6-16-14

6-16-14

We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room.  There were three different types of cereal and milk, several different kinds of breads and rolls, with butter and jellies.  Coffee, tea and orange juice was available to drink.  After eating, we sat and discussed our plans for the day.  Then we went to our rooms to pack.

After paying our bill, the receptionist tried to help us find a room in Copenhagen, for this evening.  All her efforts were unsuccessful, because there were two major events scheduled in Copenhagen this week.  One was a political summit and the other was a major musical concert. Roger was able to use skype and found a place with one room at the Airport Hotel.  The desk clerk there said we could call back at 10 a.m. to see if there were any cancellations.

We drove south to the location of the Cistercian Monastery.  When we arrived, there were only a few people around.  We past a field where there were 2 horses and 2 young colts.  There were several buildings on either side of the pathway, which finally led to the actual monastery.  But no one was around and the doors were locked.  I finally spoke with a young girl who was working in the yard, she said that everything was closed on Mondays.

We were all very disappointed and began to walk back to the car.  While Roger tried to get on skype to call the Airport Hotel again, a woman came out of the café building and approached me.  She said that she was so sorry we only had today to visit, because she was certain we would enjoy the tour of the monastery.  She explained that the monks no longer live here, but the complex is an educational center, explaining the former monastic life.  

When I told her that we planned to go to the Fredrikborg Castlel, she highly encouraged us to travel to Helsigor.  I advised her of our problem in securing lodging for this evening in Copenhagen.  She suggested we stay in Helsingor instead, as it is only a 1 hour drive from there to Copenhagen.  She told me she was from that town and knew of two different places to stay.  She even got on the phone and called to check on availability.  She was able to find two rooms at the Madame Sprunk Hotel.  She was very familiar with this inn and knew we would be pleased, as it is right in the center of Old Town and had a very good reputation.  She also told us that it was only a 20 minute drive to the castle at Fredrickborg.  So we had time to drive there first, then proceed to Helsingor.

When we arrived, Roger stayed in the car, while Betty, Marc and I walked up to the castle and I took pictures, as the guard marched back and forth across the entrance to the castle.  He looked very much like the guards outside the London Palace.  But he carried an M-16 rifle with a large bayonet on top.

It was close to noon when we arrived in Helsingor.  The lady at the hotel said our rooms would not be available until 2 pm, but we could leave our luggage in the office.  She gave Roger directions to the free parking lot.  It was quite a challenge locating the correct lot, which was several blocks from the hotel.

We decided to walk down toward the castle, first.  Along the way we saw a huge ark docked along the harbor.  We went inside and discovered that it was a religious museum telling of the history from Adam and Eve through the primary figures in the Old Testament, until the birth of Christ.  Though we did not go into the museum, I found it very rewarding to know that such a museum exists.

We continued walking toward the castle and notices a sculpture sitting in the middle of the harbor walkway that reminded us of the little mermaid statue in Copenhagen.  We later learned that this is a more recent art work, which is considered the “brother” of the little mermaid.  It is called Hans and is made of polished steel. 

Next to went into the new cultural center to use the restrooms.  Roger found free internet computers and checked his e-mail for a few minutes.  Since it was still quite a long walk to the entrance to the castle, I told everyone I was happy with the pictures I had already taken, from a distance.  Marc needed to eat soon to keep his blood sugar levels from getting too low, so we headed back into Old Town.

We found a small cobblestone square that was surrounded by several restaurants.  Marc and Betty headed to the Thai restaurant and Roger and I bought a hamburger to go, on the other side of the square.  Then we walked over to the table where Marc and Betty were waiting for their food. 

After a relaxing lunch, we began to walk along one of the pedestrian streets.  Then we checked into our rooms.  We were very pleased with the accommodations, which were a “step above” where we had stayed last night.  Roger and Marc decided to take naps in their respective rooms while Betty and I chose to return to shop in Old Town’s multiple pedestrian streets. 

At one store, we both tried on a pair of sandals, which were very reasonably prices.  I really liked the color and design, but the right shoe just felt uncomfortable, so I decided not to buy them.  Then Betty spotted a couple of thrift stores.  One had the symbol of the Salvation Army and the other had the Red Cross symbol.  I found a sleeveless dress that fit perfectly and was only $10.  But the store only took Danish money.  So we returned to the hotel.

Betty told Roger about the dress and he told me to go to the ATM an get whatever the least amount of money the machine offered.  Then Betty and I retuned to the store, where I bought the dress.  Betty had seen a down filled vest on one of the outdoor racks during our earlier walk, so we relocated the store.  She had been reluctant to buy it, because it was pink and she said that really was not her color.  But she discovered there was also a light blue one and a grey one.  She went inside to try them on and was very disappointed that they were both too small.

