St. Petersburg, Russia is kind of a frilly place. When a person with tremendous power (a Tsar) & vision (based on the new, westernized ideas of The Enlightenment) is flush with the victory of war (with Sweden) & visits Europe a lot in the 1700s, when hardly any of his countrymen have ever been there, the result is a giddy city full of palaces that look like birthday cakes made for the gods.
Powder blue is a popular color
This is more Moscow-style, but nevertheless takes up quite a bit of real estate
Many of these palaces (now apartments & office buildings) are yellow. This was Tsar Peter the Great's acknowledgement that the sun rarely appeared & spots of yellow could be a relief the 290 days a year that are gray, gray, gray.
St. Petersburg is called "The Venice of the North" for its canals, bridges & European architecture.
This building is pink when the sun shows up
This woman seems annoyed it's overcast yet again
A little cafe/bar right in the lobby
My room, muted colors but velvet & suede & gold
Lots of smiling angels in St. Petersburg
These pastel colors are likely most evident in summer, when the sun deigns to make a lazy appearance the other 75 days a year. In winter, these birthday cakes look a little stale, like they stayed at the party too long.
A black building fits right in with the winter ambiance.
Still, my hotel, with the extravagant name of The Magestic Boutique Hotel Deluxe, is quite decorative & on the main drag, for $43/night.
My very progressive & daring glass bathroom, right in the bedroom. Hint: one does not necessarily expect to encounter a very clean, completely invisible bathroom door. One could, let's just say theoretically, give oneself a nasty crack by smartly meeting such a door with one's forehead. How do I know this? Ask not.
Love the photos of St Petersburg! Would love to tour that city and spend time at the Hermitage.
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