Today, we rode our bus out of the city of St.Petersburg to an area called Pushkin-Tsarskoye Selo (Catherine's Palace and park). We arrived at least an hour before its scheduled opening so as to be 'first in line'. The palace is swamped with visitors during the summer tourist season.
With our group queued up at the entrance to Catherine's Palace, some of us were able to wander off and tour the grounds, returning before the 10AM opening. I used the time to good advantage and took a variety of photographs.
When Catherine was declared the true sovereign, construction of the palace began in 1711 and continued to expand during the coming years at the direction of her daughter, Catherine II.
Click on any picture to see an enlarged view. Use back to return.