June 23

OK, a couple days at home before fall . . .

[Morning on Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[Great Blue Heron in Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[Finally, pelicans on Lake H2Obert – we hadn’t seen any all summer?]

OK, fall . . . 

[Sunday morning.  Sunny.  Projected high of 72.  Road trip in the convertible?]

[Why not?  Put the roof down, head past Lake Le Homme Dieu, on an 83-mile trip to Park Rapids for – Art Leap, an “open studio event” featuring artists and guest artists and other culturally rich destinations in the Park Rapids area, will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23. The 2018 event has expanded from 14 studios to 22 sites. Highlights of Art Leap include music, hors d’oeuvres, live demonstrations and seeing fall colors at their peak while driving from studio to tudio (business.parkrapids.com).  Plus, Jami would be there.]

[Past Blakes by the Lakes above; past Sunnie’s below . . . ]

[Up scenic County Road 42 north, coming up to the Lake Darling (left) – Lake Le Homme Dieu (right) isthmus . . . ]

[Rotary Beach on Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

[Over the connecting channel . . . ]

[Alexandria’s mountain on the east side of Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

[Now coming up to Interlachen and the Theatre L’Homme Dieu turn . . . ]

[Interlachen . . . ]

[Past L’Toile du Nord vineyards . . . ]

[Classic roadster . . . ]

[Real men drive pink . . . ]

[Attempted selfie when the Super started by the roof up.  We hadn’t thought that the weather might by different 80 miles north of us.  As we approached Sebeka, it began to get cloudy and when we reached Park Rapids the temp was in the low 50’s – we hadn’t dressed for that!]

[Sebeka in sight . . . ]

[“suh-BEE-kuh” (for non-natives)]

[Shortly thereafter, welcome to Menahga . . . ]

[“Gateway to the pines” . . . ]

[St. Urho, the patron saint of Finland . . . ]

[See, I told you it was the gateway to the pines . . . ]

[Played there a couple of times – didn’t much care for it . . . ]

[When we arrived in Park Rapids, we found Jami – hanging out with Deb and Paul Trumm  – and dressed for winter . . . ]

[They were enjoying music behind Smoky Hills Art (these 2 photos by Jami) . . . ]

[It was early afternoon and we were hungry . . . ]

[So, welcome to – Bella Caffé – That’s Italian for beautiful coffee!  And much more… espresso, lattes, Chai tea, mochas, cold drinks, panini (grilled) sandwiches, antipasti (Italian for hors d’oeuvres), cheese and dipping oils, crostini, salads, wine and beer from many different countries, undeniable deserts! Visitors will find high-speed wireless Internet, unique styles and architecture, a solarium and, best of all, great people who are committed to making your visit more than you expected (bellacaffeon3rd.com).]

[We wandered in search of Art Leap stuff, which led us to the old courthouse, now the Nemeth Art Center . . . ]

[Jami reaches for hydration . . . ]

[And this is Kari Grace singing (originally from Mpls, now Bemidji) while Nate Luetgers paints . . . ]

[We had a nice visit with both of them . . . ]

[Ruthie’s photo . . . ]

[Always willing to share “ART” . . . ]

[“America Gothic” . . . ]

[“American Gothic” (part 2?) . . . ]

[Again, “art” . . . ]

[We should go before it gets dark . . . ]

[Signing in . . . ]

[Signing out . . . ]

[Yes, it is Smoky Hills Art mural . . . ]

[Where the guys were singing when we first arrived . . . ]

[And from the front as we were leaving for home . . . ]

[RDO’s processing plant, where all your McDonald’s french fries come from – iinvolved in many issues concerning water use and lake pollution . . . ]

[Back home again to scenic County Road 42.  We put the roof back down when we hit Sebeka and rode the wave to 75-degree weather in Alex . . . ]

[Now it’s Le Homme Dieu on the left and Carlos on the right . . . ]

[Late afternoon sky over Lake Carlos.]

Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.  ~  David Letterman

Up Next:  Still thinking Russia . . .

June 4

Mandrogy

[And on the 8th day, we finally “sailed.” We cruised out of St. Petersburg on the Neva River last evening. In the morning we awoke to this. We’re on Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. It’s 6,800 square miles – a great lake – with 50,000 lakes and 3,500 rivers over 6 miles long in its basin. Yup, lotsa water around here! The Neva, incidentally, is the main river of St. Petersburg though it’s only 46 miles long – but it’s relatively wide and deep as it flows from Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of Finland.]

[Just outside our room, looking back to the Panorama Bar, our continental breakfast nook . . . ]

[Here it is closer-upper – my first stop every morning as an early riser . . . ]

[Convenient, and a great place to hang out . . . ]

[Beautiful here . . . ]

[Like northern Minnesota . . . ]

[Just cruising at 60 degrees north latitude . . . ]

[On the Svir River . . . ]

[Outdoor dining, with a view . . . ]

[And now it was time for class with Margot in the Sky Bar . . . ]

[The daily lecture series imparted useful overviews of the next port of call.  Mandrogy dead ahead . . . ]

[Along the Svir . . . ]

[Rush hour on the Svir?]

[Cruise ship competition . . . ]

[Gorgeous here, and there’s Mandrogy on the left . . . ]

I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but I’d never heard of this place . . .

