Russian River Cruise - Day 12 - May 23

After lunch we took the buses to catch our optional canal cruise. This could have been marvelous, but instead was awful. The boat was shabby, dirty and rattling. The people sat up top deck, on what appeared to be lawn chairs, crammed together like sardines. We were about the last on and we went into the bottom deck. The girl who was giving the talk sat about 3 feet from us and I could not really hear her for the rattling and noise of the engine. Before we cast off our moorings at least one couple left this grand canal cruise ship. So here are a few of my shabby photos from the shappy canal cruise. Too many reflections from the dirty window for anything to be very good.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

More photos from the Peterhof, in St.Petersburg, Russia.

We have had a bit of rain. I have not been out to the garden though. Yesterday, I phoned the blinds people and got a quote on the cost of it all. *faint* Actually, it is within the parameters that they quoted when they were here. We should have the verticals installed within 3 weeks. I gave Denise a downpayment of half the price of the verticals - installed and taxes included - on visa. Denise and the guy to measure for the skylight blind will be here on Wednesday at high noon. Denise and I are going to look at some less expensive fabrics for the living/dining room draperies. It could make quite a bit of difference on the cost per yard of the material. We will see. Pat and I have some idea of what we want for carpet, but have yet to go look for it. He wants a border around the edges, again. So, that means getting a carpet the color of the border and in a material that will hold the dye for the inner colors. We have got rid of our bags of recyclable paper and have a bit less clutter around the house. We have had someone repair the in the wall vacuum cleaner, but are going to get an upright. Dragging that great big hose around is hard on the furniture and walls, I am sure. Is hard on me too.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

Statue of Peter the Great. You will see this statue on many post cards. This is my post card -- not too bad for shooting from inside a moving bus. :-D

Looking out to the Baltic Sea

Grand Palace

After our morning tour of the Hermitage we had lunch at the Greenwich Restaurant -- chicken kiev. Very slow service and the food was not memorable. We had to rush to get on the hydrofoil to take us to the Peterhof. The Peterhof is park-like gardens and ornate little palaces with many fountains, imitating Versailles. ... more photos as soon as time permits.

Home - We have had Pacific Blinds, Leigh and Denise in on Thursday to take measurements and suggest materials. Ballpark figure for cost was between $8 and $10 k, and end of August for the verticals and longer for the draperies.

On Friday Sheila and Jim drove us to Genoa Bay for our reserved lunch. The food is delicious. We had a gorgeous day... good company, good food.

Saturday, Sunday, and today we have spent sorting things to keep. We both have bags full of papers to discard to the recycle and still have magazines saved. When I cleaned up the library books, I managed to liberate approximately 2 shelves of space, although some of the classics are up top of the shelving, in a row. I put 'grape' colored rust paint on the panel that goes over the lights in our ensuite bath -- it had been corroded. Looks ok, but I marred a spot while trying to move the wet paint closer to the eaves over hang as it was looking like rain, any minute. We are suppose to get rain tomorrow. I sure hope we do. I have not had time to get out and water in the garden. Yesterday, I did manage to get the light garden plants and trays cleaned up and moved to where I think I might have it when the new cabinets, flooring and paint is done.

It will be a while yet, before we are finished this reno. It is coming along, though. I have some lovely colored bruises all over my body.

I have watched The Matrix, Matrix Revolutions and some of the Animatrix. Perhaps I will get time tomorrow. I am reading the old book On the Beach by Nevil Shute. It is about the world after a nuclear strike, circa 1963. It is kinda boring as it does not exactly move along quickly or have much action. It is interesting as an observation of what may have happened in such a scenario 50 years ago.

VFXY - weekly theme - Circle

This is the last photo on my way out of the Hermitage. There is something about this that reminds me of The Matrix, Revolutions.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

A panorama crop of some of St. Petersburg

The last photos of the morning at the Hermitage. We caught the bus back to the boat for lunch, our heads swimming with information on this marvelous collection of art of every kind.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

More photos from the Hermitage, in St.Petersburg, Russia.

This was our tour of the Hermitage in the morning. In the afternoon, after lunch on the boat, we go on our optional tour of the Peterhof - gardens.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

more bad photos from the Hermitage, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Today Jim and Sheila picked us up and we went to Genoa Bay for lunch. Was delicious. I am having just a lazy day today.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

Battle of the Lapiths and the Centaurs by Luca Giordana






More photos from the Hermitage. Not great shots, but they are what I have from this glittering, collection of art set in some gorgeous architecture. More to come...

