Russia 2019 (63) SAINT PETERSBURG - Peterhof Upper Gardens

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Today was our last day of touring and we saw two doozy venues. In the morning, we toured Peterhof (or Peter's Court) at Petergof (25 k or 16 miles outside of SP). We took a bus of course, but you can also take a hydrofoil from a quay near the Hermitage.

On our way we crossed the River Neva one more time. We could see our ship docked amongst a bevy of boats. Not sure which was ours. Just depicting the huge amount of riverboat tourist traffic in Russia these days.

Honestly, I'll only be able to show-and-tell one little chip off the ol' "Thunder Stone"-sized block of interesting history found here.

Peterhof was commissioned and designed by PtG to rival France's Louis XIV's Versailles Palace. The structure and landscaping were developed to impress visiting dignitaries and imbue the importance of Western European influence on Russia in the eyes of PtG.

Before entering Peterhof we had a few minutes to browse the Upper Gardens. These 15 hectares (37 acres)  are on the same level as the main palace entrance. Lovely lakes, fountains, and greenery abound. Aerial photo of upper gardens at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/454230312417250907/ (palace up top).

These two friends were the ladies that asked me to dinner on our first night on the ship. Mike was pooped and I went alone to eat. They graciously asked me to join them. I really like this photo.

In the beginning this was called the Kitchen Garden, as vegetables and herbs were grown here for cooking. In the distance you can see another church renovation.


The wrapping was interesting, almost like a wedding cake.

There are some exteriors of the palace. See line at main entrance. 

This is the Russian empire crest (1721-1917) atop the roof at Peterhof. It encompasses the 3-D version of the double eagle, which represents domination over the East and the West. A crown tops each eagle head and one large crown is above them. The claws hold the imperial scepter and orb.

Sorry, I could not find info on this "cupola" atop the entrance. Sure is beautiful though!

Steeples of the private chapel of the palace.

As we entered we saw signs to acquaint us with the palace history. Too bad it was all in Russian.

A model of the palace. The view is from the Lower Garden side. Chapel to the left. Imperial crest steeple to the right.

We put brown booties over our shoes, again to protect royal floors.