I have my eye on you

Today we visited the summer palaces of Catherine and Paul. It was a grey day, but fine until we returned to the city.

Given the opulence and the amount of gold and other precious stones, it may seem odd that I have made a mono image. The rooms of each palace are guarded assiduously by room guides. It must be a very boring job and I found that I was able to elicit a smile here or there if I thanked them as I moved on to the next jaw-dropping sight.

This guide appeared to be looking out of the window. I took the image from a good distance away and have cropped it heavily. Only then did I see that she was watching me!

Our first stop today was at the memorial to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, in Victory Square. It is on a busy roundabout, but there is a stillness when you enter the broken ring that symbolises the 900 day siege. The sculptures are wonderful and I came close to blipping one of them.

Here is a link to a page where you can see them.

There is so much I could tell you, but I think this is enough.