On the home front. We have paint on all the rooms, except the kitchen, my room, the stairwell, and the big bathroom. We have the drain in the tub fixed (Pat fixed it with a little help from his friend) without having to drag out the bathtub... thank heavens. Pat needs to put back his stuff in his room. It all needs dusting and sorting, of course. We hauled stuff to the good will drop off and another load to the recycle place. We have bags of paper, cardboard, books and old magazines waiting to go out to the pick up recycle people.

My garden is drying up -- even the weeds, except the morning glories that are taking over the hedge. Oh well, maybe I will have time next month.

I have collected the Matrix, but have not had time to watch it, yet. I have 3 of the series to watch, should, ever I get time. Cyrus' site should be ready to be pre-launch tested soon. I don't seem to have time for Flickr right now, either.

I have not heard back from Dyler's Draperies place. I have another draperies person coming this morning to do measurements and etc. Hope they are a little more hungry for work than that last woman. So, I best get off this computer.

Russian River Cruise - Day 11 - May 22

A few more photos from the city tour and then a few from the Hermitage. When you are on a tour of this kind, it is difficult to get good photos. One must keep up with the group and try to hear as much as possible of the information while trying to get good photos without tripod or time. The Hermitage is spectacular, awesome. Our night at the Ballet here, was the most treasured time of the Russian trip, for me. Our tour group left at 8:00 am so as to have an early start in the museum. This worked, to a certain extent, although there were other tour groups on the same schedule.
From the daily log of the Uniworld tour: Gaugin, Picasso, Monet, Degas. All great masters are represented in this fine museum. The tour lasts 2 hours. Photo and video fee applied. Big bags and water bottles are not allowed. Wear comfortable shoes.
Morre from the daily log: One of the world's great art galleries, set in a magnificent palace from which tsars ruled Russia for one and a half centuries. The State Hermitage fully lives up to its reputation as one of the country's chief glories.
The State Hermitage consists of five linked buildings along riverside the Palace embankment. From west to east they are the Winter Palace, the Little Hermitage, the old and new Hermitage (sometimes grouped together and called the Large Hermitage) and the Hermitage Theatre.
The present Baroque/Rococo Winter Palace was commissioned from Rastrelli in 1754 by Empress Elizabeth. Catherine the Great and her successors had most of the interior remodeled in classical style by 1837. That year a fire destroyed most of the interior, but it was restored virtually identically. It remained an imperial home until 1917, though the last two tsars spent more time in other St.Petersburg palaces.
The classical Little Hermitage was built for Catherine the Great as a retreat that would also house the art collection started by Peter the Great, which she expanded. At the river end of the Large Hermitage is the Old Hermitage, which also dates from her time. At the south end is the New Hermitage, which was built for Nicholas II to hold the still growing art collection and was opened to the public for the first time in 1852. The Hermitage Theatre was built in the 1780's.

Now.... John the Painter was in and has accomplished much his first day. The ensuite is patched and ready for its new paint. There is one wall in the master bedroom finished and the others are ready for another coat. Closets are done as is the woodwork. I absolutely love the new color... very light mauve.. gives the room a lovely warm glow. The guy from Hourigans has put down some filler on the floor at the entry way... it needs 2 coats and this has had to dry. He put the lino down in the storage closet and it looks great! This man is a perfectionist. I must get him back to do the rest of the flooring! John is doing a super job of the painting also. I spent part of the day sorting stuff to keep, send to goodwill, send to dump or the shredder; carrying things back downstairs. We really don't have that much space used up by our old archives. It is just time for some stuff to go.. the old Christmas decorations and tree are going to goodwill... they seem to have taken up most of the space. I called a person to come to give me a quote on new draperies all over the house. Joanne will be here on Thursday. I had a look at their website, and it really is pretty awful. They could use some good photos of their products, and a new design with better colors. Hope their actual draperies are better than the website. I should probably get another couple of quotes for comparison. I will see after Thursday, if we can work together, and she understands what I want. We are sleeping in the guest room, so I did not get much sleep in the strange bed, as well as worrying about the workmen arriving at 8:00. I am a night person, so this change of schedule, necessitated my having a nap this afternoon. Hope I am not up half the night again, as there is another early start tomorrow.