When we returned to the hotel, Marc and Roger were downstairs, using the internet (which they could not reach from their rooms).  We decided to look for a place to eat.  After some discussion, we began to look for a pizza restaurant.  That was not a problem as Betty and I had seen several places serving pizza.  Sure enough we found a lovely outdoor pizzeria and had a relaxing and enjoyable meal.

When we returned to the hotel, we saw 2 empty parking spots right across the street.  Roger fount out that parking is free from 6 pm until 8 am, so we walked to the parking lot and drove the car back to the hotel.  There was a restaurant attached to the hotel, so Roger decided to see how much it cost.  We found out that it was a buffet and was included in the cost of our room.  They were opened at 7 am., so we planned to load our luggage in the car before breakfast, then eat.  That way we could make it to the airport in plenty of time to return the rental car and be on time for our flights out of Copenhagen.

It has been a fabulous trip-so much more special than I had ever imagined.  We saw so many wonderful places and have learned so much.  The history, architecture, paintings and sculptures have been amazing.  We will all have memories that will be treasured for the rest of our lives.    

6-15-14

6-15-14 - Copenhagen

When we departed the Norwegian Star, we took a taxi to the Avis car rental office.  The cab driver acted as a tour guide along the way.  He told us a very interesting story about the origin of the “blue tooth”.  It was the actual name of a previous King of Denmark.  The man who invented the blue tooth was from Denmark and named the new communications device in honor of the king.

Roger had originally booked a Ford Focus for our two day rental.  But the Avis agent suggested we upgrade our vehicle when she saw how much luggage we had.  We ended up getting a Nissan hatch-back.  But we still had to remove the back cover to get all of the luggage to fit.  Before we left the office, we had the young male attendant program the car’s GPS to our first destination.  Marc drove out of town (while the rest of us acted like “back seat drivers”) until we all got our bearings and got oriented with this new and different GPS system.  It was about 9 am, when we left Copenhagen.

It did feel so lovely to get out of the big city and into the countryside.  There were several areas that had fields of wild flowers with numerous bright red poppies.  Our first stop was the town of Roskilde.  We parked the car just outside the Cathedral and walked around to the city park. There was a lovely tree covered pathway that leads to the Viking Museum, one of the top ten attractions in Denmark. 

The exhibition at the museum notes that the first know written accounts of sea travel in this part of the world were from the 9^th century.  One speaks of a Captain Abhara, (who was originally a shepherd from the Russian highlands) who began long distance trade with the countries of India and China.  Between 840-842, Theodosius, a distinguished Byzantine diplomat, traveled as far as the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, from Constantinople to Venice, Italy.

The Viking Age begins in the 8^th century and ends in the 11^th century.  Vikings were warriors of the sea, only ending their naval sieges after conversion to Christianity.  During this time period, their sailing ships allowed the Vikings to travel and expand trade all over the European Continent.    

It was during the period between 1000 AD and 1050 AD, that the Roskilde Fjord was blocked to protect the important town from attach by enemy fleets.  The five Viking ships used to form the blockage were old, used vessels that were scuttled in order to construct a barrier into the harbor.  First, three of the ships were sunk and boulders were heaped on top of them.  Later, the blockade was strengthened by sinking two more old ships on the same spot.  (However, tradition notes that this was done at the command of Queen Margrithe around 1412).

The inhabitants of Roskilde developed a very successful warning system.  When enemy ships were first spotted on the horizon, a bonfire was set up upon the nearest hill.  Then similar fires were set from hill to hill until the town was made aware of the threat.  Then the blockade would be set up.

It was not until underwater excavation between 1957 and 1959, that the ships were discovered.  Yet it took 25 years to preserve and rebuild the ships.  Each small strip of wood was painstakingly removed by 5-8 men.  They were each studied in great detail and replicas were designed in order to learn exactly how the ships were originally built.

It was learned that two of the ships were war ships, with one carrying a crew of about 30 men and the second larger ship, about 80 men.  This larger vessel was built in Dublin, Ireland.  The other ships were supply ships.  They normally traveled at a speed of 4 knots, while the large war ship could sail as fast as 15 knots. At this speed, a voyage to England would take three days.

The Viking ship’s sails were made either from linen or wool.  They were often treated with a sealing agent to keep the air from passing through the fabric.  A docet was sitting in the corner of the museum weaving.  I asked her what the material was, because it did not look like wool.  She told me that it was hemp, made from the flax plant and it is known that this was the fabric of sailing vessels much older than the Vikings used by the Chinese.  Flax was used for early clothing, as well as medicine.  The English Queen Victoria used it for medicine, herself.  In the time of King Henry VIII, people were fined if they did not grow flax, because it was needed for making rope for the English ships.

