Powerboating

Michael and Dan took me power-boating on Southampton Water and what a great experience we had!  The weather was perfect and we arrived early to set ourselves up with a hearty breakfast baguette in a local marina cafe.

First, we set off in a Honda racing boat with a 150hp outboard, capable of 35nm/h, and we all got a chance to drive.  The water was relatively calm, but excitement was gain by crossing the wakes of other boats, including ferries, several times being airborne!

Next up was a Jet Viper with a 450hp engine, very fast, and the back half of which is rather like those banana things you see towed by speedboats at the beach!  Apart from being fast, it is also incredibly manoeuvrable and can pull very tight turns.  We also made a few airborne passes over waves on this and, at times, the waves were over shoulder height during these tight turns on the jockey seats at the stern at quite a tilt.  No wonder they asked us if anyone had a bad back or heart condition before we left!

And to round it off, here's a compilation of video clips taken during our great time out together:

All in, a fantastic experience, thank you boys!

Russia - St Petersburg

After a 4½ hour high speed train ride from Moscow, we arrived in pouring rain in St Petersburg, but it stayed dry after that.  It was peak tourist season with White Nights, when the sun never really sets and a dark blue sky can still be seen in the early hours.  It was rather crowded for our taste but the sites to see were quite outstanding.

Founded by Peter The Great in the early 18^th century as the capital instead of Moscow, to be closer to Europe and bring Russia closer to the West, it is steeped in history, particularly of the Romanov Tsars until the Revolution in 1917, when it became Leningrad.  Its name was restored after a referendum following the fall of Communism and break-up of the Soviet Union.  It straddles the Neva River and several canals on the Gulf of Finland.

Notable things that we visited included the Peter & Paul Fortress Island, where many of the Tsars and family members are entombed in a chapel, including the recently discovered remains  of the last, Nicholas II, the Hermitage Museum, Peterhof, Catherine The Great’s Palace & Amber Room and St Isaac’s Cathedral.

To say that we were more than saturated after we had finished in the Hermitage would be a gross understatement!  In addition, we enjoyed a few meals out in addition to our cultural excesses.

Statue of Peter The Great with St Isaac's in the background

St Isaac's Cathedral

Late night, White Night

Another Metro tour!

Metro Platform Mosaic

Peterhof

All fountains are gravity fed without pumps!

and there are lots of them!

Entrance to Catherine's Palace

If it doesn't move, gild it!

Peter & Paul Fortress Chapel

Peter The Great Tomb

Nicholas II Tomb

Church of Spilled Blood, where Alexander II was assassinated

Huge square in front of Hermitage Museum

Hermitage Museum

An enormous collection of art

One example - Leonardo da Vinci Madonna