[“Welcome, dear English-speaking visitors,” as our favourite Russian guide would say, “to our wonderful, make-believe, treasure-island town of Mandrogi”.  Located in thick forest on the Svir River — halfway between bustling St Petersburg and the lonely island of Kizhi, famous for its towering, onion-top churches — Mandrogi was bombed out of existence by the Germans in World War II.  More than half a century later it has been reconstructed, in dreamy, idealised, fairytale form, by Sergei Gutsait, a St Petersburg businessman and arts benefactor.  First came a hotel, followed by hideaways for artists and, eventually, a village full of attractions, unashamedly targeting tourists shuttling back and forth between St Petersburg and Moscow on tour ships such as our Viking Ingvar.  In recent years, there have been more additions. They include a small zoo, a working windmill, a school, a post office, a football pitch, an exhibition centre and an airstrip famously used by visiting Russia president Vladimir Putin.  Once again, the name of the “disappeared” village, which in the local language roughly means “thresholds” or “boundaries”, appears on the official Map of Russia, albeit in very small letters (www.escape.com.au).]

[Tom alights in Mandrogy and begins firing immediately . . . ]

[After eight days in large metropolitan areas, we were now officially in the middle of nowhere . . . ]

[The population is 238, and appears now to be totally dependent on tourism (?) . . . ]

[It was another beautiful day – 9 days in a row.  The next day, and the rest of the trip, returned to more “normal” weather . . . ]

[The Super leads the charge to the first place of tourism . . . ]

[It was touristy, but in a lovely setting . . . ]

[Likely a more comfortable slide covered in ice and snow . . . ]

[Another nifty workshop where artisans plied their wares . . . ]

[Let’s take the local “Uber” for a ride around town . . . ]

[Students . . . ]

[And more students . . . ]

[Windmill with cruise ship backdrop . . . ]

[Significance unknown to me . . . ]

[Onward, O Uber!]

[A large wooden building . . . ]

[When you come to the fork in the road . . . ]

[This unique building seems to have Tom overwhelmed . . . ]

[As we ride through the lovely woods, wishing we could visit with our driver . . . ]

[The backup Uber engine?]

[Walden Pond . . . I mean, Pushkin Pond . . . ]

[More unique structures . . . ]

[When cruise boat denizens collide . . . ]

[Pam gave it a try . . . ]

[As I recall, she did pick up a splinter . . . ]

[The Super and Pam visit with a crafter.  I don’t recall if purchases were made . . . ]

[Egg, potato, mushroom, or meat . . . ]

[Some noted they were quite tasty (like our pasty?) . . . ]

[Is it safe to come out?]

[Another visit with a crafter . . . ]

[Folks are dressed for cold, but it was actually quite lovely . . . ]

[The proverbial Russian bear . . . ]

[Why are there two?]

[Where we are in relation to other places . . . ]

[Photo by Pam . . . ]

[This one looks authentic . . . ]

[Little Red Ryding Hood’s cabin?]

[Back aboard ship . . . ]

[Vaya con Dios, Mandrogy!]

Before we rejoin ship activities, a little fun with Pam’s horse ride photos . . . 

[That’ll be 4 million rubles, please . . . ]

Back for “school” and dinner . . . 

[Thanks for the goodies, Olya!]

[And now Margo’s teaching about the next day’s destination . . . ]

[The ship’s captain interviewed by Vadim . . . ]

[Tom and I both capturing this window scene . . . ]

[People you meet along the way. Cherry is from the Philippines. Naturally, I called up George Carlin’s YouTube of “Cherry Pie” for her – made another Carlin fan . . . ]

[The aforementioned George Carlin video.]

[Appears this has something to do with food . . . ]

[Oh my!]

[After dinner aft . . . ]

[Has subsequently become my computer background display . . . ]

Don’t worry about the world ending today, it’s already tomorrow in Australia.  ~  Charles M. Schulz

Up Next:  The next stop . . .

September 14

That time of year again. The Stomp has had weather issues in the past; and this year the forecast was for possible storms on Friday and Saturday.  Fortunately, they didn’t happen.  But Saturday and Sunday produced heat indices in the mid-90’s!  

[Friday was overcast with a bit of dewpoint.  We went out early afternoon for Anthony Miltich.  This was the first photo op that caught my eye . . . ]

[Then Anthony caught my eye . . . ]

[Good stuff from our old friend . . . ]

[We were there with our usual music partners, Dave and Karin Berg . . . ]

[And were subsequently joined by Dave’s brother Loren and his wife Dee . . . ]

[Dave and Karin thought they heard the pop of a wine cork from bottle of Reserve Marquette.  They, the Super and me, would leave a little early to nap before going to see Dan Mahar at the Garden Bar that evening . . . ]

September 15

Saturday was just too damn hot!!

September 16

[Sunday morning on Lake H2Obert – starting to take on the look and feel of fall . . . ]

[Before the last day of Grape Stomp, we had the Anderson’s annual pot luck and stinging insect festival – this year at Smokey Timbers . . . ]

[Yes, the Alexandria Andersons!  Happy Birthday, Alice!  (Sorry we forgot your card in our car.  It happens.  All the time.)]

