Northern Capitals: The Baltics

Tuesday, May 01, 2018

The pilot was correct, we made up the lost time and entered Amsterdam airspace when he predicted we would be there. However, the winds were about 32 knots and only one runway was open and we were kept in a holding pattern for thirty minutes before being cleared to land.

Immigration only had two desks open initially but they added three more windows and we processed through the serpentine in 45 minutes. Once we gathered our luggage we proceeded to a Royal Caribbean Welcome Desk where Fereshteh and Mo purchased transfers to the ship to join us on the thirty minute bus ride to the passenger terminal.

The Brilliance of the Seas had changes made to the ship in the ten or so days before our cruise so the passengers were all logged into the terminal and given a group assignment. Some of the clerks had computer problems and people were invited (and tagged) requiring them to come back and get photos electronically tagged to their sea pass. We just asked one of the clerks whose computer was working to process our photo so we didn't have to come back. Then our groups were later called out in order to board the vessel.

When our group was called we entered the ship at Deck Four and Liz and Fereshteh stopped at the Guest Services Desk to have their ship cards hole-punched to let them put their cards on a lanyard to carry about the ship.

Next we went to the Windjammer Cafe on Deck 11 for lunch. We found a table for four and a waiter took drink orders Mo requested a Pepsi and after he was asked for his sail pass I alerted him to the fact that other than coffee, tea, and water beverages were charged to the room. I also informed him that gratuity charges of $15.00 per day/per person would also be added to the bill.

Then we went around the buffet. Liz began with a salad bar. Fereshteh found an Indian dish and some corn on the cob. Mo had beef slices from the steamship round, which proved to be dry and almost tasteless. I had a helping of Paella but the mussels, shrimp, and scallops were dry and hard and the rice was cold. We were not too impressed with lunch.

Afterward we walked about the ship to familiarize ourselves with the layout. Our stateroom (3124) and the Sarram's stateroom (3622) are across from each other separated by the width of the ship on the port and starboard sides respectively. That means we walk forward twenty rooms on the port corridor to the common stairway/elevator area and then cross over to the starboard side and walk aft twenty rooms to reach the Sarram's.

We had safety drill, also on opposite sides of the promenade, at 4:15. It was cold and windy and the exercise lasted about a half hour. Afterward we went to My Time Dining in the Minstrel Dinning Room (Deck 5) where we were seated at a table for four. Our waiter, Tadium, is from South Africa and our Assistant Waiter, Francisco, is from Mexico.

145 I ordered the French Onion Soup and the horseradish encrusted salmon. Liz had the mushroom soup and the Barimundi over rice. Fereshteh also had the same fish of the day but with the French Onion Soup. We both agreed that the soup was cold, the cheese was rubbery and we wondered where the onion was. The red beans and rice served under the Barimundi seemed less impressive than the fish. Mo had a Caesar salad and shared some of Fereshteh's fish.

After dinner we went to the Pacifica Theater for WELCOME ABOARD SHOWTIME Starring Crazy Circus Comedy of JEREMY & CHARLY. It was interesting. The two performers did acrobatic flips and slides over tables, chairs, and each other. Then they went through juggling routines, all fast paced. At one point Jeremy played a trumpet and then brought another to his lips and played two together in harmony. Just a few notes but I was impressed.

Returning to our room after the performance, we discovered our luggage had been brought to our room. We spent about an hour putting things away... roughly. By that I mean we put the packing cubes on shelves; we did not put everything on hangers. We reviewed our documents and letters from the ship and we put papers in the safe. Liz reviewed meal times and called Fereshteh to recommend we meet at the Minstrel Dining Room (Deck 4) at eight o'clock for breakfast. Then we gave up too and went to bed.

Wednesday, May 02, 2018 (Sea Day)

Today we are at sea, a perfect, slow morning for a sit down breakfast. Here we learned that one of the changes done to the ship before this cruise was to replace the dinning room chairs. They are bigger; and they have no glides so they are difficult to move across the carpet. Now the tables seem closer together. One woman at our table was stuffed between the table and the window. Now I think they have copied airplane design efficiencies. There is little room for anyone.

