VIENNA TRIVIA

            On my second and shorter tour of the lovely Schönbrunn Palace  in Vienna we got into new and different rooms. (Only about 40 of the over 1000 rooms are open to the public)   The guide stopped in front of painting of a monkey sitting on a woman’s head saying, “In those days washing was a lot of work when you had to carry water. It was common for bugs, mites etc to setup housekeeping in  a lady’s hair. People actually made a business of renting out a monkey for a period of time to pick at the bugs. The monkey was well fed, and the lady itched a lot less!”

            It was an interesting picture and a tale I’d not heard before!

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            On another trip to Vienna we were told that there was a grocery/deli department in the basement of a particular large store where there  would be a place to sit and eat. We found the grocery store with no problem, and after buying our lunch we looked around for a place to eat. Maybe it was in some obscure place, but after inquiring of the checker we were informed there was no place to sit. Not to panic, I knew where there was a nearby Starbucks.

            We walked the couple blocks to that familiar landmark and entered a side door. This coffee house had a second floor, so we climbed the steps, found an empty table and proceeded to leisurely eat our lunch. Yes, we felt a little guilty and intrusive, but neither of us drink coffee after mid morning. We did agree that if anyone approached us we would gladly pay for the space or for a cup of coffee to donate to someone who would drink it. We were meticulous about picking up all our trash and getting it into a trash can. We enjoyed our lunch respite; no one was the wiser that we were intruding, and we left without  leaving any footprint.

           ******

          I had a several-hour wait for my traveling buddy to arrive in Vienna so I walked  from the hotel to  Stephenplatz and then found the Ankeruhr clock, considered to be one of the finest art nouveau monuments in Vienna. It forms a bridge between the two parts of the Anker Insurance Company‘s building. Instead of hands, the Ankeruhr shows the time by means of 12 figures representing famous Viennese historical personalities. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures or pairs of figures move across the bridge. Every day at noon, all of the figures parade, each accompanied by music from its era. It was good use of my time on a misty day in my favorite European city.

MONTENEGRO

                                               A Small Balkan Country

            On the two hour drive to Kotar, Montenegro from Dubrovnik we passed large groves of tall Italian cypress trees whose straight trunks were once used for ship’s masts. Huge fertile valleys were backed by 1335-1500-foot high mountain peaks. Persimmon trees were in full bloom with their orange flowers. Fig trees were growing wild. Palm and citrus trees were numerous.

            The small country of Montenegro, a wee bit larger than Connecticut, is one of great natural beauty. Never conquered by the Ottoman Empire, it showcases rugged alpine scenery, deep canyons, coastal fjords, a sparkling vegetated and folded limestone mountain range that plummets down to the azure Adriatic Sea. Its scenic coastline is dotted with historic cities. Beautiful peaks and valleys surround charming villages. From 1482 the country was ruled by bishops, and after the Turk defeat in 1878, independence was assured.

            In 1910 Nicola Petrovic declared himself king, but was evicted by the Austrians in 1916 and the country was incorporated into Serbia.  In WW II Montenegro fought with Tito’s army and after the war’s end became a state in Yugoslavia. With the breakup of Yugoslavia, the country again became part of Serbia. The tiny country became independent from Serbia in late 2006.

             Kotor, a coastal town is located in a secluded part of Gulf of Kotar. The administrative center of Kotor municipality has a population of 13,510. The Gulf of Kotor, one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea, is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe, although it is actually a submerged river canyon. Overhanging limestone cliffs create a gorgeous landscape. The Bay of Kotor, with a proud maritime history, is the largest, longest and deepest fjord bay in Europe.

            The old port of Kotor, surrounded by an impressive four kilometer city wall built the by the House of Nemanjie is very well preserved. Between 1420 and1797, Kotor and its surroundings were under the rule of the Republic of Venice and the Venetian influence is seen in the architecture. Kotor, first mentioned in 168BC was settled during Ancient Roman times. The plaque arrived in 1572, and the city was nearly destroyed by earthquakes in 1563 and 1667.

            Kotor, fortified since the early Middle Ages has been controlled by many including the First Bulgarian Empire of Ragusa, Venice, Hungry, The Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, France, Italy, Russia, Austrian Empire and again Serbia. Kotor was the site of some of the fiercest battles between local Montenegrin Slavs and Austria-Hungary in World War I. After 1918 it became a part of Yugoslavia.

