Our latest adventure took us to the north of Europe for a sail about the Baltic Sea. This was a region completely new to Tim and with the exception of Sweden, it was all new to me as well. We started, as most of these adventures do in the International Departures area of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. We flew out to Amsterdam in the early evening on a Delta bird, sadly an Airbus which doesn’t have the greatest sleeper seats (I had sort of assumed that the new equipment would make the runs to the big European hubs…I was wrong) but I have a knack for sleeping easily on planes and with the exception of being forced awake to transit the airport in Amsterdam for our onward flight to Copenhagen, I have no recollection of any of it. I recall that for some reason I was upgraded on the KLM segment to their version of premium economy and I couldn’t tell the difference between that and regular. And for the hour it takes to move from Amsterdam to Copenhagen I don’t think it would have mattered. It seems that once you are in Europe, nowhere is really very far away from another. As a check, I calculated from Dublin, Ireland, to Istanbul, Turkey and that was only a flight of 1,837 miles (farther than to Moscow, the other long range contender) which means that the flight wouldn’t be more than maybe four hours, or about the length of the average transcontinental flight in the United States. Not bad for transiting a continent.
[fsg_gallery id=”4″]
Copenhagen
Copenhagen airport didn’t make much impression, nor did the train into town. I really think I was asleep standing up! We walked to the hotel and took a much needed nap before venturing out to see a bit of the city. Fortunately for us, during the summer, daylight lasts for a very long time in Copenhagen, so our nap didn’t kill our chances of seeing things. Copenhagen looks very European as far as cities go, and if you’ve been to Europe I think you will know what I mean. The architecture and cityscapes are just different in an elemental but hard to describe way. You just know you are in Europe from the look of the buildings, the streets, and the people. One thing you have to pay attention to in Copenhagen is the bicyclists as they are legion and everywhere. Little bells ringing are probably a warning to get out of the way!
Probably the most famous place in all of Copenhagen is the Tivoli Gardens amusement park. We were fortunately very close to this famous landmark and it was simply awash in flowers of all types and colors. There were a fair number of revelers but not to the point of being oppressive and crowded. It was well worth a visit for the flowers alone.
The only thing that really “surprised” me about Copenhagen was the degree to which the city is multi-cultural. You will encounter a lot of folks who don’t fit the stereotypical image of the blond Scandinavian and for whatever reason that was something I didn’t expect. Of course this is now true of most of Europe (especially in Amsterdam) and it occasionally provides fodder for ultra-nationalist who fears being overtaken in the delivery room as birth rates for native Europeans decline but rise for immigrants. I decline to take a stand on the issue since it isn’t my continent to live on. At any rate, we had a delightful Danish dinner and tried to sleep soundly in a warm room with windows open to the sounds of midnight, and beyond, parties in the street anchored by a concert or other large group activity that didn’t completely die down until about 4AM. Copenhagen isn’t necessarily sedate!
On Board the Eurodam
The next morning we departed for the pier for boarding of the ship which is never a completely stress free activity given the sheer logistics of boarding over 2,000 people and all their baggage, although Holland America does a decent job of making it a reasonable experience. We were expedited since we were in a Neptune Suite, only one step below one of the two penthouses, and because of this, paid for, upgrade, we would receive beyond stellar service and consideration throughout the experience of the cruise with a dedicated lounge area and concierge service on duty daily. The suite was amazing and larger than some of the land-based hotel rooms I have used. There was even a dressing area, which was wasted on us, but still a touch of luxury in a setting where space is usually at a premium. We were never tripping over the other even when dressing for formal nights and that was a very special treat to say nothing of the degree of deference which the gold colored room keys seemed to gain you about the ship. And our laundry service was always 24 hours or less, easily twice as fast as other cabins. It is a luxury and an indulgence without question but it certainly came with conveniences and upgrades that made it an excellent investment.