Another section of the museum complex is an outdoor area where replicas of Viking ships are recreated using the same methods and tools as their predecessors.  There was a man hewing a huge tree trunk with an axe.  It certainly looked like very hard work.  Another area showed how different sections of a trees trunk and branches were used in different parts of the ship’s construction.  

After leaving the Viking Museum, we drove north to the village of Gilleleje.  It is the northernmost town on the Zealand Peninsula, as well as being the largest fishing port.  After checking out one hotel on the outskirts of town,(which we learned was a very expensive spa), their desk clerk actually called the downtown hotel and made reservations for us there.  Though an older building, it seemed neat and clean and was right in the heart of the charming seaside town. 

After taking our luggage up to our rooms, we walked the two blocks to the port.  Mary Jo was hungry, so Roger bought a unique chicken salad, which was served in a huge wheat bread “bowl”, lined with shredded lettuce and cut up cumbers (which we gave to Betty, as none of the rest of us like them).  Roger bought Mary Jo a glass of wine with her meal, while Betty and Marc each had beer.

Then we walked along the waterfront filled with fishing boats both great and small.  We stopped and talked to a lady who has an old pleasure boat moored at the end of the pier.  We asked her about the strange roller presses that are attached on each fishing boat.  She said they are used to pull in the lines which are attached to the nets.  She noted that it saves fisherman a lot of sore arm muscles from the previous manual method of retrieving the nets.

 

By the time we finished out walk, Betty and Marc were hungry and Roger wanted to try so local fish, so they bought two plates of fish and chips from an outdoor vendor.  We sat under an awning along the waterfront and ate.   The French fries were so good that we all ate way too many of them. The fish looked like a type of flounder, but did not have much flavor. 

We walked back to the hotel, arriving about 7 p.m.  Roger was so tired that he laid down on the bed and was asleep in less than 5 minutes.  I worked on cutting pictures out of the various brochures I had collected today, to put in the diary when we get home (because I ran out of tape in the dispenser, yesterday.)

6-14-14

6-14-14 – At Sea

We both welcomed a break in the routine and spent the day relaxing on the ship.  Roger had requested a tour of the bridge and we were due to meet at 10:30 am.  The formal invitation which we had received regarding our tour, noted that cameras were allowed on the bridge, but absolutely no video is allowed.  We arrived at the appointed elevator about 10 minutes early and were afraid we were in the wrong place, as not one else was there.  But ten minutes later we had a group of 20 people.  Omar met us and established a couple of rules.  We were to listen, quietly, to the person who gives the tour.  When he is finished, we will be able to ask questions.  The most important think for us to remember is “DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING”.  

BUDDY thinks he is the Captain

Then Omar led us to the bridge and turned us over to one of the navigators.   He first explained that there are always two navigators on duty together.  One is assigned to make all of the changes or decisions regarding the vessel.  When something needs to be done, he must first discuss it with the other navigator and obtain his approval before making the change.  This greatly reduces the chance of human errors. 

Next the officer explained all of the numerous monitors on the consoles of the bridge.  One is strictly for navigation.  It shows all the ships in the area around ours.  By clicking on the triangle icon representing the vessel, you obtain all the necessary data about the ship: size, course, etc. 

Other monitors control the doors on the ship, allowing the navigator to shut down, part or all of the ship, in case of an emergency, such as a fire.

The ship is equipped with multiple exterior cameras, to aid in docking and departing from a port.  Yet there are also assigned personnel who are present during these procedures, as well.  The navigator answered several questions by different people in our group.  He noted the depth of the sea where we were at the present time.  He shared his own personal education and background, when the question was asked.  He seemed quite young to be in a job with such responsibility (26 years old). 

When Omar returned, I asked him about security personnel.  He brought me over to a chart that listed all the names of each staff member and their rank of command.  He noted that there were rarely in problems encountered by passenger.  There most common issue arises with young people over drinking during Spring Break.   

When Roger started to take a few pictures, the battery died.  He was so disappointed.  Then a few minutes later he realized he could take pictures with his phone.  One of the guests was allowed to try on the Captains hat.  So we asked it we could put it on Buddy, as well.  The officer readily agreed.  The hat was so big; it covered up Buddy’s eyes.

Shortly after arriving back at our room, Betty called and said that Jan still wanted to go in the Jacuzzi.  So we made plans to meet down on the pool level.  Betty came by our room, first, so she could use one of the white robes that were provided in our suite.  When I put mine on, it reached almost to the floor and you could not see my hands.  So I rolled the sleeves up a couple of times.  Boy were we a sight to behold.

Roger wasn’t interested in joining us, but said he would come visit us later and take some pictures.  We found one of the four Jacuzzis had only three occupants and we joined them.  Two were men from Mexico and one man was German.  One of the Mexican men spoke pretty good English, so we were able to converse with him.  He expressed a love for his country and talked about some of the cities that are popular with tourists.  After about 30 minutes the men left and we had the Jacuzzi to ourselves.  

