Sunday-Monday, October 1-2, 2023: Stockholm

We arrived in Stockholm, Sweden after an overnight cruise from Tallinn, a short distance across the Baltic Sea, making us wonder why it would take so long? The reason became clear in the morning, before the sun was up. We watched from our veranda as the Rotterdam inched its way through very narrow passages with islands on either side.

It was amazing how close the land and islands were to the ship! There was also was a cruise ship behind us as well as one in front, carefully navigating the narrow channels.  The captain opened the bow early so we could experience the Rotterdam’s navigation though incredibly tight waterways leading into Stockholm. We finally reached the pier with the Rotterdam swinging around in the middle of the narrow river, blocking traffic until it docked. Amazing!

The Rotterdam was staying in Stockholm for two days, allowing us more time to explore this Scandinavian jewel. We booked two shore excursions giving us a sampling of the more interesting sites surrounding the city and countryside.

Our first excursion took us through the city with a history narration by our guide as the bus made its way to Drottningholm Palace. Drottningholm is one of 11 palaces of King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia and their primary residence. The Crown Princess, Victoria, works with her father on a daily basis and is next in line for the throne as she is the first born despite having 2 brothers.

Drottningholm or the “Queen’s Islet”, is located about a 30 minute drive outside the city and is situated on Lovön, a small island, on Lake Mälaren. The first palace was constructed around 1580 for Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Overtime, the Palace gained a couple wings and other structures making it look quite similar to Versailles although on a much smaller scale. 

We entered the grounds from the parking area through the Karusellplan, an English Park around the Palace with the front bordering the lake. Our guide led us through the Palace, noting that the King and Queen are in their wing of the Palace as the flag is flying. The Palace decor is ornate and there is a story in every room.

Although all the rooms had paintings of royalty and other important historic figures, the most striking was the painting of a dromedary with his handler holding the reins. The significance of this painting is that the Arab-looking man had been captured in one of the many wars raging on at the time. In his possession were coffee beans. Game changer for the Swedes!

Despite the fact that coffee beans cannot grow in Sweden, the Swedes have one of the highest coffee consumption rates per person in the world.

The tour ended with a walk to the back of the Palace where there was a fountain and lovely grounds surrounded by pathways. It is good to be King!

Although this tour was short, it gave us great information on royalty (the King doesn’t own anything; the State owns all the palaces and grounds) and it prepared us for a much longer tour on October 2.

Once we were back on the ship, we decided to walk to the Old Town for dinner based on recommendations from staff. We were initially disappointed when finally reaching the Stockholms Gästabud restaurant finding a long line waiting to get in. Backtracking a short ways, we went in to the Fem Små Hus, reported to be Sweden’s oldest restaurant. It didn’t look open, however the door was unlocked and in we went. Looking around and not seeing anyone, we noticed a sign indicating the restaurant was downstairs.

Aside from the location, it reminded us of the Five Flies in Amsterdam: 5 buildings make up the restaurant with another floor below us. It was an experience—the food was exceptionally tasty with a very good wine pairing.

We had an early excursion the next day—a 7am start! “Historic Stockholm, Sigtuna & the Vasa Museum” would last 7 hours and bring us back to the ship just before the “all aboard” at 2:30.

Our guide, Glynella, was organized and very knowledgeable with a great command of the English language. She is a retired marine biologist and enjoys leading tours around Stockholm, the place of her birth and where she currently lives. As we headed to our first stop, she pointed out the construction happening at the lock causing traffic detours. This lock is between Lake Mälaren, the largest lake in Sweden, and the Baltic Sea. The lock requires improvements every 100 years. Glynella explained that during the Ice Age, a massive sheet of ice more than a mile high covered much of the northern hemisphere. The weight of the ice forced the underlying land downward and compacted it. So, when the glaciers retreated 12,000 years ago, the land mass started to rise at a rate of about a half inch a year and will continue to do so for at least the next 10,000 years. The phenomena is called Post-glacial rebound. The locks are affected as is all of Stockholm and beyond. Buildings that were near the sea are now hundreds of feet away. Just a bit of science from our marine biologist!

Away from the construction and off the bus, we walked past the front of the Royal Palace where the King conducts business then up a broad, cobblestone plaza on the side of the palace and stopped in front of a monument to King Carl XIV. This is the beginning of Medieval Stockholm where the city began back in 1252. We admired another monument, commemorating a victory over the Danes in the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471.

This is a replica of the original wooden statue, currently located which shows St. George slaying a dragon. Impressive. It was familiar to us as we had passed it last evening as we walked to the restaurant, a street below. Walking away from the statue we headed further into medieval Stockholm, walking on uneven cobblestones and glancing down narrow alleyways. Truly time traveling!

We stopped in front of a copy of the oldest known image of early Stockholm where a few of the buildings are recognizable today. 

Opening in front of our group was Stortorget, the large square of Old Stockholm on the island of Gamla Stan, surrounded by colorful buildings, including the Nobel Prize Museum.

An ancient fountain was spouting water, one that was used in medieval times. We walked to the area where a “typical” medieval neighborhood was located, just off the square. Tall buildings and narrow streets were typical; windows were not.

From the narrow street we walked to another square where St. Nicholas church is located, in the center of Gamla Stan, next to the rear of the Royal Palace.

We continued walking around Old Stockholm, heading back to the bus with an hour’s drive to Sigtuna as hour next adventure. Glynella gave us an opportunity for a “necessary stop” at the impressive Town Hall, built in the 19th century, then back on the bus for more time traveling to the Viking era.

Sigtuna is located on the shore of Lake Mälaren and was founded around 980 ago by King Olaf, the first Christian king of Sweden. It is a very small town with narrow streets and wooden houses but has interesting ruins from the 13th and 14th centuries.

Stones have been discovered here with Viking runes chiseled into them.