Shipboard life is pretty much the same regardless of where you are cruising. There is of course the much ballyhooed food available which I find to be overrated in the extreme, but still decent for the most part, especially if you choose one of the specialty restaurants on board, which for this ship, the largest in the Holland America fleet, included a steak house, Asian fusion, and Italian. I simply love the steakhouse food and service and we tried the Italian since Tim won a drawing the casino that included a free dinner there (the specialty restaurants command a slight per person fee) and we were disappointed with the food although the service was amazing. The regular dining room aspires to gourmet heights but it is impossible to be truly gourmand when feeding thousands a day. That said, the stewards in the dining room a wonderful and food is decent enough and they were willing to work with Tim to accommodate his “way of eating” throughout the voyage.
In terms of things to do when not in a port, or even when in port if you consider the shore excursions and the ongoing activities available for those not going ashore, you need never be bored for a minute. If you want lots of activity there is always something organized to do. If you want to be comatose, that is an option as well. And there is plenty in between as well. The only things you can’t do when in port are gamble in the casino or shop in the stores, but everything else is happening as usual. Shore excursions are varied from 16 hour slogs to more manageable 4 hour jaunts and there really is something for everyone. Some ports cater to the self-explorer more than others as some ports are very industrial/commercial and are not within walking distance of town, but on those occasions there is usually a shuttle bus provided. On this voyage Tim discovered the Spa and was a frequent visitor to the gym and to seminars given about various “health and beauty” topics. He even, as did I, indulge in a few “treatments” while on board. I can’t say my face looks any different for the discounted facial I won, but I tried it anyway and I do think the acupuncture really helped my disc impingement in my neck. Tim was probably the only person on board who actually lost weight during the trip instead of gaining!
Tallinn Estonia
Our first port of call was Tallinn, Estonia. I was really excited about this since I have long been curious about the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. They have long been overrun by bigger and more powerful neighbors and in modern times have only been independent during the space between World Wars I and II, although during the Middle Ages Lithuania was an enormous regional power in collusion with Poland (how things change!). Post war they were incorporated into the Soviet Union and were among the first states to declare independence in the Soviet meltdown of 1991. Estonians are related to the Finns and Finland has provided a great deal of assistance in rehabilitating Estonia post-Soviet era. Their language is truly unique and related to only Finnish, but not to worry, everyone speaks wonderful English (helpful when there are maybe a million or so others who speak your native tongue, making you otherwise really isolated with only one language). Estonia is the most economically successful of the former Soviet republics and is a member of the EU, the Eurozone (meaning the currency is no longer the kroon, but the Euro) and NATO as well.
Tallinn, or the city that would become known as such, is first mentioned historically in the mid-twelfth century and its “Old Town” is one of the best preserved medieval city centers in all of Europe. Fortunately for us, the port in Tallinn was easily walkable and in fact there was even a painted line walkway to guide you towards town. The Old Town was readily visible and getting lost wasn’t really an issue to contend with. The structures of the old town are obviously well aged but in remarkable repair. The Old Town was full of shops and restaurants catering to the many tourists who visit during the summer months. The weather was fantastic, probably hovering around the mid-twenties, making it perfect walking weather, and walk is what we did with a short break for a couple of glasses of very pricey water in the town square. There is a sharp contrast between the old and the new cities in Tallinn, especially considering that the city is one of the 10 Most Wired cities in the world and has a thriving technology sector focused on the Internet. I was well pleased to have the chance to visit even for only a few hours such a picturesque and historical city. It was a great start to the journey.
St Petersburg, Russia
Our next port of call was St. Petersburg, Russia, long known as Leningrad. We would actually spend the night docked here since there was simply too much to see in one day alone. If you are expecting St. Petersburg to look classically “Soviet” you will be disappointed since it looks more classically European than anything else. I think it helps that the city was never occupied by the Nazis during World War II so it wasn’t razed like other Soviet cities. Sure, on the outskirts are some of the concrete block monstrosities that are so classically Soviet, but downtown St. Petersburg looks nothing like that. In fact, the founding father of the city, Peter the Great, wanted the city to mimic Amsterdam, including the canals. Once dug, they proved disastrous in winter when they froze over and they were filled in, but the sense of European sensibility never left the city center.
