Day 9 - Tallinn Estonia - Monday

Sunny day at 13 in the morning and it warmed up to 18 or so.



Freddi shopping

The morning started when the engines reversed slightly to slowly move into the harbour mooring in Tallinn Estonia. We gathered Lucy for breakfast and went up to Horizon for breakfast. That went quickly as we wanted to walk to Tallinn and walk around for the few hours that we were in port for. The stroll to the old town was easy and pretty straight forward as there was a steady stream of folks from the two ships that had pulled in this morning. A Celebrity cruise line was berthed beside us. We entered the old town and started our walk through the town. A walled city with heritage buildings that went back to the 13th C. A beautiful sunny morning greeted us and our photographs demonstrate that the sky was clear and blue. We strolled and caught up to Paul and Mary Ellen for a short time. We walked up to the higher part of town and visited Russian Cathedral. No photos were allowed of this church but it's alter was a demonstration of wealth as it was all gold and plenty of it. The church was very large with many steeples and round in shape. As we walked about many chauffeur driven cars arrived with important government people in the cars as the Prime Minister's residence and office was in the upper part of town. There was much fuss with the arrival of each impeccably dressed representative. In addition the town's streets were filled with tourists from both ships in small groups or tour groups. We then wandered into the main square where an anxious restaurant owner motioned us to his restaurant. It was too early for us to stop as it was still only 11:30 AM. We continued on and found a Gypsy market in one of the smaller squares. We walked about looking over the merchandise and purchased some small things. Freddi and Lucy bought pashminas and I found a new soap pumice and a very different striped shirt. The clothing was exceptionally well made and used different materials in unique ways. The children's clothing was adorable but I was unsuccessful in encouraging Freddi to buy Skylar a dress. Apparently it was too expensive as she would only wear it for a couple of months. Our walk continued and we returned to the main square for a sit down and some nourishment. Freddi ordered brochettes and Lucy and I shared a pizza of 4 quadrants. All was good with something to wash it down and off we went to continue wandering the streets. The day had remained sunny but a freshness in the air signaled a change in weather. On our way back to the ship we found a concrete area that was huge and currently unused. Apparently it was an observers area for the 1980 Olympic sailing events. Although all blocked off it became apparent that there were facilities inside. A local office worker gave us the information about its origin. Many things came to mind that could be executed in such a space but primarily it could be used as an outdoor farmers market even though it had lots of steps. It was a shame to see such a large space going to waste.

Inspiring rooflines



On the final steps of our walk we were channeled through some small shops that sold local wares. The we found some souvenirs and both Freddi and Lucy bought Cotten shawls or jackets. These we Beautifully made with precision and unique design. After some time we made it back to the ship for a rest before our Chef's Dinner evening. At around 5 PM we all met together to finalize our strategy for the long day ahead in St. Petersburg. Paul had all the details about requirements (passport, visa, ticket for DenRus) and we agreed on timing to meet to get off the ship together and get on our way by 6:30 AM.



Lucy, Freddi and I then set off for our food adventure for the evening. We met at the International Cafe where Generoso (food director) met us to collect our waiver documents that stated we understood the restrictions of this event. Basically we were to tour the kitchen area and see how it works. We met Giuseppi (the main chef) inside the stainless steel kitchen with its rows of both cold and hot serving areas. We washed our hands thoroughly and walked through the galley. The serving teams we very happy to see us and chatted us up as we passed. In the pastry galley they had converted the area for an eating area where we enjoyed some appies as the two seniors talked to us about the food on board. The staff of 275 worked around the clock preparing the meals from the stored food on the 4th deck. Examples of the volumes were given such as 1.5 tons of potatoes each day at sea. The appies were set up beautifully and accompanied with the Champagne arranged for to compliment the food. Giuseppi and Generoso gave us a talk about the kitchen and how it runs while we were served the first 4 items on the menu. We then walked back to the entrance of the Michelangelo dining room where there a beautiful table set up for us. We were informed about the next courses and we watch Giuseppi flambé the beef filet. The entire menu follows:

Lobster Margarita with Avocado and Mango

Tuna Tartar

Tuna tartar with condiments

Fortina cheese quiche with truffle and sun blushed cherry tomato

Bliss new potatoes with Sour Cream and Caviar

******

Asparagus Risotto with Lobster Tails and Claws

******

Lemon Sorbet with lemoncello Marinated Strawberry

******

Roast Lamb Shank & flambéed Beef Tenderloin carved at able side with crepes and jus, today's vegetables and mushroom potatoes

*******

Baked Camembert with pine nuts

Giuseppe and Generoso

Port wine reduction and walnut (fig) bread

******

A Princess Fantasy Delight

Lemocello Flavored Sponge Cake arranged with a delight Saboyon Coating

******

Chef Giuseppe's homemade Bon Bons

Wines:

Champagne Nicholas Feuillatte -Chouilly, France

Chablis, de Aoura Spirito, Burgundy, France

Cabernet Sauvignon Kenwood Jack London, Sonoma USA

Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest, Errazuriz

******

All the courses were wonderful and attentively served to us while we chatted about many different experiences that the different members have had on cruises. I sat beside David, a pastor in Lake Tahoe with his wife Mary Kay. There was a tired military guy about 40 years old and his wife who lived in Qatar where he taught military strategy, a retired pediatric dentist and seemingly his newly we'd and two other couples which we didn't talk to much. It was a mixed bag of folks but a fine group to spend an evening together enjoying some fine food and information about how the ship runs their kitchens. Giuseppi and Generoso ended the meal with a gift of red roses for the ladies and copy of Princess' cookbook with a printed copy of the menu and the wine list. It was a fine event for sure and both informational and entertaining.