We saw a young girl, about 10 or 12 years of age, come down the waterslide right next to our Jacuzzi.  Jan thought that looked like fun.  She asked the girl if the water was cold, because she was shivering.  She said that it was.  When we climbed over the railing into the area where the ladder was, we were all shocked.  The water was not just cold, it was icy.  But Jan would not be deterred.  We all climbed up the ladder and slid down the slide.  Actually, the slide was not very slippery, so we had to pull ourselves down to the bottom.  Once was quite enough for all of us.  We breathed sighs of relief when we got back into the comforting warm water of the Jacuzzi.   After about 15 more minutes, Karen said her hands were starting to wrinkle, so we got out and returned out towels. 

I had missed the dress up night at the Captain’s VIP cocktail reception on 6-9-14, because I hadn’t seen the notice in the daily newsletter.  So Roger said he would take me to dinner at Cagney’s Restaurant this evening and I could dress up for dinner.  I really did have fun putting on the navy blue dress I had bought specifically for this trip, along with the new jewelry Doedie had helped me find on the internet.  I had also purchased new shoe to match.  Roger was very pleased with the final effect and complimented me on my appearance.  We made a point to take the camera, so someone could take our picture together.  Roger had actually brought a suit jacket to wear for the occasion.

Before dinner, we went down to the jewelry store with our raffle tickets, in hopes of winning a prize.  Then the manager explained that the number of tickets was based on the amount of the purchase.  He said that one person had bought over $100,000 worth of jewelry, so that person would certainly have more ticket.  There were two tickets drawn, but though one of the numbers was only three away from one of our tickets, none of our numbers were called.  So we returned to our room until dinnertime.

When Rose found out we would be going to Cagney’s, she told us that she would be there as well, having dinner with the captain.  She asked us to stop by their table, when we came in.  Sure enough, she was seated in the same place we had always met.  We greeted her and she introduced us to the Captain.  Then we were led to our table.  I was very pleased and surprised that Roger had bought me a vase of red roses.  They were so lovely.  After we were seated and had placed our order, Roger asked if we could give Rose one of my flowers.  I was so happy he had thought of such a lovely gesture.  When Roger approached Rose and handed her his gift, she looked like she was holding back tears of joy.  She was so appreciative of Roger’s thoughtfulness. 

We both ordered the rib eye steak for dinner.  It was delicious, especially with the béarnaise sauce.  But it was just too large for either of us to finish.  We hated to waste it, but knew we would be miserable if we ate it all.  After dinner, we walked down to the atrium area and found a young lady with her mother, taking pictures.  Roger offered to take one with both of them, but the young girl said she did not need one.  She did offer to take our picture, for which I was very grateful.  What a special evening and a great way to spend our last day of the cruise.      

6-13-14

6-13-14

6-13-14          Stockholm, the capital of Sweden

 Our group of seven met in the Stardust Theater (along with a large number of other passengers) and was assigned to bus 19.  We were given a round white sticker to wear on the front of our shirts.  We soon met our tour guide, an older gentleman named Magnus.  

 

There are about 9.5 million people living in the metropolitan area, though most of the population lives in 1/3^rd of the country.  There is a long history of fighting among the Swedish and their neighbors.  Fortunately, most of the fighting is now done on the soccer field.  Mangus noted that the Danish people are thankful that the wars are behind them. 

As we drove along the harbor, Magnus pointed out the lock system that accommodated ships which were traveling from the lake to the sea.  These locks have been in existence for almost 400 years. 

200 years ago, one of the kings, who had no children, had to find a successor for the throne.  He knew the French General who was the field Marshall, and asked him if he would agree to become the crowned prince.  He readily agreed and the county is now in the 7^th generation of descendants of this general.  Princess Victoria will be the next head of state, when her father dies. He is currently only 68 years old. 

The bus drove through Old Town and we passed the Cathedral, the Swedish parliament, the Grand Hotel and the Royal Palace.  Magnus noted that there are many boats in Stockholm, as there are over 30,000 islands in the Archipelagos in the Sea of Finland.  The city, itself, is built on 14 islands, so there are many bridges throughout the city. 

The bus let us off at the Vasa museum.  Our timing was perfect, as we arrived in time for the English film, which describes this historic event.  The king commissioned a ship to be built that had room for 450 soldiers and 64 cannons.  It was to be a symbol of the power of the Swedish navy.  However, on its maiden voyage, it had gone less than a mile from the dock, when a gust of wind caused it to keel to the side and begin to take on water.  It sank in less than 30 minutes.   

