Squirrels come right up to you and take nuts from your hand. As usual, they don't eat nuts immidiately but prefer to store them underground.

The fur is discoloured, particularly on the tail. It seems like they loose their fur before winter comes.

Animal photos are pretty hard to take: they don't stop for a sec, and keep moving in the shadow of trees all the time.

In summer it is surrounded by flower-beds of roses.

In 1811 the house was acquired by Empress Maria Feodorovna (Paul's widow).

A spacious ball room was added in 1814.

I'm not sure however if they will crack nuts too ;)

The only son of Peter III and Catherine II, he was born in 1754. As his relations with mother were strained, he preferred to spend his time in
the Gatchina castle (where you may see another monument to him). Having inherited the throne in 1796, he reigned for less than 5 years.

As the story goes, Paul started his reign by changing everything that reminded of his mother. Fiercely opposed to the French Revolution, he banned from the court French books and fashions. The use of some foreign words was forbidden as well.

His true idol was Friedrich the Great. Paul strove to reshape Russian army in the Prussian fashion, introducing strict discipline and ridiculous wigs for soldiers. These reforms fed discontent among aristocratic officers and ordinary soldiers alike.

Paul stripped nobles of some privileges, and cancelled sunday corvee works for peasants. Some of these decrees were impossible to enforce.

The general discontent for Paul's policies led to his assassination on 11 March 1801 in the Castle of St Michael, St Petersburg. The conspiracy was headed by military governor Count von der Pahlen, though it seems like Tsesarevich Alexander was involved as well.

It was dedicated to Catherine the Great.

The cast iron bridge was added in 1823 by Carlo Rossi (the same architect who designed the General Staff Building on the Palace Square).

To the right is the Cold Bath pavilion.

The Pavlovsk Palace may be seen in the foreground.

The hill was meant to symbolise Parnassus, the legendary abode of Apollo and the muses (not to be confused with an industrial zone at the outskirts of St Pete :) A cascade to the left is associated with Castalian Springs, source of poetic inspiration.

It was built according to Charles Cameron's designs in 1781-83. The collonade was originally situated elsewhere but in 1800 it was transferred to this place.

The central position is occupied by a statue of Apollo Belvedere (a copy from the ancient original).

In 1817 parts of collonade were destroyed by lightning and have never been restored.