We returned to our rooms about 10:30 PM and retired as it was going to be a long day the next day.

The group at the Chef's Table dinner

Day 8 - at sea day –Sunday

Sunny day but cooler as were at sea



Let the games begin

 The sun broke through a and welcomed a cool morning. It was around 7 AM when I got up (strange as that may be) but I was not alone as most of our team reported a good night’s sleep. I managed to get a bit of writing caught up and downloaded the photos of the day before. After selecting a few photos for this blog I made smaller versions for uploading to the Internet. That activity was interrupted by the requirement for breakfast before we met the Americans for the CanAm games. The challenge had been issued by John the evening before. John and Paul set up the plans for the challenges and we were to meet at 10 AM to start the process. For some reason the Americans had not included the women in the challenges. John is sure that was done because the women wanted some time to themselves away from the men. None-the-less the Canadian women were visibly disappointed. To their credit they showed support and cheered us on and were the official record keepers. Plans were started to change the format for day 2 of the games.



The Canadian Support Team

The first activity was a mini-putt challenge. We paired up with Canadian and American members in each team and went around the 9 hole Scottish links type mini-putt course. It was pretty cool outside and the Canadian team looked very proud in their flag adorned clothing that Freddi supplied. The Americans were not showing any national pride and had no support from their ladies. The course provided challenges to all as it was not straight forward in any way. We were met with holes where an easy 2 shots were expected but up to 8 were delivered and tough holes that allowed a simple 2 shots to go in. The game of skill was diminished to lady chance for sure. In the end the Americans edged a win with their 5 man team against our 5 man team. Off we went to take up the basketball hoops challenge. We each had 10 throws and our scores were recorded. Most of us got 2 or maybe 3 but Don managed to be the high scorer by getting 6. That lifted the Americans higher in overall score. The third game was a soccer kick challenge that ended up being more evenly balanced but that left the Americans still in the lead. The final game was shuffleboard and after much discussion about the rules (which no one was clear on) a set of rules were defined and we started playing all players on each team. We played with 5 stones to match our team sizes. It was windy and cool but we played on the sunny side of the ship as it steamed along in the Baltic between Warnemunde and Tallin. The target score of 100 was achieved by shortly after noon by the Americans. The high fives and thanks were very much like the Toronto Maple Leafs as we retired to our rooms to prepare for the rest of the day. It was a fun time with many laughs as we learned about the competitive streak in each of the team members. There was an agreement that there would be a day 2 but it would include the ladies and there would be some modifications to the games. John and Paul took on that challenge. The next events would happen on the next at sea day after we leave Stockholm.

Style counted for more than accuracy.....

The balance of the day was doing personal things by each of our group. I finished the blog and posted it with much difficulty as our communications fell down a few times and the blog software gave me a bad time. By 2:45 we were ready to take on the wine appreciation seminar that was delivered by the ship's sommelier Mihei from Romania. He was a friend of Marian. There was a great line up to get in but we managed to get our group of 6 at one table. We were to taste 6 wines with some nondescript sparkling wine given to us as we sat down. The presentation started but the large attendance made it difficult for Miguel to be heard above the rude folks who talked at their table all the way through the presentation. The level of attention dwindled as we progressed through the 6 wines. We tasted a champagne, 2 whites and 3 reds. All wines were on the wine list and one we had already tried. There were small applies that would compliment each of the wines. It was a good format but the size of the audience contributed to the noisy room. Mihei did a good job from removing a champagne cork with a sword to detailing the characteristics of the individual wines. All that took about 45 minutes and we were on our way to the Gold members reception where we were regaled about the beauty of Princesses new ship and how we should book our next cruise while we were on-board this one. A complimentary drink ticket was our prize for showing up and one cabin received an elevated status for the balance of the trip. Freddi went down as her Asthma could not take the increased levels of perfume that the women were wearing. It was formal night and some were gussied up for the evening activities. She went to our stateroom for a rest and that is where I found her aft the event. She had a sleep and we had some quiet time before our dinner reservation. I stayed in the room and listened to music during that period and we missed the champagne mountain and the fuss associated with the formal evening.

Dinner was in Divinci dining room and Allan had made the reservation. He had suffered from the day’s activities as he started the cruise with a bad back. He looked like he was in lots of pain while he sat upright in the dining room.



The food offering was good as it had a diverse feel to it and everyone tried something new. The hardest thing about cruising is not overeating and we had all failed in that category. The smaller portions of the evening were appreciated by all. I enjoyed duck breast slices with greens and a shrimp neptune dish with saffron rice. A couple of others enjoyed that meal also but there was also a pork roast dish, steaks, chicken, pasta, salads etc offered for dinner. Freddi broke down and had banana foster while I enjoyed a fudge pudding for dessert. All very good for sure. Some of our team went to the musical entertainment for the evening and some went to bed. Bob and I had a nightcap in the jazz bar before retiring for the night.

It was a good day that slipped into history very quietly but quickly.

CanAm Games challengers 2012

Special note: Please excuse any typos as most of this has been written on the iPad and it insists on putting up words (autocorrect) that look like my typos. That sometimes does not help to get my point across.

