Cruise Diary ~ BALTIC
CAPITALS
Helsinki, Finland &
Stockholm, Sweden
Hail to Finland and a Royal Sighting
Helsinki
What a greeting! Seagulls
swooping above, below, and all around our balcony on the R8 as we
arrived on a lovely sunny, Sunday morning. Not too cold, not too
warm--the weather seemed "just right" and we set off to
explore.
At the foot of the gangway I
got directions to the nearby Tourism Board office and we headed there
for maps and information to guide us. Unfortunately, the
"blond" (me) was reading the map... I might also point out
that the lady in the tourism office did point us in the wrong
direction. However, after a nice walk with a bit of window-shopping as
a bonus, we managed to make our way to Senate Square with its lovely
neo-classic architecture. I've seen several references made that refer
to this central square as "reminiscent" of St. Petersburg
but I couldn't disagree more. It might have served as a setting for Gorky
Park and Reds, but nothing in Finland reminded us of
Russia. Where St. Petersburg was dour and dirty, Helsinki sparkled.
Once in Senate Square, we consulted
our walking tour booklet and map and were contemplating our next move
when our "confused tourist guardian angels" appeared.
Helsinki's tourism board has a squadron of young people, all in
distinctive attire and sporting name badges indicating the languages they
speak. They suggested we catch the 3T tram for a "tour" of the
city. We could get off and on as many times as we wanted within an
hour for one low fare. It sounded like a good idea so we got on and
the driver gave us a map that described the stops and points of
interest (they also appeared on an overhead lighted board as we
approached them).
A few of the sites sounded
interesting but we decided to stay on the tram when the sky opened up.
Our morning sunshine disappeared as rain fell in sheets, followed by
hail! Talk about changes in the weather... by the time the tram
approached the harbor, the sun was again shining but the day had
turned windy and cold. We left the tram and headed for a cafeteria and
a sampling of Finnish pastries and coffee. Then we hit the Market
Square, an open air market where you can buy everything from
strawberries to reindeer pelts.
For a wonderful city panorama, we
walked up to the Uspenski Cathedral, the city's Orthodox cathedral
built in 1868. From its terrace overlooking the small craft harbor and
Katajanokka Casino (a restaurant with a summer patio) we had a
beautiful view of the
heart of Helsinki.
Seagulls and a brass band bid us
farewell as the R8 sailed from a city we enjoyed immensely.
Stockholm
It seemed as though the
seagulls and brass band followed us from Helsinki to greet us in the
capital of Sweden. I wonder how many cities are dubbed "Venice of
the North" because of their waterways and canals? Stockholm
certainly came closest in our estimation. Mel and I split up for the
day. He joined fellow passengers on a local bus to the city center and
the Old Town to take in the sights--the Royal Palace (Europe's oldest
and largest still in use), the Royal Cathedral, and other impressive
landmarks. Mel declared Stockholm his favorite port of call because of
the warmth and friendliness of the people.
I took a shore excursion to
Drottningholm Palace, the residence of the Swedish royal family. After
a bus ride past the city center and famous NK
Department Store and along the posh Strandvagan (where Ingrid Bergman lived at
#1 and Bjorn Borg's digs are at #9), we boarded a boat for a picturesque cruise
past the summer cottages that dot the shoreline of Lake Malaren to
Drottningholm. The royal family preferred it as a place where their
children could grow up amid lush parks and in privacy. While official
functions are usually held in the Royal Palace in Stockholm,
Drottningholm is a haven of tranquility where the family uses about 20
of the palace's 220 rooms.
Surrounded by lush gardens, the 18th
century Baroque palace with its charming interiors seems almost modest
when compared to those occupied by the Russian Tsars and Tsarinas. We didn't see
the King or Queen of Sweden strolling in the formal gardens; however, we did spot a
member of the royal household... "Bingo"--the family's
Golden Retriever.
Packing it in...
Thankfully, we'd folded up and packed
things away all during the cruise so we merely had to gather up what
was left. We accomplished the majority of the serious packing after
leaving Helsinki the
previous evening and wrapped things up before a final festive dinner
in the Italian Restaurant with new cruising friends.
All in all, our cruise through the
Baltic Capitals was a delight. Such contrasts from country to country!
The major highlights for me were my Norwegian homeland, the Russian
White Nights, and meeting my dear friend Bart de Boer. And, of course,
sailing on the beautiful new Renaissance R8. The European royals had
nothing on us... we were catered to and waited on for two glorious
weeks in comfort and style.
Back to reality and just in the nick
of time. I was having serious thoughts about introducing Bingo to Bridgette, our
own Golden Retriever, and learning to speak Swedish. Even though
Tropical Storm Allison and 8" of rain accompanied us from Atlanta
to Augusta, there's no place like home.
Watch for the R8 Cruise Review,
coming in a few days.
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