2017 - Scandinavia & Russia

Day 1

The time zone jumps, the bad (if any) sleep on the plane, navigating to the apartment, unpacking, and exploring the immediate area for food and fun always make this first day travel feel more like 36 hours instead of 24. But we are now settled into a completely charming apartment in an even more enchanting section of Copenhagen: Nyhavn.

We grabbed a late lunch across the street at a restaurant called Amadeus Cafe — and we are all already in love with Danish bread and sandwiches. Then Keith and Bonnie came back to the apartment to rest while I went out in search of bread, cheese, wine, pastries and fruit. I walked along the Nyhavn canal making plans for tomorrow (boat tour!) and found everything I needed.

Before I left, we all agreed that we were NOT going to take a nap — that we were going to power through until a decent bed time so that we would be on Denmark time. When I came back with the groceries at 3 pm, Bonnie had already gone to bed :) At 5 pm, Keith and I decided that we were so exhausted we could surely sleep through the night.

At 7:10 pm we woke up in this beautiful land of the midnight sun thinking it was morning. Needless to say, we all decided to get up, shower, eat dinner, play games and read until midnight so that we truly WOULD be on schedule for tomorrow :) It’s 9:30 pm now… we’ll see.

Day 2

A day of castles for our princess :) First, though, we started the day with brunch at a sidewalk cafe along the marina in Nyhavn. It was so cold that we sat huddled in blankets to eat. Then we set out for our castle tours. First up was Fredericksborg Castle - the Museum of National History. Since this was north of Copenhagen in the countryside, I had marked it off the list. But at the urging of our friend Jens (who told us that it was THE ONE sight to see in Copenhagen), we added it back in… and I am so glad we did! While not as large, the castle rivals Versailles in architecture and art. If you scroll through the album photos, you will see a LOT of ceilings because we were constantly looking up at the amazing works of art.

From there we went to Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, Shakespeare’s inspiration for HAMLET. It was not as elaborate or ornate as Fredericksborg Castle because it was built for defense; but it was beautifully located on the coast, and during the summer months actors stage various parts of the play in the intended setting. Definitely worth the time.

We ended the evening finally meeting up with most of the family (Vicky is in flight as I type) to celebrate Mama Sue’s 70th birthday. We joined Wayne, Julie, and Jason to dine at Uformel — a unique and perfect setting to celebrate the birthday of the most fabulous 70-year-old I know.

Day 3

We were up early for a flight to Amsterdam for the day. Our first (and main) destination was the Anne Frank House. I just finished reading the newly released re-compiled Diary of a Young Girl, and it is more precocious and heartbreaking than ever before. Tickets are required in advance, and they are worth the calendar reminders and hassle :) [There are no photos allowed, and quite frankly, the solemnity of the tour demands a respect for those lives lost.]

For lunch we ate at the Pancake Bakery - a restaurant that is located in what used to be the warehouse of the Dutch East India Company. There is so much history in this city.

Next up was the Van Gogh museum. The location, architecture, art placement, and multi-media backstory/history of the works of art make this one of my favorite museums.

By the time we finished with Van Gogh, there wasn't any time left to get to the Rembrandt House before it closed. So we saved it for another trip and strolled through the Rijk Museum's gardens and around some canals one last time.

We are exhausted, but happy, and would do it all over again.

Day 4

Today is our final full day here in Copenhagen, so we scheduled a scooter tour of the city to make sure we hadn’t missed anything. With Julie and Jason being the only two with any motorcycle experience, this adventure turned out to be way more exciting than I had planned. Before we left the lot, a handbrake on one scooter and a mirror on another had been broken. Luckily there were no other injuries or damages to the scooters, and it was a wonderful way to see the city with Vicky, Mama Sue, Wayne, Keith, and Bonnie.

After the scooter tour, we had lunch at Nyhavn -- known as “the longest bar in the world” by most, but as the home of Hans Christian Andersen to me.

After lunch we took a boat tour of the canal, and the day was absolutely perfect for it. Sunny, but cool.

We ended the evening with a dinner of bread, cheese, olives and hummus right here in this amazing apartment. If you ever visit Copenhagen, I highly recommend this apartment near Nyhavn.

Day 5

We are about to board our Baltic cruise, and I know that wifi will be limited and spotty. So, while I will definitely be journaling every evening... I may not be able to post the Notes until I’m in wifi.