[I’m always amazed that potlucks always seem to have the right combinations of food products?]

[Dig in, Harvey!]

[In case we forget where this took place . . . ]

[We started eating outside, but the wasps and flies overwhelmed our food . . . ]

[Our departing walk up the hill (that’s Lake Miltona is beyond the tree line) . . . ]

[The Super heading up hill to our car . . . ]

[It was hot again, with 30 mph winds – a good day for a ride in the country with the convertible roof down . . . ]

[Pretty ride from Smokey Timbers to the winery through farmlands in or near harvest season . . . ]

[See a bit of Lake Miltona here . . . ]

[Now we’re on the homeward stretch to the winery with Lake Ida to the right . . . ]

[Mid-September, leaves they are a’changin’ . . . ]

[The sunlight sparkles off the cars parked at the Grape Stomp . . . ]

[And we’re there . . . ]

[Vendor tents amassed . . . ]

[Turning in past some grape vines . . . ]

[To field parking . . . ]

[Premature wine . . . ]

[And we were there for Josie . . . ]

[It was too windy for videos . . . ]

[She’s two weeks into her sophomore year at Concordia Moorhead . . . ]

[But it was the biggest Sunday crowd I can recall – I think Josie did pretty good with her tip jar!]

When life gives you lemons, make grape juice and let them wonder how you did it.  ~  Unknown

Up Next:  Gotta be . . . Russia

June 3

St. Petersburg, continued . . . 

[After our morning adventure, we’re now heading back into the city . . . ]

[Leningrad Hero City Obelisk, May 1, 1945, in Vosstaniya Square. . . ]

[The artsy shot . . . ]

[I have reason to believe this is the Anichkov Bridge.  Why?  (Next slide please . . . )]

[The Anichkov Bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge across the Fotanka River. The current bridge, built in 1841-42 and reconstructed in 1906-08, combines a simple form with some spectacular decorations. As well as its four famous horse sculptures (1849–50), the bridge has some of the most celebrated ornate iron railings in Saint Petersburg  (Wikipedia).  Note the horse sculptures at the beginning (or end) of the bridge.]

[The City Duma is located at the corner of the avenue and Dumskaya Street, opposite the Merchant Court and Grand Hotel Europe. Its distinctive tower, formerly used for fire observation, can still be seen the whole length of Nevsky Prospekt after the crossing with Fontanka River (Wikipedia).]

[Great Gostiny Dvor (left and center), vast department store on Nevsky Avenue across from the Duma (right), is the city’s oldest shopping centre and also one of the first shopping arcades in the world . . . ]

[Pushkin statue in Arts Square . . . ]

[Gathered outside the State Russian Museum.  We did not partake, likely due to time constraints . . . ]

[And now, from inside the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (did I mention previously no inside photography?) . . . ]

[Built between 1883 and 1907, it contains over 7,500 square meters of mosaics, possibly more than any other church in the world . . . ]

[Let’s browse (which is what you say when you are at a loss for describing the things you are looking at) . . . ]

[Though the church is not overly large, it overwhelms . . . ]

[I believe the Super’s feet . . . ]

[Mosaics from floor to ceiling . . . ]

[One from the Super . . . ]

[This could be a notice to pickpocketers that the blue plate special crowd is here?]

[A well-educated guess would be that this has something to do with ballet . . . ]

[OMG, there’s Freddie again!]

[He appears to be advertising for Rock Pub . . . ]

[The Grand Palace . . . I seem to be catching on to Cyrillic?]

[The Senate and Synod Building, by appearance . . . but it didn’t recall it being in this neighborhood?]

[Now the group is on the move in search of . . . a boat!]

[And there they are!]

[We had a bit of a wait – so we just worked on our tans . . . ]

[Finally, away we go.  This had to be a blind overhead shot because I see my Antioch cap in the left foreground . . . ]

[St. Pete, here we come!]

[The Super gives the are you taking my picture(?) look . . . ]

[Our fans wait on the bridge above for our arrival.  I searched the internet (“bridges in St. Petersburg”) for identification.  The railing design is an identifying design feature.  But, I couldn’t find it . . . ]

[No Russian city should be without one . . . ]

[The letters “h-o-t-e-l” are on the building, so my guess is that it’s a hotel . . . ]

[No Russian city should be without one . . . ]

[A yellow building of some import or I wouldn’t have taken the photo?]

[Or maybe a place I’d recognize from the other side?]

[Appear to making a right turn here into another canal . . . ]

[We’re on the Kryukov Canal; the other boat is from the Griboyedov Canal . . . ]

[St. Nicholas Naval Academy . . . ]

[And its bell tower . . . ]

[Vege Apartment Building . . . ]

[Built for the owner of a chocolate factory (hence, the color?) . . . ]

[A skywalk?]

[“Spirit of the White Nights” music . . . ]

[Mariinsky Theatre (opera) . . . ]

[A $700 million project opened in 2013 . . . ]

[Self identified . . . ]

[Local fans?  Favorite photos I posted on FB . . . ]

[Mom and daughter?]

