Yesterday was a very interesting day.  First let me say that I'm going to get myself into trouble one of these days jumping on a bus or metro not sure of where I'm going.  You know I just don't like to be taken advantage of by taxi drivers, and they charge so much more anyway.  The first day I was here I took the bus to the metro which was quite easy, but then I jumped the metro to Nevsky Prospect.  I couldn't hear the conductor telling the stops so I had to ask other people where to get off.  They were very helpful.  Last night was hysterical!  I was on my way to the ballet.  The desk clerk at the hotel gave me three bus numbers.  I actually thought I had to change buses three times!  They were three buses that went to the Mariinsky Theater.  I asked questions at the bus stop of Russians waiting for the bus and they explained to me to take any of these buses and it would take me directly to the theater.  Next problem, how to recognize the theater when I got there!!  A couple young told me it was a big green building.  I told them everything here was big!  The conductor came to get my passage and I kept giving her the wrong amount, so then the couple gave her my fare.  They showed me a picture on their phone of the building.  They got off and another lady who was on the bus said you need to get off at the next stop and helped me once again even to cross the busy street.  People here are very friendly and helpful, but once again only if you are friendly to them and acknowledge their help.  They don't get much of a chance to practice their English so they are happy when they get the opportunity.

I went to the Church of Spilled Blood yesterday.  It was built on the spot of the assassination of Alexander the II.  It is a beautiful church, full of colorful tiles outside and hundreds of mosaics inside.  It is built in the Russian style which was considered very ugly for many years but is now famous.  This is the second church I've visited here.  I was going next to St. Isaac's but decided against it for the time being. My love of churches comes a lot from studying the architecture, like the Notre Dame  It's hard to describe in a few words but building churches over a long period of time evolved and the Notre Dame is a good example of this with its flying buttresses, etc.  When you visit newer churches they are either beautiful or not and don't have the same allure for me as a Notre Dame or churches lit it.  Besides the Church of the Spilled Blood was built as a monument for a man, just my opinion.

Afterwards I had lunch at Sbarro which was okay, not as good as the U.S.  I listened to American Music, Maroon Five and Move Like Jager as I walked down the street and saw people trying to draw people into restaurants dressed as cheerleaders and American type guys!!Girls with tattoos all over their legs walk along in min skirts.  Guys on skateboards with dreads scoot down the street along with skaters.  You have to be careful not to collide with them!  I looked at the American movie advertisements, still amazed at how many American influences this place has.  Isn't Citibank American too?  It's everywhere and really funny spelled in the Russian cyrillic alphabet. At the airport it was all over their control tower.

So last night was the ballet.  I can't describe to you the ballet.  It was definitely worth every penny of the ticket, and I've never been to intrigued by ballet as this.  The principal dancer from my perspective looked like she had the body of a twelve year old, not surprising.  She was tiny in every way.  It was a large company with at least five men.  The first act everyone was dressed in green with a green backdrop.  The second act it was changed to dark red, the third, white.  The dancers were so fluid, they looked like they had no bones.  It was most amazing to me to watch their hands; they were so perfect.  Of course there were no errors.  The third act was supposed to be the best and everyone thought so, but I preferred the second.  The choreography was amazing. Many of the steps were unusual and interesting. It was in the new theater so I didn't get to see the beauty of the old theater, but I went to see the dancing.  The live orchestra was also wonderful.  At the end of every act, stewards walked across the stage and presented the principal dancers with flowers sent by admirers.  Some didn't receive any and sometimes the men would turn and present their flowers to the women.  

Today I'm off to the Hermitage.  I don't think it will need much of a guidebook. I'll just visit the parts I like.  It's far too big to try to see it all.  I'll go for the Impressionists and Post Impressionists and then take in whatever else appeals to me like Rembrandt and the other Flemish artists.  Tomorrow I'm taking a guide bus that actually has interpretation in English to the Peter and Paul Fortress filled with history on a small island.  It's really hard to understand everything you're seeing here.  Almost nothing is explained in English nor are many of the tours in English at all.  I will take a boat tour of the riverways, but they are only in Russian. After being here  while you realize that most likely many of the buildings you are seeing were once palaces turned into buildings used for other purposes now. Katherine presented everyone with a palace is she liked them.