6-10-14

6-10-14 - St. Petersburg, Russia

(We have been going constantly from the time we awoke until now (9:45 pm), as we booked a private tour with our friends for St. Petersburg.  We toured 6 separate sights and I have written 28 pages of notes.  So I may not be able to get all of it typed up until after we get home.  There was just so much history, so much beauty, that it was a little overwhelming. Our guide certainly doesn’t let any grass grow under our feet.  It is zoom zoom here, and zoom zoom there.  By the time we got back to the ship we were exhausted.  But it was an absolutely wonderful tour.  Tomorrow is day two of St. Petersburg, with our same guide.)

We met our tour guide, Maria, just outside the boat terminal.  She is a very energetic 28 year old Russian woman, who obtained her degree in Education six years ago.  She loves her job and is extremely well versed in all of the history and culture of her country.  The company she works for (SPB Tours) has offices in other counties, as well. She told us we had a very busy day ahead, with 6 different stops:  A subway tour, the Hermitage, the church of Our Savior of Spilt Blood, lunch in the city center, St. Peter and Paul fortress and the Usopov Palace.

Since the seven of us booked a private tour, we were riding in a van (which is actually owned by the driver).  As we drove along, Marie pointed out various sites and explained part of  Russia’s history.  We passed a monument to Peter the Great, who was the founder of the city of St. Petersburg.  It is currently the second largest city in Russia (5 million people), with the largest being, Moscow (11 million).  The foundation for the city was laid on May 27, 1703.  Peter became king at the age of 18 and created the Russian Army in order to protect the newly occupied lands.  The city was previously named Petrograd, but after the death of Lenin, in 1924 was named Linengrad.  When the Soviet Union collapses in 1991, the citizens renamed it St. Petersburg.

One of the primary rivers in St. Petersburg is the Neve.  It has 65 meters of canals and 42 separate islands. It used to flood every year until a dike was built in 1990.  The Annunciation bridge was the first permanent bridge in the city, built in 1853.  Originally, Peter the Great did not want bridges in the city.  He had a very strong nautical background and believed all of the citizens should learn to sail. 

Peter the Great was very interested in everything European.   As a result, the city of St. Petersburg is the first European City in Russia.  European artists were hired and brought to St. Petersburg to build the city.  It was not until the end of the 18^th century that Russians had developed the skills necessary to continue the European design and construction.

Most people in St. Petersburg work 8-5.  They prefer European vehicles, not trusting their own Russian cars.  Marie described Russian drivers as “adventurous”, and recommended we be very careful when walking on the city streets.  She noted that their underground train system was built quite late, in the 1950s.  The first station was not opened until 1955.  There are now 5 lines with 70 stations.  There underground is the deepest in the world, 68 meters in depth (about 258 feet).  It was necessary to dig very deep because their soil is very marshy. 

We got out of the van and proceeded into the subway station.  Maria gave each of us a token to enter the underground.  We were all amazed by how very clean it was.  There was not one single piece of paper or trash anywhere.  The walls are made of marble and the floors are granite tiles.  There are black columns with bronze paint on the top and bottom decorating the interior walls. There were beautiful mosaics on the walls.  One depicted the original naval ship yard.  Another showed a naval goddess with the flag of St. Andrew.  Such mythical figures were used in Russian artwork, because the people were originally illiterate and they could understand such creatures.  We only rode to the next station, then back. It is a very fast train. 

Maria and subway

Our next stop was the Hermitage, one of the primary reasons that Roger and I chose to do the Baltic cruise.  It is the largest museum in Russia and ranks as impressive as the Louve in Paris, France.  There are over 3 million exhibits owned by the museum.  If a person were to spend ½ a minute at each exhibit it would take 8 years to see them all.  So needless to say, we were only able to see a very small portion of the exquisite artwork that is part of the museum.  It was originally founded by Catherine the Great in 1764.

ENTRANCE to HERMITAGE

The main commonality in this and the interior of the palaces we will be seeing in St. Petersburg is the 24 carat gold leaf paint adorning the buildings.  It is so beautiful!  The Hermitage entrance hallway contains white Carrara marble stairs.  The first room we entered had large full wall sized tapestries.  Then we entered the Pavilion hall.  It was quite a shock.  There were 28 crystal chandeliers adorning the ceiling.  To one side of the room, there was a huge clock decorated with a peacock.  It was designed in the 18^th century.  On the hour, the peacock spreads its wings, turns around, a bell rings and the eye winks.  There is also a decorative rooster that cries.  The room also contains tables whose tops are decorated with tiny pieces of glass, treated with oxides of different metal, creating various different colors.  The pieces formed an ancient Roman scene.

The section of the Hermitage which is called the Old Hermitage, contains primarily Italian art and was previously the home of the Royal Family.  The floors are decorated with different intricate patterns of inlaid wood.  The art collection holds works from the 1300s through the 1800s.  One room had a unique form of sculpture using the Majorca technique, which is created from baked clay from the island of Majorca, prior to being painted.  There was a beautiful marble fireplace in one of the room, which had porcelain inserts.  Each art work is identified with the name of the artist, the name of the work, the year it was acquired and the source where the art work was obtained. 