[Yusupov’s Palace . . . ]

[Neat looking building – government, embassy, hotel?  Dunno . . . ]

[St. Isaac’s Cathedral, for old time’s sake . . . ]

[Blue Bridge (surprise!) . . . ]

[The Pochtamtsky Bridge . . . ]

[The golden dome . . . ]

[Nicholas I in St. Isaac’s Square . . . ]

[Au Pont Rouge department store . . . ]

[It’s taking too long to find all these buildings . . . ]

[Let’s just browse . . . ]

[BCeM npnbet! (“Hi all!”, in Russian)]

[And now into “big water” . . . ]

[We’ve left the canals and ventured out onto the rougher waters of the Neva across from Peter and Paul Fortress . . . ]

[Peter and Paul, close up . . . ]

[Marble Palace . . . ]

[Palace Bridge . . . ]

[And surroundings . . . ]

[And its ornateness . . . ]

[STS Mir is a three-masted training ship . . . ]

[Wedged a bit around the left corner, the Cruiser Aurora, a famous Russian warship now a museum on the Neva . . . ]

[Peter and Paul . . . ]

[Peter I’s Summer Palace escape, the Letniy Palace, where the Fontanka meets the Neva . . . ]

[Well, I’m just shocked . . . ]

[I could find nothing on this uniquely stlyed bridge (among dozens of photos of St. Petersburg bridges) . . . ]

[Or of this building of obvious import near that bridge?]

[We may have stumbled into an old KGB area?]

[And this church, in the same area, also chose to remain anonymous?  Spooky!]

[Thank goodness the Faberge Museum chose to identify itself . . .

[Heading into the final turns of our waterways tour . . . ]

[I believe this may be the area where Russian oligarchs are snapping up waterfront properties . . . ]

[Well, isn’t this a nice view?]

[Russian commerce . . . ]

[And of course these photos tell you that . . . ]

[We’re heading back to the boat.]

Back on the boat, we’re about to finally begin our cruise part of the trip . . .

[Sing along with me.  For some undecypherable reason (OK, probably early to bed), we never spent an evening with the lounge duo?]

[Why, thank you, I will have a champagne!]

[Dr. Kiehne up close and personal with a weight-bearing pole . . . ]

[Or maybe he was just waiting for the drink tray to come by . . . ]

[We appear to be moving?]

[We are, as our singer snaps some departure photos . . . ]

[Dosvedanya to”our” bridge . . . ]

[And now it’s a bon voyage PAR-TAY!]

[Pam works the starboard side . . . ]

[Our sail away dinner . . . ]

[I have no idea, or remembrance of, what it was . . . ]

[OK, this is fish . . . ]

[And this must be dessert.  And dessert comes at the end.  And this is the end of our visit to St. Petersburg.  St. Petersburg is a very cosmopolitan city which likely explains why it is the epicenter of Russian trolling and hacking of our political system.  Absent any immediate remedy for that, we now head off into the Russian countryside . . . ]

It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one’s hat keeps blowing off.  ~ Woody Allen

Up Next:  Russia, Russia, Russia

September 12

We had a midweek mini-family reunion. We’re a farflung group who can’t get together much.  But Jami and Danny came down from “the Harn,” stayed overnight, and the next morning just missed the arrival of brother Cam and cousin Beth from the Cities ubering Aunt Mary Kay and Uncle Tom from Desert Mountain, Arizona.  The following is a recounting of the events for sister Gretch in our nation’s capital . . .

[Danny fortunately is, among other things, an electrician.  So, here he replaced our old exterior lights as I took them down . . . ]

[An old one . . . ]

[A new one . . . ]

[By gosh and by golly, we’re up and running . . . ]

[Woo-woo . . . ]

[Then they joined us for our usual Wednesday night fine dining at the golf club, evenually deploying a couple trays of Happy Birthday cupcakes for the assembled masses . . . ]

September 13

[The next morning they had to return to the Harn . . . ]

[So, away went “Smartie” . . . ]

[Within a half hour, the uber from the Cities arrived.  After an hour or so of chatting in and about the new house, we all went to the golf club for lunch (weren’t we just there?).  Here I capture Cam’s better side.]

[The Arizonans enjoyed reading about the club’s past under the glass table top.  Tom and Cam had both played in the Resorters several times in the past.  From l-r:  The Super, Mary Kay, Tom, Cam, Beth . . . ]

[After a leisurely lunch, we suggested a visit here . . . ]

[The Arizona Obert’s have art galleries in Arizona and Cam is a gardener extraordinaire, so we were pretty sure all would enjoy the museum . . . ]

[Fortunately, John Buck’s art was still on display just off the lobby . . . ]

[But first checking out the merchandise “aisle” . . . ]

[Hmmmmmm . . . ]

[Then through the boat and resort displays . . . ]

[This work by Myron Sahlberg has become synonymous with the museum . . . ]

[A longtime area feature . . . ]

[Cam checks out the lake cabin display . . .]

[The final room – for the big boats . . . ]

[Then out the back door to the gardens . . . ]

[Cam could name all the plants; the rest marveled at what an entertainment and wedding venue this place has become . . . ]

[Waiting for the sun that never arrived . . . ]

[Family photo time . . . ]

[Relatives abound . . . ]

[Fellow residents of Victoria Heights back in the glorious days of the glory days . . . ]

[And then we all said good-bye until next time . . . ]

You keep your past by having sisters.  As you get older, they’re the only ones who don’t get bored if you talk about your memories.  ~   Deborah Moggach  [In fact, we three brothers make her gasp for breath in laughter.]