Day 7 – Warnemunde Germany – Saturday

Yet another sunny day with temperatures from 13° to 27° and back down to 15° in the evening.

We went for breakfast in the Horizon so we could have an omelette and Lucy could have her coffee. We then went to the collection spot for our tour of the day. We had booked a cruise, walk and beer tasting in Rostock. The majority of the cruise participants went to Berlin early this morning. They went by train or bus and will be back at about 10 PM this evening. The balance of our team will be walking about the town of Rostock and Warnemunde area.



The tour started very promptly and we were on the buses and moving at the prescribed time. We were group of about 35 which was not too bad. Our guide, Alex, was a student in his final year studying education and sports. He wants to teach athletics in high school. His English was pretty good but obviously German is his native language. I could go on at length about some of the tour couples but that is not very productive so I will not go there. We drove to Rostock (15 minutes) and we got out of the bus to see a couple of points of interest in the city. The city had been ruined during the bombings and it has since been rebuilt and augmented toward today's standards of building. The core area has been face lifted but in such a way that it looks like the original cityscape. Alex walked us about for a while stopping at the centre square or the "Porno fountain" which is a number of brass sculptures inside a fountain area that represent families and couples frolicking in the nude. Naturally, lots of people have fun with the sculptures and they are a butt of many jokes. He then sent is off to improve the German economy for 30 minutes just as the stores opened at 10 am. We wandered aimlessly down the street and found our way to city hall and the New Market area. It was filled with calling vendors as they shouted out messages about the freshness of their products etc. The big thing for this weekend was the availability of white asparagus and the were some pretty fine looking large examples. Freddi found a hawker who sold all sorts of small stuff. The two guys who ran it were from Vietnam and spoke in many languages (in a broken fashion) to the many passersby. Freddi stopped to look at some shoes which lead to a try on which lead to a purchase of yellow leather walking shoes. Very different for Freddi - not buying shoes but buying yellow shoes. Lucy managed to rustle up a coffee for the walk and my eyes groped the store signs in search of the green Neptune symbol of Starbucks. I have only seen one since we landed in Copenhagen and that was at the airport. A chai latte would go well one of these days.



The main street of Rostock



We picked up the tour again and travelled through the streets. During the tour Alex let out some information about their social system - 44% base tax, 19% sales tax, an additional environment tax of gasoline on top of their regular taxes for the product, 9% religious affiliation tax for those who claim to be religious on their tax forms (an almost guaranteed way to get that money for the repair of churches as what religious person would lie about that), however all of this tax results in free university, child support of 1500 € per month per child, free rent if you are unemployed along with a monthly allowance that is substantial enough to allow a person with three kids and no work to get enough money to be within 100 € of the income of a person who does work. This creates many unemployed who work for underground jobs for cash under the table. Not much of the earned money makes it to savings. There is not much support for the system and there are changes in the wind.



Playing in the fountain



We returned to the bus to drive the short distance to the dock in Rostock to find the brewery we were to have the beer tasting at. Zum Alten Fitz is a local brewer and we sat down and Alex gave us each a large pretzel and a sour waitress gave us all a small mug of beer to taste. That was about it! No discussion about the process, the popularity of the beer etc. We stayed the about a half an hour before we boarded the bus to go to the church. We then toured the St. Mary's cathedral (13th C) and Alex gave us some history of the church. Parishioners worked hard during the bombings to make sure the church was not damaged as it is the largest church in the area. It survived and some of the history is quite interesting investing. Of particular note is the astrological clock that not only tells time but indicates the date, year, time for Easter for the year, hours of daylight and darkness, the phases of the moon and positions of the sun all by the movement of a couple of mechanical arms. The clock must be "wound" daily and the face will last for 150 years before having to be replaced for the next 150 years. There is a mechanized play that plays out at noon and midnight that we missed but Paul, Mary Ellen and others saw that day when they walked through the church after our tour. We bumped into them at the church as we were leaving just before noon.

We then boarded the bus again and drove back to the water front area to catch a ferry for a cruise down the port area. The ferry was very large and they served coffee and beer to the passengers for the 45 trip back to Warnemunde. The trip was somewhat interesting but very cold as we steamed toward the mouth of the harbour. We guided towards and played chicken with Costa 5k person tour ship as it entered the port. It was impressive but it was listing to the starboard as the decks we filled with a large number of people observing the arrival. Finally we docked and disembarked the ferry. That was followed by some instruction about walking in Warnemunde and a good bye to Alex. Our walk started by seeking out some food. Finally we decided to stop at a deep fry place and had some calamari, some chicken and fries. It was coved in way too much dough to be either healthy or good but it was food and fuel for our long stroll through the town. The town is a quaint little seaside town that had attracted a lot of German people for the local long weekend holiday. The streets were filled and the restaurants were at capacity all along the water. There is a beautiful beach at the edge of town where beach chairs are rented by the hour or day. Some of the chairs were huge shelters from the sun. We walked about and found the longest way back to the ship.

In the late afternoon I took a snooze and had a shower to re-generate my engines. We then went to the Crown Grill for dinner again. This time it was with the whole gang. Marian took wonderful care of us and brought some extra lobster to compliment the wonderful beef and lamb we ordered. The evening was filled with lots of chatter as we shared our own stories of the day. The consensus was that the stop had been a success for everyone and everyone was looking forward to a quieter day the next day. After dinner we all crashed for a night of rest.

Busy Warnemunde Port

Day 6 - Aarhus - Denmark - Friday

Weather was 13 to 27 during the say with sun!

Den Gamble - Circa 1700 - 1800



Once again the morning came early as the sunlight came into the stateroom early. I got up and managed to get some e-mail done and then I uploaded a report of the previous day. I then did a load of laundry as it was early enough to ensure that the Laundromat would be empty. Sure enough it was and I sank $ 2.00 US into the washing machine and added a box of detergent for another 1.50. I let the machine do its work and I returned to the stateroom to finish my log activity. Suddenly I heard the engine noise change to signal the arrival in port. We docker in Aarhus at about 7:15 am and that earlier arrival time now allowed for a full day in town instead of just a few hours. By 8:00 am we were ready to go for breakfast. We ended up in the stern buffet area where there seemed to be a shortage of food. We rummaged up enough for breakfast and chatted with our group for a while. Then it was time to get organized and get off the ship for the day. Well the getting organized took longer than planned and we finally got going about 9:10 or so.



Wall construction - an example



Our plan was to walk the 2 km to Den Gamble By open air museum. The walk took us through the canal area that was lined with cafes and small restaurants. The early morning allowed us the opportunity to see how they opened their businesses for the day. We walked past Magasin which is the major store in centre town. We were to return there later in the day. We arrived at Den Gamble just as they were opening for the day. That allowed us to walk about a bit before the hords arrived from the Princess tours. This open air museum is a beautiful small old town in the middle of Arhus. The cobble stone streets, the period costumes, the open shops to view, the construction techniques, the priest wandering the streets and the open hospitality were all very much appreciated. They used timber framing and filled the gaps with mortar and bricks in all types of patterns. The environment and presentation was by much like Upper Canada Village where you are wandering about in a particular period. I am thinking that a collage of pictures would be a good idea to show some of the unusual and clever building techniques and decorating techniques of the period. This was no castle presentation where wealth and possessions are the focal point as this was how a small town operated with hard working folks. It was about noon when we made our way to the exit. It was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.



Our walk back in the direction of the ship was interrupted by a stop in a cafe for a cold drink. It was nice to sit in the sun and enjoy watching the folks walk by or searching for a table of their own. The street was much busier than before as there were students and working people filling the streets at their lunch break. We observed that the open faced sandwiches, which are a Danish specialty were generally huge and well filled with their contents. We did some window shopping and found the Viking Museum which was a collection of a Viking Village that was discovered in the 60s when they excavated to build a bank. That was an interesting visit as we learned about life in the 10th century.

Merchant signage

It then became time to get some food so we stopped in another cafe/restaurant to order some food. We shared sandwiches in an attempt to reduce some of the food intake. We decided to split up as Freddi wanted to see a old Church and some of us wanted to do some serious shopping. The Magasin offered a pretty good variety for men but reports back from the ladies were less positive. Bruce and i were successful in finding some clothing to purchase at sale pricing. Naturally i bought a couple of shirts. I then went back to a store I had spotted to purchase a small travel case as my suitcase was going to be too small for our return trip. Next time I must take the second suitcase right from the get go. The walk back to the ship was leisurely and entertaining as there was a great hustle and bustle in this beautiful city. The architecture was distinctively European with consistent building heights and much attention to detail. Most of the area we walked in was mall like with only pedestrian traffic. That made the walking experience quite enjoyable as we were not dodging car traffic.

We stopped in a craft tent that was set up by the entrance to the ship. The big pull the was a neat garlic plate that had a scraper built into the clay before firing. It solves the garlic press conundrum as it is simple and easy to use. One of those made it into my bag. Once back on the ship I opened one of my shirts and tried it on only to find that the European sizing and pension for tight clothes made the size I selected too small for me. Since it was only 4 PM I settled in to a walk back to the store to exchange for larger sizes. That went pretty smoothly and I bumped into Bob and Edna on the return walk. They had enjoyed a Museum that was well out of town and at the end of a 4 km walk in the woods? Pretty interesting experience as they got to see the Bog Man who was reserved for (I believe) two thousand years. I dropped them at the craft tent and turned to get day for dinner.

Dinner was in Sabatini's with Bruce and Alison. They have changed their format from a feast to more moderate portions. We enjoyed an Antipasto of thinly sliced prosciutto, olives and bread which was followed by a selected appie or soup, a pasta course of the day, a main and then a dessert. That does sound like much of a reduction but believe me it is based on past Sabatini experiences. We had a good variety of applies (mushrooms, calamari, salads and soup) and each selected our own main. I chose lobster 3 ways which was comprised of a lobster tail, lobster risotto and a lobster sauce. Lucy had the same thing but was conflicted as she wanted to try the scampi. Elmer our waiter brought her both! Freddi has a chicken with polenta, Alison had the veal chop and Bruce had the chicken. All was well prepared and enjoyed. Only Bruce passed up the opportunity to have a dessert. The restaurant was not as busy as I had thought it might be. I guess some people are staying with the dining room option. We topped the evening with a ventriloquist show in the Princess Theatre. He was very funny and very adept at ventriloquism. Freddi missed the show as she wanted to go to bed. She has been feeling the pressure of her asthma again.

All in all it was a walking day with lots to absorb. Another observation is that the youth of Denmark are a very good looking, fit, happy and polite. It is nice to see the fresh faces on the streets and even better when you engage them in conversation.

Staircase in Mint Masters Mansion - Den Gamble

Day 5 - Supposed to be in Oslo but Still at Sea

No idea of the temperature but the sun is shining!

The morning came very quickly and that is a good sign as that meant that I slept well. It was about 5:00 when I woke up the first time and it was bright outside. That is a very short dark period considering the 11 pm pictures the night before.


We stirred slowly and I wrote for a period. I also spent an inordinate amount of time getting the Internet connectivity to work as it should. Finally I got it to work in a consistent fashion but not without a discussion with the duty manager at the Internet cafe. As usual there was some non-intuitive switch that had to be ignored or it will screw up your settings. That is what happened and for that I now have the privilege of spending $150 for some specified period of time (250 minutes). I think it is called Internet under the gun.

I got Lucy and we went for breakfast. We were in the process of setting out for food when the Captain came over the loud speaker. Apparently there was a general strike involving several unions in Oslo so we had been diverted away for the day. That is really unfortunate as Alison and Bruce were set up to meet up with a friend of Sandra. So we enjoyed a day at sea relaxing, reading, eating and enjoying the sun and the still seas. Hamburgers for lunch and yes another rest and a movie in our stateroom in the afternoon.

I managed to cancel our tour tickets for Arhus as Paul mentioned that there was plenty to see within walking distance of the harbour. Additionally our tour tickets for Oslo will be refunded by Princess. Sometime around 6 PM we all gathered to have a cocktail in the Lillico stateroom. They supplier applies from the buffet upstairs and we chatted and decided to go to the Michelangelo for dinner. Dinner for 11 was a bit tricky for them but they managed in about 20 minutes. During that time Allan did his floor exercises in the hallway to ease his back pain and we enjoyed a cocktail from the nearby bar. The dinner was a set offering of 5 or so applies and soup items along with a variable page that outlines the 5 or so of the daily offerings. In that menus there was chicken (coq-au-vin a which looked great), veal, pasta, shrimp and one that I can not remember. I chose the duck appie and a veal chop that was delicious. I think our group had at least one of each and the were no serious complaints. Desserts we offered and accepted even by those who do not normally indulge. From there we went to a stage show that was energetically played out by the theatre team. From what I saw it was well a done story with lots of dancing and singing and that provided a nice dark environment for yet another snooze for me.



Notice: ( that should appear on all bikinis):

If you think you might look fat in this, you will.


And

Use of this product may cause retina damage in others.



Observation:

Those who believe they need large amounts of perfume (for whatever reason) should stay at home!

The cost of perfume can be measured by its subtlety.



The comments about perfume are a direct result of their effect on Freddi as it seems to trigger her asthma from metres away. The comments on bikinis are for my benefit.

Day 4 - Copenhagen - Embarkation Day

15 degrees going to 24

The day started early for me as I wanted to spend some time recording our days on the road. It was already sunny as the dawn comes early at this time of year. But the task at hand is the dreaded packing exercise where one squeezes all the new stuff into the already full suitcases. Freddi finished up her struggle before I started mine. It all seemed to go well until we picked up our bags. Somehow they are heavier. Perhaps it has something to do with the small amount of shopping and the three bottles of wine in the suitcase. Once discouraged by that activity we went downstairs for breakfast. Most of our team were there. The usual breakfast (funny how quickly it becomes “the usual”) was consumed with the same interest as previous days. I enjoy breakfast but do not really enjoy the luxury when we are at home. Fluffy eggs accompanied by a soft-boiled egg with bacon, cheese, pate, sausages and some fruit. It was all good but all too much at the same time. I am looking forward to what I call “usual” while on board the cruise ship. The lobby of the hotel was a mess as there were early arrivals from the Emerald Princess seeking a room for the night along with people checking out to join the Emerald Princess for the upcoming 11 days. Discussions with the returning folks gave us valuable insights about what t expect on the cruise. Tips on shore activities, ship activities and on making the experience as good as it can be were shared openly. A nice couple from TO talked with Lucy for some time and gave her lots of insights.

Freddi, Lucy and I took off to see Christiantown. We bussed there and found our way to the main area of the town that is not part of the EU. It has been populated by squatters for the last 60 years or so and people just live there and go about their business outside of the normal controls of society. We walked about and were joined by a local who gave us lots of insights into their peaceful lives in the commune like environment. He reminded us that no photography was allowed on Pusher Street as they openly trade hash and marijuana on this street. The Police were there but they only observe (by filming activities on the streets) the activities and show a presence. The “tagging” is overwhelming as everything is tagged in the neighbourhood because they can! We walked with the man for a while and he regaled us with stories of his life and times in Christiantown. He arrived at the barracks area to find his brother some 38 years before. He now has 5 children and still lives in the area. As our time was limited we wandered for a short time and started back to the hotel. We walked back and it took 30 minutes in the warm sun to get back to our hotel. We had to check-out by noon and our taxi was to be there at 1 PM.

The gang on the Gangplank May 23, 2012

Once back in the hotel we finalized the packing thing and checked out of our rooms. We sat about in the over-crowded lobby until our taxis arrived. We piled into 4 taxis and set off for the Emerald Princess at the pier. The taxi was 160 DKK for the three of us. The large white ship was very imposing against the blue sky and the sunny afternoon. Once in the queue for check-in, we meandered through security and the check-in process. All of that took about 30 minutes as we spent some time waiting in line. It is a pretty efficient process as the Princess folks process 3200 people over a couple of hours. Everyone is anxious to get on board for different reasons. For some it is to get settled and familiar with the ship, for others it is to get to the buffet and for still others it is to get past being herded like sheep into the pen. Funny, I seem to fit into all of those categories. We settled pretty quickly so we went for a walk to scout out the restaurants and to make reservations for specialty dinners. The ship’s size became a factor as walking from one area to the next is a hike. We eventually made it to our staterooms after a snack at the buffet (lunch) and we discovered that our bags had been delivered. That allowed us to unpack and get settled in the room. Once that was complete a small party convened in our room as Poitr (pronounced Peter) dropped of some champagne and glasses to enjoy with our canapés that Paul had provided to each of us. Nice gathering as we shared our experiences f the day. Then we participated in the Muster station drill where we undertook the mandatory life vest education. It was chaos but controlled chaos as the staff did a great job herding folks in and out of the session. We then assembled on the deck to watch the departure from Copenhagen. It was a beautiful evening with lots of sunshine, music and beer. Prizes were distributed for the faithful of the boarding Treasure Hunt and the activity folks demonstrated their enthusiasm to please the assembled group. It was suddenly time to prepare for sinner at the Crown Grill.

Dinner was an experience for sure. The food, staff and the environment were all great. The restaurant is on the 7th deck and is tucked away from the maddening crowd. The meat presented were all huge but looking great. We had appies, salads and soup and a main with a number of veggies in the centre for all to try. My dinner, for an example, started with thinly sliced pork cheeks, shrimp bisque, filet mignon with baked potato, asparagus, mashed red skin potato, corn casserole, spinach and cream, mushrooms followed by an array of small deserts including, chocolate fudge cake, lemon soufflé, a light lemon cake, 7 layer chocolate cookie and a apple/berry crumble with ice cream. This is a meal to be enjoyed over a few hours for sure. We staggered out of dinner feeling very content after we thanked the staff and warned Marian that we would be back. It was the end of a very busy but nice day.

First Night at Sea  11:00 PM



Day 3 - Copenhagen

16 degrees going to 21 with sunny weather forcast.

The morning started early enough for me to do some writing and to organize my pictures from the day before. We had breakfast in the hotel where we were greeted by almost a full restaurant. For a small hotel (125 rooms on 5 floors) it is very busy and there were both tourists and business-people from other areas. The small breakfasts at the hotel are buffet style with eggs, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, cheeses, toast, fruit and of course lots of coffee. There is always lots of chatter during breakfast and this morning there was lots of laughter as we met up with the folks we had been with the evening before.


At around 10:00 am were off to Hillerod to see Frederiksborg Castle for the early part of the day. Bob, Edna, Bruce , Alison, Lucy , Freddi and I decided to make this little trip to see the castle that was built around 1604 and 1620. Paul and Mary Ellen and Allan and Pam had been there before today. The train ride out away about 40 minutes long, well exactly 40 minutes as the trains are very precise, and I was very impressed with the quietness of the trains and the efficiency of the service. Trains are a major transportation method for the folks in Copenhagen but the service is second only to the bicycle as a means for getting around. You see bicycles everywhere and the people ride them with grace, poise and a sense of purpose as they pedal and obey the rules of the road as if they were driving a car. Their dedicated lanes are free of other vehicles and pedestrians as their path is for bicycles only. Additionally, you see bicycles that are designed and constructed with modification to meet the needs of the owner. There are bicycles with carrying carts up front where you might see tools, animals, children, groceries etc stored in the carts. Mostly there are black old fashioned pedal bikes that are at least 28" with small handle bar baskets on the front. There are millions of bicycles in the city on a work day and they accumulate in large numbers around public transportation areas - like the train station.



Frederiksborg



Freddi in the fireplace of the Grand Hall

Upon arrival in the small town at the end of the train line, we wound our way through town to get to the Slot (castle) and watched the merchants opening up their shops for the day ahead. I spotted some nice shirts for a reasonable price and noted their location for a later purchase. At the castle we entered and used our cOPENhagen card to cover the entrance fee. Actually we have used the card for all entrance fees, train and bus travel and some other occasions to date. This card was a good buy if only for the convenience. The castle is a huge building that was built in stages by various Christiansan and Frederiks as the kings of Denmark. They were an ugly lot, judging by their pictures throughout the castle but they certainly had a flair for the unusual and expensive. Almost every room had an unusual ceiling design (some fancy, some plain), a variety of floor designs in hard and soft woods and a huge collection of paintings and furniture from the era. The castle burned in the 1700s and the Government, the citizens and a private investor spent several millions on the reconstruction. The private investor was Carlsberg, the owner of the beer dynasty. Today it is a marvelous depiction of their family and it was turned into a museum at the request of the major investor. Behind the castle is a garden that was manicured and constructed with over 100 acres of trees, bushes, vines, fountains and flower gardens in a very precise fashion. Wandering the garden affords one a spectacular view of the castle, the lake and the town behind. We then hopped on the little ferry service across the lake to get to the main strip of the town. We settled on a restaurant and ordered our club sandwiches, burger, salads and of course the salute to the major investor in the castle. To our disappointment they did not serve Carlsberg but the waiter pointed us in the direction of Royal dark ale which turned out to be a pretty good choice. Our waitress was in her second day on that job and was a beautiful young Danish woman with Austrian heritage who owned the planet with her big smile and friendly attitude. There was some discussion about spiriting her back to North America. From there, after we devoured our huge lunches, we meandered through the village where we bought some Danish wine and other wines for our cruise. Suddenly we were at the crossroads and I realized I had not seen the shirts I was interested in. We pushed on regardless of my disappointment! The train ride back to Copenhagen was swift and su

pported a number of short snoozes by this person as we moved through the sunny countryside watching the fields of mustard and crops as we sped along.

Back at the hotel a crew was collecting to continue the bonding of the day before between the Creek people and the Lake people. That continued party in the garden ended in a challenge now fondly referred to as the CanAm challenge where we will compete for a prize in various games of skill during the cruise. This should be interesting to say the least. So far the only combined skill that has been demonstrated to date is wit and the ability to consume large quantities of alcohol.



Bob, Edna, Freddi, Lucy and I decided to try food outside of the hotel for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant around the corner where we met up with Tony our writer and Name his sidekick. I think they worked on the sidewalk cafe so they could watch the beautiful women drive by on their bicycles. Tony was a great waiter and we had many spirited discussions with him. We also enjoyed some very good Italian fare accompanied by good Italian wine. It was fun eating outside as we were benefiting from the beautiful weather we have been fortunate to enjoy here in  Copenhagen. The locals tell us it is not always like this as they get lots of rain and cold weather. After dinner we joined the others in Tivoli where some of the more adventurous took on the rides until closing time. A short walk back to the hotel and sleep came easily.

 

Day 2 - Copenhagen

New cruise boats in the mking

Monday came early as the sounds of the street outside the hotel were filled with the rumbling of early morning traffic, garbage trucks and the busses of a new week starting in Copenhagen. I got up early to start the blogging process and record some of the main events of our trip. Somehow time got away from me and Freddi stirred about 9:00 am which was the indicator that it was time to go for breakfast. Lucy was still asleep when I contact her and she had a racing start to the day. Breakfast in the hotel was everything one could want. Eggs, bacon, cereal, toast coffee etc were all out and available for the guests. Breakfast and dinner are included in our rack rate and somehow I expected them to be less rather than more. During breakfast we connected with everyone for a short period to hear of the plans for the ay. Some planned a country trip, some wanted to walk about to see museums (most are closed on Monday) some wanted to shop and we wanted to see parts of the city. So we did all of that.


Our walk/ bus trip took us to Nyhaven as it was a spot I had seen in pictures and I wanted to do some shots of this picturesque area. We walked about there and were not disappointed as it is very unique with the stationery ships/boats, the painted colorful buildings that have been the for years, the open cafes and of course the beautiful day that greeted us combined to make the visit very special to me.



Nyhaven

 We wandered about and looked at the shops from small specialty gem stores to the huge Magasin du Nord which is an upbeat and upscale department store. Little shopping happened there! We walked back to Nyhaven for lunch where we enjoy a cold beer, ceasar salads, a shrimp combination and my favorite - mussels in a wine sauce. The sun was very warm and the only seats we could find in this busy area did not have an umbrella. None-the-less it was very enjoyable and the usual math exercise came with the bill. Things seem to be expensive as there are roughly 5 dkk to each of our dollars and the bill surpasses 100 dkk very quickly. Both of our lunches to date were in the 500 dkk range and one thinks twice about such a big number.

We continued our walk down the Sorjet which is a pedestrian walkway filled with all sorts of shops. This area is a very busy area and the bustle of locals and tourists filled the streets. Some purchases were made but not many as we are returning to this area after our cruise. We entered the City Hall building to poke around and found that this civic building has some very unique features. We wandered about and enjoyed a discussion with custodian who gave us some history and insights into the building. They also had some very nice and clean washrooms.

A trip to the bank and the liquor store resulted in us meeting for a quiet beer in the patio area of the hotel. Such an innocent activity. We were joined by a couple from San Francisco who were the leaders of a gang from Walnut Creek who incidentally were going to be on the cruise. They were 10 in number and shortly thereafter we met all of them and the patio became a loud party. The rest of our crew joined when they turned from their days activities and some wine and beer were consumed coupled with some very loud laughter. It was a fun few hours for sure.

Dinner in the hotel was lasagna and lots of small dishes. We ate well and were organized into a short walk through Tivoli once again. That is such a good way to walk off the meal and get ready for a nights sleep. After some planning for the next day we called it a wrap and agreed that the day had been fun and educational but most of all relaxing.

Across from our hotel

Northern European Vacation 2012

2:30 pm Saturday May 19, 2012

Downtown TO

So we are underway as we sit patiently on the aircraft for the starting leg of our 3week adventure. The plane is filled with noisy teenagers with their technology and all of their band instruments. The air is filled with lots of noisy chatter about the size of the plane, the arrangements of their designated seats, seat mates and their fear/love of flying. They are in a joyous mood.  (Note the team was returning to Manitoba complete with a Gold in their pockets from a competition in Ottawa).

We are flying to TO (picture) to pick up Lucy who will be joining us for the trip. We will meet her in the International section of Pearson airport and then we will await our departure for Copenhagen at about 9 pm. In the interim we will likely have a light supper and discuss our overall plan for the next 3 weeks. That seems like a long time from this end but it will not be too long until we are looking at the other end of this incredible adventure. This new adventure will take us to Copenhagen for a period of 3 days before we board the Emerald Princess for an 11 day cruise of the Baltic sea. The inserted graphic shows our ports of call along our route. There are a few planned activities but then again they may not be that way once we get to that day/ city. That being said a lot of planning has been done but without any fore knowledge of the locations we will visit. I recall the apprehensive feeling we experienced when we I site Istanbul for the first time traveling solo. There is always an inquisitive and disturbing feeling about a new location without that fore knowledge. It usually works through very quickly but it is something we think about as we set off on this adventure.

This time we will be accompanied by a number of our friends who also like to travel and see new things that are older than we are. This group is made up of people from Lake Bernard and my sister from Mississauga. As we progress along the trip I expect you will hear a bit about each of the group members. Originally this was to be a trip from Freddi and me but Paul looked at the plan and the cruise and asked if he and Mary Ellen could join us. Then he thought that others of our friends might also be interested and so we are now a group of 11. We all arrive in Copenhagen during the next 24 hours after traveling a mind boggling set of different flight patterns. Some fly direct, some have one stop over and others have three stop overs along the way.

Itinerary for Princess Cruise

The cruise on Princess is the main attraction and the focus of this trip. However, we will spend another day in Copenhagen when the cruise is complete and then fly to London England for a 4 day stay in the Marriott Park Lane near Hyde Park and Oxford street. We have stayed the before so we are comfortable with the area and are looking forward to our return.

So here goes the wheels up on the first flight. We are on our way.

Meet an interesting and chatty man from Newfoundland in the Lounge. He is in the packaging business and had worked for Irvine in the maritimes and knew Arthur personally. lonely man going to Cuba by himself for a week of r& r. Gerald spent 90 minutes regaling us with good stories. In the background of this very busy Lounge there is a soccer game going in and some very iCal men are watching the game. It is not hard to recognize the excitement when something good happens. The food is good but minimal but I am enjoying the Beringer wine.

Time passed every quickly as we met up width Bob and Edna in the lounge shortly before Lucy arrived. We all chatted and enjoyed some food before we boarded. Cauliflower and cheese sops, pasta in two flavours with a couple of sauces, salads, crackers bread etc. Finally the time came to board the flight onto 767-300 which is a large plane. Naturally there were many Northern Europeans boarding on a return flight. Healthy looking folks with a rhythmic language that I do not understand in the slightest.

The 7.5 hour flight to Copenhagen went flawlessly with the exception that my sleep strategy failed me completely. Next time I fly east over the Atlantic I will try a couple of Gravol as a single one only made me more tired and restless. We ate our snack/dinner and the plane fell into silence as we all recognized it was 4 am at our destination. Time went by in a blur of TV short clips, a vain attempt to watch a movie and the early breakfast call on the flight. The moist vacuum packed muffin was a tease but not a breakfast. The arrival was quick and easy and the walk through the terminal was not too long as we easily went through Passport Control. Much to our surprise Paul H (my bro-in-law) had taken the trouble to ride the train to the airport to greet us. That was very nice as he made it simple to do the “get ready” things upon arrival. We purchased our “3 day cOPENhagen cards” that allows access to trains, subway, buses and entry to many city museums and activities. They run around $75 but save the hassle and expense of finding the right currency whenever one wants to do anything. The DKK is worth about .18 CDN so conversion is not simple and DKK prices look scary!



On the intial Cruise



We walked to the train and waited only a few minutes until we settled in for the trip to Central Station in downtown Copenhagen. We then walked the few blocks to our Hotel (Hotel Mayfair). On check-in our rooms were ready and available and it was only noon. That allowed us some time to unpack, shower and walk down the street to “Appropos” which is a small bar cafe that was well populated with folks enjoying the first nice day in a couple of weeks. We, the three of us, enjoyed hamburgers and chicken burgers with water and a cranberry cocktail. The food was enormous and very tasty. The almost 1500 DKK bill was a bit shocking but we had been warned that this part of N Europe is not cheap. Git was a geat meal in the middle of the day.

We then all convened in the hotel and met up with Alison and Bruce as they arrived with the same attention from Paul. However we lost Bob and Edna as their routing took them through Munich (recall that soccer game I mentioned) and they were put on stand-by in the busy airport due to a flight delay. It was time for a walk to keep our tired bodies active. We walked and bused and found our way to a canal cruise through the city. That was a nice introduction to the city in a restful manner. The city is beautiful with a good mix of the heritage buildings and sites along with the ultra modern (Playhouse and The Opera Building) and many different types of cruising vehicles filled the canal on such a beautiful day. Many locals were perched on the canal banks enjoying coffee, chats with friends, beer with buddies, and the warmth of the sunshine. It was an ideal Sunday afternoon.



We made our way back to the hotel to sit on the patio and chat even though the lack of sleep was evident amongst us. Paul and Mary Ellen had the advantage as they have been over here for a week now and were acclimatized more than we newbies.

We had dinner in the hotel and it was included in our lodging. The small offerings of appies and goulash with potatoes were plenty for us and we enjoyed some wine and chatter during the meal.

Just make sure we had plenty for the day we set off for a walk in Tivoli garden where there is a mix of wild entertainment (rides) and restaurants set amongst some very beautiful gardens. It was a nice stroll to end a busy day. It was 10:30 local time when we crashed in our quaint little hotel room. Sleep came around pretty easily.

Tivol Garden on Day 1