Again, the weather was perfect and every park and green space near a river was full of people sun bathing and picnicking. We saw many uniformed students on their way to classes at the University as well. And I noticed something peculiar in that every man on the street or on a bicycle had a satchel or bag slung over his shoulder almost like male purses. I took to calling them “murses” and I feel less guilty about my own version if such is good enough for Russian men. My other thought was that if the world ever seriously runs out of gold, simply mine St. Petersburg. Never in one place have I seen so much gold leaf gilding. It is everywhere in interiors and on domes of churches.
Because of language, alphabet and most importantly visa restrictions, we went on organized tours on both days we were in town. On both occasions we had wonderful, knowledgeable and comprehensible guides for which I was very grateful. Our first day took us to Catherine’s Palace, and I will assume that most of you realize I am referring to Catherine the Great, Czar of Russia in her own right. The Palace is opulent and lovely, but then you realize that it is almost entirely a recreation of what the Nazi’s destroyed. Very little is original and not all of it is rehabilitated. The gardens are lovely as well but again, much is recreated from the ashes of intentional Nazi destruction.
I found our lunch to be entertaining in that we were turned loose on our own devices in a shopping mall food court to try to make ourselves understood. Russia, unlike most of the rest of Europe, does NOT speak English. We made do with photo menus, or by taking i-Phone photos of the menu and pointing. The next day was easier since it involved only a pizza place where pointing was easier. Communicating Diet Pepsi was harder and unless you ask, and we didn’t know how, there is no ice. But we didn’t starve and come to find out that Russian shopping malls, at least those of today, look remarkably similar to what we have here. There were churches and squares as well after lunch but those sights are better presented as such by referring to the many photos that Tim took during the day.
The morning of the second day was devoted to the Hermitage, the museum begun in 1764 by Catherine the Great. It is now one of the largest museums on Earth and has the largest single collection of paintings in the world. Total holdings, only a fraction of which are displayed, total over 3 million pieces. This is the place to go if you want to see more Van Gogh paintings that anywhere else in the world. As you might expect, the museum is overwhelming with treasures stacked on top of each other. You can barely take in what you are seeing and recognizing as some of the most famous pieces of art ever created to say nothing of the many spectacular artists represented more prolifically than most any other place open to the public. Even Tim, who is not normally a fan of museums and art, was overwhelmed to see so many classic paintings by artists that even he had heard of, even if he wouldn’t recognize the pieces of any one artist. I think his amazement speaks volumes about the magnificence of the overall experience of seeing even a small part of this amazing place.
The afternoon of the second day was devoted to Peterhof Palace, a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the “Russian Versailles”. Most striking are of course the fountains more than the gardens alone. There are seemingly endless gilded fountains scattered throughout the premises, located on the Baltic Sea. Again, I think Tim’s pictures are the essential thing to see in regards to this location, although the link included will also take you to an excellent explication of the site. This area too was massively destroyed by the Nazis and what you see today is largely recreated, although none the less beautiful for being recreated instead of original. We rode a hydrofoil back to the buses at the Hermitage before riding back to port to re-board the ship. After two days of 8+ hours touring each, I was completely wiped out and barely stayed awake through dinner.
Helsinki, Finland
Our next port of call, literally right around the corner, was Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Again, the weather was perfection itself and we set out on a short escorted tour of the city. It was, again, very European in nature and was pretty packed with summer tourists. Unknown to me prior to the visit, Finland is officially a bilingual country with the Swedish minority of less than 10% guaranteed services in their own language. For example, all government services and street signage was in both languages. I knew that the island of Åland was mostly Swedish but I didn’t realize that the language issue covered the entire nation. They might as well call themselves trilingual since all school kids learn excellent English as well. Again, with only about 5 million folks who can speak Finnish in the world, you would be pretty isolated if you didn’t also master something else. Of course, the 9 million of so Swedish speakers helps, but still compared to English speakers, you have a ways to go.
