Today we are in Russia; St. Petersburg to be exact:
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
Yes, it’s a catchy name for a church; it was built on the spot of the assassination of Emperor Alexander II in 1881. Apparently someone thew a bomb into his carriage near the Naberezhnaia Kanala Griboedova area or the Грибоедова canal embankment.
Along the “Kanala”
1) A 100% real Egyptian sphinx of Amenhotep III, about the 15th century B.C. near the Academy of Fine Arts Museum. 2) The Russian battleship Aurora built in St. Petersburg between 1897 and 1900, it took an active part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. 3) Oh, maybe one of the Hermitage buildings, I forget. 4) A troupe of ‘Gypsies’ who invaded our Neva River cruise boat.
Neva River entertainment
St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one Russian city that didn’t get screwed up by Soviet era shenanigans. We couldn’t possibly see all it had to offer in the short time we had. A Neva River tour at least gave us a little peek at the once great imperial city of Russia.