             The Old Town (Stari Grad) of Kota is a UNESCO site. The main entrance to the city is through an 18^th century gate fronting the  . Straight ahead is the 6^th century clock tower. Aristocratic families owned mansions on the small narrow cobbled lanes linking the squares. There are six 12^th century Romanesque churches in the well preserved city.

            St. Tripien’s Cathedral, 1166, is one of two Catholic Cathedrals in Montenegro and is the seat of the Kotar Bishopric.  It is built in honor of Saint Tryphon, the patron and protector of the city, on the site of an older church built in 809.  Seriously damaged by the 1667earthquake the cathedral was rebuilt. The lack of funds slowed reconstruction and accounts for the difference in the towers. A 1979 earthquake devastated the Montenegrin coast damaging the cathedral as well. Careful restoration again showcases the Romanesque architecture of one of the oldest and perhaps the most beautiful monuments along the Adriatic Sea. Its rich collection of artifacts is older than many famous churches and cathedrals in Europe.

            The priest was in. He graciously gave us some history of the church which the guide translated. Today, it is the best known tourist attraction in Kotor and a symbol of the city. The Saint is depicted in the city’s coat of arms, along with a lion and the Mount of San Giovanni (St. John). A unique gold marble curtain is the altar backdrop of the Franciscan monastery where only two monks remain.

            The road flanks one side of the fjord while houses line the opposite shore. In the Middle Ages the natural harbor was a walled city and an important artistic center with well known schools of masonry and iconography.

            We enjoyed a great lunch in Bodva, another walled city with a medieval past.  Returning to Tivat we rode a ferry across the fjord saving close to an hour driving time. It is amazing what the small ancient cities in a small country have to offer.

           

           

TRINIDAD, CUBA

                                             A Charming City

Trinidad (1514), in the lee of the Escambray, is maintained as a living museum, as it is pretty much as the Spanish left it. It seems as though time has stood and it was a bit surreal to feel like I was in a time warp.  Cuba’s crown jewel of its colonial cities reached its peak in the mid 19^th century during the sugar boom.

Ballast stones from sailing ships of days gone by pave the streets. These cobbled streets are paved with a slight V in the center. Logic says this would be for drainage, but legend says the first governor had one leg longer than the other. When he walked down the middle of the street he was level and was able to walk without a limp. The cobbled, narrow, slightly hilly streets are lined with pastel painted homes with tile roofs. Fancy wrought iron rails. decorated balconies. The entire city is a national monument, which disallows any architectural changes to buildings.

Situated on a low hill, the city catches the ocean breezes, and the doors of homes reflect that with postigos, small wooden louvered windows in the center of doors to allow the breezes to flow through.

We saw many mule-drawn two wheeled carts. A couple of us walked down a side street where some construction was going on, and the mule-carts were hauling sand. Vaqueros (cowboys) rode horseback in Plaza Mayor around the white iron fence that surrounded the small park in the center of the square. We even saw a fellow walking a pig on a leash. I suspect it was going to be someone’s dinner.

The soil is very red and a terra cotta pottery business is alive and well. At the museum we learned that the roof tiles were formed and rounded on the thigh of workers.

A mild climate, fertile soil, and easy access to the Caribbean favored Trinidad’s agricultural (sugar) and commercial growth. Plaza Mayor was the heart of the original settlement. It is ringed by a cathedral (1892) and four museums, once mansions of wealthy colonialists. Holy Trinity Church is the largest in the country and houses the most valuable icons. It took 200 craftsmen three years to carve the wooden altar (1812). Seven saints decorate the altar and St. Francis is 400 years old.

By the 19^th century Cienfuegos with a better harbor surpassed Trinidad, which started a slow steady decline for the city. In the 1950s Bastista declared the city a jewel and tourism started to be promoted. The town was named a national monument in 1965, and in 1988 named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cameras were not allowed inside the Museo Romantico. The foyer was filled with plants and potted palms. The museum had a gorgeous carved cedar ceiling dating to 1770. The tall walls did not go all the way to the ceiling leaving an air space between the wall top and the arches of the rooms.  The upper level of the building was added in 1804. Italian marble floors were throughout. The spectacular wainscoting in the rooms was all hand painted. The detail was unbelievable. I have never seen such a stunning wrought-iron bed! I also was intrigued with the kitchen. Baccarat crystal chandeliers and Meisen porcelain were gorgeous. It was truly a treasure of exquisite antiques. 

The family had 12 children and 20 slaves, so basically 34 people lived in this gorgeous house.