We explored a few church ruins, the first being St. Lars, built in the 12th century. There is an old cemetary here, predating the church, with a mass grave, discovered to contain 19 individuals who appeared to have been executed. A rune stone outside the St. Lars had been interpreted as saying: “Amund had the stone erected in memory of himself in his lifetime”. Nothing like self confidence! There were other stone church ruins in various stages of preservation. We happened upon a preschool gathering where the children were picnicking inside the structure.

The only remaining church that is still in use from the 13th Century, in the Romanesque and Gothic styles. It is thought to be the first brick church around Lake Mälaren. St. Mary’s has paintings from that era, discovered during renovation.

We enjoyed a hearty lunch and headed back to Stockholm to tour the Vasa Museum.

The Vasa Museum contains a painstakingly restored battleship that never fired a shot—it capsized and sank in Stockholm’s inner harbor in 1628. The massive ship lay undisturbed until 1961 when a Swedish team salvaged the great ship, finding it astonishingly well preserved.

It has been restored to its former glory and it awe inspiring. Glynella gave information on the ship’s symbols, the use of certain items and the way sailors lived on board.

The name of the ship is found on the Coat of Arms—a sheaf of wheat. King Gustave II Adolf was of the Vasa dynasty and commissioned the massive ship. People couldn’t read so images and symbols were important.

Glynella had a special interest in the ship and stated she often gave tours up to 4 hours in duration on the Vasa.

The seven hours flew by. We returned to the ship ready for sail away and the sea day that would follow. We need a break!

We bade farewell to King Carl XVI Fustaf and Queen Silvia as the Rotterdam carefully cruised through island-filled waterways.

Saturday, September 30, 2023: Helsinki, Finland

The Rotterdam arrived at the Hernesaari D Quay, Helsinki, under threatening skies and a cool breeze. We joined a tour that would give us the overall highlights of this city, hoping the weather would improve as the morning progressed.

Our exuberant guide, Christina, was a wealth of information, providing us with history and local lore. She apologized for the weather, promising it would improve by 10am. Until then, misty and rainy. June through August are the summer months so we are clearly heading into late fall. The winter, however, requires the heartiest soles who can survive the darkness and the cold. One of the major industrial complexes in Helsinki is the construction of ice breaker ships as all the harbors freeze during the winter months. All boats will be taken out of the harbors so any of the sailboats we had been watching were enjoying the last few warm days before the cold weather.

Finland has well over 300 islands surrounding the mainland with Helsinki being built on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Finland’s population is around 5.5 million with 650,000 in the Helsinki area. Christina stated that Finlandians love their dogs and that the known pup population is 800,000!

Our first stop was to admire the Sibileus Monument by Elia Hiltunen, honoring Finland’s famous composer, Jean Sibileus. Of his seven symphonies, “Finlandia” is the most well-known and was the anthem for Finland’s national identity when fighting for independence from Russia.

Sibelius loved walking in treed areas, such as parks and forests, that gave him inspiration for his music. The area where the sculpture is located is in a forested area near a harbor. Christina told us when the stainless steel sculpture was revealed it was a “scandal” as the beloved composer’s image was not included. Ms. Hiltunen quickly added his face, in stainless steel,  to the sculpture park to calm the populous and preserve her reputation.

Back on the bus, Christina gave us a few factoids about Finland. The national cuisine is described as “being of the forest”, meaning lots of berries, mushrooms, game as well as fish from the 1,000+ lakes. As in Norway, it is important for people to be active in the outdoors, no matter the weather. We passed an island dedicated to dogs as it is solely used as a dog park. It happens to be on the island next to the Prime Minister’s home. Hope he likes dogs!

Our next stop was a walk to the “Church in the Rock” built within a granite formation in the Toölö area of the city. The rain had stopped, allowing us to take our time walking from street tram level up to the next block where we could just barely see the dome of the church.

Entering the church was an experience. Wood and rock surrounded a large open space with pews. There was a balcony where we got a better view of this magnificent building. Again, this was considered “a scandal” when built in the 1960s. Today, it is a much revered landmark as well as a functioning Evangelical Lutheran Church.

We took a longer bus ride to our next destination however it allowed us to see many of the important, historical buildings and monuments around Helsinki.

We made a quick turn around in the Olympic Stadium parking area where many of the surrounding buildings had been constructed for the 1940 Olympics that never happened. Fortunately, these were utilized when Helsinki hosted the 1952 Olympics bringing not only athletes but Coca Cola and other Western cultural items.

The bus took us past the Opera House, Stockman’s Department Store, the Presidential Palace, the orange-tented Marketplace and a stunning view of the Orthodox Catholic Church with its gold domes high on a hill.

We were dropped off at Senate Square for our last tour location.

Senate Square was designed and built in the mid-19th century by Carl Engle, Finland’s famous architect. The purpose was to formalize the new capital of Helsinki with the location of government buildings flanking St. Nicholas Church. Today, a vibrant market was in high gear with many tents and vendors offering various foods and souvenirs.

We began our walk at the top of the square where St. Nicholas Church is located. To our right was the City Centre Campus of the University of Helsinki, one of four campus areas. Students had taken over the building in protest of housing cuts, tuition fees and lack of mental health services, hanging banners displaying these messages.

Christina stated the President had met with the students, however there is a crisis in both education services and health care system (both currently “free” but this may change as it is under legislative review). To our left was the Government Palace, the Council of State of Finland. 

Walking down many steep steps to the market level, we were given free time to explore Senate Square and the surrounding streets.

We walked by the Sederholm House, the oldest  house in central Helsinki built in 1757. It conveniently houses a museum (and a “free” toilet facility) which we took advantage of before walking to the street parallel to Senate Square where the orange tents were located. The day was sunny and warmer than our morning start. 

Due to the early sail-away, we decided to return to the ship on the tour bus and relax after our walk around Helsinki. A beautiful city, unmarred by the Soviets or Nazis and containing remarkable buildings. We did not have enough time to explore the fortress, an UNESCO World Heritage Site—maybe next time!

