Paint the Shell First

I spent Day 2 on board ship, and then on Day 3 in St. Petersburg, attended a Nesting Doll Painting workshop.  The group that puts on the workshops is geared toward teaching arts and crafts to local Russian citizens, which meant only one of the group really spoke any English.  But, with the use of hand signals and blank looks, we were able to get the help we needed, or should I say the help I needed. Some of the participants were quite artistic and started right in.  I was at the stage of, "please help - how do I draw the face...please help, where do the hands go?"

Once we got the drawing done, then it was time to paint.  One woman asked where should we start with the painting, should we do the clothes first, or start with the detail of the face first.  The leader said, "Do the shell first."  Well, yes, we understood we were to paint the shell of the nesting doll, but should we start with the face or with the clothes?  After going back and forth and back and forth, we finally realized the leader was trying to say, "Paint the shawl first."

As we departed St. Petersburg, Dennis mentioned he'd learned that there was an under-sea highway. We were fortunate to see the entrance from our balcony.  It's part of their flood protection system and dam.

Entrance to under-sea highway outside St. Petersburg