Next we entered the section of the Hermitage called the Winter Palace.  It has 117 staircases, 1945 windows and 1500 rooms.  The section contains 15 paintings by Leonardo De Vinci.  One of the most famous of these is the Madonna and Child.  It is a portrait of the Blessed Mother holding baby Jesus.  The child is playing with a cross, which is believed to show the prediction of the future tragedy of the Crucifixion.  In a second portrait of the Madonna, there is a tiny golden finch pressed to the chest of the Child Jesus.

The next room contained columns made of Jasper applied to stone.  Each column has 37 separate facets.  Next we proceeded into the Hermitage Theater, where amateur plays were performed for the Royal Family.  Next to the theater, an enclosed cross walk was built to connect the old museum with the new Hermitage.

After having visited the Vatican museum, Catherine the Great sent artists back to make exact copies of one of Raphael’s huge paintings.  It is comprised of 13 separate sections the contain 54 scenes beginning with the creation of the world and progressing to the new testament.  The hallway leading into the next part of the Hermitage contained a large mirror.  Maria said that there was a superstition that men who looked into the mirror would have great wealth and women who gazed into the glass would have great beauty.  So naturally all of out group wanted a turn in front of the mirror.

The Hermitage was first opened in 1853.  However, there were originally only 100 tickets available.  They were reserved for those persons of nobility.  It was only in 1917 that the palace was turned into a museum for all the people.  The Skylight Gallery was the next room we entered.  It contained large tables with tops made of blue lapis lazulite, one of the most precious of all stones.  There were also tall lamp stands made of one single solid piece of pink phodonite.  Other tops and large vases were made of the deep green malachite stone and dark grey porphyry, mined here in Russia.

The Hermitage contains 26 paintings by Rembrandt.  He was a very popular painter even during his lifetime.  One of his paintings called Danae predicts the story of the killing of Percius, the grandson of Ithaca.  When Maria said it was a very valuable painting, we asked her what its value was.  She said it was “priceless”.  Then she led us into a room that contained the work which is considered the most valuable in the entire Hermitage collection.  It is also a painting by Rembrandt, names Prodigal Son.  It was painted after Rembrandt lost his only son, Titus.  One of the hands of the father appears feminine and the other masculine.  It is believed that this represents the importance of both motherly traits and the strength and austerity of fathers.  Rembrandt was noted for his special talent of seeking out the face and hands of the person in each portrait. 

We now came to a room called Alexander II’s Hall in honor of the Emperor who defeated Napoleon.  It contains military paraphernalia.  The following section of the museum is named the Exhibition Hall and its contents is changed on a regular basis.  This is the only room in the Hermitage where photographs are not permitted.  The current exhibit displays some of the dresses previously worn by the Empress.  One was a silver gown with a huge circular train.  Another was pink velvet trimmed with huge silver embroidered leaves and flowers.  This elaborate hall is decorated with 11 kilograms (24pounds) of gold.   

Proceeding into the 1812 Hall, we discovered 330 portraits of all of the generals who took part in war against Napoleon.  The artist who painted all of the portraits was named Dawe.  It took him ten years to finish all of them, which works out to an average of 10 days a piece.  That seems quite a feat to all of us.  The gallery also has some empty frames.  These represent the generals who were killed in the battle, and, therefore, not available for portraits.  Each of these frames lists the name of the general, thus showing respect for the ultimate contribution which they gave to their country.

The Throne Room is the largest room in the Heritage Museum.  It is also called St. George’s Hall, as he is the patron saint of soldiers.  He took the symbol of a double headed eagle from the Byzantine Empire, as the Coat of Arms of Russia.  The last room which we saw contained a huge vase made of 19 tons of jasper.  It was a decorative piece, not intended to hold flowers.  

The third stop in our tour was the Church of Our Savior of Spilt Blood, built on the spot where Emperor Alexander the II was assassinated on March 1, 1881  He ruled from 1853-1881 and introduced many reforms during his reign.  He was a timeless supporter of our President Abraham Lincoln, admiring him for his emancipation of slaves in America.  However, not everyone agreed with his policies.  A terrorist group organized 8 different assassination attempts on his life.  They were finally successful when Alexander was fatally wounded in a bombing, while walking along one of the canals, on March 1, 1881.

The church has two outside doors painted of gold and two painted with green, blue and silver.  Inside, there are exquisite mosaics covering every square inch of wall space.  Marie said there are 7,000 square meters of mosaics(75,347 square feet).  It took a French architect 26 years to complete, finishing in 1882, (the year after Alexander the II’s death).   The floors of the church are made of five millimeter thick inlaid marble tiles.  One shocking revelation Marie told us was the fact that this beautiful building was used to store potatoes during WWI and was a morgue during WWII.  