Friday, September 29, 2023: Tallinn, Estonia

The Rotterdam made a mid-morning arrival into Tallinn, allowing us a more relaxing start to the day. The dock location allowed for fantastic views of the Old Town, high above the port. A quick fitness center workout, leisurely breakfast and off to join a tour discovering the highlights of Tallinn. Our guide, Taavi, herded our group onto a bus and off we went to explore this former Hanseatic city.

Our first stop gave us a glimpse into the hardships facing the Estonians before WWII and during the Soviet occupation. The “Memorial to Victims of Communism” is a powerfully symbolic “park” that consists of two sections.

The first section consists of a passage from the edge of the Baltic Sea through a black corridor inscribed with the names of people executed, imprisoned or sent away to forced labor camps. The second section is the Home Garden, a former area where the population was forced to attend propaganda speeches and where some were executed.

Estonia lost 90,000 people during this era (1940-1991). This is now an area of remembrance and celebration, where apple trees have been planted and are providing fruit, symbolizing life. It was both informative and emotionally moving. Stalin and totalitarian rule had actually come to Estonia before the Nazis and continued to oppress these people until the Berlin Wall fell and the USSR broke apart. Estonia gained independence in 1991 and has been increasing in prosperity with many start-up companies being formed here.

We left to view a lighter venue: The Tallinn Song Festival Park.

This is where a singing competition is held every 5 years and is attended by at least 100,000 people. It is also where the people “sang themselves to freedom” on September 11, 1988

The tour continued, the bus eventually dropping us off on Toompea Hill, the Old Town. We walked a short distance to Palace Square for a view of the outstanding Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Palace, now the seat of Parliament.

After a brief look inside the Estonian Orthodox Church, Taavi led us on Dome School Street past the music and drama schools, to the Kohtuotsa viewing platform, an overlook giving us a panoramic view of the red roofs of the Lower Town and out to the Gulf of Finland.

The Upper Town was built high on a limestone cliff with thick walls adding protection from attack.  Cobblestone streets, narrow alleyways and historic churches: we now know why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: it is known as being one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Absolutely charming.

We were offered an opportunity to shop and take a look at the “oldest cellar in Toompea” located in the bottom of an art store. It conveniently had a restroom located there so we couldn’t resist! Down the narrow steps and into a vaulted stone chamber where we learned this cellar had been constructed in the 14th century. Truly a step back in time!

We walked down “Long Leg Street” along the old wall, through a medieval gate (Long Leg Gate) that led us to the Lower Town and into the large Town Hall Square.

Colorful buildings and the massive the Town Hall dominated the square.

The Town Hall was built in 1404 and is topped with a 210 foot spire. A weathervane in the form of a man is “Old Thomas”, a symbol of Tallinn. We noticed a couple of dragons erupting from the Town Hall walls, cleverly being used as rain spouts.

Another building in the square that is worth mentioning is the Pharmacy, built in 1422, making it one of the oldest in Europe.

It is no longer a pharmacy, however the building still stands as a testament to its storied past. Our tour was coming to an end so we were allowed a half hour on our own to walk around this charming area, being careful not to trip over the cobblestones!

On our way back to the ship, we were surprised to pass a plaque honoring Boris Yeltsin, the first Russian president (1991-1999) to serve after Soviet Union broke apart. He was instrumental in “the peaceful restoration of Estonia’s independence”, ridding them of communist rule.

Tallinn exceeded our expectations. The city hugs the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea, has a rich history both troubling and amazing, is gaining ground towards prosperity and is remarkably resilient. The preservation of the medieval city made this excursion truly memorable. 

Thursday, September 28, 2023: Riga, Latvia

Certainly, Latvia was not on our bucket list. That said, Riga, the capital, is a gorgeous city! It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and, as we were going to discover, for a very good reason. 

We joined a walking tour, taking a bus from the port to the “Quiet Center” where there was building after building in the Art Nouveau style. Our guide, Gunta, informed us there were at least 800 of these buildings in Riga, making it the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. We walked around several blocks while Gunta identified the 4 styles: NeoClassical, Perpendicular, National Romantic and Eclectic.

One surprising building was in the neighborhood housing the Russian Embassy. A 2-story high banner showing a not-so-very complimentary image of Putin was on display. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the Latvians changed the street name to “Ukrainas neatkarības iela” forcing the embassy to change their address on all documents. At the park across the street were a dozen or so flagpoles, all with Ukrainian flags. Take that, Putin!

We returned to the bus to travel across the suspension bridge over the Daugava River to catch a better view of Riga’s Medieval skyline. We stood in front of a modern building at the river’s edge and listened as Gunta pointed out each and every building and church spire.

The “Stalin’s Birthday Cake” building was originally built for the Collective Farmers but after it was finished, he decided it was too big for farmers and had administration services move in. Not an attractive building!

Back over the bridge where we had a great view of the Rotterdam and into Old Riga, the Medieval city center. Passing the modern National Library building known as The Castle of Light, was designed by Gunner Birkerts, a Latvian-American who designed the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, NY. 

We began our walking tour in Old Riga, in the town square where the Hanseatic group, the Blackheads, had a building. It had been reconstructed in 1999 from the original 1334 building. Gunta mentioned that the astronomical clock at the top of the building was unique for the 14th century so once finished and working, the clock maker’s eyes were gouged out. Ugh! Hope that was just an ugly rumor!

The town square with City Hall and St. Peter’s Church had been in use from the 14th through the 19th centuries. The city grew and spread and the population decreased in the center. WWI and WWII had a significant impact on the city, particularly WWII due to bombing damage. While many buildings escaped destruction, several had to be reconstructed. The cobblestone streets and pedestrian-friendly walkways added to the charm.

We did not tour St. Peter’s Church, however we walked around it while Gunta gave us a bit of history. St. Peter’s was built in 1209 and destroyed several times either by fire or by war. A couple walls and pillars are all that remain from that time. In 1941, it was mostly destroyed with very little saved. The reconstruction is magnificent! We stopped at a bronze sculpture with animals atop each other and gazing through an opening, symbolizing viewing the outside world after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. 

