A Baby!

Nothing remarkable really happened in St. Petersburg today (to me, at least; I'm sure something remarkable happened to someone here). I didn't even really interact much with anyone today. I don't know if Friday is don't come to work day, or what, because there was hardly anyone there, and then it was raining, so I didn't do a lot afterwords. I did, however, find the Armenian Church today, which I know you were all concerned about.

I find this church very pleasant, and it's kind of fun because it was financed by an Armenian businessman by selling a Persian diamond that was bought for Catherine the Great by Grigoriy Orlov, one of her many lovers. He is especially notable because he helped her plan the dethronement and murder of her husband, allowing her to take the throne.

The other thing that was noteworthy about today is that I found out I will be able to move into my apartment a day earlier than I thought, on Sunday instead of Monday. I will be very happy to be in my own place, with food in the refrigerator, with my backpack unpacked, etc. Plus my apartment is going to be in one of the best possible locations.

It's going to be on the other side of the museum/park you see at the end of this street. The museum at the end of the street is the Russian Museum, which I think I will spend some time in tomorrow. The museum is in the Mikhailovskiy Palace, and houses one of the greatest collections of Russian art in the world. I was going to go spend my first of several days in the Hermitage tomorrow, but I'm going to see the apartment and get keys in the early afternoon, so I decided to put that off.

I'm also including another picture of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, that maybe gives a better idea of what it looks like. Or maybe it's just repetitive.


The remarkable thing that did happen today is that my sister had her third baby! I'm excited to meet my third Rhodus niece sometime at the end of the summer, at which point hopefully she has a first name. Precious Miracle #3 Rhodus would be a pretty bad name in the long-term.