Day Three in St Petersburg - Fountains & Gardens, A Gulf & A Lake

This morning we set off for Peterhof Palace with its beautiful fountains and gardens. 

We pass Constantine Palace, summer residence of the Russian President. It has become known as “Putinhof”. Nearby is the one and only golf course in the city; it is open for a mere three months of the year, due to the weather. Golf is obviously not the most popular pastime here! In summer it’s light enough that you could still be out there playing at 10pm.

At Peterhof Palace we enter the gardens and take our position near the cascading fountains which will start up at precisely 11 o’clock. There are throngs of people but it’s not overcrowded; there is plenty of space for everyone and the weather is ideal. There’s a team of cleaners busy giving the gold statues and fountain facades a final polish, taking great pride in their work. 

We wait with anticipation and cameras at the ready; at 11am the national anthem booms through the speakers and the fountains burst into life. It’s quite a sight. Other fountains throughout the park have also come to life. There are a number of “trick” fountains around the place - they start when you walk near them, rain down around you, tumble from interesting platforms.

We wander through the lovely gardens admiring flowers and fountains. We walk along the promenade looking out to the Gulf of Finland and back to St Petersburg city in the distance. It’s very tranquil.

We have a surprisingly peaceful lunch at the cafe; we were expecting it to be a rabble of people but there’s hardly anyone there. It’s a self-serve cafe with plenty of choice and all very efficient. And cheap too. I have an egg and spring onion pie type thing - the casing is bread, not pastry and it’s  tasty. So is the beer which cools us down in a hot day. We’re really enjoying the local beer.

Back in the city we drive over the Neva River - it is full of frigates and navy vessels, as well as a submarine, which have arrived for the upcoming Naval Celebrations and are moored in the river. It’s a pretty impressive sight, with St Petersburg’s beautiful buildings as a backdrop.

Next stop is Peter and Paul Fortress, the citadel of the city where the first stones were laid, and the highest point of the city. There’s another lovely church to see with gorgeous turquoise colours - and more crowds to mingle with.

Dinner is at a tasteful modern restaurant where the food is delicious - as always. Our meals have all been truly top notch. So much food ...!

Tonight is “culture night” - some are off to see Swan Lake, and one is off to Rigoletto. I’m a ballet fan and have seen many renditions of Swan Lake in my life (including at the Bolshoi many years ago). This Mikhailovsky version is pared right back to its roots, performed how it was when the theatre first performed it. I’m a ballet purist, and this was pure ballet through and through. The theatre is quite small and intimate with boxes rising to the ceiling. The colour palette is tangerine, white and gold. It’s very pretty. 

We are in the stalls, rows 3 and 4. There’s a wonderful sense of anticipation as we all wait for the curtain to rise. When it does, we are transported to another world. The lead dancers are outstanding, especially Prince Siegfried with his energetic leaps and charisma. Odette floats and spins, her arms stick thin and her calves as muscly as can be. The set is haunting and Tchaikovsky’s music, performed by a live orchestra, brings it all together beautifully. We are immersed in a dreamy world of swans and lakes and princes and it is just beautiful. For some it was their first ballet experience; for that to be a top notch Russian ballet company in a historic theatre ticks all the boxes.

We get taxis back to the hotel; they try to rip us off, knowing we are tourists. I have a stand off with the driver who gets very cross and tells me tourists are very bad. I give him two-thirds of what he demands, which is still more than a local would pay - but he did squeeze five of us into his car (against the rules) which meant one taxi rather than two, which in turn meant two taxis rather than three. Taxis are cheap anyway but it was the principal of the thing. We will not be ripped off. And I think we’re rather good tourists! 

It’s another perfect evening and the blue sky is turning inky. I go for a walk along the canal; the lights twinkle and glow and reflect on the water. People are out and about strolling in the balmy night and I am pleased to be one of them. A couple of horses and carriages clipclop by, looking old-fashioned and gorgeous, happily sharing the road with the traffic. This would not be tolerated or possible in Auckland. 

I drift off to sleep with visions of fluttering, twirling swans and that familiar and fabulous music in my ears. I am still furious with myself for forgetting to take my phone. Dammit. Taking photos of the performance itself isn’t allowed but you can capture the theatre and take photos of the stage and dancers when they take their bows. I borrowed Diana’s phone at the theatre and took some on that, so the occasion is recorded. 

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: Naturally, it’s my duty to sample the local beer and wine to ensure it is palatable! The local red wine is very good, the white wine varies. Prices are on a par with NZ. The local beer is really good. It costs around 300 roubles (NZ$7) for 500ml. We are all drinking lots of water but we all agree that beer is a much better thirst quencher. A cold lager does the trick nicely; enjoyed with new friends in a lovely restaurant, city square or garden cafe in a splendid European city ... even better.