After leaving the church, we were driven to a local restaurant for a traditional Russian meal.  One item always on the menu is hot soup.  Then there is a main dish, followed by dessert.  After eating, we drove past the Marble Palace.  It contains marble in 32 different colors.  The courtyard has a tall rod iron fence which is painted black, with gold trim.  It reminded me of the gates at England’s Buckingham Palace, in London.  The house was bought for the Royal Family, but now belongs to the Russian Museum.

Then we passed what Maria says is the most popular monument in St. Petersburg.  It is a statue of Peter the Great on horseback.  Peter was the first sovereign to create an “admiralty” (our word would most likely be “navy”.  He launched a total of 262 ships in his short lifetime.  One of the most famous stories about his life was when he was sailing to the Sea of Finland when he saw two fishermen whose boat was floundering.  He immediately change course and saved them from drowning.  This incident was partially responsible for his early death at age 52.  The weather was quite cold and he already had a urinary disease.  This caused his condition to be exacerbated.  It is said that he died saving his people.

The next stop was St. Isaac’s Cathedral.  In its own way, it was just as beautiful as the previous one, but filled with beautiful marble columns.  There are 112 of them.  It took 128 workers 45 minutes to erect one column.  There is a huge bronze door which was a copy of the Bapistry in Florence, Italy.  It requires two people to open the door.  The church is quite large, seating 8,000 people.  There are no benches or chairs because people were required to stand through the entire service. 

The cupola is comprised of three separate domes.  It is the largest in the world.  It took 100 kilogram (220 pounds) of gold to cover the cupola.  It was completed in 1848 and has never been regilded.   There were three previous St. Isaac churches.  The current one was commissioned by Alexander I.  He held a contest to find the best design.  It took 40 years to construct the present building.  Alexander died 15 days after the church was dedicated.  I was very impressed by the vibrant colors of red, blue and yellow.   The church is 101.5 meters (331 feet) tall and the dome is 3.5 meters (11 feet).  There are several religious icons in the front of the church.  One is the figure of Jesus as a man, the second is Mary with the infant, Jesus.  On either side of these icons there are separate icons of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Alexander, St. Nicholas and St. Catherine.

                                     

The last stop of the day was the Yusupov Palace.(NO PICTURES ALLOWED)  It belonged to a family of nobility.  The Yusupovs were one of the five richest families in Russia.  The family actually had five palaces in St. Petersburg.  When you enter the palace, you see a huge staircase.  It looked like the one at Tara, in the movie, Gone With the Wind.  The ceiling is adorned with a massive chandelier.  It weights 600 kilograms (1,322 pounds) and has 108 lamps.  In the State Hall there is a tapestry given by Napoleon to one of the Yusupov family members.  There is also a painting on the wall that is made to look like a tapestry. 

The bedroom contains lace draped curtains and the fireplace is made of onyx, decorated with gold leaf.  The rotunda room has blue colored columns, as this was a color of nobility.  There was also a drawing room decorated with blue silk and the ceiling is  painted with little cherubs.  The Red parlor was one of the most beautiful.  The color red means beautiful in Russian. The walls were covered with red silk, as was the upholstery on the chairs.

The green room has birch furniture.  Everything is covered with a light green color.  The ballroom has a white grand piano at one end.  The ceiling is painted with dancing nymphs and has a crystal chandelier hanging from the top.  It has 37 crystals.  There are 2 huge wall sized mirrors.  The largest room in the Yusupov Palace is a white columned hall.  Maria told us that the chandelier was made of Paper Mache, and then painted with gold leaf.   

 In the exhibition room, Maria told our group that one of the descendants of the family converted to Christianity.  In a dream, he was told by Mohammed, that a curse would be placed on their family.  None of the Yusupov children would live beyond the age of 26.   This appears to have become a reality, as there were many deaths in that family, from various causes.

The Roman Hall, named for a painting of Roman soldiers, has a clock at the end of the room, with a gold guild arch.  The Palace Theater is a copy of a classical Italian Theater, with an orchestra pit and red velvet cushions on the chairs.  The museum hallway contains photographs of artwork.  The small crystal room has a floor made of 16 different kinds of wood. The oak dining room has oak columns and an oak table made in Venice.  The legs have carved figures of lions, the symbol of St. Mark.    

                 

It was in this palace that a famous person, named Rasputin, was assassinated.  He was raised as a peasant, but became close to the royal family because he was reputed to have mystical powers.  The empress had a son who had hemophilia.  She believed that Rasputin could cure him.  However, many people did not like him.  He had a suite of rooms in the palace which he called his bachelors flat.  Five conspirators, some of whom were members of the royal family and military officers, planed to kill Rasputin in his flat.  One of the persons, named Felix, told Rasputin that he would introduce him to his wife, Irene, who was from the royal family.  They pretended to have a party and tried to poison him with cocaine mixed in his wine. 

