More St Petersburg

Today we enjoyed temperatures in the 60's under summer Arctic Circle sunshine. At 59.93 degrees North latitude, at noon, the sun was only 1/3 up from the horizon. We visited The Hermitage, which was the Tsar's winter palace. Now, it's the national museum of international renown. To us, the art was rivaled by the palatial splendor. Like Paris's Louvre, The Hermitage sits at the bank of the city's river, making for terrific views. We also did some souvenir-shopping, ate good food, tried the subway, listened to street musicians, and soaked up the sights. Here are a few photos: Me and Susan on the grand staircase of the Winter Palac; Susan and Amanda having fun with a very friendly souvenir salesman near the onion/turban-domed Church On The Spilled Blood.