This was a first service for breakfast. It was slow, food was late and people were complaining. After breakfast Fereshteh and Liz went to exercise class. I worked on my journal for a while. Wayne, our steward from Guyana, asked about the writing and I showed him the websites for trip reports as well as for the genealogy. He was suitably impressed.

The four of us got together for lunch. This time we asked for a table for four. People went to the salad buffet and I talked everyone into ordering the Nasi Goring we love from Indonesia. I enjoyed it, others seemed polite but not as enthusiastic.

146 Later we met Fereshteh and Mo for a walk on the promenade. Mo felt it was too cold so he bowed out. We walked about the deck but were getting in the way of two workmen so we went to Deck 3 and walked inside. We have to walk a “U” loop and that is about a half mile.

Later Liz and I went to the Diamond Lounge for a half hour before meeting Fereshteh and Mo in the dinning room. We were not sure we could meet the early performance in the theater but we actually were able to get their as introductions were being made.

HEADLINER SHOWTIME Direct from the West End & Broadway – BARRICADE BOYS – Stars of Les Miserables LIVE in Concert.

The show featured songs from Les Miserables but also from The Jersey Boys, Queen, and others. The syncopated routines as well as the songs themselves brought back the 80's music. The dance steps brought back memories of that style of songs.

Thursday, May 03, 2018 (Skagen On Our Own)

Today we will catch a shuttle bus to Skagen. Liz and I had been here last August and today we will just go downtown and walk about.

Skagen is Denmark's northernmost town and the area surrounding it. Occasionally known in English as The Scaw, it is situated on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, it is part of Frederikshavn Municipality in Region Nordjylland. It is located 41 kilometers (25 mi) north of Frederikshavn and 108 kilometers (67 mi) northeast of Aalborg. With its well-developed harbor, Skagen is Denmark's main fishing port and also has a thriving tourist industry, attracting some 2 million people annually.

Originally the name was applied to the peninsula but it now usually refers to the town itself. The settlement began in the Middle Ages as a fishing village, renowned for its herring industry. Thanks to its seascapes, fishermen and evening light, towards the end of the 19th century it became popular with a group of Impressionist artists now known as the Skagen Painters. In 1879, the Skagen Fisherman's Association was established with the purpose of facilitating the local fishing industry through the Skagensbanen railway, which opened as a narrow-gauged railway in 1890. The modern port of Skagen opened on 20 November 1907, and with the railway connections to Frederikshavn and the rest of Denmark, tourism began to develop.

In the early 1910s, Christian X and Queen Alexandrine often visited Skagen and brought friends from other European monarchies. They built the summer residence Klitgaarden, completed in 1914. Between the 1930s and 1950s the town grew rapidly, with the population more than doubling from 4,048 in 1930 to 9,009 in 1955. Skagen reached a peak population of 14,050 in 1980, after which it gradually declined. As of 1 January 2014 it has a population of 8,198. Thanks to the artistic community which still remains in Skagen, the local arts and crafts trade remains important to the income of the town with its numerous crafts shops and galleries. Chains such as the international jeweler Skagen Designs have branches in the town, and given the abundance of fresh fish coming in at the port of Skagen, seafood forms a staple in Skagen's restaurants.

St Lawrence's Church was built just outside the village at the end of the 14th century, but after it was buried in drifting sand it was replaced by Skagen Church in 1841 designed by Christian Frederik Hansen. It was redeveloped in 1909–10 by Ulrik Plesner who also designed a number of other buildings in Skagen, including Klitgaarden and the railway station. Several landmarks in the town are closely associated with the Skagen Painters who used to frequent them, including Brøndums Hotel, Skagens Museum, Michael and Anna Ancher's House, and Drachmann's

147 House.

Actually, the process of getting to the downtown confused many people. The city provided a shuttle bus for round trip ticket 7€ but many did not read that the ticket had to be purchased inside the terminal. They stood in the rain waiting to climb into the bus before learning that they had to go back and get a ticket.