Our first stop was a modern art installation, the Sibelius Monument. It was erected and dedicated to the famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius(1865-1957) in September 1967. Jean Sibelius and his compositions are known throughout the world for pieces such as Finlandia and Karelia Suite. There was some conflict as to the design of the Jean Sibelius monument, with one camp preferring figurative art and the other abstract art. The work of art was designed by Eila Hiltunen.
The Jean Sibelius Monument represents the series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes joined together in a wave like pattern. The work is made unique by its spatial diversity, allowing the viewer to enter it, and the echoes and sounds generated by the structure. Viewed from further away, its form blends in with the woods and rugged rocks of the surrounding area. It wasn’t bad as such installations go, but the real attraction in Helsinki seemed without doubt to be the next stop, the Church of the Rock, formally known as Temppeliaukio Church. The church is a Lutheran one, not surprising in Finland where the majority religion is Lutheran. It is easily the most famous sight in the city with over a half million visitors annually. It apparently has excellent acoustics as well as being unusual for having been blasted out of solid rock. The ceiling is made of copper wire in a spiral pattern which is quite striking. At the time of our visit, it was predictably crowded but still impressive. We finished the tour in the main town square in front of the main cathedral. The thing that struck me the most about Helsinki was its relationship to the water, being built on a peninsula, the water is never far away. This would be even truer of our next stop, Stockholm, Sweden.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is built on a series of 14 islands, or more properly put, on an archipelago. It is the capital of and largest city in Sweden and its system of waterways has earned it the sobriquet of “Venice of the North” although I am pretty certain that Stockholm doesn’t have the same odor issues associated with Venetian waterways. The city is truly lovely and it was my second visit. There is a comprehensive transit system that would easily take you wherever you wished to go, but most folks will concentrate, rightly so, on the old town area of Gamla Stan. This area of very narrow winding streets of cobblestones makes for a great walking tour to nowhere in particular. Of obvious importance in the area is the royal palace, very gaily festooned since not only was the Princess getting married that weekend, but it was also National Day when we visited, which is loosely akin to our Fourth of July (isn’t it odd that we note this major national holiday in the date format used by the rest of the world, but all other dates in our peculiar format of MM/DD/YY instead of the more globally common DD/MM/YY) although Sweden historically was more likely to be a colonial power instead of a colonized or dominated nation.
We were able to visit the town hall where the Nobel Prizes are awarded (excepting the Peace Prize which is awarded instead in Oslo, Norway). It is most notable for its golden room, on the second floor, of which Tim took some nice photos. Given that it was National Day, the building was closing early and there was quite a crush of both tourists and locals on this important day. If you visit, again remember to look out for the bicycles! They are everywhere. Our return route took us past the United States Embassy, routinely voted the ugliest building in Stockholm and I quite agree! It is shockingly hideous. Stockholm is best appreciated from the sea and we fortunately took advantage of the long hours of daylight to cruise scenically through the islands of the city on our way out to the Baltic.
Germany
We crossed back to mainland Europe, leaving Scandinavia and environs behind (Scandinavia proper includes only Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Finland, because of major language and cultural differences, is not formally included although it is often mistakenly lumped in geographically as part of the Scandinavian peninsula, which excludes culturally and linguistically related Denmark) and landed next in the former eastern half of Germany in the charming town of Rostock. Rostock has been around for a long time, dating back to the Hanseatic League of which it was a member. The city suffered during World War II and the following period under Soviet domination in East Germany was not kind to it either. Today, it is a nice smaller city with a lovely downtown area centered on the Town Hall. Perhaps the single most significant sight in the city is St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche), on Ziegenmarkt, which is an imposing brick Gothic church. Built in the 13th century, it was enlarged and modified at the end of the 14th century into the present cross-shaped basilica. The huge tower was not completed until the end of the 18th century. Inside there is a very impressive and complicated astronomical clock built in 1472 by Hans Düringer. One is hard pressed, I think, to really stretch Rostock into a full day of sightseeing, unless one is truly a fan of rather obscure German history. The main purpose for the ship stopping there was for folks to board a chartered train, which was delayed because of the massive flooding in Germany at the time, for Berlin. The train trip alone was 5 hours each way and made for about an 18 hour slog of a day that we decided to skip. I have been in Berlin before and we decided that Tim’s introduction to this truly global city should be one that is more focused that could be achieved in a train/bus nightmare of a forced march tour.