We strolled to the Monument of Freedom, marking the end of the Old Center and the importance of the monument. It was unveiled in 1935, prior to Soviet occupation, and symbolizes the unity of the 3 Latvian tribes, honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence.

Gunta had other stories about the area, how the canal was filled in and the Liv Square created. As we walked towards Liv Square, we passed the Powder Tower, a 17th century defense tower, as well as buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The houses around Liv Square have been built into the old city wall as it was no longer in use. This attractive square lead us to a fascinating building with a great story: the yellow Art Nouveau building has 2 cats on the roof “aiming” at one of the Hanseatic guild buildings. When the owner’s application for membership was rejected, he exacted his revenge in an architectural element!

Continuing around Old Riga, we passed by St. Jacob’s Church and were directed to look up at the small bell at the top of the spire. Legend has it that it would ring if there was an execution (or if Napoleon was coming, a wife was cheating, and on and on. So, all the time!).

We walked by the Swedish Gate that lead into an area known for brewing beer. This gate is one of the original gates through the city wall from the 17th century, allowing access from the military barracks into the city. The symbol of Riga is a key and has its origins back when Riga was a walled city in the Hanseatic League. Gunta informed us that the city walls were open during the day but locked at night. When a person of importance wanted to enter the locked city, they were issued a key.

We continued our walk in the old center, finding ourselves in front of the “Three Brothers”. These three Medieval buildings are among the oldest in Riga and currently house the Latvian Museum of Architecture.

Further along we came upon the Riga Cathedral, a famously well recognized landmark of Riga, built in 1201.

Walking onward, behind the Cathedral, past a restored Medieval restaurant, shops and back into the Town Hall Square to admire Roland.

We were given some free time to shop, spending euros as needed. A small notebook, a “cat” toothpick holder and two flavors of Riga Black Balsam, the national drink of Latvia were purchased. We did not sample this adult beverage but plan on doing so once back in the USA. A suggestion is to serve it over ice cream—will do!

Retail therapy over and time to head for the bus. We walked past an enormous Soviet-style sculpture known as the Monument to Latvian Riflemen and down to the edge of theDaugava River. Riga was an absolute surprise given its amazing architecture and robust history as an important Hanseatic city. This is a place worth revisiting!

Tuesday, September 26, 2023: Warnemünde and Rostock, Germany

The Rotterdam reached our next port in the early morning hours. It was just before dawn as we peered out of the stateroom and watched the old port city of Warnemünde come to life. The necessity for the early port call and very late departure (after 10pm) was due to one of the shore excursions: a few passengers were scheduled to travel to Berlin and back the same day, a 3-hour ride one way. Fortunately, we had rented an apartment in Berlin for 2 weeks back in 2015 and had explored this beautiful, historic city and most of all it had to offer. There is no way one could properly see this massive city in one day!

Our shore excursion took us to Rostock, a medieval walled city founded in 1218. The tour began at the Warnemünde port with a short walk to the “Mecklenburg”, a boat that transported us from the mouth of the Baltic Sea south on the Warnow River to Rostock. In the 20th century, this area of Germany was formerly known as East Germany, run by socialists until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. We passed by ship building industries, small enclaves of apartment buildings, large woodland areas and a coal burning plant.

The energy produced by wind turbines and solar arrays are not quite enough to power the cities. We did see a hybrid ferry that had a huge “smokestack” on its deck—it was actually capturing wind to assist in powering the vessel. We watched as the tall stack spun around, trying to figure out how the wind was being captured.

Rostock’s city skyline made an appearance about 30 minutes after the beginning of our boat excursion. Our guide, Jessica, had spent time in the US as a nanny so her English was superb. From the boat to a bus and a short ride to the pedestrian center of Old Rostock. The city was heavily bombed during WWII and the Soviets did it no favors with rebuilding in “classic” Soviet style (aka: ugly). Fortunately, one of the medieval town gates was spared as was part of the city wall. There is restoration taking place around Rostock and it continues to be a charming city.

The material used to construct these ancient walls and buildings was brick as, due to the high water table and flat ground, making clay readily available. Very little stone is found in the surrounding area, most coming from ship ballast.

Rostock was a member of the Hanseatic League, a group of medieval merchants who banded together for protection and for trade purposes. It is amazing to realize the cobblestone streets we were walking on led us past walls and a few buildings from that period. We walked to the Kröpelioner Tor (tower), beneath which is a gate into the city from the 1300s.

There are only a couple gates left from that era. We walked along the city walls, noticing the spaces used for lookout towers or defense houses(no longer there), the walkway between towers and into the courtyard of the Abbey of the Holy Cross, a Cistercian convent founded as a “nunnery” by Queen Margaret in 1270. It is currently the Cultural History Museum.

Jessica led us to the entrance to the University of Rostock, oldest university in Northern Europe. It was founded in 1419 with 500 students in attendance. Obviously the main building had been rebuilt in a Renaissance-style and very impressive.

Today, there are around 30,000 students attending this university. Buildings are spread throughout the city and apartments are in short supply.

University Square was our next stop where we used the “Fountain of Joy” (known locally as the “Porn Fountain”) as our meeting place as we split up to do a little retail therapy and amble along the pedestrian streets of Old Rostock. 

Back together with Jessica, we walked further along the cobblestone streets to St. Mary’s Church, Rostock’s largest and most beautiful church, built in 1230. Inside the church is an amazing astronomical clock, built in 1472 and continues to keep time, moon phases, days of the week, etc. It was difficult to tear our eyes away from it as there was such intricate detail and impossible to include it in one photo due to its massive height. We missed the “procession of the apostles” at the top of the hour but did manage to see a bronze baptismal font from 1290 and one of the world’s largest organs with 5, 502 pipes. 

A short distance away was the Neuer Markt (New Market) Square and Rathaus (Town Hall). The Town Hall with 7 turrets, was a cheerful pink color but has been many colors over the years. It was built in 1270 and anchored the square along with St. Mary’s.