Our final morning here in Copenhagen was picture perfect. Keith and I had breakfast in Nyhavn, then enjoyed a canal cruise before heading back to the apartment to pack. I finally found the home of Hans Christian Andersen:

Day 6 - Oslo, Norway

Our first adventure of the day was a tour that included the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, the Viking Ship Museum, and the Vigeland Sculpture garden. All of which I recommend.

The Vigeland Sculpture Garden has three different exhibits based on the cycle of life. At each exhibit, Keith and I (and Bonnie) tried to find the one that portrayed us at this moment. Needless to say, it was quite daunting to be “so close” to the end of the cycle.

THEN we set out on our own and explored the Nobel Peace Prize Museum (Hi, Obama!), an ICE bar (totally cool — or “cold”) and the National Gallery (which included Edward Munch’s “Scream.”) I will now say that the Oslo National Gallery is at the top of of my list for art museums. FANTASTIC!

We ended the evening with a family dinner, and the satisfaction that we had as much fun in Oslo as is possible :)

Day 7 - Day at Sea

Today was all about relaxation. We slept late, worked out, and read books on deck. I absolutely LOVE a cruise that requires a blanket for reading on deck. So chilly…

Later we met the family for several games of Bananagram before dinner — then played Motown Trivia. Needless to say, Keith rocked this game.

P.S. I’m only going to create a Note about this day at sea because (for Keith and me) the rest were all just a whole lot of reading under blankets on a very chilly deck.

Day 8 - Berlin

Today our adventure consisted of a 3-hour train ride into Berlin, then a Hop On/Hop Off Tour of Berlin, ending with a 3-hour train ride back to the ship.

We enjoyed seeing the sights of history: Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Reichstag, etc. — but Berlin wasn’t our favorite city of the journey so far. It was hot, “new,” and quite honestly, sad.

The Holocaust history, especially, effected Bonnie. Near the Brandenburg Gate is the Murdered Jews Of Europe memorial, and Bonnie insisted on waiting to go through that museum while we finished our tour — and I wish I had stayed with her. It was an incredibly moving museum, with quite a bit more history that the shopping pushed at the end our our tour.

All-in-all (unless our local friends can convince us otherwise), Berlin is “once and done.” It’s “off the list.” Although... a visit during winter might be more pleasing to me. Maybe one Christmas :)

Note: We had a great time catching up with Vicky on the train ride, so there’s that :)

Day 10 - Tallinn, Estonia

What a charming, medieval city! The convoluted history of occupation overshadowed the true story of medieval happiness, but it was such a delightful city to tour.

I’ll upload some photos, but to be honest… we’re almost “charmed out” of these tours. I have a cold (or some type of sinusitis), which means that while I enjoyed the vista and the history, I mainly wanted to come back to the ship and sleep.

Tomorrow is St. Petersburg (for 2 days), so I’m pumping myself up with medicine, nose spray, pain killers, etc. I will NOT be deterred. :)

Days 11 & 12 - St. Petersburg

Even though this will be our last cruise (the reasons for that will be in my final Note), I will have to admit that being on cruise tours is the ONLY way to effectively see St. Petersburg,

Organized tours are allowed into the museums 2 hours early, and our experienced, educated, native Russian guides expertly steered us through the “hot spots” before most tourists were even entering the premises. Upon leaving every attraction, we were grateful for this perk as we drove past entrance lines that were blocks long.

Now, for the fun part: Here was our itinerary (click on the links to see the main attractions, etc.):

DAY 1

Peterhof Palace

Lunch at Navius*

Church of the Spilt Blood - (and FYI, that "spilt blood" has nothing to do with any crucifixion).

Cathedral of St. Isaac

Then, back to the ship to refresh and dress for an “Evening at the Imperial Russian Court”:

Champagne reception with a shot of Vodka (of course)

Private tour of Catherine’s palace

Symphony performance in the Throne Hall

A short piece of the Swan Lake ballet performed on the grounds

Dinner at a local “authentic” restaurant with too much Vodka and great dancing

The Amber Room at Catherine's Palace

DAY 2

Canal tour

The Hermitage (the early entrance was especially important at this palace museum — and it included a private tour of the “Gold” room... a room of national treasures)

Yusupov Palace (where Rasputin was killed)

Lunch at Troika

Peter & Paul Fortress

Keith and I personally agree that St. Petersburg alone was worth the entire price of the cruise. The history is amazing, and the sights are not soon forgotten. AND, if you are going any time soon, watch the 2016 BBC mini-series of WAR & PEACE.

