Amazing Race!!

 Do you watch the Amazing Race? Tonight they were in St. Petersburg, Russia, and their activities reminded me of some of the beautiful sights we saw when we were there twelve years ago.

After a visit to the circus, the teams were sent to the Banks Bridge--somewhat behind us from this view of the Cathedral of the Resurrection, known as the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood because it was built at the site of the assassination of Czar Alexander II. The church was their next destination after finding the clue in a tower nearby.

There's something about Russian cathedrals--this one and St. Basil's in Moscow especially. I feel like Christmas--I want to eat the gingerbread. Hmm. Maybe I will make a gingerbread cathedral this December.

Now, the teams didn't actually go to St. Isaac's Cathedral, unless I missed it and I must admit I came in late from class at church so I could have. They did have a moment of facts about the locations which told us how much gold went into the making of the dome of St. Isaac's.


We climbed to the top of the dome. Yes--me, too! And I wonder that my mother managed to climb Half Dome--is it any different? The view is amazing.

 Oh, my, look how young we look. Well, actually my husband looks just the same--a little more jowly and his moustache is gray now, but his hair is still just like it is here. We didn't have to rush to the next stop, but there it is in the distance--Peter and Paul Fortress. The teams had to figure it out by finding out where Peter the Great was buried.

The spire is very distinctive, and here is a statue of Peter the Great himself. I think this is Peter, anyway. I remember that this is a fascinating statue. Look at his head.

So that was our amazing race--I'm glad we weren't competing with any other teams. It was much more fun that way.