We left the square and headed to the bus for a short drive back to the wharf where we left our boat but now to enter a restaurant for a lesson in beer making and pretzel eating. Pröst!

As an aside, Jessica was very upfront with economic issues in Germany. The tax system appears to punish those who have not gone on to further their education. An example would be the number of jobs held by an individual pushes them into a higher tax bracket despite not necessarily making more in wages. Healthcare may be “free” but it’s really only the public healthcare. Most people buy private insurance to gain access to care. Education had been free but now there is a fee for individuals who are not German citizens.

We left Rostock by bus, arriving back in Warnemünde and the Rotterdam to plan our self-guided tour of another medieval city. Warnemünde had been a fishing village and eventually the site of a Royal Danish Palace (now the Tourist Information center). We wanted to taste the regionally famous Fischbrötchen, a fish sandwich with onion, lettuce and a pickle, purchased from one of the many vendors along the Alter Strom’s promenade. We were lucky enough to find a seat, watching the boats and people while munching on this hearty sandwich and sipping beer.

The end of our day held a surprise: the Rotterdam was having its own “Oktoberfest” onboard with bratwurst, schnitzel, sauerkraut, big soft pretzels, and a number of other German dishes. We were entertained by the Rostock-Warnemünde brass band playing rousing music from Bohemia, sea chantries and even the chicken dance! It was a great ending to a wonderful day, learning more about the history of this special place.

Monday, September 25, 2023: Copenhagen

We had spent 2 weeks in Copenhagen in 2017 and explored all the tourist highlights plus other amazing locations frequented by locals. Today, we are heading to Dragøer, one of the oldest fishing villages in Denmark. This Baltic village was identified as being so scenic that it had to preserved. Thankfully, historic preservation began in 1934 and Dragøer became Denmark’s first pedestrian-only town.

 The narrow cobblestone streets, ochre colored houses many with thatched roofs and Baltic Sea views made this a memorable experience. Our guide pointed out a small boat, the Elisabeth Dragør, one of the many vessels taking Jews to Sweden in order to save them from deportation. Around 7,200 were saved with only a small number unable to escape. We had learned about the massive overnight rescue operation when we visited the tiny Jewish Museum in Copenhagen in 2017. The Jewish people that had been deported numbered in the few hundreds and had been taken to Terazin. It was extraordinarily special to see one of the boats that was involved in this rescue!

Back to the present, it was a bit strange looking over at the modern day Øresund Bridge from our historic location. The bridge connects Denmark and Sweden, traveling 5 miles over the Øresund strait before ending in the 2.5 mile Drøgden Tunnel. What an engineering marvel! We stopped for a “danish” (oh, so that’s where the word comes from!) and coffee at a local restaurant, then wandered down “Main Street” checking out the small shops and architecture. This is really more of a resort area and boasts a small beach. It is the end of the tourist season so most shops were for the locals: clothing stores, hardware, wine shops and only a few open restaurants. Apparently alcohol is significantly less expensive here so much of the foot traffic is attributed to visitors from Sweden and Norway, stocking up on “cheer”!

Back on the bus and heading to the port, our bus detoured through Copenhagen’s old city for a more scenic drive. Many of the places were familiar to us so it was a real treat to see them once again. A quick stop at the Gefion Fountain for a photo op allowed us to stretch our legs before reaching the port.

Our guide shared the story of Gefion, the Norse goddess of agriculture, who used her 4 oxen sons to create the land known as Zealand. Overall, a fantastic tour mixing old and new.

Monday, September 18, 2023

The Rotterdam sailed through an unbelievably narrow fjord, arriving in Oslo in early morning darkness. Sunrise found us snugged into the pier under cloudy skies, threatening rain. After our in-room breakfast, we headed to the Main Stage where we awaited the announcement, “The Best of Oslo with Lunch”, before heading out to join our 7-hour tour.

Our tour guide, Leeamah, gave us a history lecture as we drove through the center of Oslo, past the Akershus Fortress, built in 1299, the Parliament Building and Palace. Although Oslo was founded by the Viking King “Harold the Hard Ruler” in 1050, there are no buildings from that era or from any era prior to 1624 when all wooden buildings were destroyed in a major fire. The city was rebuilt closer to Akershus Fortress with stone and brick as the materials for reconstruction. Other interesting facts: the population of Oslo was 30,000 in 1350, prior to the arrival of the “Black Death”. Afterwards, 70% of the population had been decimated by this disease.

Norway had been ruled by Denmark until 1814 and then by Sweden until 1905 when it became a separate country through an amicable agreement. Norwegians celebrate Independence Day annually on May 17, as we learned through association with our Maine neighbor.

Our electric powered bus drove onward, taking us high into the Holmenkollen Hills for a panoramic view of Oslo and the famous, Olympic ski jump. Due to the misty weather, the Oslo view wasn’t the best, however the ski jump was impressive. Originally built in 1892, it was the main venue for the 1952 Winter Olympics and rebuilt in 2011. We returned to the bus and headed to an open air museum, hoping the rain would hold off for this excursion!

The Norse Folkemuseum consists of 150 authentic buildings, brought here and reconstructed from all the different regions of Norway. The highlight was the 13th Century Gol Stave Church with the interior revealing 10th century paintings and carvings while the exterior revealed the 13th Century covered walkway around the entire structure.

Leeamah informed us that during the Mass, the woman would stand at the north side of the church as it was colder and the men at the south side. Anyone suffering from sickness was made to stay outside in the walkway. Very hearty people! In addition to the stave church, there were homes, store houses, barns from the early eras up to the Danish-influenced buildings of the17th Century and beyond. 

Leeamah shared personal history with us regarding her father. He had been raised in the poor section of Oslo and lived in a house very similar to the types found here: a small, one story home with 3 rooms for 7 people. “Everyone slept together in the same room. My father became a successful musician and was able to support us but never wanted to return to see the home he grew up in.” We walked back to the bus as it just started to “mist”, heading to the Maritime Museum.

