St.Petersburg...the most beautiful city on earth... Four days in St. Petersburg was just the break we needed to salvage the extra week in Russia. It truly is the most incredible "old" city I've ever visited. (I haven't done the rest of Europe yet, but it will be hard to top this one.) Unlike Yekaterinburg, this one's more geared to English-speaking tourists. And there are a few channels of English television.

We had our own guide and driver to take us to all the palaces. And the food was somewhat better here than in Yekaterinburg. (But the waiter service throughout Russia is terrible.)

By our last day in St. Petersburg, we were somewhat exhausted and bored with touring all the different palaces (the interiors of which each required at least a mile of slow-paced walking among crowds). Frankly, they all started looking alike to us unsophisticated, ugly Americans.
So, with Rosh Hashana looming that evening and in recognition of our missing the holiday back home, we did the next best thing and visited the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, one of the largest in Europe and certainly the most beautiful I've ever visited.

We don't spend a lot of time in churches, but St. Isaac's Cathedral is also a must-see for its sheer size and ornate decorations.

Our final stop in St. Petersburg was to meet Konstantin Tublin, a successful publisher. We believe Konstantin is a cousin whose family never left the "old country." On practically no notice and without the forthcoming DNA evidence confirming our relationship, Konstantin and his wife Natalia hosted a luncheon for us, the Wolfes and our guide. This truly was the best meal we had in our entire two weeks abroad. Even the leftovers after the meal made for a pretty picture. (Not pictured: Salmon with a creamy caviar sauce. We ate it all.)


So we're back to Yekaterinburg for Wednesday's court date...we think...

(Post-script...DNA results received October 19 indicate Konstantin is definitely a cousin!)  ¶ 11:32 PM