburg we had dinner here for my birthday and I just had to go back.

The Dostoevsky-inspired Idiot restaurant is a cult favourite amongst St. Petersburg's artsy and ex-pat community. Its four rooms are decorated with antique furniture, oil paintings and bric-a-brac. There are also chess and backgammon sets available and a small English-language bookshelf. The excellent Russian and vegetarian cuisine create a suitably Bohemian vibe. As soon as we sat down we each got free vodka shots which helped warm us up. Their cocktails are great and the food is fabulous!! Love coming here.

“White Nights” in St Petersburg Day 3

treefrog — Thu, 1 Nov 2012 18:18:00 GMT

Day 3: Monday

We got up a bit later than planned but after a lovely cup of coffee headed out to get the speedboat to Peterhof. We boarded the boat just behind the Hermitage and it was a quick boat ride to get to Peterhof, a lot les smelly than the local busses.

The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens laid out under the direction of Peter the Great.

As we walked in we were greeted by fountains and we looked straight out onto the palace with all its golden fountains, it was stunning!!!

There was a Grand Cascade right in front of the palace. The fountains of the Grand Cascade are all gold and the biggest one depicts the moment when Samson tears open the jaws of a lion, representing Russia's victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War, and is doubly symbolic. The lion is an element of the Swedish coat of arms, and one of the great victories of the war was won on St Samson's Day. From the lion's mouth shoots a 20-metre-high vertical jet of water, the highest in all of Peterhof.

Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the UpperGardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the LowerGardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over four km in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source.

We spent nearly 3 hours just walking around the gardens and looking at all the statues and fountains.

The many fountains located here exhibit an unusual degree of creativity.

Several fountains are designed with the specific purpose of soaking visitors. Two take the form of gangly trees rigged with jets that activate when someone approaches. Another, disguised as an umbrella with a circular bench set around the stem, drops a curtain of water from its rim when someone enters to take a seat. Needless to say we were sprayed a couple of times; luckily it was a lovely hot summer’s day so quite refreshing.

We had dinner at a lovely Greek Tavern in town when we got back then went back to the hostel to rest our tired feet!

“White Nights” in St Petersburg Day 2

treefrog — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:18:00 GMT

Day 2: Sunday

We had a good nights rest, although it didn’t get dark. The sun sets around 1am and rises again at 2am. After applying a couple of plasters to our already blistered feet we hit the road to Peter and Paul Fortress for the day.

On our way to the fortress we came across a guy with a little bear cub! We got to touch and pet the baby bear named Lubaba. It was so cute and I actually got to touch a real bear cub!!!

The Fortress dates from the founding of St Petersburg in 1703. From around 1720, the fort served as a base for the city garrison and also as a prison for high ranking or political prisoners.

It was weekend so the place was teeming with people and tourist groups- we couldn’t even enter the Cathedral as it was too crowded with huge tourist groups. The Cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II.

So we just walked around the Fortress, we got to walk on the wall surrounding it and back along the beach that was covered in people sun bathing.

We decided to spoil ourselves with a lovely dinner at a special place each evening so during the day we settled for hotdogs as our lunch. All over the city there are hotdog carts-“Stardogs” and the hotdogs are quite filling and cheap.

We headed back up Nevskiy Prospect and found a fabulous steak house named Liverpool!! The atmosphere inside was great and they had the best chocolate pudding. Warm chocolate cake with melted chocolate inside!!

“White Nights” in St Petersburg Day 1

treefrog — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:39:00 GMT

Day 1: Saturday

We booked a week away in St Petersburg to go and take advantage of the White Nights!!

Judith and I left Moscow on the Night train for St Petersburg at 2am. We had a sleeper coach in a compartment with 2 other people. The trip was lovely and over very soon, when we woke up we were already in St Petersburg. Finding our way from the train station into the city was quite easy; you get onto the underground right there.

We were staying at the Cuba Hostel; it is right in the middle of the city at Nevskiy Prospect and right behind the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan.

The hostel is very cheap, central and it is lovely!! It has a small living room area where you can sit and read and FREE coffee all day long!!

After checking in we went for a walk around town, had lunch and then went on a river cruise through the city. It was fabulous seeing the whole city and just relaxing and taking in some of the sights from the water.

We walked down Nevskiy Prospect down to the Hermitage and across the bridge on to VasilevskiyIsland. Two of the most famous St Petersburg bridges, PalaceBridge and BlagoveshchenskyBridge, connect it with the mainland to the south here.

We stopped a while at the red coastal columns here in front of the Naval museum. Our exploring then took us along the river up to Blagoveshchenskiy Bridge (built in 1850) past Menshikov Palace (It was the first stone building in the city.

We visited St Andrews Cathedral on our walk. The Cathedral was commissioned at the time of Peter the Great as the chapter church of Russia's first chivalric order, that of Saint Andrew. We ended our day having a great dinner at Russian Kitsch before walking back.

The restaurant Kitsch is all it says it is, the interior is decorated in Russian Kitsch and actually makes it very lively and homely inside. Even the menus are covered in communist pictures and pictures of Lenin. The food was excellent, even tried the St Petersburg special desert named Rum Bubba, vanilla cake soaked in rum, and was good.