A council of state was convened.  But the determination was that no one was at fault.  The incident was all but forgotten by the Swedish people.  300 years later, in 1956, a marine expert was able to locate the remains of the vessel.  Using special cable lifts and pumps to displace the water, the wreck was raised from the harbor.  Archeologist documented over 40,000 separate pieces of artifacts comprising the ship.  Numerous august individuals were present on the day of the raising, including the current King, Adolphus.  Huge sections of the ship were preserved in the cold waters of the bay.  Each piece of artifacts had to be thoroughly washed to remove layers of mud.  Pieces of 15 skeletons were found.  Analysis of these artifacts actually determined what the soldiers had eaten prior to there death.

Originally, there were some who thought the cause of the sinking was due to the fact that the cannons had pulled free from their positions on the deck.  But the excavation revealed that the cannons were secured in place.  So it was finally determined that the sinking was a result of too high a center of gravity, meaning that there was too little ballast for the height of the ship.  Basically, the vessel was “top heavy”.  It took 17 years to preserve the ship in its entirety.  It had to be constantly sprayed with water to keep the wood from disintegrating.  In 1979, the wood was polyurethaned for more permanent preservation.  The ship contained over 700 wooden sculptures, including angels and musicians holding musical instruments.  These sculptures were decorated with bright colored paint, as a symbol to the enemies that they were powerful and could not be conquered. 

In the 1660’s the people managed to recover 58 of the 60 cannons from the wreck.  This was accomplished by the use of a diving bell.  Divers were forces to be submerged in the device, then required to attached ropes to the cannons, which were raised from the bay. The cannons were, then, sold by the Swedish king.  There are no records of the number of people who were drowned during this salvage operation. 

One floor of the museum had exhibits of some of the relics discovered on the ship. They included pottery, clothes, gloves, games, pipes and even shoes.  One of the displays noted the salary of the various ships personnel.  The captain earned 475 “duler”, while the seaman only earned 57.  There was only one gold relic found on the ship.  It was a ring that may have belonged to one of the affluent officials who was invited to participate in the christening of the ship. 

After the Vasa tour, our bus driver took us for a short drive in the area where most of the foreign diplomats reside.  The British Ambassador lives next to the South Korean representative, who lives next door to the ambassador from Belgium.  Then we drove past the British and American embassies.

Our next stop was the Ice Bar.  It is located in one of the downtown hotels.  Magnus gave us a black and white poker chip to “pay” for our entrance fee. The entire room was lined with thick walls of ice.  The temperature inside was 5 degrees below zero.  The ice is actually delivered from the Artic Circle, where the owner still resides.  We were given heavy fur-lined capes to wear over our clothes.  Then we received a complimentary drink in a square ice “glass”.  The owner of the club has had quite a success and has opened similar bars in other major cities including New York City, Milan, Italy and other places throughout Europe.  It was a very unique experience. 

Getting back on the bus, we drove past the City Hall, which is where the banquet is held for the Nobel Prize winner. This ceremony is celebrated every December 10^th, as that is the date of Alfred Nobel’s death.

We passed the Swedish Government building where the Prime Minister arrives each morning.  It is the political center of the country.  General elections are held in September.  There are currently four different parties.  Next we drove past the Swedish House of Parliament and the Swedish Royal Palace, both of which fly the Swedish flag.  The Royal palace had 600 rooms, most of which are still in use today.

Magnus told our tour group that the current Stockholm Cathedral was built in the 18^th century.  The current King and Queen where married in this church, as well as the Crown Princess Victoria (4 years ago).  At this point in our tour, we left the bus.  We were pleased to see that the royal equestrian soldiers were just finishing a ceremonial maneuver.  The soldiers all wore blue and white uniforms.  We were told that this was the end of the changing of the guard at the royal palace.  The palace guards protect the palace 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  One of our tourists asked what the # 16 on the side of the uniforms meant.  Magnus told us that the current King of Sweden is the 16th Swedish king.

We were allowed to roam the pedestrian streets of about an hour.  Roger and I found a small shop selling ice cream and ordered a chocolate brownie with caramel on top.  It sure tasted good!  Then were bought a little Viking troll for a souvenir.  He had the Swedish flag painted on his shield.  As we strolled along the street, we saw different musicians performing.  One was an accordion player and next were two young violinists.  A third musician was playing music on water goblets containing different levels of water. 

It was a very enjoyable day and quite a surprise to me.  I had always thought of the Swedish as having very modern architecture and very liberal views.  But that was not the case at all.  Their buildings are a very lovely traditional design.     

