Peterhof

To get to Peterhof we took a boat. When we got there the wind was blowing off the water and it was so cold!

Below is the main palace - there are others. Everything costs money here, the boat ride, then to enter just the gardens, then to enter each of the palaces and buildings. Right here the fountains aren't on and the crowds are gathering. This was the most crowded tourist site we went to. The fountains play music and turn on at 10 or something (I can't remember). The fountains were nice, but I'm not sure worth all the hype that went on before they turned on.
Trying to get in was crazy and we couldn't figure out the rhyme or reason on who they were letting in - you bought tickets on the inside, but we couldn't get inside. So finally we put Oliver in the pack and Levin pushed me through to the doorman and they let the woman with the baby inside. Levin and Leah went and bought me a little purse for my birthday while we were inside. Since I only have a diaper bag and it's weird to take it with me when I go somewhere without kids. I was the only one not on a tour - the only one. Some women in the beginning where you get your paper booties were very helpful to me. I raced through the palace sometimes getting trapped in a small room full of people and unable to push through to the other door, but Oliver would generally start crying and everyone is willing to let the crying baby pass through so he doesn't interrupt their tour. There seemed to be a lot of British people there so I caught a few tidbits of information from the English tour guides. This was a summer palace, but every bedroom has a dutch tiled stove - no chimneys though because they were never used, but were just there for decoration. I kind of came away with, if you've seen one palace, you've seen them all, but not exactly. It was a lot like Versailles and one of King Ludvig's I saw in Bavaria - can't remember the name. I was impressed by the floor and all the designs made out of different colors of wood.
Apparently the Nazis pretty much destroyed the place. Although I heard Stalin destroyed it preemptively, but Wikipedia ways the Nazis did it. Either way, they started rebuilding after the war and are still working on it.
Overall, we really liked Peterhof, but even if we do go back to St. Petersburg I don't think I'll go back unless someone is willing to pay the fees for me to see some of the other buildings and the kids don't have to sit still for the 45 minute boat ride.