Friday, July 31, 2009

Peterhof Palace

ANOTHER AMAZING EXPERIENCE

I've been away from the blog for sometime now, but its only because we've been busy. I've been traveling a good bit this summer, including a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, over the July 4th holiday. I had been there a couple of times before, but never had a chance to see many of the sites. This time we were given an opportunity to go on a tour of the Peterhof Palace. It is a beautiful place that's full of history from another time. I was surprised to learn that the Germans had destroyed the palace during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Fortunately, many of the artifacts from the Russian Czars were removed and hidden before the occupation. After the war, the palace was rebuilt using the original designs and construction techniques. The fountains are one of the most unique features of the palace. Each day at noon, a fabulous display delights tourists when the water flows through the elaborate system of pipes and ducts to bring the fountains to life. It was a great day, and it made me even more aware of the fantastic cultural treasures that await those who have the chance to see the world. Man, I love my job!





These are the fountains just before the water came on full force.


And here are the fountains after the water reached its full pressure.