Sunday, April 15, 2012

Downtown St. Petersburg

I recently took a day trip to St.  Petersburg and was pleasantly surprised at my discovery.  I visited the Dali museum, which I enjoyed.  The paintings cover the breadth of Dali's work from his Impressionist beginnings to Surrealism.and into his classical period. The body of  work reveals a constantly growing and evolving artist. Docent tours are available every hour on the half hour.  Headsets with information on the paintings are available as well.  I first went on a docent tour and used the headsets to supplement information on pieces that were not discussed on the tour. In addition to his painting, you can watch a film Dali made.  Outside is a labyrinth you can walk through.  Despite my penchant for Impressionism, I enjoyed the museum.  I was able to get a better understanding of Dali and surrealism.

Along the waterfront, there are a plethora of restaurants and boutiques.  I dined al fresco at Moon Under Water with an excellent view of the bay.  I had a delicious curry dish.  The menu was full of a variety of choices.  It was difficult to decide but the kind waitress gave me her recommendation.

I went to the Chihuly Collection.  I was impressed with his glass works, which are beautifully displayed.  His art work is puerile.  He squirts acrylic paint on a canvas and calls it art.  It takes him ten minutes to do a piece.  My third graders could do the same but would not be able to charge $12,000 for it. A docent tour is available and recommended.

My final destination was the Vinoy hotel, a gem from the 1920s.  It fell on hard times in the 1970s, as did apparently the city, but has been restored.  A Chihuly chandelier hangs in its ballroom.  Although we were not guests the manager was helpful in providing a history of the hotel.

I recommend visiting St. Petersburg.  I will return to see the museums I missed.

   

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