The Fountains of Peterhof

August 18-21, 2012
Helsinki and St. Petersburg

Saturday, August 18
Helsinki, Finland

There was a "shore" excursion in Helsinki called Tall Ship Sailing.  I can't really tell you that I was able to understand why these people would get off of a boat to ride on a boat.

But I'll show you why I did it.

I spent this whole excursion asleep below deck.  I woke up as the ship was tying up to the quay, and all the guests were almost on board the bus.


Tuesday, August 21
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Today was a big day.  I had heard great things about Peterhof from my friends on the ship, so this was an excursion I was looking forward to.  Peterhof is the summer palace of Peter the Great.  It's pretty grand.

Not bad for a summer home.

 The big draw for Peterhof are it's fountains.  This is a statue in front that prepares you for what is waiting on the other side where all the fountains are.  The subjects for the statues and fountains of Peterhof are all taken from Greek mythology.

I should mention that it is strictly forbidden to take pictures inside of Peterhof.  Here is one of those strictly prohibited photos.

I actually took quite a bit of photos.  But quite frankly, it's another extravagant palace with gilded rooms and treasures, and I have already posted pictures from many other palaces.  Furthermore, my pictures from Peterhof are all slanted from trying to stay covert.  And besides, Peterhof is known for it's fountains, so let's get right to that!

The Fountains of Peterhof

I just want to point out that there are no pumps being used in this process.  It is all engineered to employ nothing but gravity.  The height of the water is determined by the water pressure and the size of the pipes.  Pretty incredible that this "technology" is hundreds of years old.

The centerpiece of the fountain is the man triumphing over the lion.  Throughout history, the countries of the Baltic have continuously been at war.  The man is Russia, and the lion represents Sweden.

Russia vs Sweden

And then there was this fountain:

If you listen closely, you can hear the doggie barking after the ducks.

And if that wasn't awesome enough, you don't go back to the center of St. Petersburg by getting back on the bus that brought you.  Oh, no!  The guests of Peterhof leave in style.

You take a Hydrofoil!

I bet you didn't know that the first Hydrofoil was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.