Introduction from Cindy

Friends & Family:

As you know, Bill has embarked to Russia to climb Mt Elbrus (18,000 feet). After leaving from JFK on Sunday, where due to horrible storms his flight was delayed 2 1/2hours from leaving, he took off to Frankfurt where due to the delay in JFK, he missed his connection to St Petersburg and had to catch another flight 7 hours later!!! This flight was 3 hours long so by the time he arrived in St Petersburg he was relieve and exhausted!

He is spending the next few days with our good friend and guide, Kurt Wedberg (who guided us through Kili), and their fellow climber, John Rogitz from San Diego. They begin their climb on Friday, but until then Bill is taking full advantage of exploring the city. He said to me "Oh Cindy, I'm a terrible travel blogger" but after reading his stories I think you will disagree!!! Tony Winston or I will continue to update you, and hopefully we will also get some photos (I showed Bill how to use the photo-feature on his blackberry...)

If for whatever reason you do not want to receive these updates, please let me know and I'll take you off the list.

ENJOY!

Arrival into St. Petersburg - July 20

Just landed in St. Petersburg. It’s a beautiful day here – its about 7:00 o’clock at night. Everything went off without a hitch – except for a slight delay in New York. Got the bags and we’re on our way to the hotel. The airport was very small surprisingly – I would say that it was no bigger than San Diego airport, maybe even smaller. There are only 4 baggage claim carousels. It’s very nice to see they have alternate signs both in English and in Russian.

We’re on our way downtown to the hotel and we’re passing by lots of buildings and statues. We just passed by a statue of Vladimir Lenin, and the buildings look to be from about 40-60 years old. The city was completely destroyed in World War II. There is still much restoration that is ongoing from the destruction of World War II and the neglect of the Soviet regime. Under the Soviet regime there was of course no recognition of religion, so all the beautiful churches and places of worship were shuttered or neglected, or turned into a museum. Basically the Soviet regime extended between 1917 and 1991. Some of the larger structures were virtually destroyed since World War II.


After we go to the hotel and get cleaned up, we’re going to hit the town because it’s light until very late here. In June, it stays light until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning… and now in July, it will stay light until about 10:30 or 11:30 at night. So we have plenty of light to run around and see things. As we’re driving along, I can see a lot of what look like government buildings. My Russian is very rusty, although I can read it okay.

That’s it for now, will report in later.

Driving Tour of St. Petersburg - July 21

Wow! This city is spectacular. It’s very clean and the architecture is quite beautiful. Very elegant, much built in 1800’s. The city was founded 1703. Much Baroque (early, middle and late), as well as Classical and Empire styles. There are many parks and squares with cathedrals (4) and government buildings.

The food here is pretty standard fare. You can always find something on the menu whether it’s a Caesar salad or a piece of chicken. Or if you are adventurous you can go for a traditional borsch! Last night, we had Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff, both delicious. I have only seen one McDonald’s, and no Starbucks. People were friendly and eager to please, although I would not characterize their temperament as happy-go-lucky. I would say they are cautious.

This morning we went into St Nicholas Cathedral, which is Russian Orthodox. Very ornate with many icons, mostly of Virgin Mary and Son. There were no pews (no sitting during service), and powder blue exterior. Very quiet both inside and outside.

The Opera and Ballet House was built in 1858, and has a powder green exterior, with lots of columns and ornate sculptural elements right off a magnificent square.

Driving around, we noticed canals very similar to those in Venice (St Petersburg is sometimes called the Northern Venice) which are punctuated by many interesting bridges, each an architectural statement. There are two rivers; the Neva and the Moika, which wind all through the City. On either side of the Neva in the center of town are amazing older buildings e.g., the Peter and Paul Fortress which is the final resting place for the entire Romanov Dynasty, including Peter the Great, up through Czar Nicholas the Second and his murdered family.



Then, we went to the unique Church of Christ, (also known as the Church of the Spilled Blood) which has nine gold and multi colored cupolas. There are many mosaics on the exterior, together with small artistic flags representing various regions of old Russia.

Onto Michael Opera and Ballet House (2nd largest in the City) which is next to Michael's Palace (now the Russian Museum), an astonishingly beautiful classical building now housing solely Russian artists of all types. And, of course shopping off this square which I was assured by our tour guide is only for Russians and we were an exception!!!

Then to the Kazan Cathedral (1801) which looks like it would fit in St Peter's square in Rome. Classic structure, located on Nevsky Prospect - the main street of the City (4.5 km long). Alexander Nevsky was a famous Russian prince.



Next was the Hermitage, which is actually five separate but adjacent buildings and houses with over 3 million pieces of art. Clearly one of the greatest collections anywhere… the largest in Russia and one of the 4 largest in the world. The main building (which was originally the winter palace of Peter the Great) is classic architecture, with light powder green exterior, white pillars and gilded artwork above the windows, all very tastefully done. The interior of the main building is classical style, long hallways, somewhat narrow and colonnaded, and it is said, as important as the artwork itself.