While we were in the ticket line we could take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. At least to clear our eMail. We did have a long list of things to delete but we also received our air arrangements for our trip to the Ukraine in August.

It was cold and raining, but the rain portion had been left out of the ship announcement so Liz and Fereshteh returned to the room to get our umbrellas. Then Fereshteh also purchased a Skagen (pronounced Skane) poncho to wear on our walk. Our bus ride was less than 10 minutes long and we set out for Jacobs Cafe & Bar for coffee and a pastry. A cup of cappuccino and an apple Danish sets a great tone on a cold wet day.

We returned to the ship for a late lunch at the Windjammer Cafe. Then Mo and Fereshteh went back to their stateroom where Mo could rest a bit. Liz and Fereshteh went line dancing. I took a few pictures from a distance but close-up photos were too blurry. Then I worked on the journal and processed a few pictures.

Later we went to the Diamond Lounge before dinner. Then we met back up with the Sarrams for dinner. The menu was not too spectacular and we tried the Tres Leches; I told Francisco, our assistant waiter from Mexico, that he needed to write home and ask his mother to send her recipe to the chef because his version was terrible.

148 We again met at 9:00 PM for NOW & FOREVER Starring the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers and the Brilliance of the Seas Orchestra 50's & 60's ROCK & ROLL DANCE PARTY “Join your Activities Manager Enzo and the Cruise Director's Staff as they take you back in time with the fine vibes of the Locomotion Band. Even Elvis said he'll be there.”

They were energetic and changed costumes frequently but I did not agree with their interpretation of ABBA. Twenty performers did not match the famous Swedish quartet.

Friday, May 04, 2018 (Aarhus On Our Own)

Founded in the early Viking Age, Aarhus is one of the oldest cities in Denmark, along with Ribe and Hedeby.

Archaeological evidence under the Aros settlement's defenses indicate the site was a town as early as the last quarter of the 8th century, considerably earlier than had been generally supposed. Discoveries after a 2003 archaeological dig unearthed half-buried longhouses, fire-pits, glass pearls and a road dated to the late 700s. Archaeologists have conducted several excavations in the inner city since the 1960s revealing wells, streets, homes and workshops. In the buildings and adjoining archaeological layers, everyday utensils like combs, jewelry and basic multi-purpose tools from approximately the year 900 have been found.

The center of Aarhus was once a pagan burial site until Aarhus's first church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber structure, was built upon it during the reign of Frode, King of Jutland, around 900. In the 900s an earth rampart for the defense of the early city was constructed, encircling the settlement, much like the defense structures found at Viking ring fortresses elsewhere. The rampart was later reinforced by Harald Bluetooth, and together with the town's geographical placement, this suggests that Aros was an important trade and military center. There are strong indications of a former royal residence from the Viking Age in Viby, a few kilometers south of the Aarhus city center.

The bishopric of Aarhus dates back to at least 948 when Adam of Bremen reported the bishop Reginbrand attended the synod of Ingelheim in Germany. The bishopric and the town's geographical location propelled prosperous growth and development of the early medieval town. The finding of six runestones in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around the year 1000, as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them. The era was turbulent and violent with several naval attacks on the city, such as Harald Hardrada's assault around 1050, when the Holy Trinity Church was burned to the ground.

Following the Napoleonic wars, Denmark lost Norway and was excluded from international trade for some years which caused a recession for Aarhus's trade-based economy that lasted until the 1830s. The economy turned around as the industrial revolution reached the city and factories with steam-driven machinery became more productive. Passengers were clear to enter the city at 07:30. So after our breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe we cleaned up and departed the ship. We did check the Hop On – Hop Off Bus but the 299 Kr seemed a bit

149 intimidating so we walked to the town center instead. The Dom Kirche did not open until 09:30 so we walked around for a few minutes before the doors were open.