But for some reason, this did not work.  So Felix went upstairs and got a gun and shot Rasputin.  When he leaned over the body, Rasputin opened his eyes and began to choke him.  Felix got away and ran into the garden.  Then one of the other conspirators shot Rasputin a second time.  This was a fatal shot.  The body was taken to the river, in hopes the current would take it out to sea,  But the body was found the next day.  Felix and his family went into exile soon thereafter, to avoid punishment.  In 1917, when the Bolsheviks found where Rasputin’s body was buried, they burned it.  This was part of the bloody conflict that resulted from a Russian uprising.  It began as a peaceful petition by the people, but ended on Bloody Sunday, 1-7-1905.  In 1017, the royal family abdicated the throne and the Bolsheviks took over the city.

The last stop on our tour today was The St. Peter and Paul fortress and Cathedral.  It was built during the time of Peter the Great to protect the newly occupied lands.  Though is belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church, it is designed like a Catholic Cathedral.  The walls are painted to imitate marble.  It is decorated with crystal glass chandeliers.  All of the icons are made of wood covered with gold leaf.  It took 5 years to make them and they were brought to St. Petersburg in pieces.

Women were not allowed in the altar area, so at Baptisms, only the father entered the Bapistry.  The Cathedral contains 32 tombs of previous Emperor/Empresses.   Maria led our group to the tomb of Peter the Great, which is made of Carrara marble.  His two wives are also buried in the Cathedral.  His second wife, Catherine the Great, had a daughter, Elizabeth, who ruled for 29 years.  The tomb of Nicholas the II, the last Emperor, is in a separate chapel.

It was in 1917, under the cover of night, that Nicholas and his family were awakened and taken out of the city.  The main guard told him that his army was trying to rescue them.  He said “we can’t have that” and he proceeded to shoot the Emperor, his wife and four daughters.  The bodies were cut into pieces and the remains were hidden.  In 1998, when DNA testing was available, archeologist found the remains.  It was confirmed that they were the Royal family.  Though there were rumors that the daughter named Anastasia escaped capture, her remains were later discovered and confirmed with DNA analysis.

The tomb of Alexander the II is a green color.  He was killed by terrorist and his wife proclaimed him a martyr.  His crypt weighs 5 tons.   Next we saw the tomb of Maria, the wife of Alexander the III.  She was originally a Danish Princess and died in 1928.  She was originally buried in Denmark.  But in 2005, Danish Queen Margaret allowed her remains to be brought back to Russia, because she was so loved by the Russian people.  One reason for their affection was that, when she became the Empress, she made a point to learn the Russian language, so she could communicate with the citizens of Russia.

Though it was a very long busy day, it was truly rewarding to have seen so many beautiful places.  We were all grateful that we booked the private tour.  It was well worth it.

6-9-14

6-9-14 – Tallinn, Estonia

All seven members of our group disembarked in the city of Tallinn, Estonia.  There were two different On-and-Off tour buses soliciting for our business.  The first price that was mentioned was $15 per person.  Roger negotiated with them both and got the price down to $10 per person.  As the City Sightseeing Company representative was the first to agree with that price, we chose to ride on their red double-decker bus.  Jan headed up to the top, open-air level and the rest of us followed.

We all got off the bus when it arrived in the Old Town, a medieval city built on a hill.  We walked around the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, as we could not go inside, because they were having a church service.  Then we leisurely strolled along the cobble sstone streets.  There were several souvenir shops selling amber, which is a very popular and expensive natural “stone”.  Jan was trying to find something for her daughter.  You can find almost anything imaginable made from amber, not just jewelry: everything from decorative boxes to Tiffany styled lamp shades.  

We had just gone to view the town, below, from a vista at the top of the hill, when we saw a tour group, whose guide was leading a very familiar tiny woman.  Rose recognized us right away and came over to speak with us.

We were all delighted to see one another so soon.  After Rose’s group left, we walked down the hill for a better view of the Baroque Toompea Castle, which is now the residence of the Estonian Parliament.  

Since we had been walking for awhile now and were getting thirsty, we decided to find a restaurant.  The first one we came to had outdoor tables, so we sat down and ordered lunch.  After lunch, we walked back to the bus stop and returned to the ship.       

6-8-14

6-8-14

Today was a sea day. Jonathan woke us at 10 minutes to 9 and served the fruit and orange juice Roger had ordered last night.  We had reservations for a Jazz Brunch in the La Cucina Restaurant at 10:00 a.m.  There was a buffet of “starters” that included a salad bar, fruit bar, pancakes, French toast and several dessert selections.  Once we returned to our seats from this selection, a menu offered main entrée’s.  Mary Jo was perfectly satisfied to have French toast and hot tea.  Roger ordered egg’s benedict in honor of his mother, who loved it so much.  After completing the “first portion” of his meal, he had a steak, to finish off the brunch.  He said he was so glad that he had ordered it; because it was the best thing he had eaten on our entire trip, so far.  I asked our waitress to let the chef know how much Roger had enjoyed it.  She returned a few minutes later and said the chef was very thankful for the compliment.