Upstairs on first floor is a large exhibition of Picassos, then the gallery of 1812 commemorating 112 generals from the Napoleonic Wars. Then we moved onto the Throne Room which is 800 sq meters with matching inlaid floors and gilded ceilings, not to mention huge ornate gilded chandeliers.

Now the next contiguous building which is known as the Small Hermitage – was built by Catherine the Great to house her art collection. It has incredible marble (white Carrera) floors with mosaics and outdoor gardens, all overlooking a dark blue Neva River and bridges, through floor to ceiling windows on sunny day.

Then we went to the Old Hermitage (3rd Building) with medieval art including frescoes, oil paintings (fra filippo lippi), icons and artwork by Giovanni Della Robbia (I thought Della Robbia’s were an art form!) And renaissance art including 2 Botticelli’s, 2 by Da Vinci (Madonna with Child and Madonna Lita), 8 Titians (including The Repentant Mary Magdalene and St Sebastian).

After that, it was on to the 4th building known as the Hermitage Theatre, which is in the style of an ancient Greek amphitheatre and now used for performances.

Then on to the so called “New Hermitage” (built around 1850 to 1870) with an area called Raphael's Loggias, which is basically a long hallway with incredibly beautiful frescoes and canvasses on the walls. Artwork by Russian masters (not Raphael) depicting Greek mythology and images from the Bible.

Then to the Hall of Raphael with 2 paintings by Raphael and a sculpture by Michelangelo ("The Crouching Boy"), the only one in Russia.

Next, we went to the Small Skylight Room (great light) with large portraits including one by Caravaggio and Tintoretto, and continued on to the Large Skylight Room (more light) with more examples of Baroque art.


Then it was to Hall of Spanish Art, which housed 2 by Velasquez and 3 by El Greco. Afterwards, it was to the Hall of Rembrandt, which had 24 paintings and numerous sketches. My favorite was The Return of The Prodigal Son, an unforgettable work of art. Next room was The Tent Hall with other Dutch masters like Ter Borch and Steen.

Then to the Impressionist area; Renoirs, Cezannes, Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Toulouse Latrec, Van Gogh, Gaugin, Matisse (over 150 in all!)

Next was the Malachite Room which has beautiful Malachite columns and a fireplace, with ornate gold on the doors and ceiling. And lastly, we came upon the Concert Hall - with the sarcophagus of Alexander Nevsky.

This summarizes 3 hours in this amazing place. Our guide estimates we may have seen maybe 1 or 2 percent of what's on display and what's on display is only 10 percent of the total collection!!!!

Now… it’s off to the Hydrofoil on the Neva River which takes us to Peterhof.

The Hydrofoil - July 21

The hydrofoil is a 30 minute ride to Peterhof, the summer residence of Peter the Great. We had a nice view of the City during the ride plus we went by a number of the 31 islands that surround St Petersburg, particular note to Basil's Island which formerly housed the judiciary so the buildings are very impressive.


Peterhof was built as a result of Peter's visit to Versailles. No one ever accused old Peter of thinking small!! We took a break for lunch in front of the Peterhof, feeling a bit jet lagged. Thankfully, we have a good tour guide!

Walking up to the Peterhof, it is large and beautiful, with 18 fountains and 3 separate buildings - hard to do it justice with a description. There are three levels of grass and fountains leading up maybe 100 feet to the main structure, which is probably 300 yards long and four stories high. The exterior is classic architecture, with a yellow exterior and white treatments around the windows. Gilded statues stand at the foot with fountains and two parallel stairways leading up to the main structure. Inside, all is restored so there is nothing of historical interest. There are lots of beautiful halls, the Throne Room, oak study etc. Restoration is still ongoing including to a gorgeous church next door.

We then spent quite a bit of time walking around the extensive grounds which are over 250 acres. Definitely a nice second home! And my guess is, like most second homes, this one doesn't pencil.

The grounds include many different types of fountains and statues by 18th Century Italian masters as well as other homes (we saw at least 5) that were apparently used by various members of the royal family in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Now back to the hydrofoil. We have had a full day of sight seeing...

A Little More Sight-Seeing - July 22

We got up early since we have to leave for the airport at 11:00am to head for the Caucuses and Mt. Elbrus. We decided to go for a drive to check out a few things we didn't have a chance to see yesterday.

First stop is Palace Square, an enormous space, ringed by the back of the Hermitage (formerly the Winter Palace) on one side, the Admiralty on another and by an immense long governmental building with a series of beautifully ornate arches, statues and columns. In the middle of Palace Square is a tall (200 foot) pillar with a statue of Alexander the 1st, who fought and defeated Napoleon at the top. Alexander is depicted as an archangel. (St Petersburg is on the Gulf of Finland which feeds into the Baltic Sea and has been historically the headquarters for the Russian Navy).