Up Next: Russia?

June 3

The last day in St. Petersburg before we finally begin travel by boat.  It was a cruise, after all.  This would be a long day not unlike the preceding one – a visit to Peterhof Palace on the morning; St. Petersburg by canal in the afternoon.  Let’s begin . . . 

[This may or may not have been Goulash soup night, but this is where I found it in my jumbled literature.  Whenever, it was yummy!!]

[On the road to Peterhof Palace, about 30 km (or 40 minutes), west of the city, past the now familiar highrise contruction projects . . . ]

[The Super has settled in for the trip . . . ]

[Lot of activity going on here . . . ]

[Pretty in Pink . . . ]

[Donning a winter coat?]

[And then, there it was . . . ]

[The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the “Russian Versailles”.  The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCA World Hertitage Site.  The dominant natural feature of Peterhof is a 16-m-high bluff lying less than 100 m from the shore. The so-called Lower Gardens (Nizhny Sad), at 1.02 km² comprising the better part of Peterhof’s land area, are confined between this bluff and the shore, stretching east and west for roughly 200 m. The majority of Peterhof’s fountains are contained here, as are several small palaces and outbuildings. East of the Lower Gardens lies the Alexandria Park with 19th-century Gothic Revival structures such as the Kapella. Atop the bluff, near the middle of the Lower Gardens, stands the Grand Palace (Bolshoi Dvorets). Behind (south) of it are the comparatively small Upper Gardens (Verhnyy Sad). Upon the bluff’s face below the palace is the Grand Cascade (Bolshoi Kaskad). This and the Grand Palace are the centrepiece of the entire complex. At its foot begins the Sea Channel (Morskoi Kanal), one of the most extensive waterworks of the Baroque period, which bisects the Lower Gardens.  (Wikipedia)]

[A brief stop at the entry so Alexey can ‘splain stuff to us – like how to find your way back to the bus!]

[And we’re off . . . ]

[This is the two-headed eagle rooftop feature . . . ]

[We were told to walk toward the two-headed eagle to find our way out . . . ]

[And where the two-headed eagle resides in the grand scheme of things . . . ]

[Gathering for final instructions, the Super grinning at something on her tablet . . . ]

[Again, the gardens will be more fun for me than slogging through the crowded palace interiors . . . ]

[Fortunately, we fit the bill . . . ]

[Inside now, looking out onto the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea . . . ]

[Here’s Peter!  The world has oft been told he was Great!]

[The model, or doll house, of the palace . . . ]

[Once again chagrinned these places don’t come with escalators . . . ]

[Ceiling art, amongs other things. The lady in the immediate foreground was our shipboard neighbor, from an English-speaking country not ours . . . ]

[Another “selfie” heaven . . . ]

[Alexey notes there is a lot of art in this room . . . ]

[The Super takes advantage of a rare near-empty room for a photo op . . . ]

[My footies on the floorie . . . ]

[Catherine II]

[Suspect Catherine, though I can’t find this one in the literature . . . ]

[Gold ballroom . . . ]

[Thought a work of significance, but of what do I know?  Can’t find it anywhere?]

[White Dining Room . . . ]

[The Picture Hall . . . ]

[Floor in the Portrait Hall . . . ]

[Tsarina Elizabeth Petrovna, 1760 . . . ]

[A room with lots of great china . . . ]

[A room with lots of green chairs . . . ]

[A rather modern looking model – I think they snuck in a ringer?]

[Somebody slept here . . . ]

[Peter’s man cave?]

[The great outdoors . . . ]

[The Peterhof Marine Canal to the Gulf of Finland . . . ]

[Let’s go exploring . . . ]

[We’re beginning our walk down through the grounds to the Gulf . . . ]

[Looking back at the palace . . . ]

[The Super with a new friend . . . ]

[Admittedly, a rather grand place . . . ]

[As I point out here . . . ]

[You’ll notice here the top is a cross; our two-headed eagle way out is on the other side . . . ]

[A tree-top canopy walk . . . ]

[To the land of fountains in Lower Park . . . ]

[Discovered just off the beaten path . . . ]

[Looks like Paul Revere; allegedly another statue of Peter . . . ]

[Not Peter, but maybe they dated . . . ]

[The Sun Fountain . . . ]

[Monplaisir Historical Palace Museum . . . ]

[This is where we are now – we ambled to the right (on the map) of the Great Palace on the Upper Park and then down to Monplaisir on the Lower Park waterfront . . . ]

[The museum gardens . . . ]

[The “Sheaf,” the main fountain at Monplaisir . . . ]

[The Gulf of Finland . . . ]

[In the distance, the Lakhta Centre skyscraper . . . ]

[The Lakhta Center is an 87-story skycraper currently under construction in the outskirts of Lakhta in St. Petersburg.  Standing 1,516 ft tall, the Lakhta Center is the tallest building in Russia, the tallest building in Europe, and the 13th-tallest building in the world.  The Lakhta Center is also the second-tallest structure in Russia and Europe, behind Ostankino Tower in Moscow.  Construction of Lakhta Center started on 30 October 2012; it was topped out on 29 January 2018.  The center is designed for large-scale mixed-use development: composing of public facilities and offices.  The Lakhta Center is intended to become the new headquarters of Russian energy company Gazprom.  (Wikipedia)]

[Of course, there was controversy (no, not involving Trump).  As the historical centre of St. Petersburg has become a World Heritage Site since 1990; the World Heritage Committee opposed the construction of the 400-metre tower of Okhta Center as it would affect the cityscape of historic Saint Petersburg.  In December 2006 UNESCO World Heritage Centre Director Francesco Bandarin reminded Russia about its obligations to preserve it and expressed concern over the project.  In 2007, the World Monuments Fund placed the historic skyline of St. Petersburg on its 2008 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites due to the potential construction of the building, and in 2009 reported that the tower “would damage the image of Russia.”  During the 36 session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO held in St. Petersburg in 2012 it was stated that a large area of St. Petersburg falls within preservation and buffer zones provided for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. That is why it is good for the city that the Okhta Center, which had been planned by Gazprom in front of Smolny Cathedral was moved to Lakhta.  (Wikipedia) (Stock photo of the building)]

[The beautiful waterfront at Monplaisir . . . ]

[The Super with a trident friend . . . ]

[Looking over to the pier . . . ]

[A last glance back at Lakhta . . . ]

[Now we had to fast step it back to the Great Palace for the fountains show . . . ]

[And here we go!!]

[Let there be fountains!!]

[Woo-woo!]

[Beautiful day, beautiful venue . . . ]

[Heading back now in the direction of . . . yes, the two-headed eagle . . . ]

[On the bus back to the boat.  Could that be a golf course?]

[Yes!!]

[Back to “our” bridge for lunch.  Part 2 will be our afternoon cruising the canals of St. Petersburg.]

The secret of good politics?  Make a good treaty with Russia.  ~  Otto von Bismarck

Up Next:  Part 2

September 3

Is it just a coincidence that my birthday (tomorrow, actually) generally coincides with the Labor Day holiday weekend; or was this weekend chosen for Labor Day because it coincides with my birthday?

[Firstly, the Super got me a set of nifty new wheels . . . ]

[Jami took advantage of the situation to abscond with my old wheels!]

[Roy-san got me a cool Pachinko game . . . ]

[The kids came up with a little light reading for me . . . ]

[We met the new neighbors . . . ]

[Discovered our new winery . . . ]

[Enjoyed fine outdoor dining . . . ]

[Enjoyed the winners of instrumental album (CD?) of the year . . . ]

[Noshed at Whitey’s in Minneapolis with a Department of Labor colleague from the last century . . . ]

[Ate bean & ham soup, a personal favorite . . . ]

[Went to a William Kent Krueger book signing at Cherry Street Books, but his book, Desolation Mountain, had sold out already!]

[Joined a bajillion people at the winery on a beautiful day for Robb Justice and the Loose Canyon Band . . . ]

[While Jami and friends were enjoying Hamilton in Minneapolis . . . ]

[Jami did deign to join us after Hamilton . . . ]

[To help mom out with some stuff . . . ]

[On the dock of Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[And to pose on the dock (blind shot holding the camera out over the water . . . ]

[And sit on the patio . . . ]

[Kiss mom goodbye until next weekend . . . ]

[Drive off in her “new” wheels . . . ]

[And the first result of house upgrades, with Jami’s assistance . . . ]

[And hope to be around again next year to write some silly stuff about my 72nd!]

Addendum

The actual birthday, at the Depot, where I got the 71% discount for being . . . 71!

First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down. ~ Leo Rosenberg

Up Next:  If I don’t finish Russia, it’s never going to get done!

June 2

Let’s go for a walk through St. Petersburg . . .

[When last we left you, we were entering the St. Petersburg subway system for a ride “downtown.”  Well, here we go . . .]

[As I recall, this was the longest escalator ride in the world. The ride down took 3 1/2 months (but seriously folks, it takes 5 minutes and you can see it on YouTube). Dr. Kiehne seems relieved to be reaching the bottom . . . ]

[Sasha finds us on a “where you are” map.  Pam captures the map for posterity . . . ]

[Here comes the train . . . ]

[Most places you go in the world, you can figure these things out.  Cyrillic, however, makes it really difficult . . . ]

[You gotta love the “up close and personal” aspects of big time subway systems (Marcus, this is where we really mixed with the locals) . . . ]

[And now coming up and out . . . ]

[The subway stations are works of art in themselves . . . ]

[We’re out on the street, Sadovaya Street specifically . . . ]

[And across the street is the Majestic Hotel.  This lavish downtown hotel occupies an 18th-century building in St. Petersburg’s prestigious Golden Triangle, and lies within 1 km of Kazan Cathedral and the Russian Museum. (the hotel site)]

[Adjacent to the Majestic.  “DOM” in Russian means residential building, house, home.]