On the bus, Leeamah told us about more recent history, including the Nazi invasion on April 9, 1940, when they attempted to surprise Oslo by sailing up the fjord. What the Nazis didn’t realize was the very narrow area we had sailed through just this morning, making the narrative real. The leading Nazi war ship was sunk, killing more that 1,000 sailors with very few survivors. Of course, that merely gave the Norwegians a day or so to become better organized and allow the King, Queen and parliamentarians to escape to England.

The Maritime Museum was interesting but the Viking Boats were not available as the section they were held in was being totally upgraded and would not be open to the public until 2026. There was a 2,200 year old dugout canoe, revealing early seafaring people. 

The Viking era is identified as the timeframe from the 8th to the 11th centuries. There was an interesting short film documenting the building and sailing of replicas. In an adjoining room, a young man gave a presentation on the tools the Vikings used to construct their impressive ships.

An unexpected highlight was the display by the Norwegian artist, Karl Erik Harr, and his “Demons of the Deep”. The paintings were based on Norwegian folklore written by a 17th century priest and poet, Petter Dass, involving fishermen and the sea. The stories and paintings attempt to explain why a fisherman never returned to his family and what he may have seen before his death.

The “Draug”, a troubled spirit, would be responsible for taking the fisherman below the waves and into the netherworld. There were paintings of sea serpents, mermaids, kraken and selkies. All fantastical!

Back into the 21st Century, we headed to our lunch spot at Café Europa, then onwards to our last destination, the Vigeland Sculpture Park.

Despite the rain, we walked through a section of the largest park in Norway, to see the incredible granite sculptures of the human cycle of life, created by one man, Gustav Vigeland. The centerpiece is a 55-foot high sculpture, created using a single, enormous granite monolith. Men, women and children are intertwined, climbing upwards, depicting the struggle for life.

Further down steps to a huge fountain that was the original installation by Vigeland with bronze figures of humans and animals.

Crossing a bridge, we found the “Angry Baby” among other bronze figures. One section was entirely devoted to fathers and their relationship with their children.

Leeamah told us that this may be Vigeland’s desire to express the sought after relationship he never had with his abusive, alcoholic father.

We ended our walk in the pouring rain, with Leemah expressing surprise that there were not more people in the park. She explained that in Norway, “it is not bad weather, it is just bad clothing” that must be understood. The population is typically out in any type of weather. Sundays are family days as all shops are closed so people can enjoy nature. A wonderful philosophy! 

Back on the Rotterdam, we changed into dry clothing and decided to have a cocktail in the Panorama Lounge before heading to dinner in the informal Lido instead of the Main Dining room, as we wanted to catch the evening’s entertainment and didn’t have enough time to relax beforehand. Stephen Barry was one of the best entertainers we’ve seen on any cruise: great voice, great crowd interaction and all around fantastic performance. We’re planning on seeing him again during the 2nd leg of our journey.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

We arrived in Kristiansand after a slightly “bumpy” overnight cruise and caught a glimpse of sun! 

Our walking tour was scheduled to begin at 1pm allowing us to enjoy a leisurely breakfast after a fitness center workout (our first so far!).

Kristiansand is a planned city, being built in a strategic trade location on the Skagerrak, taking advantage of the timber trade and fishing.There was only a small fishing settlement on the Otra River prior to King Christian IV building his palace here, formally founding the town in 1641. It was an easy walk from the pier to the center of historic Kristiansand, with a fish market, sculpture park and views of the 1666 fortress.

From the pier, we passed by the performing arts center, with the roof line reported to imitate a troll’s head of hair!

We were guided through the colorful fish market along the West Harbor of the Otra River, noting the abundance of shrimp, lobsters, crabs and other fish.

It was a delight to be outside walking in the sunshine! On our way to the fortress, we walked through Otterdalsparken Markens Gate, a sculpture garden located along the shore.

We were surprised to learn there is a beach located here where the water is fairly warm. The cause? Warm water created by the selenium and nickel foundries is pumped through the city, under streets, and out into the bay. In the winter, the streets are kept clear from snow and ice through this process.

We continued our walk, crossing a busy street and past a bronze statue of a chubby King Kristian to another area of Kristiansand, a huge square containing the administrative Town Hall, tourist information center, restaurants and the Kristiansand Cathedral. Unfortunately, we arrived at the doors of the cathedral just as it closed for the day.  

Our guide explained that most of the homes were destroyed by fire in 1734 and, similar to Oslo, buildings were only to be built from stone or brick. There were a few remaining wooden homes in a neighborhood known as Posebyen, our last destination and the location of one of these interesting homes. As we walked several blocks, we noticed most of these old wooden homes were painted white. We were told that white became the color of prestige after seafaring merchants returned with “whitewash” from other countries. Very few red and yellow houses were seen in this area although most families would paint the interior courtyard red.

The John Bentsen House, named for the musician who donated it to the local historic society, had been reported to house 45 people, mostly soldiers, during Kristainsand’s time as a garrison town. Our small group gathered inside to listen to a more detailed history of Norway and the development of Kristiansand before touring the small, two story home. It was difficult to imagine that many people living here!

It had been an interesting tour, however as we headed back to the ship, the rain began in earnest. Once again, our clothes were soaked and a change of clothes needed to warm us up. That and the gifted bottle of champagne that was still in the small refrigerator. Mary Margaret ordered a plate of cheese and fruit from room service allowing us to indulge ourselves before a late dinner. Sigh!

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

The Rotterdam made another early morning arrival docking in the center of bustling Stavanger. Our stateroom looked over a collection of small, white red-tiled roof homes, separated from the pier by a narrow road and bike path. It was another overcast day but we hoped to avoid most of the rain as our tour would be taking us to interesting Viking sites.