We next docked in Kiel, in what was West Germany for the purpose, again, of off loading passengers who wanted to tour a completely different city, in this case Hamburg. By this in the process, what I needed was a break and we decided that there was nothing that we knew of in Hamburg that justified the time it would take to get there and tour. Kiel, likewise didn’t hold anything of immediate appeal and instead we enjoyed one last day of lazy luxury no doubt including something in the spa.
Back to Amsterdam
It is always a bit sad to have to start packing up to leave since once those suitcases come out, the cruise is officially over. Disembarkation is always a bit hectic and is one of my least favorite activities. But we survived it and for the first time ever, we chose to use the ship’s transfer to the airport which proved to be very stress free and easy. Our flight to Amsterdam was simple enough and once in Amsterdam we needed to navigate the trains to reach the city center to spend the night since our connection to Atlanta for that day had already departed by the time we could arrive from Copenhagen. The trains come right into the airport and I remembered it being very easy to make the connection, but I first chose the wrong train and thus we had to change at the first available station (thankfully, it wasn’t an express to somewhere far away!) and that meant slogging very heavy bags about, three for each of us if you include shoulder bags and that wasn’t easy with steps up and down to and from trains, but we managed to get our bearings correct and arrived at the massive central train station. On board the ship, Tim had re-evaluated our hotel choice in Amsterdam and switched to the Ibis right at the train station. By the time we arrived there, I was dead on my feet and even the short walk to the hotel seemed interminable. To say I was shocked and disappointed in the closet of a room that we were given for the exorbitant rate of €180 would be an understatement! I didn’t remember Europe being so incredibly expensive on previous visits, or perhaps the train station location really commanded a premium.
We would venture out later and to say that I couldn’t believe how many bicycles there are in Amsterdam would be an understatement, although the aggressive nature of the riders did stick in my head from my first visit to the city in 2000. There was actually a multi-level bicycle only parking structure at the train station! The city seemed different after 13 years, which obviously it would be, but it seemed more hectic, not less, at the train station and environs. But even a short stroll away from that immediate area takes you into charming and quiet residential and light commercial neighborhoods of tall and narrow houses with the exterior hooks for rope and tackle to move large objects in and out of windows since they would never make it up tight, spiral staircases, the likes of which you will encounter nowhere such as here in Amsterdam. And you are never far from a picturesque canal to boot. Amsterdam is a city that although we have officially visited for the purposes of Tim’s map, I would choose to return to for a more focused experience, especially now that Tim has “discovered” art. Amsterdam is home to Van Gogh and Rembrandt after all and there is a great deal more to see and do than could possibly be done in a few evening hours.
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedty Jig
The flight home was simplicity itself since I slept the whole way after dinner, only waking in time to change out of my sleeping t-shirt and shorts into something more presentable. The only glitch was that Tim’s new passport wouldn’t work at Global Entry, so he had to wait in line a fair time, time which I used to gather the bags and prepare to return to the real world outside. Driving again was novel after not doing it for several weeks and we arrived home to two puppies either very glad to see us or just glad to get out of their generously spaced, but still confined, area. I am confirmed that a cruise is a wonderful and stress-free vacation option, I enjoyed northern Europe immensely, and look forward to our next adventure, wherever and whenever that might be.