We were led down a cobbled alley where we stopped in a courtyard to hear some music and enjoy another local drink, which I didn't get the name of. It was served in small clay pot/cups. We lunched at Eljigve, the oldest home in Trinidad (1614). I spied a palm I’d not seen before in the lovely courtyard of a small museum. The girl I talked to said it was a ciska palm.

Trinidad, Cuba is a fascinating quaint city which was a delight to visit.

PERU AND LAKE TITICACA

PUNO  and LAKE TITICACA

 When my son and I decided to hike into Machu Picchu he said, "If we're going to be that close I'd like to continue on to Lake Titicaca." At the time I could find no American company that included Puno on their itineraries, so I booked through a Canadian company. Today, a decade later, I know of at least three American companies that include that area.
Puno in southeastern Peru is the jumping off point for Lake Titicaca, especially for the Uros people. Although quite small it is the largest city in the Puno Region. It is located at 12,421 feet above sea level at the southern end of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. It also is the largest lake in South America. It is an important agricultural and livestock area  especially for llamas and alpacas that graze the large plateaus and plains of the Peru Altiplano. The areas around the lake have been inhabited since 1300 BC. Puno was established in 1668, near the site of the now-defunct colonial silver mine of Laykakota. Few colonial buildings remain.

       The city is small and there is not a whole lot to do. There is the inevitable Plaza, a few decent restaurants, plenty of local shopping, the Church of San Pedro, often called  the Sistine Chapel of the Americas and a boardwalk at the edge of the lake. Out of town there is  the Sillustani Burial Towers where hundreds of years ago, the ancient people from the Altiplano, built a series of funeral towers to bury their kings and other important people of their regions.  The Sillustani towers are perhaps the finest and most perfect cylindrical constructions of ancient Peru, and cannot be found anywhere else in South America. There also are several archeological sites  around,  for those who interested in getting ‘out of town’ for a bit.

Both men and women knit and practice textile arts as they have done for thousands of years. This is well demonstrated on the Isla Taquile in the middle of Lake Titicaca.

We boarded a small boat for a cruise on the lake eventually reaching Taquile, 36 kilometers away. The boat had 8 life jackets, and there were 12 of us. That didn’t seem to be of any concern to the crew who just gave out the 8 jackets and then quit! On the return trip we never even saw a lifejacket.

We slowly motored through a lot of bright green algae, and through a cut in the reeds on the calm mirror-like lake to the pickup point for the guide who told us, “Titi means puma, and caca means stone.” The Incas thought the lake was shaped somewhat like a puma. Looking at the map I thought it took a bit of imagination to see that.

The lake covers over 3200 square miles, and The depth ranges from 15-20 feet deep to 900-feet deep in the northern part of the lake. The lake is a bit over 100 miles long, and. 22 rivers feed the lake. There is a tremendous amount of evaporation that takes place because of the altitude and the hot sun.

Those arriving here from sea level stand a good chance of experiencing soroche, known to us non-natives as altitude sickness.  We didn’t have any problems breathing in Puno, as I guess the trek into Machu Picchu and a visit to Cuszo had acclimatized us a bit.

KRAKOW, POLAND

 POLAND’S OLD TOWN

This cultural, educational, and industrial city is located on the Wisla  (Vistula) River. (Overseas maps  list the city, rivers and attractions in the native language, but many times the English spelling follows or is included----accounting for the different spellings)

This architecturally and historically rich city is compact within an area of Old Town that is only 800 X 1200 meters in size. The second oldest university, founded in 1364, is in Krakow. Jagiellonian University, the first university in Poland was the alma mater of the astronomer, Copernicus. Standing in the rather pretty courtyard we saw many of the ancient buildings, including the one in which Copernicus studied. Awesome!

Our city guide told us, “Old Town, or the inner city, was surrounded by a wall in medieval times, as were most European cities. The Barbican built in the 15^th century to protect the walled city, and is one of the largest and oldest left in Europe. Only one of the original seven gates remains. Originally the wall had 47 towers. The moat was twenty meters wide and seven meters deep. In the 20^th century the moat was filled and now forms a green ring around the inner city.”

Each side of the 13^th century market square measures 200 meters, and is the largest such square in Europe. St. Andrews, an 11^th century church, is the oldest in the square.

St. Mary’s Gothic church, 1359, the common people’s church, has two uneven towers and sits on one corner of the square. The tallest tower served as a lookout tower and belongs to the city. Today every hour, on the hour, one can hear a trumpet call from the tower recalling the 13^th century trumpeter who was killed by a Tarter arrow in the middle of sounding a warning. To maintain tradition, a live person, not a modern day recording, plays the trumpet call. The lower tower belongs to the church.The main altar of St Mary’s consists of five panels, 350 carvings, and measures eleven by seven meters. This 1489 altarpiece is the finest and largest sculptural work of Gothic art in Poland. Of the 130 churches in Krakow, 75 of them are in Old Town. Canon Street is the oldest in the city and is where the church clergy lived.