[Back on the main street, which you will recall from your studies, is Nevsky Prospekt . . ]

[Not John Lennon . . . ]

[Window shopping galore. . . ]

[Catherine the Great, Ostrowski-Platz on Nevsky Prospekt . . . ]

[With the Alexandrinski Theater, one of the most famous theaters in Russia, in the background . . . ]

[And a flower bed in the foreground . . . ]

[Ozzy?]

[Eliseyev Emporium Coffeeshop, famed in song and story . . . ]

[Eliseyev Emporium is a large retail and entertainment complex, including a famous food hall, constructed in 1902–1903 for the Elisseeff Brothers. Located at 56 Nevsky Prospekt, the complex consists of three buildings, although the corner one is the structure that is referred to as Elisseeff’s store or shop. Designed by architect Gabriel Baranovskii, it is one of the most striking examples of St. Petersburg Art Nouveau architecture, although at the time of its construction the building was considered controversial. (Wikipedia)]

[A “flapper”?]

[From the outside . . . ]

[I want one of those!]

[If you can’t cross a wide, busy street, walk under it . . . ]

[Bookvoed, a bookstore where an author was doing a public reading . . . ]

[Teaspoon . . . ]

[It’s a restaurant . . . ]

[18th century Armenian Church . . . ]

[Pedestrian window shopping traffic jam . . . ]

[If Ozzy, why not Freddie?]

[Tom climbs to greater heights for a photo op . . . ]

[The Belmond Grand Hotel Europe vies with Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg and Hotel Astoria for the title of the most luxurious five-star hotel in Saint Petersburg.  One of great hotels of the 19th-century Europe, the Grand Hotel Europe opened its doors to the public on January 28, 1875, replacing an earlier inn situated on the same site. Its marble-and-gilt interiors, sweeping staircases and elegant furniture have attracted crowds of well-to-do visitors, including Ivan Turgenev, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, H.G. Wells, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav V of Sweden, Elton John, Jacques Chirac and Bo Savander to name only a few notables who lodged there.  (Wikipedia)]

[You could tell it was a big time place when we saw a group gala-dressed movie stars, rock stars, models (???) were entering the building . . . ]

[Pushkin in front of the Russian Museum in Arts Square . . . ]

[Their main man, Alexander . . . ]

[Walking . . . ]

[Walking . . . ]

[Until we came upon the walkways along the Griboyedov Canal . . . ]

[Beautiful day; all of St. Petersburg was out for a walk . . . ]

[With our ultimate destination being the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood . . . ]

[Incredible piece of architecture . . . ]

[Find shade, take photos . . . ]

[The Super provides perspective . . . ]

[As we circled the church, more reminders of the upcoming World Cup, just a few days away . . . ]

[We were not allowed to take any photos inside – so here’s a stock photo stolen off the internet . . . ]

[Back outside and on the other side of the canal . . . ]

[Remember the “movie stars” at the Grand Hotel?]

[Well, in my defense everyone else was taking her picture too . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back at the World Cup . . . ]

[Without amber, there would have been no Jurassic Park . . . ]

[One of my favorite photos of the whole trip.  The only identifier, nothing in Cyrillic, for what seems likely to be a sandwich shop . . . ]

[And there are hostels (hoping to quell any hostilities?) . . . ]

[And cafes, hotels, and art halls . . . ]

[Chicago?]

[Obviously some sort of official building . . . ]

[Alexander Column in the Palace Square . . . ]

[Walking toward the Atlantes of the Hermitage, the portico of the Winter Palace . . . ]

[And here they are:  In classical European architecture a column is often replaced by a sculpture in the form of a man supporting whatever is above him. This is called an atlas (plural atlantes) although the figure is not portrayed with the world on his shoulders.  The portico of the final addition to the Hermitage complex of buildings in St Petersburg has ten atlantes carved from dark gray granite holding the ceiling at head level. They were carved by the sculptor Alexander Terebenev, who needed one hundred and fifty assistants to complete this task. Terebenev himself worked on the faces and assistants were assigned specific parts of the figures.  The figures are very detailed and realistic with well defined muscles. Even the veins of the feet are delineated. The Portico is located on Millionaires Street a short distance from the Palace Square.   (www.360cities.net)]

[With Notre Dame (?) in the background (OK, see following soon) . . . ]

[The Super has a foot fetish . . . ]

[Why, yes, I was the model for the sculptures . . . ]

[Shooting through the Hermitage . . . ]

[Alexander Column with the General Staff Building in the background . . . ]

[OK, that’s St. Isaac’s, not Notre Dame, in the background . . . ]

[The Hermitage . . . ]

[The Admiralty Building with the spire . . . ]

[Tom photo ops the Hermitage . . . ]

[A different view of Alexander Column . . . ]

[The Palace Square readying for the World Cup . . . ]

[Back on the Neva, a big time photo op locale . . . ]

[Dr. Kiehne sure thinks so . . . ]

[Liteyny Bridge . . . ]

[I wonder if “Mister Sandwich” is horizontally integrated with “Bread & Meat”?]

[Peter the Great as a boat builder on the bank of the Neva . . . ]

[Liteyny Bridge again . . . ]

[The Building of the Admiralty . . . ]

[St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the Admiralty district . . . ]

[Mindful of the Golden Dome at Notre Dame?]