After our tour of the church we looked at a “basket building” which intrigued us so we asked the local tourist guides the meaning of the building. The woman said “It doesn't really have a meaning. It is not a Viking design and seems to be an “organic craft shop.”

We spent and hour or so window shopping after the stores opened at10:00. And then another 45 minutes looking for a pastry shop. At Sallen we discovered a great bakery with only a bench-like table overlooking the pedestrian zone. We enjoyed sharing two great, but sweet, pastries. Sallen also had a fast Wi-Fi hotspot so we cleared our email accounts and synced our fit-bits.

Back at the ship the local volunteers passed out regund brot (rye bread) samples. I told the lady there that in Reykjavik we had rye bread ice cream. They had not heard of that but agreed that it sounded quite interesting.

Liz and Fereshteh attended the 70's Line Dance Class in the Centrum at three o'clock. I did take a few photos and was glad the emergency doors didn't keep closing as they did yesterday. Later, after a little photo processing, I went up to the Diamond Lounge and relaxed until Liz could join me for an hour before joining the Sarrams for dinner.

HEADLINER SHOWTIME Showtime Starring the Maverick Magician JAMIE ALLAN

Not an illusionist, this performance demonstrated close-in magic. Much of his magic was projected to a large screen for the audience. Still, with detailed views of his hands, I still get amazed how he was able

150 to fool us with his tricks. It was a good show.

Saturday, May 05, 2018

What fun this morning, we lost an hour because of the time change but we slept until eight o'clock. Our schedule holds us at sea today. It is a good time to adjust our clocks to a new time zone for Tallin, Estonia and Saint Petersburg, Russia. That way people who forget to do so will have a day to correct their time.

We booked the Bottomless Champagne Brunch for this morning so we will assemble in the Minstrel Dinning Room (Deck 5) for the tour of the galley followed by this special buffet brunch. Mo opted out so it will just be the three of us.

Smoked Salmon Egg Benedict A selection of Continental Meats and Cheeses Fresh French Toast w/ Hickory Smoked Bacon Cold Smoked Fish Cheese and Ham Omlette Assorted Sushi from Izumi Freshly Made Soup of the Day Caesar Salad Bar Freshly Made Chilled Soup of the Day Freshly Baked Danish Pastry's NY Strip Steak Selection of Bread Rolls Lamb Cutlets Butter Croissants Catch of the Day Bagels Freshly made Pasta A selection of the Pastry Chefs Desserts Wild Mushroom Risotto

After filling out the health and welfare/safety exoneration form we were broken into smaller groups and one of the Chef di Partie took us under his wing for the briefing. Ours was “AA” from Bali. “My name is too long for people to learn so I just use my initials.” He led us to the various sections while he explained operations in the vegetable, bread, meats, and pastry sections. The overall session took about forty minutes and then we returned to the dinning room for our brunch.

It was a bit confusing. There was a buffet line to the salad, cheese and sliced meats, and desserts. We later learned one needed to order the soups, or the entree from the waiter. We did so and enjoyed our choices. The lamb was very good as was the NY Strip Steak. As clumsy as the meal was served, it turned out very nice.

Liz and Fereshteh attended Brazilian Forro Dance Class with Luiza at three o'clock. I downloaded photos and wrote in the journal.

We met for dinner and I brought along the Shore Excursion Group: Old Tallinn on Foot instructions to review with Mo for tomorrow. I also needed to tell them we would be attending the Crown & Anchor Society gathering at 7:45 PM so we would not be attending the entertainment this evening.

We learned there are 1,140 Crown and Anchor Society members (previous cruisers) on this trip. The Diamond category (ours) number 340. The meeting was an introduction of the captain and his principle staff. It only lasted a half hour and we returned to our stateroom as we did not plan to attend the show tonight. PRODUCTION SHOWTIME Starring CENTER STAGE “A CELEBRATION OF LIVE MUSIC”

151 Starring the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers and featuring many of your favorite Brilliance of the Seas Musicians.

