Stockholm (Nynashamn), Sweden July 19, 2010

Dropped anchor in Nynashamn at 7 am. Nynashamn is an hour outside of Stockholm - our ship, Baltic Sun, is too big to dock in Stockholmn so we are settled in the harbor - quite lovely! Tenders will take up from ship to port - 10 minute ride - fun!

We have signed up for a Stockholm Sampler!
Stockholm is a beautiful city - some highlights:

Vasa museum - quite a story - Swedes were off to fight the catholics (16280. Vasa was a ship built for the great battle - the ship sank 20 minutes after leaving port. Now we know whose side God was on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ship rested on the bottom of the harbor until 1961. What a find for marine archaelogy!

http://vasamuseet.se/en/

Other highlights of the tour:

Old City, cobblestone streets and lots of people watching!

Royal palace, evidently the Swedes are very enamored of their Roality! The proncess has just married - and there were mementoes everywhere! We resisted this purchase! Think Princess Grace and Prince Ranier

http://www.royalcourt.se/

Nobel museum about the life and times of Nobel - quite enspiring... by mistake we entered by the back door through the coffee shop and misted the cost of the entrance fee! We made up for it by some purchasing from the shop... in the shop we also got into a conversation with one of the sales people who travels to the award ceromonies. She related all the grief she go when President Obama was awarded the Peace Prize last year; she really didnt understand the push-back! http://nobelprize.org/

lunch in a small Swedish lunch spot and the local beer!

and more shopping!
It was a great day is a wonderful city.

Facts:
Sweden is an archipelago - from the ship this was very obvious.
Viking - (Vik) bay people

Saw vaudeville in the Stardust - Richard Gauntlet - very funny
Leah has taught new card games - which we play with "drink of the day"

July 18th Helsinki

Natural rising day! Tour didn't start until 10 and we got an hour back so
things were pretty relaxed.
After a drive along the coastal road through woodlands and the lake
country to Hvittrask, the former home of the famous Finnish architect
Eliel Saarinen. Architecture famous for its natural stone and logs.
It was lovely and the snack we had there was yummy.
Then a tour of the city and a stop at the famous Lutheran Cathedral and Temppeliaukio
Rock Church. Which was actually hewn out of a rock.
In the Senate Square we tasted a unique Tar and Licorice flavored ice cream. The tar came from
trees and tasted like burnt wood.. it was an experience.

We came back and plopped. Got a snack and watched MAMMA MIA with Sue's favorite Colin
Firth. She loves him. Leah doesn't get it.
Waiting for a $10 gift shop to open... the shopping addiction continues, getting
dinner, and then seeing a magic show!

Stockholm tomorrow! Looking forward to it

St. Petersburg Take 2 July 17th

Natural rising day!
Able to get in some workouts and reading before lunch and a second
go at the Hermitage. Broke free of the group with our own agenda:
Picasso, da Vinci, Santi, Caravaggio (one of the few in the world),
Matisse, and some Japanese and Chinese ancient artifacts.
One stop we didn't get to make yesterday, the cafe, and another,
the bookshop, we also got to visit. Sue bought a DVD of the Hermitage.
She would let you borrow it...... but since your not reading this that's
not happening.
Also, good luck getting your gifts.
NO BLOG READING=NO GIFTS.
Got home, went to the Four Seasons for some dinner and then went
to see Celine Dion/Tracy Shields. She's good, look her up on YouTube.
The ship also held a Russian Bazaar. KEYWORD: BAZARRE.
SALES+CRAZY CRUISE-GOERS=POTENTIAL RUSSIAN EXPLOSION
Didn't buy anything... have seen enough nesting dolls and lacquer anythings
for a lifetime.
FUN FACT!: "white nights" used to describe the lack of darkness during the
last two weeks in June and first of July. Still experiencing them now.
-It's weird it never gets dark. We love our black-out shades.. And Tylenol PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCIjFOyIOJo&feature=fvw
This is a brief discussion of the "white nights" in St. Petersburg... really makes you wonder about what the dark days must be like in the winter!

Just got underway for Helsinki. A day in the countryside tomorrow!
BEST OF ALL: gaining an hour back of the three they stole from us!

St Petersburg, Russia July 16th

After a fun show called SHOUT! music from the 60s and 70s we headed
for the sack to get some sleep so we would be fresh for our first day in
Russia. Any tiredness we felt was overwhelmed by the excitement of
being here!
We had chosen a double decker tour of St Petersburg for today. Turned
out to be a terrific choice, although the day was very very HOT. Our
tourguide Ksenia tried to hold our patience with a couple of rude travelers
while escorting us throughout the beautiful city. (WE were not among
the rude.. of course).
Our first official stop was St. Isaac's Cathedral. Beautiful with its gold
onion domes and Orthodox crosses. We witnessed the magnificent
architecture of the buildings throughout St Petersburg along with
the pastel facade of each. It is a city of many bridges and canals, much like
Paris, indicating the city is built on a series of islands.
After a city tour on the bus we let loose and stretched our legs right next
to the Cathedral on the Spilled Blood. Magnificent mosaics throughout.
We also had an authentic Russian lunch of mashed potatoes and Beef
Stroganoff, a salad we couldn't recognize, and a complimentary desert
of an apple crepe with vanilla sauce. Then the excitement came.
BALUGA!
Epic giftshopping. Get ready for them fam!
Then to the Hermitage, a little sweaty. No airconditioning?!
But rich in history and beauty. Rembrandt, Picasso, Van Gogh,
Michelangelo, da Vinci, Cezanne, Monet, etc. + Catherine the Great's
collection. *Unanimous favorite! Bronze, gold-leafed Peacock Clock.
(Spreads its feathers 5 o'clock every Wednesday)
Started downpouring again.. but we were already on the bus on our
way back to the airtight Russian Passport Control. Didn't wanna mess
with those boys.

