Bravo!!

Today was another fantastic day! The sun was out most of the day. Still needed a jacket, but a sweater besides was too much.

Our first stop today was to the Hermitage museum. This is one of the spots that I really wanted to see. The Hermitage used to be the Summer Palace of the Emperors and Czars., but is now a museum of fine art. And we saw some "fine" art. We saw works by Da Vinci, Michelalgelo, Rodin, Matisse, Picasso, and more. (Hope the spelling isn't too bad!) After the tour of the palace, we had lunch in the palace cafeteria, then boarded the buses for the Smolny Cathedral. When we arrived, the students from Mravinski School of Music were already practicing for our performance, so our kids got dressed for the concert and watched until they were ready for the combined practice. That left John with about 35 min. to practice with the kids before the concert started.

The concert was awesome. The Russian children began with about a half hour concert, and then it was our turn. You would have been very proud. The kids did a wonderful job. Solos by Ozzie, Ben, and Monique had cameras and cell phones flashing away! After the concert, John was surprised to have a visit from the American Consulate. The head guy (?) was at our performance and met with John after the concert. No one was allowed to know that he was there, so John didn't even realize who he was talking to until he was presented with a pin of the American and Russian flag. It was so cool!!!

After the concert, John had the kids get together in front of the Smolny Cathedral for a group photo. The sun came out just for us, so the photographers got some great shots, but all I can load on here are the ones that I took. The professional flash drive has too much power for my iPad. Rats!! Went downtown for dinner tonight. Had a salad, a beef stew, and rhubarb cake. VERY GOOD! At least I thought so:) So anyway, the kids have some free time now for about another 10 minutes and then we have bed check. Get to sleep in tomorrow, at least until 7:00. WooHoo!!! Tomorrow is another busy day. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Sorry, they don't want to stay in order.