St Petersburg

Sunday. Another very early start and another bitterly cold day. We drove out of town for about an hour to the Peterhof  Palace, another spectacular palace built by Peter the Great.  My blip is of the Grand Cascade a huge water feature built to celebrate Russia's victory over Sweden. So many additional fountains in the grounds too. With so much wealth in the hands of a few and it is no wonder there was a revolution in 1903.

Our guide explained that things have changed in recent years and the country is now much more commercial and capitalistic.  The centre of St Petersburg has all the designer shops that you would find in a modern western city.

Driving through the outskirts of St Petersburg you see row upon row of grim looking apartment blocks. Russian men all seem to have the same expressionless face and it feels like a place with no soul.

Apologies for lack of comments.