FUN FACT(s)! "Bistro" is Russian for "hurry" Who knew?!
St Petersburg is named for St Peter, not Peter the Great as
many may think. Also, formerly named Leningrad, then Petrograd,
THEN back to St Petersburg.

Question remains.......... is anyone reading this?!

July 15th TALLIN ESTONIA!

After a natural rising, we disembarked on our Estonian adventure!

Strolled through a small open market, previewing our later purchases
then boarded a "Hop On Hop Off" tour bus. Were guided through the
New town but Hopped Off at the Wall-enclosed Old Town.

First stop Cathedral of Aleksander Nevski. Old Russian Orthodox and
a favorite! Lit a few candles for all the Zuckowskys. (Love ya mom!)
In the cathedral was a young Russian Orthodox priest.. very serious.
Watched a little girl fill up her empty water bottle with Holy Water.

Wandered the cobblestone streets and found a few of our must-sees!
-St Nicholas Church Museum--entered to an organ recital
-Old Dominican Monastery--at first wandered into an art gallery to
a very perturbed artist at work.. OOPS. Then found the real thing.
Beautiful!
-REVAL.
-They sell liquid Cannabis... we had to hold Sue back from the register!
Found some good lunch and Estonian beer, then got temporarily lost
and turned around to soon be caught in a downpour.. Made the best
of it finding a good shop.

Made our way back to the bus stop to find the next Hop On time wasn't
for an hour. Lightning started and we got a cab with a couple from Ghana.

RAIN! RAIN! RAIN!
Returned to a now flooded open market but that wasn't to stop us.
We would shop.

Yummy dinner in the Four Seasons and going to see a musical tonight about
London in the 60's. Hoping for some Beatles!

ST PETERSBURG TOMORROW! is anybody reading this?!

Day at Sea July 14th

Exercised (Leah in gym, Sally&Sue did the mile around deck)
then...
Pool, pool, and more pool!
After a long day in Berlin, we spent the day relaxing at the pool.
And hit 4:30 BINGO... lost again. But very fun!

SUSHI DINNER!!!!!
Godzilla roll was the favorite and the champagne toast to Pop&Op's
65th annivesary.

And Tucker.......
The ship's comedian had us dying from laughter to end the day.

Berlin - July 13, 2010

Up early - and out to the tran with hundreds of other passengers. We boarded a train at Warnemuende for a 2.5 hour ride to Gemany's capital. Once in Berline, Ruth our guide joined us for a whirlwind tour of the "top 10 sights" of this bustling city. Beginning in the formerly east section of the city where the archetecture reflected the starck communist past - esp in it's grey highrises.
First stop a section of the Berlin Wall - that is used as an art gallery. Almost a quarter mile of the orginal wall where artists were invited to paint their reflections of the meaning of this symbol of division.

Check-point- Charlie was next...where we got our passports stamped... for a couple of euros of course.

Other highlights - lunch in the Lowenbaur (with beer)... Brandenberg Gate, and the Reichstag Government Building, site of Germany's Parliment. Charlottenburg Palace.

Holocost Memorial.... not enough time to really explore. Sal and Sue had been there before so we knew what we were missing.... surprisingly some of our fellow traverlers viewed it as a playground... arrugh! Good news - they were Canadians/ not from the US... Sally was able to lob off a very respectful reprimand.

The largest department store in Europe, KaDeWe - was the venue we chose for shopping.... Leah was able to purchase a gift for her dad and brother - they will love their gift! We love the sixth floor - the food court (you cannot picture this - trust us!). Leah said it was Whole Foods meets Ikea on sterroids! We were able to purchase some contraban to smuggle on-board... FYI rsm friends - water bottles work much better than Listerine bottles - for future reference!

Finally - a train ride back to the ship - lovely and sometimes "fragrant" countryside. We shared a compartment with a lovely young couple from Newfoundland.... nice!

There's much more - all-in-all it was a wonderful albeit exhausting day!
The day ended at a tappas bar and standing on the observation deck as the boat pulled away from the port - Sarah Brightman sang - "Time to Say Goodbye" - not quite Andrais.... but well done!

Today a day at sea.... relaxing.... Leah was off to the gym early.... Sal and Sue read the paper... all is well - and enjoyment is high!