our neck of the Woods: Russia day 2

Day 2

- jet lag

- Bus tour

- bits of Nevsky Prospekt
- Summer Gardens
- Metro
- Peter and Paul Fortress

Ok people...We were SO tired from basically zero sleep on the planes, traveling all day, making the most of our first day, that we (kody) thought we wouldn't get hit with jet lag all too bad.
Ehhh! WRONG! First off...Lets just say- who knows how long I was asleep and kneeling next to the bed for my night time prayer! Kody just thought I was feeling REAAALLL grateful or something and saying a record breaking long prayer so he "didn't want to interrupt" That goof let me sit there for 30 minutes! I'm not kidding! I was OUT. So confused.
You woulda thought that if I was that out cold around 11 that we both wouldn't wake up around 3 am just wide awake. We chatted and read for an hour and a half till we fell back asleep. Then hearing the alarms, and phone ring (which were just incorporated into my dream) to wake us up and get goin on the day was simply terrible. Zombies I tell you.

We found a great city bus tour that went around to all the major stops in the city and had translations into a ton of different languages. Don't you fret- it was an actual bus... I just couldn't get over how awesome this little booth was where you buy the tickets.

We sat on the top which was covered, but just with windows so you could see everything.

Taking notes. I'll say it again- isn't she the cutest?!

She also had me write down what each of the letters were in the cyrillic alphabet and she was seriously starting to read the signs around the city! That mom of mine. Best.

This was at a long stop- He was out COLD!

We came back to the main street and very heart of the city, Nevsky Prospekt.
I am obsessed with this part of the city!
Specifically this part. I call it the triple threat cause you have the Kazan Cathedral (on the right), look left and there is the coolest book store on the planet (on the left), and down the road is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (not pictured...bad angle- it's farther down the canal)

We went inside the Kazan Cathedral and woah it was awesome. Incense and Russian Icons everywhere. It was beautiful inside and the dome/ceilings were incredible

Classic Russia and the pigeons galore

Would ya just look at this 50 PIECE Matroshka?! The largest piece was HUGE and seriously the smallest one looked like a toothpick. waaaaaaannnnntttttt

Funny- Russian Big Mac. It's "filled with caviar" ew.

We are American...so what. Dad saw Baskin Robbins and couldn't help himself. And boy was it divine.

We headed toward the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

Love love LOVE this building!

heart eyes!

All mine, hugging it, who knows...I was just really feelin it

We couldn't go inside cause it's closed on Wednesdays, so we will have to come back again another time for more goodness.

On a canal by a bridge there is this little statue of a bird. If you drop a coin and it lands on the bird or platform then you get good luck! Don't ask me how- but dad got it like an ol' pro! hah!

Love these little fun things about St. Petes.

Right nearby all the hustle and bustle of the city is the Summer Gardens.

This place is very special to me and to the church in Russia. It was here that Elder Lyman first prayed for the church and missionary work in Russia in 1903. Then again in 1990, my precious grandfather came back to the very spot in the Summer Gardens and rededicated Russia for the preaching of the Gospel. It was closed for repairs for almost my whole mission until just weeks before I completed my mission there, and I was finally able to visit the gardens and reflect on close my service on my last days in St. Petersburg. There are many sacred and special stories I could share about these gardens...but I'll just say here that this place is personally sacred to me.

And gosh isn't it just beautiful!?

We stopped at a little cafe and had some delicious salads, borsch, buckwheat porridge, and chicken shish-kabobs. Gotta love the Russian cuisine.
Next we headed over to Peter and Paul Fortress to walk around and check it out.

We had JUST missed the close off for the cathedral there... But we were able to hear the bells playing and heard music through the window.

Kody even got a little sneak peak, so we can (later) say that we saw inside.

We rode around a bit on the metro just to give them a feel for how awesome it is, but mostly to see the beautiful stations! Seriously- all other metro/subway stations are just the worst compared to these. I didn't snag any pictures, but hopefully some other time.

But first... A guy holding a monkey in overalls. Yes.