We joined the “Stavanger Old and New” tour and introduced ourselves to Erik, the outgoing and intelligent tour guide. While taking short bus rides to the 4 major sites on this excursion, Erik gave us information about Stavanger’s importance in this region. This is where the Kingdom of Norway was founded in 872 AD, where fishing evolved into a worldwide distribution business due to the canning of herring and sardines and to its leading role in the creation of the Norwegian oil industry with its Houston, Texas partnership. Stavanger currently is home to a population of 144,000 people who pride themselves on being environmentally conscious with a focus on personal fitness.

Our first stop found us at the Archeological Museum where we explored the timeframe from Norway’s Ice Age to the Reformation in 1537. A lovely docent, dressed as a Viking woman, gave a presentation on the norseman and their skills at wool weaving (sails), carpentry and metallurgy that included tool making and decoration.

We were led in two separate groups to explore Norse mythology (Tree of Life) and the new installation of Iron Age artifacts from the Olso discovery. Although the Viking Age lasted about 300 years, the impact on other cultures was felt from Scandinavia to the Mideast and beyond.

We were only allowed 45 minutes in this interesting museum, certainly not enough time to fully explore but at least it allowed us to gain a better understanding of the origins of the norsemen. This region has the most Viking burial sites with some revealing the degree of wealth and power of men and women equally.

We headed to the “Swords in the Rock Monument” commemorating the Battle of Hafrsfjord and the victory of Harald Haarfagre (Harold the Fairhair) over the last of the regional princes in 872 AD. This victory united 29 small kingdoms under one crown. The sword sculpture consists of the replicas of 3 swords symbolizing the victorious King Harald and the defeated chieftains.The tallest is 30-feet in height. They are buried in bedrock, never to be used again, thus encouraging people to live in peace.

The rain held off long enough for us to explore our next location: an Iron Age farm. There are three buildings that have been reconstructed with a fourth still remaining untouched. We were led into one of the long buildings to experience what it must have been like to eat, sleep and work in an age where human strength, tools and ingenuity were relied upon.

Sheep greeted us on the path to the buildings but paid no attention to our presence. We did notice a high-pitched alarm sounding and were told it was used as a warning when dynamite was being set off. There is quite a bit of construction around this area so the alarm kept us grounded in the 21st century.

We traveled from the Iron Age to the Age of Oil. Stavanger has an oil museum, the Norsk Oljemuseum, dedicated to the discovery of the first oil field on November 23, 1969, to the present day of over 100 active platforms in the North and Norwegian Seas.

This museum was filled with artifacts required in drilling, development of new materials, impact of drilling on the environment and improvements, hands-on displays for youngsters including a safety drill.

Phillips Petroleum was the first to discover the new oil field after trying for several years. “They helped turn us from a poor country into a very wealthy country”. Stavanger partnered with Houston, Texas to assist with the expertise and technology required in this industry.

Our last stop was very close to the pier and allowed us a short walk through a collection of old wooden homes, preserved from destruction by the efforts of Einar Hedens, a man with a vision. He observed the ruination of neighborhoods with the removal of these historic homes and the “modern” buildings and apartment complexes replacing them. It was in the late 20th century when Einar convinced the town officials to preserve the remaining homes.

It reminded us of our place in the Historic District of Wilmington: beautiful homes, cobblestone streets, colorful doors and lovely decor. Erik explained the houses painted white with delft blue doors were homes of the wealthy or at least were signified by these colors back in the 18th and 19th centuries. We strolled by home after home, eventually making our way back to the Rotterdam at the end of the street.

These were the collection of houses that we had been admiring when the Rotterdam tied up to the pier early this morning!

We considered ourselves fortunate to have toured Stavanger, traveling through the past and into the present by exploring highlights of this beautiful place.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

The Rotterdam carefully cruised from the North Sea into Sognefjord, the world’s longest fjord, to Aurlandsfjorden, with its twists and turns, arriving  in Flåm, Norway, in the early morning hours, just as dawn was breaking. Our stateroom is on the port side of the ship so we were given a gorgeous view of the high walls and multiple waterfalls surrounding Flåm.

The town is very small with less than 1,000 inhabitants but has a railway traveling to the top of the fjord, joining another railway connecting Bergen and Oslo. 

Flåm is known for it’s adhesion-type railway, climbing 12 miles from sea level to 2,841 feet ending at the Myrdal plateau. We weren’t sure what we would see, given the misty, cloudy conditions, but it certainly would be an adventure on this electric train. It did not disappoint! We sat far enough in the back of one car to listen to a tour guide explaining the various points of interest along the railway to her group despite our being officially “unguided”.

The train ride was an hour up and an hour back with a stop at the Kjosfossen to view the magnificent waterfall and listen to Huldra, a forest seductress luring men into her realm where they’ll never return. Kjosfossen has its power harnessed by a power station further below where the electricity generated is used to power the train.

Views from the train did not disappoint! We watched a small herd of sheep grazing below us on a small farm located next to a river, countless waterfalls gushing from the tops of steep cliffs and the view of the Flåmsdalen valley as we traversed bridges. We traveled in and out of 20 tunnels and caught a glimpse of Raller Rd with its 21 hairpin turns.

This was built during the construction of the railroad in order to transport building materials and supplies. Apparently it is a favorite of bicyclists as they race from Myrdal down into the valley. Tom said this was one of the tour options—happy we didn’t sign up!

Overall, this was a wonderful, close-up view of Norway’s beautiful natural environment. After arriving back in Flåm, we walked around the small collection of shops and restaurants that were filled to capacity. A quick decision was made to eat on the ship then plan a quick walk about afterwards.

We watched youngsters jumping into the chilly waters of the fjord from a swim platform, including our onboard singer/entertainer, Stephen Barry. Hearty individuals for sure! Amazingly, the sun peaked out just in time to showcase the gorgeous fjord and river, giving us ample opportunity for more photos before sail away.

Our dinner at the Tamarid gave us a window view of Flåm as we left, cruising through the fjord and reminiscing about the captivating experience we shared on this leg of our cruise experience. Onward to a sea day and then Amsterdam where we’ll begin the second leg of our adventure: the Baltic Sea.

