We love to cruise and this will show our travels. Of course there will also be other photos of non cruise holidays and anything else that takes my fancy. All photos can be clicked to enlarge.
The Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood was built on the place where the Romanov family was assassinated. More information can be found here.
The photos are not good quality because we couldn't use a flash.
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
Tallin, Estonia
We had been to Lanzarote before so decided to take a taxi of the Southern half of the island.
We told the cab driver we had been to the volcano on a previous trip where you transfer to a coach so didn't want to go there this time.
I don't think we made a good choice though because apart from visiting an old picturesque village, looking at all the lava rock became a bit tedious. At least we know not to do that if we go there again.
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
It is years since we have had towel animals, it is not a thing that Princess stewards do often. I think our steward must have liked us because as well as the swans he made us a dog. One night we came back to this bird sitting on my bedside lamp!
I haven't posted for a few weeks because we were on a cruise for our holiday, and when we got back my get up and go to post had got up and gone!
It was our 52nd anniversary and friends we made onboard asked to have a special cake made for us.
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| A fountain in the lower garden. |
Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia.
"One of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular visitor attractions, the palace and park at Peterhof (also known as Petrodvorets) are often referred to as "the Russian Versailles", although many visitors conclude that the comparison does a disservice to the grandeur and scope of this majestic estate.
Versailles was, however, the inspiration for Peter the Great's desire to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city and, after an aborted attempt at Strelna, Peterhof - which means "Peter's Court" in German - became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.
Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great, after leaving her own mark on the park, moved the court to Pushkin, but Peterhof once again became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the building of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.
Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers as well as over 1,000 volunteers, the Lower Park opened to the public in 1945 and the facades of the Grand Palace were restored in 1952. The name was also de-Germanicized in 1944, becoming Petrodvorets, the name under which the surrounding town is still known. The palace and park are once again known as Peterhof."
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Tallin, Estonia.
The red columns in St. Petersburg are called rostral columns. Since ancient times, and particularly Ancient Rome, architects used to “decorate” columns with trophies - the prows or rams of the defeated ships, which, in Latin, are called ‘rostrum’.
The more rostrums, the more enemies should be frightened to attack the navy. And more people would be proud of their country.
Another famous example of the rostral column is the Columbus Monument at Columbus Circle in New York City. There are also rostral columns in French Bordeaux, on the place des Quinconces.
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
This is one of our favourite places to sail through. Because there are so many islands with some being not much more than a rock with a house on it, the ship has to go slowly to avoid wash. It is very peaceful with just the gentle lapping of the sea against the ship. We like to bring food to our balcony and a bottle (or two) of wine and sit there all night instead of going to the restaurant.
A ferry between the islands.
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
The Lighthouse and Iceberg Houses in Aarhus docklands.I don't think there is an actual lighthouse there, but it has been called that because it overlooks the harbour. The Lighthouse skyscraper was completed in April 2023 and is the tallest building in Denmark. Construction still continues in the area. It is 42 storeys high which is 40 too many for me!
I am joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for the blog hop.