It is now 8:00am and a few people are walking across the square presumably on their way to work with the exception of a handful of soldiers milling around, and a few brightly colored babushkas carrying large baskets. The style of dress is predominantly Western, especially among the younger people, very few suits, which surprised me. Like yesterday, I would characterize the people as polite but cautious. They don't seem to smile easily but rather appear serious in disposition.

Another aspect of the city that surprised me is that it was not very crowded. Since St. Petersburg has a population of 4 million, I expected the streets to be much more crowded and busy, and apart from the main street called Nevskiy, you could really get around easily, either on foot or in a car, with one exception… The Hermitage was packed.

We are now at the apartment of Alexander Pushkin, the renowned Russian poet. The apartment is now a museum located right off Palace Square on the Neva River. I am reminded again of Venice as the Neva and the Moika Rivers wind their way throughout the City exiting at the Baltic Sea by way of the Gulf of Finland. However, it is much cleaner than Venice, as we haven't seen any graffiti and very little garbage, especially around the historical sites. It is another perfect day weather-wise which is a bit unusual, now 2 days in a row. I have been told that given the northern latitude (35 degrees) and proximity to the ocean, that rain is frequent - about 4 to 5 times per week. A brief exception is in the month of June, which is referred to as White Nights because the sun doesn't set until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. For us, it gets dark a little earlier… about 11:00pm to Midnight - Still late by our standards.

Now off to the so called Field of Mars, which is basically a very well kept meadow used for many years as a parade ground, as well as for military maneuvers, and much earlier as a barracks. Back to the part of the Neva River that leads to several of the islands that surround St. Petersburg. Crossing a bridge to the largest of them, Basil's Island, where we stopped and viewed an extraordinary panorama. Think: the Potomac in Washington D.C., or the Charles in Boston with incredible architectural statements on either side, one after another, some very old – such as the Fortress of Peter and Paul, which is the oldest building in the City (1703). And some less old- like the massive judicial buildings (which look like the U.S. Supreme Court) and the Hermitage (both built around 1830), and a sprinkling of newer buildings.

Now we are heading to the Fortress of Peter and Paul, situated on a small island in the Neva. This was originally a fortress during earliest times, later used as a prison, and now as a museum. It is also the burial ground for the Romanov Dynasty. (Another reminder that St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1703 until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917).

From the fortress we proceed down the Neva (we are on the other side of the river from the Hermitage and the center of town where we are staying) to Peter's cabin, the place where Peter the Great would come and plan for the construction of the City. Before Peter oversaw the creation of the City, he had to wrest it away from Sweden which owned and occupied it in the late 1600’s. He did that by declaring that the area had belonged to Russia historically (which was apparently true) and he was just taking it back.

Down from Peter's cabin is a series of military installations along the Neva, including several battleships across the street from a long building which is a naval training school. This area leads to a more modern part of the City which features newer apartment and office buildings. There are streetcars and a lot more people, as well as traffic (the first we have seen!). No real historical interest here, as it feels like any city anywhere - albeit with some gold domes and spires visible through the trees on the horizon. We then wind back around to a bridge which takes us across the Neva to our hotel. We will pack up and go to the airport for the next stop on this adventure, Mineralnye Vody, the gateway to the Caucuses.

Travel Day to Mineralnye Vody - July 22

After some additional sight-seeing for a couple of hours this morning, we left for the airport to continue our travels. It was a 3 hour flight from St. Petersburg to a very small town in the southwestern-most point in Russia called Mineralnye Vody, which means "mineral waters". The airport was teeny with only one baggage claim carrousel, and I could see from the air that the area was rather flat topographically. We were now officially in the country.

From the small airport, it was another 3 hours in a van ride to Elbrus. Not one word of English was spoken. The countryside was very pretty, with initially gently rolling hills gradually increasing in size and height.

We were met at the airport by Gia, our local guide, who will be climbing with us on Elbrus. It was raining so we asked the obvious question of Gia… namely “What is the forecast Comrade?” Gia, who is a friendly but serious sort of fellow with a surprisingly slight build, replied "2 days rain, 3 days sun, lots of snow conditions - good". That is good news if he is right… which I am not about to question!

It’s about 9:15 pm on Thursday night and we have arrived at the hotel, which is about 20 minutes away from the base of the mountain. It is getting dark, and we have now left civilization behind or so it feels and seems. There are very few houses and lights and no paved roads - this is rustic to the third or fourth power! Really Russian, really neat. Never seen anything like this before, like being on a different planet. Will report in later when it gets light…The adventure begins!!