SOME IRISH TRIVIA

IRISH TRIVIA

            The Irish accent is famed the world over for its romantic and lyrical lilt. However, accents around the country differ just as English accents do in this country. The real key to the Irish lilt is the speed at which it is spoken.  Renowned for loving to tell a story the Irish are proud of their race and their language.

Ireland is a country of young people. The high tech industry has reduced unemployment from 17% to 3-4%. As part of the European Union, Ireland is being forced into the 21^st century. Being required to accept imports has hurt some of the numerous cottage industries, thus impacting  some of the traditional culture. Since my visit, hard times have once again visited Ireland so I cannot speak to the present day economy. I hope it is good.

A cow culture still exists where the sheep and cattle think they own the streets and often are found wandering on country lanes. They get out of the way at their pace and on their terms. We experienced this with sheep several times while riding through the country side.

I found the many dry-set stone walls marking ancient boundaries across the country picturesque. Roads throughout the country are very narrow and have no shoulders. The soil is often soft on the roadsides because of the abundance of peat bog/soil. We traveled in a van so were able to get to many places over roads a tour bus could not. Many times a stone wall was at the edge of the road so there was no chance of pulling off the pavement. It would be wise for a driver to be a good backer upper! People drive on the left side of the road, which for me causes a lot of confusion when one has to cope with the numerous traffic circles. Maybe traffic circles solve the need for traffic lights, as we found lights rather few and far between outside the big cities.

            Most farms are located in the central part of the country where it is very green most of the year. It was amazing to see the vivid bright emerald  rolling hills. Wet winters mean 93% of the grasslands are good for grazing all year.

Irish pipes are quite different from Scottish bag pipes, and I think are much mellower and melodious. They are dry as all the wind comes from two bags. The pipes are heavy and the piper sits with them across his lap. We spent a very interesting couple of hours with a piper who explained the instrument and played some lovely music for us.

VICTORIA’S PARLIAMENT BUILDING

             An Outstanding Parliament Building

In Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, we were so glad we had taken a docent to tour the Parliament building, as there was so much to learn. The rotunda has a lovely mosaic floor and tasteful paintings on the dome ceiling. The paintings on the wall around the rotunda depict the history of the area. The first one represents 1792, the next the advent of the Hudson Bay Company in 1842, and Fort Victoria, 1843, is in the next mural. All the murals were painted in the 1930s, the last mural represents the hanging judge who was there in 1863.

            Francis Rattenbury was the architect who won over 67 other architects, and he was only 25 years old at the time. He had signed his drawings B C Architect. Apparently the committee thought he was a local boy, but he was from Yorkshire, England. When asked to show some of his other works he showed many---but they had been completed before he was even born! Besides designing the Empress hotel, he designed over 100 buildings in British Columbia.

The building cost $920,000, including the overruns. However, between 1972-84 the renovation cost a hundred million dollars. At night 3333 lights illuminate the building. The lights were installed in 1897 and were not replaced until 1976.

The gold on the second floor was added during the renovation. During the Pueblo Gold Rush 20,000 men a year came through the area. The Provincial government has one house. There is no senate like in the US.

The original stain glass window showing the coat of arms was made in Yorkshire, England and was shipped in molasses. It was removed in 1911 to make an entryway into the new library wing of the building. That window was lost in the basement for 62 years until found in 1974. It now is installed in the foyer.

A lion lies on top of the crown, and 16 years ago a dogwood collar was added to the lion. Dogwood is the provincial flower. Originally the sun was under the flag which was interpreted as the Empire was fading, so it was changed so the sun is now on top of the flag. The brass helmet was added to the corner of the flag 16 years ago.

The blue represents the ocean, and the white represents the snow on the mountains. The red in the flag represents the patriots, the white in the flag represents the French. The splendor sine occasu translates: beauty without ceasing. The new stain glass window was unveiled for the Queen’s golden jubilee.

The legislature table is U shaped and the sides, or legs, of the U are exactly 2 ½ sword lengths apart, allowing for a ½ sword length if each side should take up arms. The legislature is never in session without this mace (medieval spiked club) being in place. It’s a lot bigger than a gavel and is strictly ceremonial, but a custom still in use.