*At every single meal... caviar, vodka, champagne and wine were served.

Day 13 - Helsinki, Finland

A short and sweet tour of a city to which we would definitely move if necessary. Helsinki’s history is fascinating and the its modern-day growth and architecture is aesthetically pleasing — very much an “Ikea” world. Keith and I both loved the simplicity of living with the accessibility to world culture.

The places we visited:

Temppeliaukio Church - built into rock, and not at all atheistically pleasing.

Now you've seen it. No need to visit.

^^Look at this picture. I’ve saved you a trip.

Helsinki Cathedral - Lutheran, so plain and simple compared to the others we’ve visited.

Sibelius Monument - memorial to the composer - the best part of this excursion was the drive through the countryside to get to it.

Day 14 - Stockholm, Sweden

Our final destination before heading back to Copenhagen… and Stockholm was amazing. Keith, Bonnie, and I signed up for a “rooftop” tour that showed Stockholm from a bird’s eye view. It was both thrilling and beautiful.

Then we walked around the old Medieval city (Gamla stan). We were completely charmed by the city, and definitely feel that we could live here — or spend our summers here.

As we left port, we sat on the balcony and enjoyed the sight of the archipelago — thousands of islands, and idyllic scenes of peaceful seas, sailboats, and isolated homes.

Our stay here was only 1/2 day, and it was waaaaayyyyy too short. Will definitely be back.

GOodbye, Princess (and all other cruises)

And, finally…. the reason I had to wait until we got home to share my travel notes...

While there are some benefits to traveling by cruise (not having to pack/unpack suitcases as we move from country to country being the chief among them), the niggling feeling of extortion has soured the entire experience for us. When I enjoyed my first cruise back in 1998 (a 10-day Princess Panama Canal cruise), everything was included: all non-alcoholic beverages and wine at dinner. Through the years, we’ve taken quite a few more cruises and with each cruise more and more of these amenities became separate charges.

The straw that broke the camel’s back is WiFi. When I first realized that wifi was not included in our most recent cruise, I thought “Well, it will be nice to be unplugged.” However, 4 days into our 11-day journey, I realized exactly how much we use wifi — and not just for social media.

(1) I have great travel apps that allow me to download free maps of the city I’m visiting — and the app even shows me where I am on the map using my GPS only (no data, no wireless required). I downloaded most of the maps before we left thinking that I could download the rest along the way. I was wrong. Very few of the great cities we visited offered city-wide wifi, and our tours were so packed that I rarely had time to quickly dip into Starbucks and download the next map.

(2) Several times when we were having great discussions, someone would ask a question and we’d all reach for our phones before realizing we couldn’t research it.

(3) We couldn’t share our photos with our travel companions. And,

(4) While quite a few of our new friends were very happy not to face whatever Trump’s lunatic action of the day was… I love politics and wanted to keep abreast of the situation.

Wifi is available for purchase, but the cost would have been more than $1,000 to use wifi as we normally use it — uploading daily travel notes, reviews, photos, etc. — and we stubbornly refused to pay for it since the cost of the cruise was already quite pricey. When I went to Passenger Services to voice my opinion, I was kindly told that “that’s just the way it is. Even employees have to pay for wifi.” That is NOT an adequate explanation. Nearly every hotel in the world offers travelers free wifi — and if hotels can do it, then cruise lines can offer it as well.

What blows my mind is the lost opportunity for Princess Cruises! Think of how many of us would have engaged in “free advertising” for Princess every time we pulled into a port with hashtags and pictures showing how much fun we were having. “Just arrived in Stockholm! Can’t wait to experience the shore excursion that Princess offers — rooftop views!" #NewExperiences #ThanksPrincess #RegalPrincess #TheLoveBoat.” See? It’s as if Princess doesn’t value social media.

And all of these reasons are in addition to the ecological reasons NOT to cruise - https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jan/05/cruise-ship-holidays-environmental-impact

So, until cruise lines join the 21st century, we will continue our travels as we have for the past few years: booking our own VRBO or AirBnB apartments (wifi included), arranging for our own high-speed train tickets (wifi included), or staying at all-inclusive resorts (wifi included) — all at half the cost of a cruise.

We are too modern and connected to do otherwise.