6-12-14

6-12-14 – Helsinki, Finland

I woke up to a dreary, cold, rainy day.  I decided to do some laundry and sat on the side of the bathtub to wash and rinse the clothes.  Then I rolled each item in a towel, to take out the excess moisture.  After that, I worked on the trip diary for awhile.    When Roger awakened, we went up to the Cagney Restaurant to have breakfast.  As soon as we walked in, we saw Rose at the same table where we had met her several days ago.  She was happy to see us and we, again, took the table next to hers, as the Dutch couple who had been seated there, were just leaving.

Rose told us about her dinner with the officer who works in the Engine Room.  After her meal, she had gone to the show, which was an Elvis impersonation contest.  There were three contestants.  The cruise director asked Rose if she would be the judge for the contest and she agreed.  One of the entertainers was an American and he had brought an elaborate costume.  The other two were Asian men.  She said it was difficult to choose between the two Asians, as they both loved to dance.  She finally told the cruise director that one of them “wiggled” more than the other one.  We reconfirmed our date with Rose for this evening at 7 pm in the Aqua Restaurant.  Then she had to leave for her tour of Helsinki and Roger and I finished our breakfast.

Omar was in the restaurant speaking with another couple.  He came over to greet us and we asked if we could get his advice about sharing our concerns with our butler, Jonathan.  We felt he had been inappropriate in his response to our requests to finding a couple of things, by expecting us to handle it ourselves.  (Wasn’t that why we paid extra to have a butler??)  Then there was the incident about the bathroom light.  We thought it was his job to at least attempt to find these things.  In addition, he should not have automatically accused us of causing the electrical problem with the light in the bathroom.    

On the positive side, we did share with Omar the fact that Jonathan had been so kind to surprise us with food for the evening we had our friends over to our cabin.  So we know he can be a very good butler with a little more experience and guidance.  Omar assured us that we were correct in our concerns.  Though Jonathan has worked as a butler for 2-3 years, he would be receptive to our constructive criticism.  Omar offered to speak with him for us, if we did not have a chance to discuss it with him ourselves.  We hope it will be a learning experience where he will try to please his guests and, in return, he will become happier at his job.

After returning to our rooms, and decided to venture into town.  An information booth on the dock just outside the ship provided us with a map of the city and directions to the closest city bus stop, two block away.  Fortunately, I had brought my lightweight rain cape and Roger had kept the one Maria had given him yesterday.  I’m sure we were quite a sight, with me in my yellow and Roger in his orange, see-through rainwear.

We first located the visitor’s information center, where Roger checked and responded to his e-mails.  Then we downloaded some of the trip diary to the blog.  Originally, there had been a couple of places that I planned to visit in Helsinki.  But the directions to get there were rather complicated and the weather had gotten worse.  So we decided to walk to the market place across the street.  There were several covered booths offering various typed of souvenirs and some food vendors.  Roger spotted one selling hot waffles served with strawberry preserves.  We bought one to share and sat down at a small table under an adjacent tent.  It tasted quite good and warmed us up for a short time.

Next we walked up to the Lutheran Cathedral, which is a symbol of all of Helsinki.  It sits atop a hill in the center of the city, at Senate Square and dominates the skyline of the city.  After taking a couple of pictures, we noted that there was no sign of a let-up in the weather, so we chose to take the bus back to the ship.  It was certainly a welcome site.  When we returned to our room, I pulled the rain capes over two of the chairs in our dinette, so they would dry more easily.  

   

  

6-11-14

6-11-14 – St. Petersburg, Russia

We left the ship on time, at 7:45 a.m.   However, when we tried to go through customs, they wanted the ticket for our tour.  But we did not have it because the customs officer had taken it yesterday. Nothing we said would cause the agent to let us through.  So Roger went back on the ship while I sat in the ship’s outdoor tent.  He spoke with Oscar, our concierge.  Roger ended up getting on the internet and printing our tour ticket, again.  As a result, we were 15 minutes late to meet Maria and our friends.

We have a new driver today and a smaller, but very nice van.  Maria introduced us to him and said his name was Vladimir.  She began our tour by explaining that Peter the Great toured Europe when he was a young man.  He actually worked in the shipyard in Holland under an assumed name, so that no one would know who he really was.  When he returned to Russia, he hired many of the employees of the shipyard to build the Russian fleet.

Peter had several hobbies.  One was watching butterflies.  Another was pulling the teeth of people who had serious toothaches.  He had a special bag where he put all the teeth that he had pulled.

He toured Kensington, in England, where he watched the English Navy train for naval battles.  So when he returned to his native Russia, he knew how to train his own fleet of ships.  Peter introduced European clothes to his people.  He did not like the traditional long beards of the Russian society, so he prohibited them.  Because the beard had historically been seen as a sign of respect many Russians did not wish to shave their beards.  So Peter told his people that they could keep them but they would have to pay a special tax, to do so.

Alcoholism was a great concern of Peter the Great.  In order to discourage such behavior, he ordered that people who displayed alcoholism would have a noose put around their necks for several days.  After beginning this practice, very few people became alcoholics. 

