As was most of my experience in St. Petersburg, my visit to Cathrine's palace was overwhelming and thrilling. The Russian aristocracy did not believe in doing things by halves. While most of the country starved to death, the royals were splurging on some of the most lavishly decorated living quarters that I have ever had the good fortune to experience. Cathrine had one room covered completely in expensive amber. I'm talking wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor amber. Fossilized coniferous tree resin everywhere. Sheer madness. One fact that I found particularly funny, was that at the time when the palace was built, fake marble was more expensive and popular with royals than real marble, and so the palace is full of this crazy fake marble. I guess those guys from 'the emperor's new clothes' struck again! #history #palace #beautiful