Leaving the restaurant, we began to walk around the ship, to familiarize ourselves with where everything was.  There are 13 levels, with multiple and diverse entertainment venues, restaurants and shops.  The large carry-all bag I had brought on the trip had torn (probably because of the weight of my computer, which we carry with us in case we find wi-fi somewhere).  So we went to one of the shops to try and find another bag.  Roger is SUCH a great shopper!  He always finds just the right thing for what I need, whether it is clothes or something else.  He also shops in half the time that I spend.  Sure enough, he discovered a red Norwegian shoulder bag with lots of pockets, that can be unzipped to twice its size, if need be. 

Next door was the jewelry store.  Roger stopped I front of one of the display cases that had emerald jewelry.  Before I knew it he had convinced me to try on a very expensive ring.  The salesman (a very nice young man whose name is Jai) could tell that Roger wanted to buy something for me.  Of course I conceded rather quickly once I had the ring on my finger.  It is quite beautiful, with a small delicate stone on one side of the setting and two tiny diamond leaves on the other side.  It is so unique, like nothing I have ever seen before.

Jai explained that all of their emerald jewelry uses only stones found in the county of Columbia, because theirs have the most clarity.  But Roger, who is well known for his frugalness, is very generous with me, was not finished with his purchase.  Jai showed him the matching earrings and pendant.  I was shocked and tried to resist, especially when I heard the cost.  Anyone who is familiar with Roger knows he rarely ever pays the advertised price for anything.  He takes joy in the bartering process.  Jai offered him a 10% discount, but Roger calculated a rounded DOWN, price, just a little less.  (With Roger it is “the principle of the thing”).  Jai said he would discuss it with his manager. 

So we soon met Farhan.  He knew a good deal when he saw one and quickly agreed to the lower price.  Both of the salesman were very courteous.  They said that it was very important to them that the customer is happy and pleased with the jewelry they purchase.  The “hard sell” mentality is not their style.  Our purchase came with an official valuation certificate from their company.   I had started to feel guilty having something so wonderful, when Roger walked over to another jewelry case that contained replicas of the famous Faberge’ eggs.  They are made with colored enamel coating, surrounded by imitation diamonds.  Roger asked to look at the emerald colored egg.  When you lift the lid on the top, it reveals a set of small connecting picture frames with the photographs of the royal family.  It was almost as expensive as my ring, but I was very glad Roger decided to buy it.  It is a wonderful Russian souvenir, which represents the “opulent world of Tsarist St. Petersburg in the years before the revolution”.

Earlier in the day, we had mentioned to our butler, Jonathan, that we had invited our friends to join us in our cabin later that evening (as our room was the largest).  He arrived about 15minutes before they did, with two plates full of food.  There were several different types of sandwiches and cheeses.  He also brought in a tray with extra cloth napkins and glasses.  We were so surprised and thrilled (as were our guests, when they arrived shortly after Jonathan had left).  It was such a generous and gracious thing to do. We had such a good time visiting with one another and sharing not only the food, but the drinks we had smuggles on board in our luggage.

We had to leave about 5:15, as we had received an invitation to a VIP reception in the Spinnaker Lounge hosted by the Captain Idar Hoydal.  When we arrived, we found a seat with a light above the table, as Rose was to join us there and she would be able to see better.  Almost as soon as we were seated, waiter came to our table and offered us cocktails or champagne.  Rose showed up shortly thereafter, wearing a gorgeous full length gown with silver and gold thread in the bodice.  She looked absolutely lovely.  Roger and I had certainly underdressed.  Once she was seated and had some hors d’oeuvres and a drink, an officer came up to our table to greet Rose.  He is the hotel manager and has known Rose from her many years of cruising on Norwegian Cruise Lines.  After hugging her and giving her a welcome, Rose introduced us.  He did not stay at our table for long, as the officers are expected to circulate among all of the passenger.  The reception only lasted for half an hour. Then someone put on some dance music and Roger and I danced together.  But we didn’t stay very long.  We were tired from staying up so late last night and hoping to get an early start on out visit to Tallinn, Estonia, tomorrow. 

6-7-14

6-7-2014

Mark, Betty, Jim, Jan and Karen, had all booked a tour into Rostock, Germany.  But Roger decided to try and rent a cab into town, which was inland and too far to walk.  When we exited the ship, we met a German couple who had just ordered a taxi.  They invited us to join them and would not let us pay our part, when we arrived.  They said it was a gift to us, as we were visitors to their county.  Before we parted, the man suggested that we try to visit the smaller coastal town of Warnemunde, if we have time.

The central square of Rostock was only a block away from where the taxi dropped us off.  We went straight to the visitor’s information center, where we were very pleased to find a “hot spot” (free wi-fi internet).  Roger spent quiet a while checking his e-mail, then we downloaded part of our trip diary to the blog, along with a couple of pictures from the last couple of days. 

Next we found an ATM machine.  We had to ask a couple of people before we figured out how to use it.  I have been very disappointed to discover that Germany does not have English translations on most of their directions and displays. 