Peter the Great was married twice.  His first wife, Katharina (Katherine) had 10 children, but only two survived, both daughters:  Anna and Elisabeth.  Katherine was illiterate and died at an early age.  But her daughter, Elisabeth ruled for 20 years. 

Peter the Great (the first) was the first of the Russian royalty to obtain a divorce.  (Vladimir Putin was the second.)  He sent his first wife, Katharina (Katherine), to live in a nunnery.  The woman whom he remarried was three years older than himself.  The Russian people did not like the second wife because she was a Lithuanian laundress.  When the marriage first occurred, it was kept secret.  Then in 1712 the public were told of the marriage.  There was one son from this union, his named was Alexei. 

Maria, had our driver take us to an open-air tourist boat.  We took a short ride along the Neva River.  Maria explained that the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg are an integral part of the city, in the same way as they are for the city of Venice, Italy.  They are part of the identity of the city.  Along the route, she pointed out the University of Mining, on of the oldest universities in St. Petersburg.  

Next she noted the sight of the previous palace of a close friend of Peter’s, Alexander Marshekoff.  He gave him property along the river, where Marshekoff  built a beautiful palace, even more magnificent than Peter could afford.  However, in later years, this man lost favor with Peter, due to his poor behavior, and his property was confiscated.  It is now part of the Hermitage Museum.

Maria pointed out several of the sights we had visited yesterday.  The spire of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is the highest structure in St. Petersburg.  The fortress surrounding the church has cannons which give one shot each day @ 12:00 noon, to help the people of St. Petersburg keep in touch with the time.

We passed Trinity Bridge, which was built in 1903.  There was a contest for the design of the bridge.  The winner used a similar design to that of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France.  As a result, it is often referred to as the “Eiffle Bridge”.   Our Boat soon traveled past the Winter Palace of Peter the Great, with its huge adjacent gardens.  It was destroyed during the war and only recently restored.  The park is open to the public and many of the citizens go there just to sit in the peaceful surroundings and use the free internet service that is available there.

Much of the narration that Maria spoke today was a duplication of information we had learned yesterday.  I assume that is because the boat had many other passengers in addition to our private group.  Rather than being disappointed by this, I was grateful to have a brake from writing notes.  I relaxed, settled back and enjoyed the ride.

It was quite interesting to see the Hermitage Museum from the water.  We learned that the Hermitage Bridge was the first stone bridge erected in St. Petersburg.  Maria noted that all of the bridges in St. Petersburg were purposely built very low, so as to avoid obstructing the view of the city’s beautiful architecture. 

Next we took a 40 minute ride on a Hydrofoil boat.  It is a high speed, low vessel, used as a type of long distance water taxi.  It took us to Peterhof, the “brain child” of Peter the Great, after having visited Versailles.  The palace gardens contain over 100 fountains, all of which work using the principle of gravity, rather than electric pumps.  The fountains work from 11 am – 6 pm, May through September.

The central fountain has a very majestic water jet that shots 21 meters (21 feet ) high.  There are 5 cascading fountains that push 1000 liters(264 gallons) of water per second.  The different water jet patterns are created using pipes with different diameters.  Water is collected from springs and flows into pools.  The Gardens are laid out in two different styles: French and English.   In one area, there is a statue of Neptune, the God of the Sea.  Its feet are very shiny due to the fact that tourist rub them for good luck.

During WW II, the Germans occupied this area and cut down over 10,000 trees, just because they wish to see the garden’s destruction.  The Palace, itself, was almost destroyed and landmines were left in the ground to cause further harm and devastation.  Over 5 million tourists come to the palace each year, making it the #1 tourist attraction in St. Petersburg.  Restoration began in 1945 and continues to this day.  All of the restorations are 100% authentic, with no changes in the original designs.       

    

Peter the Great lived at this palace from 1714-1720.  Then he had a more modest house built in the Dutch design, as he loved everything Dutch.  It was actually his wife’s suggestion that he build another home because he had to travel from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt, so often to protect it from Swedish invasion.  The “home” is built right on the water, with a beautiful view across the Baltic Sea.  It certainly confirms Peter’s loved of the sea and the sea air.  This was one of the few structures that was not destroyed during the war.

As we proceeded back into the gardens, Maria showed us the “tree fountain”.  It was planned by Peter, as a humorous diversion.  This fountain comes on when someone sits on the nearby bench, causing them to get wet.  Not only would the ladies hair and clothes get wet, but the flour that they used on their faces would turn to dough.  Peter thought it was quite funny and liked seeing what the women’s faces really looked like.  (Its doubtful that the women shared Peter’s sense of humor about this fountain.)    

