Peterhof - The Redeemer

I wasn't looking forward to our last day in St. Petersburg. I realized Saturday night more than three days in a city such as the "Venice of the North" was plenty. Intensified by our rainy day trek through the ghetto last night and the onslaught of marigolds, my attitude grew worse with each passing hour (most likely a result of my constant travels over the past few weeks - ones that had taken a serious toll on the bags under my eyes). But, with our visit to Peterhof on Sunday, the 18th century palace swayed my opinion of the city formerly known as Leningrad.

With over 140 naturally working fountains (from May to September), this summer residence of Peter the Great is a must see - especially for garden lovers. Once again accompanied by our tour guide Helen, we walked through Peterhof's sprawling forest adorned with impressive flora and fauna. And Helen, just as she did on Friday, highlighted just the right amount of historical bits and pieces.

But was Peterhof's appeal, in conjunction with other royal sights, strong enough for me to raise St. Petersburg's ranking amongst our top travel destinations while living in Europe? Quite honestly, I'm still undecided. Maybe once I return to a state of normalcy, I'll be able to better assess the weekend. That, or I'll discover St. Petersburg finally moved beyond marigolds and lined the city street scape with more adventurous flower choices like daylillies.

Look for a full PTT Snapshot article later this week!