On the second day in Russia, we head out to Catherine's Palace, summer residence of the Russian tsars, located in the town of Pushkin 12 miles from St. Petersburg. Although commissioned by Empress Elizabeth it carries the name of the original palace at the location, which was built for her mother, Catherine the Great. The tsars retreated there from the stench of the city summers.The Palace was spectacularly lavish. It certainly rivals Versailles for grandeur and magnificence. What I saw of the gardens though were not comparable. I confess that I am not compar
ing like as I viewed Versailles with Dick on a winter's day when the tourist herd would have been diminished. We were on our own there for the day and moved at our leisure. By comparison this was high season and we were there for three hours, most of which was spent waiting to get in... get into the building; get into the security check area; get into a room; get into the toilets :) In photo holding 'our standard - 5' is our tour guide.On exiting the palace we ran a gauntlet of souvenir venders. I fell to the most unlikely. An elderly artist who made pictures from pieces of trees and flowers. She did excellent work and I am pleased to have that as my souvenir of Russia.
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