Jade is the Provincial stone. Queen Victoria named Victoria in 1858. The second floor of the rotunda is a memorial to past legislators. Italian craftsmen laid the mosaic floor using inch square stones.

Rattenbury met a sad death, as he was bludgeoned to death in England by his second wife and her young chauffeur/lover. After a big trial at the Old Bailey she was acquitted, but three days later committed suicide by walking into a river and stabbing herself six times. The chauffeur was sentenced to death, but later his sentence was commuted to life in prison. However, he was released during WW II. He survived the war and lived in isolation in England.

A HARDY PIONEER

                                     A True Pioneer

            In Norway we has the privilege to visit  a woman who lives in the mountains by herself. She arrived in 1969 to take care of a sick lady and just never left.

            Kjeaasen, translates to goat kids on the hillside, is located 530 meters above sea level. The narrow switchback road to Kjeaasen, built in 1980, is narrow and one way. Traffic goes up on the hour, down on the half hour. Before the road one had to trudge up a footpath!

            The farm dating, back to 1300, was originally a summer farm. In 1349 the plague hit the village below and people fled to the mountain, but they died anyway and the area was vacant until 1600. In 1860 an avalanche destroyed everything in its path. The first cottage was close to the edge and an 8-year girl    went over the edge while playing. The next building moved away from the edge and was occupied by six children and their parents. In 1940 a cable made getting supplies up the mountain much easier. It only took 16 minutes, but I guess it sure beat walking up with a load, even with a load on a donkey. In 1900 there were two farms. The hunt included fox, grouse, and reindeer.

            This lady has been a year-round resident for many years. It took several years to gather the materials to build the house. She had and maintained a lovely vegetable garden. She never married and had no children. Now hillside farmers have moved to town and the farms are generally just summer residences.

            This lady spoke limited English but she had an English recording  that explained all about the farm and her life. Talk about a hardy pioneer!

THE FLAM TRAIN

                              A Short but Spectacular Train Ride

            Norway is one spectacular scene after another of mountains, waterfalls and fjords. The journey on The Flåm Railway is regarded as one of the highlights of any trip to Norway. The 20-km-long train ride from the mountain station of Myrdal to Flåm, located beside the fjord, takes around 55 minutes.

            The railroad built in 1914 took 20 years to complete. The first cars were steam driven. On the journey, you have views of some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in Norway with an ever-changing panorama of tall mountains and cascading waterfalls. The slow moving train stops at the best views.  At one stop we could get off to take pictures and admire an absolutely spectacular waterfall. Spray from the falls nearly drenched us, but none of us cared.

            At Voss we changed trains for another short ride. Then it was back on the bus for a fantastic steep ride over many hairpin turns. What a great ride, but I was glad I’d left the driving to someone else! At the fjord we waited for the ferry to cross the bus to Eidfjord.

            This train ride rivals Switzerland’s much longer, all day Glacier Express that passes over spectacular scenery leaving one gasping in wonder.

KOLBENZ,GERMANY

CUTE STATUES

Manhole covers are seldom of interest, but In Koblenz, Germany our guide on a walking tour stopped at one and explained, “The French occupied this area for twenty years and it was home to French refugees during the French revolution. Of course only males were here and eventually some of them married German girls. Their offspring were called schangel. This brass cover depicts a mischievous little boy. All the covers in the city are like this, and later we’ll stop by a statue dedicated to him.”

            When we got to the statue it was a surprise to all of us the first time that little bronze boy spit a mouthful of water onto the plaza. He was pretty cute and got a laugh out of us.

            Many statues are around the city. Some are red sandstone, others bronze. They all depict and commemorate common people who were known in the area. In one plaza is a woman who sold produce every day. On the square is the town character who drank too much and who one night decided to play the drums in the middle of the night waking his neighbors. The statues keep the town’s history alive and are a sweet addition to its character. They are adorable and can’t help but make you smile much of the time.

            We ended the walking tour at the History Column celebrating 2000 years of history. Our guide interpreted the fountain, “Mother Mosel sits in the rear of the boat while Father Rhine sits in the front guiding the oarsmen. The boat is full of wine kegs. The column rising from the center of the boat depicts various periods of time in the city’s history.”

            It is an unusual but meaningful monument.

ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL

                                 A Very Old Church

St. Sophia’s, a UNESCO site since 1990, is the oldest church in Kiev, Ukraine. We learned that the 11^th century, 13 domed church is considered one of the most remarkable structures from the Kievan-Rus period. Built 1017-31 by Prince Yaroslav, the church houses some of the country’s greatest mosaics, frescoes, and ancient icons.  Modeled on St. Sophia in Istanbul, the church is actually a small complex of two churches, bell tower, school and monks’ cells. Renovation in the 19^th century was done in Renaissance and Ukrainian baroque style.

The 12 columns divide the interior into five naves.  The church represents a perfect fusion between symbolic image and architecture: the big central gilt cupola and twelve smaller cupolas which crown it evoke Christ and the 12 Apostles.

A complex of monastic buildings surrounds the church. Built originally of wood in 1633, the buildings were destroyed by fire in 1697 and reconstructed in stone.

On the extensive tour of the complex we learned there are 177 hues of color used inside. The old frescoes were magnificent. Stalin closed the church in 1934. Gold headed domes were very popular with Slavs and the city is full of them. There are domes everywhere you look.

A docent told us, “This beautiful iconostasis is gilded over carved linden wood, a popular technique and is about one third the size of the original one.”

The condition of this ancient structure was amazing.

The four-story bell tower reaches 230 feet and features several architectural styles. The first story is typical Ukrainian of the early 17th-18^th century. The next two stories are embellished with molded decorations of Ukrainian baroque-style and the fourth story is pseudo-Byzantine.

From the plaza around the bell tower we had a great view of the water, and I regret to say I don’t remember what the body of water was.

THE YUSUPOV PALACE

One of My Top Three Palaces

I have visited many palaces and castles in my travels but the Yusupov in St. Petersburg, Russia, is one of my three top favorites. It is positively magnificent!

The Yusupov represents a rare combination of architectural monument and a temple of art. The home of a wealthy family, the Palace is also noted for the murder of Rasputin in 1916.

We entered the Yusupov Palace, facing the Neva River, through the carriage entrance. Immediately I noticed the gorgeous large tapestries hanging on the wall, the crystal chandeliers and the marble floor.

The ceiling covered with gorgeous plaster reliefs and sculptures over the grand staircase was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Two large white marble lions with the head of Madam Pompadour lay on each side at the bottom of the wide marble staircase.  A fancy dress collar covering the shoulders was sculptured on each lion.

The Yusupov family was the richest in Russia. Five generations lived in the palace, the last being Felix who died at 54. Our guide said, “Perhaps this exquisite ceiling is the first prefab as it was created by French artisans and shipped to Russia in bits and pieces to be assembled here.”

I was mesmerized by all the beautiful ceilings in the palace. Some of the beautiful parquet floors were done in marble, and the wood ones had different designs in each room.

This private home with a great interior has an interesting history. It was the first building to have central heating, electricity, phone etc. The family had large land holdings and was very rich. The family collected over 1000 pieces of art and sculpture. Some of the originals are in the Hermitage collection so replicas have been placed in the home. One stateroom was built to accommodate the gift of four huge tapestries. I estimated that each tapestry measured at least 12 X 14 feet, and they were gorgeous! In one bedroom the color scheme of pink and blue was carried out even to the chandelier that had a blue ball in the center of pink crystals.

            The blue drawing room displayed the original 300-year-old wall coverings. Blue upholstery covered the furniture. The ceiling was painted with what appeared to be sculptures---ah the talent of the artist! In the center of the ceiling was painted decorated latticework.

The dancing hall revealed another beautiful ceiling with cherubs and pastel colors. Pastel flowers bordered the center square of the happy ceiling. Candle lights, set in gold holders, were placed about every six inches around the upper wall. In the center of the room hung a gorgeous crystal chandelier.

            On the way to the private theater we walked under a couple of long domed ceilings. The hallway's large windows and mirrors were placed between marble columns. The theater was a takeoff on La Scala in Italy. Maroon velvet dominated the inner space. Baroque gold was everywhere. Two balconies extended to the ceiling. Rococo best describes the décor of the theater. Chairs were French. The orchestra pit receded 8-10 feet below the stage.

            Extensive carving dominated the oak in the dining room. Even the chandelier was carved from one huge piece of wood! In the 1800s palaces generally had no fixed dining room as the table or tables were simply moved from room to room to accommodate the expected crowd or occasion.

I had never seen crystal spindles which I spotted in a banister. Nor had I seen unusual embossed leather wallpaper. French stain glass decorated a couple of reception rooms. A marble fountain resembling a Turkish bath sat in the middle of a very Moroccan-décor room.

I love it when I can find and see something new and different.  What a fabulous visit! It is definitely a must-see when one is in St. Petersburg.