Life and Travels

I just finished reading the biography "Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar" by Edvard Radzinsky. This book chronicles the life and reign of the Tsar Emancipator. His greatest achievement being the liberation of the serfs in Russian ending a medieval system akin to slavery in the US. Alexander II was the eldest son of Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna (formerly Princess Charlotte of Prussia). Alexander was well into his thirties before ascending the throne living under the domineering influence of his iron willed father. Alexander finally ascended the throne in the one of the low points of 19th century Russia. Russia was at war with France and Great Britain (Crimean War), and things were not going well. The war had brought foreign troops to Russian soil, strained the economy of the nation, and drained the treasury. These circumstances along with the advise of his liberal brother Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, Alexander sued for peace and embarked upon many needed reforms. Although his reforms were good for Russia in many ways, they also opened the door to the birth of terrorism since the youth of Russia, freed from the autocratic rule of Nicholas I, yearned for a Russia free of Romanov rule. Alexander's reforms were not popular with the extreme left or right. To the extreme left 'Nihilists', each reform diminished the momentum of revolution, and to the extreme right 'Retrogrades', each reform brought ever more instability and the end of the status quo. During the span of his reign, Alexander endured six attempts on his life. These included very daring attacks ranging from trying to blow up his train to bombing his palace as he entertained in his dining room. On March 1, 1881, the Nihilists finally succeeded with their ambition and mortally wounded Alexander with a handmade grenade. He lived just long enough to be rushed back to his study in the Winter Palace and die surrounded by the Imperial Family on the simple army cot that he normally slept. Witness to his bloody, gruesome death, was the young Nicholas II who met a similiar fate in 1918 at the hands of the Bolsheviks. The greatest irony surrounding his death is that Alexander was on the eve of introducing the first constitution in Russian history opening the door for representative government. Had this reform gone into effect, Russia would have never endured Revolution, civil war, Stalin's purges, World War II, and the Cold War. As with many things in history, there is always that "What if..."


Alexander II

Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich

Memorial on the spot of the attempt on Alexander II's life outside the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg

Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (site of final attempt on the life of Alexander II)

Study of Alexander II in the Winter Palace (site of death after grenade attack)

Spring is here...at least officially. We had a brief resprite from rain over the weekend, and enjoyed two full days of sun and relative warmth. It was a perfect weekend to turn our thoughts to spring, and what better way to enter the season than go to the SF Flower and Garden Show. It is the annual event held at the Cow Palace (yes, it is really called that). This is our third annual visit, and we just love it. The garden designs are just spectacular. It is really amazing to see the variety of garden designs and the imagination of those that create them. There was designs featuring a beach theme, a hobbit hole, Morroccan splendor, South of France, space age modern, puzzle theme, Jurassic Park, miniature railroad, and many, many others. Learning from past years, we got it right this year and went late in the afternoon to beat the crowds and enjoy the reduced half-day ticket price. We got lots of new ideas for our garden, and we picked up a couple new items as well (a new wind chime and an iron plant stand).

Yesterday, we had a brief period of sun, and our minds turned to long awaited spring. To that end, we stopped by the Guerrero Street Gardens. It is wedged between housing on Guerrero Street in a heavily residential area. The nursery specializes in succulents, palms, citrus trees, and many other tropical plants. It has a great selection of pottery as well. I have my eyes on a couple things there. If the ever lets up long enough to get into the garden, I have some ideas on a couple projects that I would like to bring to fruition that the Guerrero Street Gardens can provide the raw materials.

To me, Las Vegas is the most alive and magical only at night when the city is ablaze in light up and down the strip. It is a city that never truly sleeps. Even at the latest of hours, there is always something happening, and the casinos are never devoid of people gambling.

Last Weekend, John and I traveled to Las Vegas for a little getaway and to meet up with our friends Matt and Lisa from Michigan. While there, we walked up the strip and visited the new Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. I have to say that it was very nice and very colorful. It is amazing to see all the new development in Las Vegas, and even more amazing is that much more is on the way. Check out this site to learn more: http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/