Our second day in St Petersburg saw another early start leaving for the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage was formerly a Palace of Catherine the Great and now is a world famous gallery housing so many items it would take 7 years to see them all if you stood for one minute in front of each one! Even though our tour group had a set entry time, many other large tour groups also had similar a time & our guide was very surprised at the length of the queue to get in. Once inside the masses of people made movement through the gallery slow, however we did many to see 2 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, a Michaelangelo sculpture, a number of Rembrandts & Raphaels & various others. We also saw a magnificent gold peacock clock that spreads it's tail feathers on the hour. However, it is only wound up once a week to perform. There are many stories about the art works to do with them being hidden during WW11 to protect them. However, some pieces have never been found & although the Germans never occupied St Petersburg, they got close & certainly ransacked some outer palaces & took valuable items. (We will have to watch Monuments Men again!). We did love the Hermitage but our time there was too short & we feel that St Petersburg in General requires another visit!!
After lunch we went on a tour of Yusupov Palace where a plot was hatched & fulfilled to murder the "mad monk" Rasputin who had undue influence on the royal family. This happened in 1916 & within 12 months the Tsar, his wife & 5 children were murdered. This was the beginning of the Bolshevic revolution.
Another sumptuous dinner (photos included) on the ship followed the Captain's farewell cocktail party & we had a lovely evening with new found friends.
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