Sunday, May 06, 2018 (Old Tallinn on Foot)

Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, 50 mi south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm, north of Riga and west of Saint Petersburg in Harju County. From the 13th century until 1918 (and briefly during the Nazi occupation of Estonia from 1941 to 1944), in languages other than Estonian the city was known as Reval. Tallinn occupies an area of 61.5 sq mi and has a population of 449,160.

Tallinn, first mentioned in 1219, received city rights in 1248, but the earliest human settlements date back 5,000 years. The initial claim over the land was laid by the Danes in 1219, after a successful raid of Lyndanisse led by Valdemar II of Denmark, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and German rule. Due to its strategic location, the city became a major trade hub, especially from the 14th to the 16th century, when it grew in importance as part of the Hanseatic League.

Tallinn's Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tallinn is the major political, financial, cultural and educational center of Estonia. Often dubbed the Silicon Valley of Europe, it has the highest number of startups per person in Europe and is a birthplace of many international companies, including Skype. The city is to house the headquarters of the European Union's IT agency. Providing to the global cybersecurity it is the home to the NATO Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. It is ranked as a global city and has been listed among the top 10 digital cities in the world. According to the Global Financial Centers Index Tallinn is the most competitive financial hub in Northern Europe and ranks 42nd internationally. The city was a European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in Finland.

We met Mo and Fereshteh at eight o'clock in the Minstrel Lounge (Deck 4). We had time for a sit-down breakfast rather than the buffet. The ship is scheduled to dock at 09:30 and should clear immigration at ten o'clock. Our excursion, Old Tallin On Foot, is operated by ShoreEx through On Line Vacations, it is not a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) tour.

The tour instructions advised us to walk to the gate and we would see a guide holding a sign “Discover Estonia”. That would be fine but the guide did not have a sign, the company representative did but she was not holding it. When the actual guide, Maria, said we should check off our names with the other woman who then introduced us back to our guide... it was confusing.

“Good morning, you are most welcome here in Tallinn, our capital of Estonia. My name is Maria and this morning we will see our town. It will take about ten minutes to walk to the castle. The town has two parts, the upper town and the lower town. It is beautiful today, the first day in a long time.

“We are a very small nation, there have been wars which have devastated the country, and the number of people has diminished. So we have only 1.3 million people here. Tallinn is our biggest city with 410,000 inhabitants.

152 Our first stop will be at Toompea Hill to view Estonia's main Russian orthodox cathedral - Aleksander Nevsky cathedral. It is most opulent Orthodox church in Tallinn. Built in 1900, when Estonia was part of the tsarist Russian empire, the cathedral was originally intended as a symbol of the empire's dominance – both religious and political.”

The cathedral was built during the period of late 19th century Russification and was so disliked by many Estonians as a symbol of oppression that the Estonian authorities scheduled the cathedral for demolition in 1924, but the decision was never implemented due to lack of funds and the building's massive construction. As the USSR was officially non-religious, many churches including this cathedral were left to decline. The church has been meticulously restored since Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.”

As we waited for another group to enter the cathedral we stood along a side wall of the the old Estonian Royal Palace which is now the Parliament building. A two mile long wall from the 13th Century is still surrounding Old town of Tallinn. It is listed in UNESCO as the best preserved old town in the Northern Europe. Two towers were pointed out in the old walls. These were Fat Margaret and Tall Herman. The legend was that a long time ago a young, plump girl (Margaret) was in love with a tall, slender young man (Herman). They did not live in town but loved to come and walk here. During “White Nights” they lost track of time and failed to leave before the midnight curfew. As the bell rang they ran in two directions to get out and at the last strike of the hour they were punished and turned into stone. The towers were then built where they were petrified.

153 When it was our turn to enter the cathedral we were advised that photographs were forbidden. That did not diminish the view of the magnificent front of the church. After walking through the sanctuary we assembled outside to walk two short blocks to the next cathedral.

