The day was cold but sunny. It didn't take me long to choose between a warm blanket and the cold street. The warmth wouldn't return until spring, and I should make the most of the sunny weather. So I dressed warmer and went for a walk. I decided to drive to the suburban park in Peterhof.
The temperature was a little below 0°C. It had snowed during the night, but the water in the canals had not yet had time to freeze, I stopped several times on the way to the train station to take pictures of the reflections. I decided to go to Peterhof by suburban train because it is the most comfortable transportation. You can choose a warm seat near the window and admire the scenery outside the window all the way.
The journey from the station in St. Petersburg to the station in Peterhof takes about 40 minutes. I waited for people to pass by to take pictures of the platform in Peterhof. The train I arrived on had traveled on - its tail can be seen in the back of the frame.
Peterhof pleased me with fresh frosty air and bright colors. Part of the park, which is located near the station, consists of evergreen coniferous trees. The deciduous trees had already lost their foliage, but the bright green of the needles of pines and firs never disappeared. In the undergrowth there are a lot of rose hips, orange-yellow leaves and bright fruits added colorfulness to this landscape.
My goal was to walk through the park, but I decided to turn into the city to visit the glade of cats first. A sculptural group of three cats of white, black and red color appeared in the yard of one of the houses in the early 2000s. The author of the composition is sculptor Nikolai Karlykhanov. I like the works of this sculptor, they are expressive and precise.
Although these sculptures appeared not very long ago, they are already surrounded by legends and omens. It is believed that a white cat can promote peace and tranquility in family relationships, a red cat adds determination, enterprise and good luck, and a black cat protects from ill-wishers and envious people.
I chose Alexandria Park for my walk. This is a very beautiful landscape park, one of the residences of Russian emperors in the XIX century. The main decoration of this park is considered to be the Gothic Chapel - the Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky. This church was built in the 1830s and was the home church for the imperial family.
From the Chapel, I walked along one of the upper paths of the park towards a small mansion called the Cottage Palace. It is a very cozy house without solemn pompous interiors, designed for rest from the bustle. The road led me past the Farmer's Palace (a mansion attached to an imperial farm) across the Ruin Bridge. The bridge railing is made of birch trunks and the bridge itself is built of roughly hewn boulders and slabs of limestone.
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| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |