Day 18 - London UK

It rained most of the day!




Tower of London

 

The Ladies and the Guard - Tower of London

Thursday started earlier than the past couple of days as we wanted to trip downtown to the Tower of London for an early tour. The throngs of people were getting to us so we thought that we could enjoy a tour there early in the day. Our breakfast was at the hotel without anything significant to mention. We set out from the hotel at 8:00 AM and walked to the tube entrance. Once inside we found that the entire area was covered by agitated people as the Central Line was closed down for a while causing "significant delays" due to a flood somewhere down the line. We immediately left the area and walked to the Big Bus stop to catch a ride downtown. This time it was a narrated tour by a guy with a sense of humor. He had quite a different story to tell than the audio set narration from the previous day.

We alighted at Picadilly Circus and caught a city bus to the tower. Once there (almost 90 minutes later) we found that our strategy was working as the was no wait line and only a few people waiting for the next Beefeater tour. Our guide George had a great booming voice and he entertained us as we walked about. He spoke of the torture, be-headings and the life in the older days when the Tower was a central jail and community in early London. He found joy in the stories of the Queens who had died there and the criminals who's lives came to an end on the grounds. His tour was very interesting and after an hour we were on our own for a walkabout. We looked at the Crown Jewels and the historic displays as well as the instruments of torture. It was nice to see that they had preserved the history and maintained the Tower for tourists from all over the world to enjoy.



Contrasting Skyline



Finally around noon to left the grounds and found our way back to Piccadilly. There we found a Japanese Restaurant for some lunch and rest our feet. The lunch was very good with efficient service as Londoners were on their lunch break.

We then walked to Jermyn Street to visit the shirt manufacturers. Freddi was looking for a new blouse and I might as well look at the shirt lines also. In the end I purchase a pair of deck shoes and a pair of cuff links at Charles Tyrwitt and Freddi and Lucy found a good deal at the Hawks and Curtis shop across the street. They each bought 3 shirts after a lengthy fitting activity.



Building Sculpture - London



Once the purchases were secured we returned to Piccadilly to take a tube brown line train to Harrods in Knightsbridge. The tour of the store took us to the food section, watches, some clothing, wines and of course the Egyptian escalator. We did not purchase anything at the store and caught a cab back to the hotel. It was time for a nap and then we got ready for sinner at the steakhouse a couple of blocks away. Our reservation was probably not required as we were only a few tables during our dinner. The owner/manager Maurice O’Callaghan (an Irishman) was very chummy and he provided Freddi with the secret recipe for the bread. We tried Langmeil Shiraz from the Barosa Valley in Australia and perhaps I enjoyed more than I should have ...... The ladies had filet and I enjoyed a beef wellington that to die for. It was a great meal and my sister sprang for the dinner. That was a treat for sure. After dinner we walked the streets for a short period and watched the lights of Oxford street before we retired as weary travellers again.



The shoppes at the Tower of London

Note;  On our final day - Day 20 - (lost one somewhere along the way) we spent the morning packing and shopping where each of us made or tried to make our final purchase of either fashin or shoes that hve not cme to Canada yet.  We were successful to some extent and then we stopped in at the Friar (across the street from the hotel) for a pizza lunch before we sarted our trek to the airport.  We left at 2 PM for a 6PM flight.  We had decided to take a cab to Paddington station and then we would take a train to Heathrow.  Our cabby told u weculd go with him for less as we had avoided the Marriott Scam where they book the cab for 80  pounds and pay the driver 60 leaving 20 for them as a tip for the service.  Our driver was very chtty and interesting and he pointed out some sights along the way. 

We checked in only to find out that our baggage was close to max acceptable but two of our carry ons were over weight so we had to do the floor switch to move stuff from one to an other.  All that took a bit of time and som forceto get te suitcases back togeher again.  The agent did not charge me extra forthe main bag even though it as "overweight after the switch.  Too funny.....

Unfortunately after the security we were xeposed to ahuge ara that was overwhelming in purfume and Freddi had an Asthma attack that whipped her out.  I do not understand why these areas are not at least segregated so people lik Freddi wo have allergies or scent issues can make it to their destination without having to be exposed.  She is sleeping now as we await our flight at Heathrow.

Day 17 - London UK

Sunny with showers from time to time - 12 degrees or so

Busy Dowtown London

Traffic disruption as they go for the Queen

Wednesday arrived without a real plan. We had sort of decided to make this a touring day using one of the 'hop on hop off' buses but not really firmed up what we were to do. After breakfast at about 8:00 AM we set off and purchased Big Bus Tour tickets as they offered a second day usage for free (just for asking) for a slight uplift over the Original Bus Tour folks. (£29 which included a river cruise). We took the western swing first and managed to get the front upstairs seats to get a clear view of where we were going. Freddi chose to sit in the open area a little farther back. This blue tour was used an audio set to identify key areas and we had the option of joining a red tour that has a narrator as a tour guide. We toured through Gloucester and then xxxxxxx and finally we got to Picadilly Circus which is really only a couple of km from where we started. It was informative and fun to watch the traffic and the people from above as the bus driver wended his way through the busy and tight streets. These huge buses as almost zero turning radius as they made some corners that would be difficult in a car. We saw lots and shot a number of photos but at Westminster we thought it would be good to do the river cruise early and departed our bus. The river cruise was full and we sat/stood on the upper deck until the rain started. We saw lots of changes since our last trip on the river. We erred by not getting out at the Tower of London and catching a return trip from there as we carried on to Greenwich which included a 30 minute delay before we poked back along a less interesting portion of the tour. Back at the Tower, we filled up with people and returned to the original Westminster dock. We were fortunate enough to be first off as it was now 2:30 PM and we had not had any lunch. We found the upstairs of the Red Lion in the government area and enjoyed fish and chips. The food was good but the service was not very cheery. I guess the girls had had enough of tourists for that day.

Parliament and Big Ben

We then set out to see about Westminster Abbey but the long line to get in threw us as we had to get changed and go to the theatre later on but not too much later on. We meandered back to the tube and took a couple of lines to get back to Bond street. This time the walk down Oxford was easier as we did not have luggage. Once back in the hotel we rested for a short period and then changed and set off to the theatre. The subway was backed up due to overcrowding and they had closed the entrance. We emerged and took a cab to Victoria Palace Theatre. We picked up our pre-ordered tickets and dropped into the local for a beer and some nachos. That was a fun experience as lots of people stopped there for a quick one on their way to where-ever.

The play convened at 7:30 and our guess for seats in the 'stalls' turned out to be perfect as we were only 8 rows from the stage. Billy Elliot was a story about a young boy in a coal mining town who wanted to be a dancer - a ballerina actually - but he did not receive much encouragement from his family. The young actors and actresses were wonderful as they unraveled the story which eventually getting Billy enrolled in a ballet school in the city. The young Billy was played by a group of 4 12 year olds (I am guessing) and they actually changed the lead at Intermission as the first lad was not feeling too well. The play was delightful and the small cast were very energetic and believable in all of their roles. It also helped to be staged such a great theatre with all of its history surrounding you in your wooden upholstered chairs. The finale was really well done and the dancing was excellent. We emerged from the theatre at about 10:30.

Long day taking pictures

We walked for a while but realized that we had taken a wrong turn so we hailed a cab to get back to the hotel. The driver took us in the wrong direction in error as he heard a different instruction than we had given him. None-the-less we got back to the hotel safely and fairly quickly. We tried to Skype with the western family as Skylar was enjoying her first birthday. That didn't work as they were off-line so I Skype called their cell phone and left a message. It was then time to retire as the day was late and we had planned an early start to the day.

Day 16 - London -Tuesday (still a Jubilee Holiday)

Cloudy bright in the AM with steady rain in the PM 10

Windsor Castle

 The day started early for me and I went down to the Executive Lounge to test out the Internet and food selections that are available to folks who pay for that access. The Internet in the room was priced at £15  per day. This is my only serious complaint about the Marriott chain. They have a 90's view on Internet access and only make WIFI available in restricted locations that generate $£€. It is not a current view of ubiquitous Internet. (rant over).   However, I do enjoy the heated towels and the heated mirror that removes steam when you shower and the great beds and 3000 thread sheets and pillow cases.  they also excel in customer service wen dealing ith the staff.

We enjoyed the breakfast fare that was very close to the fare that was available in the Mayfair in Copenhagen. Lucy and Freddi joined me for breakfast before we decided to make the trek to Windsor Castle. We had talked about it the day before but did not do enough homework to find out that we could purchase our entry tickets on-line. We checked for directions for the bus to Paddington Station and the Great Western train to Slough and then another train to Windsor and Eaton. All of that took us about an hour as the city was closed off for the Queen's procession to St. Paul's Cathedral for the holiday church service. We watched some of the preamble before we left the hotel. The transit went easily using the Oyster card for the bus portion and cash for the train portion. £6.25 (pp) I snoozed a little on the first train as it was about 30 minutes or so.

The Central Courtyard of the Apartments

We arrived at the village of Windsor and wandered through the town to the Windsor Castle entrance where we found a queue for payment of entrance. Prepaid entrances were allowed access straight away. We waited in the queue for about one hour with a rowdy set of children behind us. Finally we got to the wicket and purchased our ticket at about 12:30. £15.50 each   Lesson learned -actually two lessons learned - pre-purchase tickets and start earlier in the day. We toured the grounds, the Queen's Dollhouse, the apartments, the photo gallery and then we were back to the grounds with a couple of gift options presented to us. No photographs are allowed inside the castle and that proved to be an inconvenience as we had had free access with photographs in so many other castles. So I took them in my head and made the best of the tour with the audio sets thy provided.  The audio was very informative and regulated the flow of people through the rooms.

Outside we searched out a spot for a bite to eat. We found a little place that normally had an outdoor setting but it was raining and cool so we ate inside. The ladies had soup and brushetta and fries and I had one of their specials of avocado and bree cheese baked in an oven. All was very good in the fine little old restaurant with its timber frame and angles that were not square. The service was efficient and abrupt in typical English fashion.  We mailed our postcards from the Castle to get their seal of the British Post in Windsor.

Jubilee Tuesday in London

We returned to London after an uneasy wait for the Slough train. Some people are very rude and insist on stepping to the front of the queue even when there is an orderly line created. We all managed to get into the two small cars of the train and things dissipated quite a bit from Slough to Paddington Station. The bus was easier to find than I expected but the construction around the station had changed all of the routes. There is a great deal of construction in London. Once in the hotel I went to Selfridge to purchase a white wine for our room. The wine selection was small in my price range but fairly significant in the exclusive range. I did see a bottle that exceeded £3k. I left that on the shelf. I naturally went to the second floor to inspect the shirts line and decided to leave all of them right where they were. There were no bargains to be had in that area. On my way out I inspected the watch collections of which there we many. The average watch was ably £ 5k and the most expensive one that I saw was £ 38k (somewhere around $45k CDN). That's right and with that I would expect my watch to tele-transport me to work.

We then went to the hotel restaurant for dinner as we were a bit tired and it was late (8 PM by the time we realized it). Dinner was nice with lamb chops and sole the selections of our table. Freddi and I had the Corgi cocktail drinks so she could get a stuffed corgi as a souvenir of the Jubilee. The drinks were very refreshing ...... The dinner was great and we tired shortly there after as it had been a walking day and we were all tired.

Day 15 - Copenhagen to London

The trek to the train station Copenhagen

Sunny with cloudy periods and temperature about 10 - no rain

The morning started in the normal fashion at the Mayfair Hotel. I got up early to write some and to update the blog as I had easy access to the Internet. I had little to report about the previous day but there were some pictures I wanted to share.


We had breakfast with Paul and Mary Ellen (theywere  heading to Hamburg Germany to commence a two and half week in Germany and Switzerland) and Bruce and Alison (they were heading back to Ottawa ) and Lucy, Freddi and I. We were heading to London on a SAS flight. We checked out of the Mayfair for our last time after breakfast. It was a good place to stay as the rooms were clean, large enough and centrally located. The people who ran the front desk were very considerate and cooperative. We then set out down the street with our wheeled suitcases in tow. The walk was only a couple of blocks to the Central station We looked like immigrants as we walked the street in a larger group of 5. At the train station we waited in line for a few minutes but a lady offered to help us with an automated ticket machine. She purchased 5 tickets for us for 2 zones and we were off to our track. The train arrived shortly thereafter and we were whisked through the outskirts of town and arrived at the airport in about 15 minutes. It cost each of us 29 DKK and Bruce paid for all of the tickets. I still owe Bruce some change ( (145/5) *3)-(50+30)=7 DKK.

Once we arrived we went upstairs to the check-in machines. They worked, sort of, as they gave us boarding passes but crapped out when it issued the baggage tags. We joined the long baggage drop line but it went very quickly. From there we walked a long way to Terminal 3 security area. They insist on nothing in the pockets as well as belts and computers in the bins etc. They found a bottle of water I had forgotten about. The walk to the gate allowed us to stop for a Chai Latte and coffee and to peruse the many shops that lined the corridors. Then we boarded the plane in the usual fashion. We were on our way to London with no entertainment system on the plane but they showed a view from the front of the plane all the way to London. We saw little but clouds and that I believe is a good thing up there. One would not like to see a A380 pass just in front of us.  The landing was very cool and a new experience for me.

London UK tarffic on Oxford Street

The flight went quickly and we arrived in London at about 1:00 PM. Clearing Passport Control and finding our luggage was very easy even though we walked down huge hallways as in Copenhagen. We found our way to the Underground and set off with our Oyster Cards (essentially per-paid cards) on the Blue Line of the Underground (Tube). That came to a halt a couple of stations as someone had found their way under a car on the Blue Line and the whole system around that spot had been stopped. We stayed in one station for 10 minutes and then moved to the next station for a 35 minute stop before we got clearance to continue. Our ride to Green park was clearly 45 minutes more than usual and we never did get a report on the condition of the individual. At Green Park station we were able to use the lift to move to the Jubilee Line as the baggage was not only heavy but cumbersome and we were hoping to avoid stairs. We managed to get to Bond Street when we found ourselves trapped without an alternative for using stairs to change levels. I ferried some big bags down and Lucy came with me to watch them at the bottom of the stairs and then returned to get the balance with Freddi. That was a job as all around us were rushing people who had places to go. We did manage to get to the Central line (just one stop on the Jubilee Line) only to find that all of the cars were filled to capacity with Jubilee revelers heading to the Jubilee events. Lucy freaked out as she was tired and does not do well in crowds so we decided to go street side and walk the few blocks that would get us to Marble Arch where our hotel was. A gent took Freddi's big bag up the stairs as I was ferrying the other big bags up with Lucy. We found an escalator for part of the assent but the final part included another set of busy stairs. I was starting to work up a sweat and the ladies were not enjoying this experience. Finally street side we were introduced to the throngs shopping on Oxford Street. After a brief rest tocatch our collective breath, and consolidation of our energy we set off to walk the 8 or so blocks. It was toughs slugging against the crowds but we eventually got to the hotel just as Lucy got a cramp in her arm from the weight of her bag. The bellman was very helpful as we checked into the Marriott. They were very helpful getting us organized after a rough ride to the hotel. Note to self .... In the future take a cab from the airport!

Once we got settled in for a while we decided to go out for dinner. We found a little Italian restaurant (Sirena) nearby where we were seated immediately and offered a very friendly atmosphere. It was small and quaint and had a hand operated "dumb waiter" to move plated both full or empty to and from the kitchen below. The waiter (from Turkey) and the waitress made our stay very pleasant. We ordered some appies and great pasta plates and enjoyed some Tuscany wine. We met up with a older couple from Cornwall who were obviously quite in love as they enjoyed their meal. Finally near the end of our meal we started a dialogue with them. They are going to marry on May 18 and had just met through "Fish in the Sea" dating site and were in London for a brief stay. Well the conversation was as if we had known them for years as Roger brought our pictures on his BB to show us where they will live, marry and the view of the sea that he has. Freddi was funny as she had a second glass of wine that the waiter bought for her and they provided us with Grapa as a digestive after our meal. The waiter then included the couple with the Grapa and included Lemoncello for the happy couple. Lots of fun.

We hit the street after dinner and walked to Hyde Park in hopes that we would see some of the Jubilee Concert that was going on in front of Buckingham Palace. Throngs of people were walking away from that direction so I asked a Bobbie if the concert was over as it was 10 PM. He said yes so we made our way back to the hotel. In the lobby we could see in the bar that the program was still underway some slipped into the bar to watch the final few acts. It was pretty impressive as 10k people had got tickets for the grand stands and another 50 or 60k people were lining the Pall Mall where large video displays had been erected. It was a huge crowd and all of the British famous entertainers were invited to perform. We saw Paul McCartney do the finale and others such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder and all of the entertainers came on stage at the end of Paul's final song. The Queen and some of the royals walked onto the set and Prince Charles read a speech to his "Mommy" and recognized her Jubilee Anniversary a in front of the cheering crowds. The Queen then inserted a huge diamond into a spot that triggered the final Jubilee torch to light up and then the sky was filled with fireworks for a good fifteen minutes. It was pretty amazing to watch as the 80 year old Queen smiled and waved at the crowd. A very orderly dispersal of people commenced at the finale and the streets outside the hotel became filled with people surging towards the subway station that is very close to our hotel (Marble Arch). That was a good signal to retire for the evening to our very comfy beds for the night. Another full day with lots of memories of travel.

Day 14 - Copenhagen

Sunny and about 8 in the AM and about 14 in the PM



Copenhagen Streee - ealy morning

 The disembarkment from the ship was an easy process. All passengers were assigned a color and departure location that facilitated an orderly departure. Bob and Edna were the first of our gang to leave as they departed at 5:15 AM. They were off to Berlin by train and their arrangements we different from ours. The rest of us were to disembark at 7:15 AM with our blue 3 group. Allan and Pam were scheduled to disembark at 8:15 AM as they were flying to Brussels and taking a tain to Bruges for a few days. So we left at different times and some of us assembled at the Mayfair Hotel at about 7:45 AM. We loaded up the baggage room and sat for a short period and then we set off to for the Rosenborg Castle. The day was bright sunshine with cool temperatures in the morning.



Walking in the Rosenborg Park



We walked a new path through the city to get to the castle and found the city to be quiet with sort of a post party atmosphere. When we got to the City Hall we found the square to be in chaos and a number of folks working hard to remove the piles of garbage. Apparently there had been a celebration there the night before.



Marble Room in Rosenburg Castle



We carried on to the Rosenborg Castle and managed to arrive just as they opened. That afforded us the opportunity to see the rooms without anyone else in them. The 1700's experience was a definite show of wealth and power but these guys were amateurs when compared to the Russians. I wish I had seen this site before we went to Russia. None-the-less Frederick and the line of kings who added to this castle over time did a job of it. It was interesting that in the marble room the entire room looked like different colors and shapes of marble but all of it was painted over plaster. There was an appearance of wealth but using simple materials along with some key artists who specialized in the disguise. We strolled through the antiquities and enjoyed the openness of the castle. The gardens surrounding the building were beautiful and a lovely place for the locals to walk and enjoy the great outdoors. The last stop of our tour was in the basement. It was the Treasury where armed guards protected the entrance as there were some very precious and historic jewels and collectables inside. There were simple bracelets, spoons, necklaces, carved ivory etc. inside but the two best pieces were the crowns worn by the kings and queens of Denmark. It was interesting to stroll through some very early gold and diamonds that sparkled in the subdued light. We had to pay a photo fee to be able to photograph in this castle. It was 20 DKK (kroner worth about $4) and it was added to the entry fee of 55 DKK. We spent a little more than 90 minutes wandering about and ohing and ahing and then set off through town to find Nyhaven for lunch.

We noticed a marked increase in the number of people when we got to this area as it was noonish and the tourists and locals we converging for a lunch in the sunshine. We found Nyhaven 17 which had a table big enough with part sun and part shade and small heaters under the umbrella. We enjoyed Danish chicken sandwiches, salads and nachos, with a glass of wine on the side. It was fun to people watch from our vantage point and we stayed for an hours and a half. Our waitress was a beautiful Finish girl who lives in Copenhagen with her parents but studies in Scotland. Her accent was a blend of International schooling and she was very polite and articulate. We then made our way to the ice cream shop down the street that makes it's own waffle cones. One of Freddi's favourite stops.



We then walked back to the hotel as it was just after the 2 PM check-in time. Our rooms were ready so we adjourned to our rooms. We re-ordered our bags as we would be flying the following day and some of the packing done the day before was not conducive for checked luggage. We then lay down to enjoy the 60th Jubilee Flotilla in London on the television. The millions of adoring by-standers made me wonder if our coincidental arrival in London would be a treat or acurse as there were throngs everywhere for the Jubilee weekend.  In that time frame sleep snuck in and took over for a while. My sore throat had been holding on so the extra snooze paid off. We met for dinner in the hotel and enjoyed the small servings again. After dinner we strolled the streets and chatted about the trip and the architecture around us. Retiring for the evening was welcomed about 10:30 PM.



Kingly crowns in Rosenburg Castle



Day 13 - Stockholm Sweden

Pouring Rain - all day



Vasa Ship Model



Morning came early for me with the final time change back to 6 hours difference or +2 GMT. When in St. Petersburg we were at +4 GMT.

It was a miserable morning in Stockholm Sweden as it was cold and wet. It rained solidly during the night and it seemed it would continue through the day. It was only 8 degrees outside. We had our breakfast in a very busy Horizon Cafe and sat with some Iranian people who were not really enjoying the cruise. They complained of the food and the inconveniences which contrasted with our experiences. Fortunately the encounter was brief.

We joined the the tour process of getting off the ship for the third and final time. The tour we were on was to visit the Vasa Museum and to visit the City Hall. It was planned as a 4 hour tour and even though we had tried to cancel the tour the day before we were happy to be on it as navigating through Stockholm in the rain was not going to be fun. The tour guide was knowledgable and local and she was well prepared and experienced. She chatted to us aboard the bus as we drove to our first destination. Stockholm is a clean orderly and beautiful city. It is a place I would like to return to one day as we were seeing it in the worst light. It has a deep maritime influence as all of the people and businesses are focused on their maritime lifestyle. King Gustavo Adolphus ( the second I believe) had ordered the building of the Vasa battleship back in 1600 and something. It was very large and in the end the king ordered that an additional deck be added to the design. The architect protested to no avail and the ship was built. On its maiden voyage filled with soldiers and their families the ship listed one way and then the other and then it sank into the Stockholm Harbour. A few hundred people died and many of the locals watched the tragedy from the shore. In the 50's some adventurers found the ship at the bottom of the harbour pretty much intact. After much planning it was floated to the surface and once there the hull was capable of floating to shore. The last movement was to a place where a museum was built around the ship. Over the more cent years the ship has been re-constructed and preserved so it could be viewed by millions of tourists each year and scientists could learn from the experience of 400 years under the sea. It was a very interesting 90 minutes at the museum even though it was a very busy place on this rainy day.



Corner in Gold Room - Excellent use of Mosaic Tile

Our trip across town was pretty uneventful but we observed many nice buildings and enjoyed the seemingly tiny streets of this city. The City Hall visit was much more structured as people had to be in groups as this location was a functioning office building for city officials. The architecture and finish were the attractions here. The architectural design and finish were engineered by a local architect who won great praise for his work. Some of the bricks used in the construction were carved and we saw one that weighed 8 kg by itself. The main atrium and the gold room are large halls that can be rented for special occasions. This is also the place where the banquet for the annual Nobel Peace Prize dinner is held each year. I guess that is the real attraction for folks. It was a brief but interesting tour. We then boarded the bus and drove to old town for a very brief and wet walk to the centre square to get a feel for the history of the city. It was too cold and wet to really enjoy it but it has an attraction for us and we hope to return one day - preferably on a sunny and warm day. We then drove back to the ship as we were departing Stockholm at 2 PM. I was looking forward to cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago as it would show us about 85 km of cottages, homes and many boats of all sizes. That proved to be a high point of the afternoon and it took about 4 hours to clear the archipelago.



Lunch on board was crazy as everyone had just returned to the ship and wanted food at the same time. We ended up having burgers sitting in a protected but cold place as the were no seats inside. In the afternoon I sorted some pictures and fought with the Internet trying to do some blog work. I was unsuccessful as the network seemed to be bogged down.

Freddi and the Royal Guard

As it was formal night again, there was much activity on the Atrium decks. I managed to secure a copy of my account on board and reviewed its details. Naturally there were some discrepancies which I corrected and then we planned our dinner. The group chose to eat together again in Divinci as it was lobster night. During the late afternoon and early evening I felt a scratchiness in my throat that lead me to believe that I was catching a cold. I retired early as others went to the show for some entertainment.



Old Town - Gamla Stan Stockholm



Day 12-  Helsinki Finland

Sunny but cool day

Helsinki Main Harbour - Market Square

Helsinki port proved to be a very low key day. The weather was sunny but cool and we planned a short tour of the harbour and waterways around the city. We enjoyed a quick breakfast in the Michelangelo dinning room where they served a sit down breakfast. It seemed quite civilized after many mornings in the buffet lines of the Horizon Cafe. Our 9:45 departure allowed us this luxury.

We took a bus to the ferry terminal, which was not really very far away, and boarded the ferry style cruise boat along with Bruce and Alison. In the one and half hours that we were out we saw many small islands and residences, military camps, industrial areas and recreational areas for the local residents. I had previously been unaware of the maritime nature of this city. The air was cooler than before and the breeze made if a bit worse for some of the tour. We stopped in the town square or Market Square where there is a permanent market. We walked through the market and acquired some gifts made by local folks. Freddi decided to take a walk to some local sites but 4 of us returned to the ship with the tour bus. The day seemed pretty anticlimactic aft our busy 2 days in St. Petersburg. In addition I had a few month end and new contract tasks that needed to be attended to. In the afternoon I worked on the computer and listened to some music. It was very relaxing and the time flew by.

Suana for a small cottage along the way......

That evening we had a group reservation at Sabatini's to celebrate Paul's significant birthday. He organized the evening but we, unbeknownst to him, organized the birthday cake. To our surprise the Creek people were in the same dining room. That made for an evening of hanky-panky where short intrusions happen in both directions. John confirmed the time of the final challenges for the CanAm games which were now scheduled for Saturday. The dinner was great with a feed of lobster and fine Italian appies as the treat of the day for me. Paul ordered the striped bass and much to his surprise it turned out to be a full fish cooked in a crusted pastry. It was delicious but it's head and tail caused some concern around the table. Later on we presented Paul with his cake and the manager cut it up into 21 pieces so we could share it with the Creek people. It was a very fun evening. Lucy went to the show and out for drinks with some of the gang. I crashed after dinner as I had been up early in the morning and found myself very tired at the end of the day. A good but low key day. Helsinki did not make a strong impression on me as we really did not get too involved in the culture of the city.

Day 10 and 11 - St. Petersburg Russia

Canals and Cathedrals in St. Petersburg

One day sunny and one day with rain



I am going to deviate from my normal update to cover a two day period in one sitting as I would like to summarize the experience of St. Petersburg Russia that we enjoyed over the 2 days that we were there. Paul had contracted Den Rus, a tour company, to trip us around and to show us the best of St. Petersburg. They offered us a tour for 11 people for a good fee and the services of one driver and one tour guide and guaranteed that the team would be the same for both days.



After a very early breakfast on Tuesday the 29th we disembarked the ship to face Russian Passport Control for the first time. We had been warned that these folks at the border services were not very polite, interested, anxious to let Canadians into their city or forgiving in any way. All of those things proved to be true and after a thorough examination of our passport, visa and tickets to join a tour company they let each of us enter their city. We assembled outside while Paul found our guide amongst the several guides who were awaiting their flocks. We only waited a few minutes for Svetlana to show up and demonstrate that she was a vivacious, pretty, fashionable and knowledgable young woman. Her clothing was well finished and appeared to be professionally tailored for her. She was not typical as the other guides were dressed in more standard wear of the Russian men and women. She introduced herself and Sergei our driver and we loaded into the white Inveco bus that seated some 15 people.



Over the two days we saw a very good cross section of the historic, lavish and well attended Palaces and Museums of times that have passed by. The history is not stellar as it appears that the monarchs and leaders were pretty wealthy and pretty self centered and since they had the money and control they could and would do whatever they wanted. In the interim, the average people did not live like they did and many had to work very hard to forge a living. For a long period several families shared a flat and each family only had one room to themselves while they shared common rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms. These apartments were expensive to boot and since the Russian people are not generally friendly, they often found they were living with enemies and the atmosphere in the apartments were less than agreeable. Over time, with each new leader, they evolved or devolved, depending on the leader, and their daily lives either improved or weakened. Lana's opinion was that the 80's and 90's were the brightest times for the people of Russia.

On our first day, in brightness of sunshine, we motored through the city stopping from time to time to see special sites and to take pictures of their monuments and buildings. They was liberal use of gold trim for decorations, statues and roofs of special churches and state buildings. We stopped at a souvenir place where we could purchase a coffee, nesting dolls or Faberge eggs of other souvenirs. We continued our driving tour and it became apparent that the city had many canals with the river playing a big part in the landscape of St. Petersburg. Our first stop was at the Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. From there we took a boat ride through the city to see the amazingly uniform and decorated buildings. Svetlana provided a running dialogue about the city as we moved about and rolled out many facts about the city.

City Facts:

400 Museums

5M people live in St. Petersburg

Winter Palace and Hermitage - made up of 2000 rooms and 170 staircases

90 Universities

100 Theaters

7 Ballets

80 rivers and canals

500 Palaces

500 bridges

Nazi siege lasted for 900 days during which a good part of St. Petersburg was damaged or destroyed

St Isaac's Cathedral

St Isaacs Cathedral (with its solid gold domes) was not destroyed but it was damaged while being used as a sniper location for the Nazis - it took 5 years to rebuild

A good deal of the construction was as a result of Catherine's orders and she proved to be quite eccentric in her own right. She had some 64 boyfriends and had a pension for eating as was demonstrated in her Palace.  In her palace she had several dining rooms each with its own distinctive style and appearance of the decorated rooms. Catherine became the Empress after her husband was killed by one of her boyfriends. She became the first female to rule even though she was basically not in line to become the ruler of Russia. A good part of the show and flash of the city was influenced by Catherine and the need to demonstrate wealth and strength in everything that was built.

We stopped for lunch at Favourite Place which is a restaurant in the middle of the city. It was not exceptional but provide us with a functional meal that was made up of a chicken salad, chicken breast and gravy and a strawberry flan. After lunch we continued our drive and Svetlana talked a bit about life in St. Petersburg. We stopped at the Hermitage Museum where we were to spend a few hours checking out some featured exhibits. Apparently there are millions of artifacts on rotation in the museum and if one was to spend full time looking at individual items for only one minute it would take 12 years to complete. It is the Russian Vatican of sorts. As the tourist season was in full swing there were thousands of people surging around as we observed and listened to the tales of the origins of many of the prized possessions stored in this Museum.

Spilled Blood Cathedral

The better part of the afternoon was spent there until it was time to return to the ship for the evening and night. Some of our gang had made arrangements to see the Russian Ballet perform Swan Lake while some of us relaxed after a full day and had dinner on the ship.

At the break of day we started again with Svetlana and Sergei our driver and we drove to another site to look at souvenirs. I managed to send some postcards from there. Then off to the cleanest and most beautiful subway station to hear about their subway system. We were warned, strongly, to watch out for pick-pockets as that was a serious problem in such public areas and the consequences of losing a passport we quite serious as the only consulate in Russia was in Moscow. We rode the busy subway for two stations and ascended the steep escalators to the surface to find Sergei parked nearby. We drove 35 km south of the city to spend some time in the Summer Palace of Catherine. This morning it was raining and Svetlana called this weather more typical of the weather of St. Petersburg. Her expression was simply that their weather was made up of "Nine months of expectation and three months of disappointment". She certainly was not a fan of the weather. The rain lasted pretty much all day long and she offered us plastic ponchos (disguised garbage bags) to try to keep us dry. Once we got to Catherine's Palace we were herded through the huge crowds to hang our wet clothing as it was forbidden to have wet clothes in the museum. That took quite some time to navigate around the groups of pushing tourists some of whom showed little spect for others. Finally we were on our way to view the exhibits. Svetlana knew the ropes and she guided us through the Palace to her favourite spots where she regaled us with her knowledge of art, architecture and the individual items on display. The many rooms were all garishly decorated to display wealth and ownership for any who entered the doors. We spent a fair bit of time there enjoying the extensive floors, ceilings, wall decorations and the individual museum pieces and stories. We then went for a brief walk in the garden area to see some of the out buildings on her property.

Ceiling in Catherine"s Summer Palace

We then drove south-west of St. Petersburg to see a summer residence of the Russian Czars in Peterhof - the Russian Versailles. We stopped at Summer Palace Restaurant for a real Russian meal in a gorgeous building that could accommodate about 400 people. We were served a tomato and cucumber salad, followed by a borsch with bread, beef stroganoff and potato and finally a strawberry pudding on a soft pastry. This was all complimented with a glass of champagne and a bottle of water. It was a lovely lunch served by formally dressed individuals who we pumping the large groups through.

We then went for an extensive walk, in the rain, through the Fountain Park where Svetlana talked to us about individual statues and fountains. We enjoyed the walk, despite the wind and rain as we spent the better part of 90 minutes there. From there we drove back to the city in traffic stopping at an operational church for a photo opportunity. Once at the ship we took a group picture and we said farewell to our guides for the last two days. Paul gave them Canada-Russia flags and of course the accumulated tips for their efforts. They were truly good resources for us in St. Petersburg.

In the evening we had dinner and relaxed as the last two days had been pretty full but extremely enjoyable. Lucy, Bruce and I went for a nightcap in the Wheelhouse to listen to some of the available evening entertainment on board. We had a few laughs and spent some time chatting with the singer and other guests.



The fountains of Peterhof Palace