Second Day in Russia

It had been my thought on our first night in Russia to grab a great sunset photo or two to celebrate and demonstrate the famed White Nights. That went by the boards as the clock turned past midnight light enough to read a newspaper outdoors. No sunset pictures were taken, so we got some sleep and headed for the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great.

This stop did allow interior photos, so after we went through the ornate gates and walked by the brightly-painted exterior, we headed inside. And in coming posts, we will see many sights of a kind of beauty. But it is a tough kind of beauty to appreciate, as it is gilt-covered excess in many ways. Look in on the next post for the details.

A poem about the White Nights:

WHITE NIGHTS

Sunset does come, eventually, in summer in St. Petersburg. A big deal,
Cloud strips accenting the deep oranges and red stretching across the sky,
Starting well past ten, saying good evening to strollers in parks and on streets.
The big production sees the sun disappear around eleven, but it is not final:
At midnight one could read the newspaper outside without eye strain.
Before long, the dusky twilight allows stores to turn on their neon,
Just a touch of light in an otherwise light-enough street, until around one
When it starts working on daylight again. Sunsets are quick on deserts,
Most of which are near the Equator, but White Nights belie the darkness
Nearer the poles, with people loving it until the bill comes due in January.