We were able to obtain an English city map form the information center, which noted the interesting, sights around town.  The first site was also the best:  St. Marien Church was built in 1230.  It is most significant because it contains an astronomical clock behind the altar.  The clock was built in 1472 and shows not only the hours, but the day, month, year, phases of the sun and moon and the Zodiac.  It contains a computation of the dates of Easter up to the year 2017.   A daily highlight is the Apostles Procession, (figures that move across the top of the clock) which occurs at 12:00 noon.  We were so sorry to have missed it by about 20 minutes.

Also inside the church is a bronze Baptismal fount that was forged in 1290. The churches information sheet describes it as a medieval masterpiece.  It has “pictures that express the Creed in God Triune as Creator, Redemptor and Spirit.  The 4 carriers (Earth, Water, Air and Fire) represent the elements of creation.  The walls of the basin show the life of Jesus in whom God came as redeemer. The lid shows God’s work of man’s sanctification in the Spirit of Baptism, Ascension and the biblical parable of the wise and foolish virgins.”  Also inside the church, Roger photographed the beautiful stained glass window and an unusual sarcophagus, with a skeleton above the opening to the tomb. Unfortunately we did not find out who was buried there.

 

Just a block away is the Town Hall, which is a doubled-gabled house with seven spires on the front.  This and many of the structures in the town had to be rebuilt after World War II, because of the extensive destruction from constant bombings.  It seems a great tribute to the German people that they continued to strive for beauty of design in these “new” buildings, giving each its own special “flavor”.  Next we strolled to the “magnificent”(as described in their brochure) stone gate with the inscription, seal and coat of arms of the city council.  After walking several more blocks, we found the Gable house with beautiful terracotty.  It was built in 1470 and is currently the home of former Mayor Kerkhoff.

We returned to the visitor’s information center, where Mary Jo purchased three post cards with great pictures of both the town of Rostock and the seaside resort of Warnemunde.  After checking with several of the locals, we were finally able to find the correct train station (#5 or 6) to get us to the central station.  There were switched trains to Warnemunde (#1 or 2). 

When we first got on the second train, we were not certain if we had made the correct choice.  Yet, there were three young teenage girls sitting across from us.  One of them spoke excellent English.  She told us we were definitely in the right place.  She and her friends were headed for the same place, hoping to go swimming in the sea, but not sure if the water would be warm enough yet.  We discussed each of our counties for while and learned that she has relatives in California.  Also, she spent a semester as an exchange student in the state of Missouri.

When the train arrived at Warnemunde, we walked straight to the canal and purchased an order of fish and chips.  It turned out to be mostly chips (fried flat round sliced potatoes) But we were hungry so it tasted fine to us.  We proceeded down the crowded walkway toward the beginning of the beach.  There we photographed the lighthouse, which was called a teacup lighthouse.  I’m not sure exactly why.  We could not see any significant teacup design.  We discovered that the fresh fish markets were all on the other side of the canal.  Roger checked out several of them, and then selected some smoked halibut from one of the vendors.  He said it was ok but not anything all that special.  

We road the train back to Rostock, then took a cab the rest of the way to the ship.

Our group met Rose at the La Bistro, where we made introductions.  Rose inquired about everyone’s background, with began

a fantastic evening for us all.  Rose kept us all laughing the entire meal. In addition to the bottle of wine she ordered, she had also brought a bottle of champagne.  She had the waiter serve a glass to each of us, then we had a toast to Roger and Mark, whose birthday was last month and Jim, who retired from Baptist hospital two weeks ago.  Again, Rose made the night so memorable.  She and our friends thoroughly enjoyed one another.   

After dinner, as we were leaving the restaurant, the couple who was sitting next to us, stopped Roger. They wanted to thank us for “entertaining” them during dinner.  They had truly enjoyed watching our “family” dinner and wondered how old our “grandmother” was.  They could not believe we had just met Rose.  The women also thought it was strange that no one accompanied Rose to the bathroom.  Roger explained that regardless of her age, Rose is a very independent woman and did not want any assistance. 

We all went to our separate rooms until it was time for the dance band to start playing in the Spinnaker Lounge.  As soon as the music started, Mary Jo was one of the first ones on the dance floor.  The band started with music from the 50’s and proceeded through the years, until the 1980’s, highlighting famous songs from each decade. 

Shortly after the first couple of songs, Rose arrived and began to dance right along side Mary Jo. She has great rhythm.  Shortly after she started to dance, she was approached by a young man, who embraced her.  Rose’s face lit up, as she recognized the assistant cruise director, whom she had last seen 3 years ago.  They danced several songs together, while everyone in the audience looked on with delighted expressions on their faces.  Rose has a way of bringing joy not only to everyone she meets, but to all the others who observe her from afar.         MaryJo and Rose dancing

Roger surprised Mary Jo by dancing several songs with her, a couple of which were fast songs, something he almost never does.  The entire evening was so much fun!  

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6-6-14

 The ship                                                                                                    Buddy boarding the ship.