[On the Senate Square, Constitutional Court building . . . ]

[A college mall lookalike . . . ]

[Peter the Great . . . ]

[And, St. Isaac’s . . . ]

[Cinderella?]

[Making sure I have enough shots of St. Isaac’s . . . ]

[Admiralty Building . . . ]

[A final goodbye to St. Isaac’s . . . ]

[The people who make our boat work . . . ]

[The evening is just beginning, but first – let’s eat!]

[Of course, I have no recollection of whatever it was . . . ]

[But it looks good?]

[And wrapping up with a couple of desserts . . . ]

[Amazingly, we’re still all awake as we await a Cossack folk music and dance extravaganza in a tent parked next to our boat . . . ]

[Get down, get funky . . . ]

[Let’s boogie . . . ]

[How do you like that contrabass balalaika?]

[Just stepped outside at intermission to catch the sunset . . . ]

[Intermission is over . . . ]

[Joined by forcefully volunteered (ha!) audience members . . . ]

[Back in the USSR . . . ]

[Wow, this was a long day! And another one coming the following day!!]

St. Petersburg is a gem of world culture and Russia’s most European city.  ~  Valentina Matviyenko

Up Next:  More Russia?

August 23

[So let me entertain you, and we’ll have a real good time . . . ]

[The Super and I arrived at Theatre L’Homme Dieu for a year-end fundraiser for the campus facilities and to celebrate the end of another wonderful season . . . ]

[Executive director Nicole Mulder, and Board member Phil Eidsvold and his crack committee went all out for this production number.  It was perfectly suited for a “resort elegant” dress code for the 100-something guests . . . ]

[But first, the bar area highlighting the auction items: Cabo San Lucas, Newport Beach, and “Hamilton” in either Chicago or Minneapolis.  Oh, and the lead-off item was a night of fine dining at the “Merc”!]

[The Super said this is all well and good, but as for us – a new house, a new car, and a couple of trips on the horizon . . . ]

[And they’re arriving . . . ]

[The blur is Nicole – an executive director always in action . . . ]

[The key to fundraising is to show them what it’s for . . . in this case, leading tours through the 100-year old cottages in serious need of plastic surgery . . . ]

[And then going back to the staff cottages, built by the high school in the late 70’s but untouched since, until one enjoyed a volunteer makeover this year . . . ]

[“Looks pretty good,” says the Super . . . ]

[Nicole lays out the scenario for a long range plan.  Like all long range plans it takes time and money . . . ]

[Let’s go back for dinner . . . ]

[Well, maybe not yet . . . ]

[More time in the full-service bar is always fun . . . ]

[I think we’re being filmed . . . ]

[And filmed by drone!]

[And the surprise entertainment!  Six Appeal, from Minneapolis, recently back from Moscow where they won first prize out of a 180-group, 16-country a cappella competition!  Quite a get by Nicole!]

[Let the good times roll . . . ]

[The Super takes a photo of our Table 11 . . . ]

[Our table mates, known far and wide as great table mates . . . ]

[And for our dining pleasure, many thanks to the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]

[The Super and I opted for the salmon, our favorite at their restaurant . . . ]

[Nicole, in the background, greets the attendees . . . ]

[Then Phil took over as the evening’s emcee . . . ]

[Let’s make some pledges!]

[The weather forecast called for a possiblilty of evening rain – but fortunately, it turned out to be a beautiful evening . . . ]

[Six Appeal performed intermittently, to the delight of all . . . ]

[The long range plan for this arrival area should be a crowd pleaser . . . ]

[I told you it was a beautiful evening . . . ]

[The classic lodge on the left, while a fun place for apres-play parties, is in dire need of botox injections . . . ]

[Yes, we have a great campus for this kind of stuff . . . ]

[Bar activity ebbs as dinner arrives . . . ]

[And as we dig into our entrees . . . ]

[Mmmmmmmmmm!]

[Photos all around – Lisa, another board member . . . ]

[No hydration shortages at our table . . . ]

[Let’s put it all in motion . . . ]

[Thanks to the Wedum Foundation beginning with a matching sum, we may have netted over a hundred grand!  Woo-woo!  Many thanks to all the donors!  So maybe you’ll join us next year?]

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.  ~  Bill Nye

Up Next:  I’ve got to get back to Russia.

August 4

Pack, have breakfast, say good-byes, go home . . .

[The Gang of 10 on the last morning. We arrived in 3 vehicles from Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, and Minnesota – we would similarly depart. The DOM had an itchy shutter finger so I’ll just go with all his photos . . . ]

[As requested by the DOM, so why not join the party?]

[I SURVIVED A WEEK IN A SORORITY HOUSE! Yes, the only guy in Rappaport this week – with five co-ed housemates. They tolerated me because I did the dishes.]

[Bill volunteered to be the photographer and thus was absent from the final Gang of 10 photo . . . ]

[The drive home begins by skirting giant Lake Winnebago, here heading downhill into Fond du Lac at the south end of the lake . . . ]

[Then by Oshkosh and its airplane legacy . . . ]

[And the last photo of the trip, in Oshkosh, see y’all again next year!]

Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt. ~  John Muir

Up Next:  Back to Russia . . .