I have just returned from Saint Petersburg where I attended a conference for a couple of days. Most of the photos below are of the outside or inside of the Hermitage, which I would rank as one of the world's five best museums. It is huge but smaller than the Louvre. It has a great collection of French art, probably reflective of Catherine the Great's intense love affair with French culture.
St. Pete is much lovelier than Helsinki. It is a living museum in many respects. On the other hand, brownish water spewed out of my bathroom sink and water in the city is not fit to drink. Some of the infrastructure also needs major repairs. In Helsinki, the water ranks among the best in the world, the city's infrastructure is first rate, everything runs efficiently, and the people are honest to a fault. What a contrast for two neighboring countries, and the fact that Finland was under Russian control for a century up until just before WWI.
On the other hand, if I were a tourist, I would definitely go to St. Pete before I would go to Helsinki.
The two photos of individual paintings are special for Mom and me. One is of the Trinity Church. Mom and I lived right next to the Church when we were in Paris in 1974 for my Fulbright at the Sorbonne. The second is a view of the Champs-Elysee from where the Arc de Triomphe is located today.
The architecture in St. Pete has a distinct Western flavor, but the one big church reflects the Russian Orthodox influence. The canals add a nice Venice touch to the city.
St. Pete is much lovelier than Helsinki. It is a living museum in many respects. On the other hand, brownish water spewed out of my bathroom sink and water in the city is not fit to drink. Some of the infrastructure also needs major repairs. In Helsinki, the water ranks among the best in the world, the city's infrastructure is first rate, everything runs efficiently, and the people are honest to a fault. What a contrast for two neighboring countries, and the fact that Finland was under Russian control for a century up until just before WWI.
On the other hand, if I were a tourist, I would definitely go to St. Pete before I would go to Helsinki.
The two photos of individual paintings are special for Mom and me. One is of the Trinity Church. Mom and I lived right next to the Church when we were in Paris in 1974 for my Fulbright at the Sorbonne. The second is a view of the Champs-Elysee from where the Arc de Triomphe is located today.
The architecture in St. Pete has a distinct Western flavor, but the one big church reflects the Russian Orthodox influence. The canals add a nice Venice touch to the city.
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