The next morning we all got up then checked on Mark and Betty’s luggage.  The airline said they would deliver it to the ship.  So Frederick got us a cab to the ship.  Roger and I went through the priority boarding and were escorted straight to the Cagney Restaurant, reserved for VIP guests.  Shortly thereafter a lovely woman was seated beside us.  We started up a conversation and soon became good friends.  She had one of the staff move our tables together so we could hear each other more easily.  Her name is Rose Zelman and she is from Manhattan, New York.  We can only guess at her age, but she must be at least 90.  Yet her mind is as sharp as a tack and she has the most marvelous sense of humor.  She had us laughing constantly.

Her husband never enjoyed cruising.  So when he died 13 years ago, she decided she started to cruise regularly.  This is her 20^th cruise, so she is well known by most of the staff who have been employed for awhile.  She has a personal relationship with Omar,  the concierge, having met him 10 years ago.  She also knows the ship’s captain.  Before we left the restaurant, she asked us to join her at the show that evening. 

We found the way to our room and were sooooo pleased.  It is wonderful!!  It is almost as big as our bedroom at home.  Besides a king-sized bed with a mirrored back wall.  There is a seating area with a loveseat, a glass coffee table with a centerpiece containing real flowers.  There is a table and four chairs, with a bowl of fruit in the center.  We had a large flat screen TV, with a small desk below the tv.  There is a glass cabinet with crystal stemware and water glasses, ceramic cups and saucers and a large Kureg-type machine with coffee and tea packets.  The bathroom is almost standard size and has a full sized bathtub, A decorative sliding glass door separated the toilet from the sink and tub area.  We have lots of drawers and a full clothes closet with mirrored doors, complete with thick white robes and slippers.   Our balcony wraps around the side.  Though it is narrow, it has two large padded recliners facing each other.

Shortly after we arrived, our butler brought us a plate of horduves.  He introduce himself as Johnathan.

After we settled in we met Rose in the balcony of the Stardust Theater, where she introduced us to Omar.  He left Rose in our company, while we watched the show.  It consisted of singing and dancing by the ship’s talented performers, as well as a duo of balancing artists and a juggling talent named John Nations. 

We had mentioned to rose that this trip was in celebration of Rogers’s birthday and she insisted that we join her for dinner tomorrow evening, in the French restaurant, La bistro, where she would bring a bottle of wine.  When we told her about traveling with our friends, she immediately invited them to join us, as well.  But, true to her delightful nature, she said, “but they have to pay the $20 for their own meal, I’m just paying for your meals.”

After the performance, Omar returned to escort Rose to her room and she asked him to make the reservations for our dinner, tomorrow evening.  She also said she would be doing a tour tomorrow, in Rostock.  We told her we would be going into town on our own.  Then we parted for the evening.  What a terrific time we had meeting Rose.   

BUDDY's ROOM

  

June 5 2014 My Birthday!!!!

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We joined a free walking tour today, run by a company called, Sandemans.  The group met at Town Hall Square next to the Dragon fountain.  Our guide was a very knowledgeable, enthusiastic young woman, who is also a student working on her thesis in sound engineering.  He name is Helia (pronounced L’ E a-the “h” is silent just like my maiden name, Hebert) and she has lived in this country only 2 years.  Her home country is Spain.

The building which is the Town hall is modeled on a similar building in Seine, Italy.  One difference in this structure is the two polar bear statues on either side of the roof.   But the main difference is a large golden statue of Bishop Absalom that is perched on the side of the building.  Inside you will find a clock that tells not only the time of day, but also the movement of the planets and stars.

Across the street is Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, built in 1843.  They have a wooden rollercoaster which was built in 1905.  Over 4 million people visit the area attraction each year.  Next, Helia pointed out Stroget Street, the largest shopping route in the world.  It is a cobblestone street.

Copenhagen history has been plagued by several city-wide fires.  The first was in 1728 and was stared when a candle fell onto some flammable material.  It took three days for the residence to stop the fire.  This was accomplished by taking down several buildings in the path of the fire.  A significant factor in all of the previous fires is the wind, which is so prevalent in Copenhagen.

Our next stop was a large square.  In the 1700s it was the place of the market, but was also where executions took place.  The Danes usually beheaded or hung their offenders and oftentimes subjected them to the humiliation of having rotten food thrown at them.          

Helia said that Danish history can basically be divided into three periods:  the first 5,000 years, nothing much happened.  The next 500 years there was economic growth, fostered primarily due to the geography of the western part of the country.  The Danes had control of the waterways and would tax all of the ships passing through the northern sea.  Other factors that contributed to Denmark’s growth were the fact that the county had large quantities of wood to build ships and also had metals as a natural resource to make weapons.

During the middle ages the Calmar Union was formed.  It was an alliance between Norway, Sweden and Denmark.   All of the counties profited from the union.  However, in the 16^th century, the Swedish government decided to leave the union, which weakened the position of all the countries. 