In 1721 a “water road” fountain was installed.  It is comprised of 300 water jets placed at ground level.  It shoots arches of water over the walkway.  Anyone who is under it when the fountain comes on will get wet (yet another joke of Peter the Great).  In the center of the upper level of the garden is a cascade with three statues of dragons.  The fountain is tiered and contains black and white tiles.  There is also a fountain with a statue of Titan, one of the mythical gods.  The largest fountain in the Winter Palace gardens is the one with the statue of Samson.  It was dedicated to the victory of Russia over Sweden, following the Northern War, from 1700-1721.  The statue stands 3 meters (9 feet) high.   

Once our tour of the palace gardens was complete, our van driver picked us up and took us all to lunch.  It was an even better meal than yesterday.  The main dish was chicken and rice in a creamy sauce.  We finished our meal sooner than Maria expected.  She was quite embarrassed when she realized we were all out front waiting on her.  She apologized and told us that had never happened to her before.  We certainly were not upset, but were enjoying a break from rushing around. 

 

We got back in the van and started our 50 minute drive to our final destination-Catherine’s Palace.  While in route,  we passed a large residence owned by Vladamir Putin, the current president of Russia.  It is called Constantine’s Palace, but Putin does not actually live there.  The palace is used for formal meetings and is not open to the public. 

When we arrived at Catherine’s palace, I was surprised to discover that the exterior is painted baby blue, with white and gold trim.  Though the palace was built for Catherine, it was her daughter, Elisabeth who actually lived there.  There is a very large courtyard in front of the palace that measures 800 meters (2,624 feet).   Maria told us the familiar onion shaped domes, used in many of the palaces, represents bringing in the light of a candle.    There are 12 statues in the front of the palace that look like Atlas, as they appear to be holding up the building.  When we first entered, we were given cloth booties to cover our shoes, to protect the beautiful decorative floors.

The first anteroom was filled with golden columns and mounding and marble fireplaces.  The second room was where guests were offered a cup of tea in the finest chinaware.  The table would have been full of food and is still decorated with 300 golden apples.  Next, we entered the Throne Room.  It is also called the Light Gallery, as it has chandeliers containing 696 lamps.  (They were originally candles, but are now electric light bulbs.)  The parquet floors have many different patterns, including several types of stars.

Catherine’s Palace was destroyed and rebuilt 6 times.  The staircase area is filled with Chinese and Japanese porcelains vases.  Somehow, these were saved during the war.  On either side of the staircase, there are two statues of Cupid.  On the east side of the room, he is waking up and on the west side, he is falling asleep.  The Exhibition Room contains a portrait of Nicholas the II and his wife, Alexandria.  Maria also pointed out a photograph on the wall that shows the Empress and her daughter working as nurses during the war.  It was important to Catherine that she help her people in a very personal, practical way.   

Maria then told us about a very expensive quirk of Princess Elizabeth.  She never wore the same dress twice.  He had over 5,000 dresses.  In order to insure that the dresses would not be available after the first wearing, she had marks made on the front of the dress.

The next room we entered in Catherine’s Palace, was one where pictures were not allowed.  It is called the Amber Room, for obvious reasons.  The walls are completely covered in pieces of amber.  The room was commissioned by Elizabeth.  This room is considered the “8^th Wonder of the World”.  During WW II the Germans removed the amber wall panels and hid them.  After the war, there was an extensive investigation to try and find the lost treasure.  However, the amber panels were never found.  In 1979 The Russian government decided to recreate the amber room.  It took 6 tons of amber and cost $12 million.  It was finally completed in 2003.  So far, 50 rooms have been restored.  This is only half of the rooms in the palace.  The other half are waiting until funds are available, as the project is very costly.

The bedroom of Alexander I has all of its original furniture.  His study is decorated in emerald green, including the silk chair covers, the silk fire screen and the tablecloth.  The Green Dining room is designed in a pale green, from the walls, chairs, door and tablecloth.  The last room on the palace tour is a hall that contains photographs of the destruction created by the Germans in WW II, of the different rooms in the palace.  One photo showed a bomb that was left, in order to cause greater devastation.  There was also a photo of one of the restorers who spent two years studying the technique for silk painting.  It was interesting to note that the restorers were allowed to sign their art work, though it was a replication of the originals.   The last section of photographs shows famous people who have toured Catherine’s Palace.  They included Queen Elizabeth of England and President and Laura Bush.

It was 2:55 were our tour was over.  The van brought us back into town to a tourist shop, where everyone had an opportunity to buy gifts.  Roger and I had already bought souvenirs the previous day and were glad we did, as the prices at this store were much higher.    When we returned to the ship, we were met by the owner of the tour company and were given orange and white ballpoint pens (orange, being the tour companies color).  We shared out complements of the great job Maria’s had done on our tour.