St. Petersburg
A jewel of Russia
Passing some rusty looking oil refineries and many tankers awaiting loading, we approached the massive freight handling docks of St. Petersburg.  Our short two-day tourist visit, showed us the beauty of the reconstructed imperial palaces, rich with gold leaf, the beauty of what was imperial Russia, and an all-too-brief glimpse into the face of the real Russia, the powerful country striving to find itself in a new modern world.  The palaces of the Czars as re-built are breathtaking.
You see miles of golden architecture.  But a quick look at housing and infrastructure shows the huge task ahead for the Russians in rebuilding their country.  As a tourist you are treated wonderfully well.  But, if you look very carefully, there are a few cracks in the golden leaf...there is much to be done.

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