After 1700, Denmark encountered a series of unhappy events that precipitated decline in the previous economic advantage.  In 1711 there was a plague that wiped out ½ of the population.  Then there was the first great fire in the Copenhagen.  In 1795 there was the 2^nd great fire.  In 1801, England was at war and Denmark tried to remain neutral.  Unfortunately, England position was that you are either with them or you are against them.  So in 1801, the English General Nelson attached Copenhagen.  Not being satisfied with this encounter, He returned 6 years later and destroyed the city again.

In the 1900s, Copenhagen developed a parliamentary government and there was a period of recovery, where the city became a center for the arts.  All was well until 1940, when the Nazi’s attached Denmark.  After a short 2 hour battle, Denmark surrendered and began a 3 year period in which the Danes worked with the Nazi’s.  However, there was a group of people who began the Danish Resistance movement.  After the 2^nd world war ended, Denmark became a social democracy, with a welfare state.

As our tour continued we came to the statue of one of the famous Danish figures.  Carlsberg.  He became famous because he owned a brewery and fostered standardization of the brewing process.  Eventually his company was the 4^th largest brewery in the world.  He became extremely wealthy, but also gave back to the people of his county.  He founded the Carlsberg Foundation which has donated to numerous Danish causes.

Our next stop along the tour was on the oldest street in Copenhagen.  The road is over 1000 years old.

Helia chose this location to stop and explain a very common expression used by the Danish people.  It is called Hygge  (pronounced Huga) or Hyggely (pronounced Hugly).  This word basically means to relax.  It is a universal desire of Danes to experience Hygge or Hyggely moments through their lives.

To be continued.

Next, our guide spoke about a famous sculpture names Haralson.  She recommended that we try to visit the Church of Our Lady, where there are statues of the 12 apostles sculptured by this famous artist. 

Returning to the history of Demark, Helia noted that Bishop Absalom is NOT noted for his religious devotion so much as for being a commander and war hero.  He tried to convert the Germans, fighting them for over 8 years.  He finally achieved victory when he discovered the figure of their “God” and destroyed it.  When nothing happened to Absalom and his soldiers, the Germans were afraid of him and converted to Christianity.

Our next stop was an old brick church that was built in the 11^th century.  In 1520 it became the first church to have protestant services.  By the 1600s the country had converted to Lutheranism.  The church, itself, is now a museum.

Out next stop was the Royal Theater/Opera house.  As a teenager, Hans Christian Anderson actually auditioned for the ballet in this very building.  He was told by the director that he was too thin to be accepted.  However, he persisted in his pursuit of the art and finally became a vocalist for three years.  Then his voice changed and he was told he could no longer sing with the opera.  This caused him to become quite depressed.  Yet it also led him to begin to write stories and become the famous children’s author for which he is known today.   

One of the more popular stories about Hans Christian Anderson involved his visited to author, Charles Dickens, in England.  He “squatted” at his home for five weeks.  After having made several unsuccessful hints to Anderson about his departure, Dickens finally had to have him kicked out.

Next our guide led us to the old harbor area, which is the famous Nyhavn canal of today, Helia explained that it was originally a red light district, where sailors spent there time ashore.  A huge anchor was placed at the head of the canal in the year 2000, as a memorial to the sailors and soldiers that died in World War II. 

Proceeding a short distance, we came to the area of the Royal Palace, which seems a misnomer to me, as there are actually four identical buildings, with a central square.  One is the Queen’s residence; another is the home of her son and his family.  The other two structures are used for formal receptions and political meetings involving the royal family.  Today we knew that the queen was home, because her green flag was flying over the building.

Denmark’s Royal family is the oldest in the world, having been in existence for over 400 years.  Queen Margaret was the first member of the royal family to marry outside of royalty.  She chose to share her life with a French diplomat.  Helia explained that the prince and his wife have a very normal family life, causing the Danish people to love and admire them very much.  They can often be seen riding bikes to pick their children up from school.  Having contact with the public is very important to them.

There is a statue in the center of the square of Fredrick the 5^th.  He was the one responsible for moving the royal family to its current location.  The multiple buildings allowed plenty of space for all of the family members to live near one another, but still have separate homes, as well as space for conducting the necessary business of the Royal family. 

The statue, itself, shows Frederick wearing a leafy crown like that which was worn by Caesar.  Some people think this shows a little bit of conceit on Frederick’s part.  Another example of his “confident nature” is his desire to build a church to St. Frederick.  He decided that it should be done entirely in marble.  As a result, it took over 150 years to complete, because of the extreme cost of the materials.  Today, it has the second largest dome in Europe.

Our finally stop of the tour was at the water front, just a block from the palace.  Helia wanted to point out the area across the bay, which is a relatively new community called Christianshavn.  She recommended we try to make a visit there, if we have time.  It is the location of the Opera house, which we could see from the steps of the waterfront where we stood. 

This concluded our tour, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  We were happy to offer Helia a tip, which she had explained at the beginning of the tour, was the guides only form of compensation.  They do not receive a salary.

We made our way back to Frederick’s house and were happy to see that Mark and Betty had arrived.  After we greeted one another, be found out that their luggage had been lost.  The airline was trying to trace them and we were hopeful that they would arrive soon.