Saturday, September 23, 2023: Amsterdam

A sea day away from Flåm found us back in Amsterdam, dropping off passengers and taking on new arrivals. While all this was happening, we left the ship and walked to the historic downtown area in search of the Verzets (Resistance) Museum. Our neighbors in Maine, Hens and Joke Vanderschoot, were in Holland during the Nazi Occupation and, over the years, shared a few amazing and heart breaking stories. 

The ship was about a 15 minute walk to the historic center so we were confident in our ability to find the Verzets Museum, locating it on the map given to us by the concierge upon our arrival last week. We also consulted the map in our Amsterdam guidebook.

It proved much easier locating the museum on the map than finding it by walking the streets due to detours caused by street construction and the city layout! We decided to first locate the Hermitage as it was on the way to the Verzets Museum and holds treasures from St. Petersburg. A proper substitute for our canceled St. Petersburg port. Much to our dismay, the Hermitage Museum is now the Hart Museum having been renamed due to the Russia-Ukrainian conflict. The museum sent all the historic Russian treasures back to Moscow!

Not to be deterred, we found the Holocaust Memorial just outside the former Hermitage building and wandered through the maze of walls holding hundreds of names of people that had been deported from Amsterdam and the surrounding areas. So disturbing but so necessary to remember all that occurred during those terrible years.

We were eventually successful in locating the Verzets Museum after turning on our iPhones to gain GPS access. Oh, the wonders of technology! The museum was small but packed with exhibits that included photographs, films and narratives from those who made their mark on the resistance movement. It was disturbing to see the targeting of citizens because of their religious beliefs. One exhibit honors Coba Veltman, a single mother, who called residents to strike against the violent raid on Jews. She helped make pamphlets, sitting at home, typing “Demand the immediate release of arrested Jews”, and “Be Brave”. Her typewriter is exhibited in the museum.

By the time we dodged downpours, found the museum and went on the tour, it was time to return to the ship and sail away to our next destination: Copenhagen, Denmark.

We enjoyed the send off given to us by a few of the Amsterdam residents. They were out in their small boats, and in groups on the shore, waving while we made our way to the North Sea and, eventually, the Baltic, a sea day away.

Friday, September 15, 2023

We arrived in Amsterdam, jet lagged but fortunate to check into the DoubleTree hotel immediately for a quick snooze. Although this was not our originally reserved room, we assured the concierge that we would be oblivious to any noise made by train traffic at the Central Station. We were right! After a refreshing nap, we were out and about early afternoon to explore a couple sights we hadn’t visited during a previous visit. Back in 1995, we toured  most of the “must see” locations (Ann Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, etc). Today we walked from the hotel, located a short bridge away from the Old Town, and toured the Royal Palace.

It began as the Town Hall and now serves as King Willem-Alexander’s occasional overnight stay as well as hosting ceremonial events. Art and furniture, paintings and sculptures, marble flooring, 51 chandeliers, and a “tribunal” where, previously, prisoners were condemned to death.

The Royal Palace also includes the Citizens Hall, located in the heart of the building.

Directly across from the Royal Palace is a square known as “Dam”. It is marked by a monolith, commemorating the founding of Amsterdam in 1270 and where the first dam was constructed.

We also checked out a hidden gem—”Our Lord in the Attic”, a Catholic “church” in a former home where parishioners would gather and hold Mass during the years when any religion was “outlawed”, except for Protestantism. We walked through a modern building in order to access an underground passage, leading to the adjacent building, stepping back in time.

It was just enough time to complete both tours before grabbing a quick Heineken (and water) and head to our dinner destination: D’Vijff Vliegen or “The 5 Flies”. The restaurant is spread through 5 canal houses built in the 17th century. Low ceiling dining rooms, Delft Blue tiles arranged throughout and copper tags placed on chairs inscribed with the names of famous people. Tom’s parents had dined here during their stay overseas immediately following WWII. Very special.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

We took a short taxi ride to the port and handed off our luggage to be brought aboard the Rotterdam. Steeling ourselves for embarkation, we weren’t sure what to expect based on last year’s experience in the Port of Miami. What a difference a year makes! We breezed onto the ship, bypassing lines of incoming passengers due to our 4-star Mariner status (finally paying off!). We walked onto the ship and headed to the Lido for a congratulatory beverage while awaiting the announcement that rooms were ready. Another amazing experience walking into our stateroom: Enormous! A wall of closets, a large bathroom with double sinks and a walk in shower with a bench, a space consisting of a desk, chair, shelving and more drawers, all before entering the bedroom complete with a fainting couch (at least that is what Mary Margaret called it!). Onward to the large veranda with 2 recliners and, separately, a table and 2 chairs. Beyond our wildest expectation!

Considering we began our cruising experience in 2015 in an inside cabin, we’ve now reached the pinnacle of luxury. Well, maybe not quite but close enough!

We ended our first day aboard the Rotterdam with dinner in the Tamarind, a specialty restaurant with an Asian flare. Tomorrow is a sea day then our first shore excursion in Oslo, Norway.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

We are off on another adventure, this time exploring Scandinavia and countries around the Baltic Sea. Our cruise with the Holland America Line (HAL) will begin in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on September 16, aboard the Rotterdam, and end in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on October 22. This is an area of the world we are not familiar with, only briefly visiting Bergen, Norway for a day during our cruise in 2017. Unfortunately, St. Petersburg, Russia, has been taken off the itinerary due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Although disappointing, we are confident other ports of call will fascinate us with their histories, cultures and and natural wonders. 

We are told there are 3 stages of retirement activity: the “Go-Go”, the “Go-Slow” and the “No-Go”. We find ourselves heading into our “Go-Slow” stage of travel, attempting to stave off “No-Go” for as long as possible. Following our motto, “Postpone Nothing” has served us well throughout the past 8 years of retirement. Here we go!