“The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin (Dome Church) was established so long ago that the earliest history of ancient building can be based only on suppositions. Soon after the Danish invasion in June 1219 the first wooden predecessor of the present church was built. Ten years later, in 1229, a group of Dominican monks from Danish monastery of Ribe arrived in these parts. Their aim was to found a new monastery on Toompea, north of the fortress. They also commenced the building of a new stone church to replace the existing wooden one. The new monastery that had only begun to take shape perished in a violent conflict between the Danish vassals and the monks of the Order of the Knights of Sword in 1233.

Along the walls are numerous family crests and banners of the prominent merchant families that lived here. Additionally there are armorial epitaphs around the walls to people such as Sir Samuel Greig (1735-88) of Inverkeithing. Admiral and Commander in Chief in the Russian Navy. Fought against the Turks (1770) and Swedes (1788). He was known as “Father of the Russian Navy”. When Greig died Catherine the Great had his body entombed here because he was protestant and couldn't be buried in an orthodox cathedral.

The first wave of Reformation left the cathedral untouched and the Catholic bishop retained his superior position until 1561. Then the cathedral was reformed as well and changed into the main church of the Lutheran diocese. In connection with the Reformation, certain changes took place also in building traditions. The chapel that had primarily been a room of worship now began to be used as burial place. In the 16th and 17th centuries one such burial chapel was built to the east of the main porch and another against the west wall of vestry. On the first floor above the porch a room was built for the cathedral's library. It has retained its initial function till the present day. In the course of time the congregation members donated to the church a whole collection of works of art and valuable fittings. All that was destroyed in the tragic fire that broke out on June 6, 1684. The whole town of Toompea, including the cathedral, burnt down.

The bishopric institution was reconstituted in Estonia in 1919, when Jakob Kukk was elected to be the first bishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1923 the Dome Church was proclaimed

154 bishopric and the bishop could now hold the masses, no matter that the German congregation was the holder of the church. March the 27th in 1927, when bishop made the German congregation to leave the church, is the birth date of the Estonian congregation.”

The inside of the church reflects heavily of the Germanic influence and importance of the the Hanseatic League, an economic alliance of trading cities and their guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe in the later Middle Ages. It stretched from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland, during the Late Middle Ages and early modern period (c.13th–17th centuries). The Hanseatic cities had their own legal system and furnished their own protection and mutual aid, and thus established a sort of political autonomy and in some cases created political entities of their own. After we left the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin we walked to an overlook of the city. It presented a curious mix of red tiled, steep roofs, steeple spires, and modern architecture. “The streets of the Old Town consist of homes built one next to the other with narrow facades and high triangular pediment. Behind these facades there were rows of privately- owned buildings stretching out along long, narrow plots of land: large residences and small houses, servants' lodgings, rental apartments and ancillary structures. This is what the property of a wealthy town-dwelling merchant of the Middle Ages looked like. The plot usually stretched from one street to another through the whole block. Hence the system of main-and by-streets built up with homes of the most varied architecture.”

From the Upper Town we descended through winding cobbled streets to the Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square), which is dominated by the imposing facade of the Raekoja, or Town Hall. The building was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries and

155 is the only surviving late Gothic town hall in Northern Europe. Its soaring steeple bears a 16th-century weather vane portraying the medieval warrior, “Old Thomas,” guardian of the city.

Old Thomas (Vana Toomas) is one of the symbols and guardian of the city Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Since the year 1530, there is a wind vane on the top of the City Hall tower with the shape of a old man with a hat, who holds a spear in his hand. The legends tells that in medieval Tallinn, every year an archery contest was held to see who could shoot a wooden parrot off the top of a high pole. This, although, was a game held only for the rich and aristocratic people. The legends says that no one could shoot down the parrot, until a young boy called Thomas gave it a shot. He hit the target with remarkable precision. For that, he got in trouble, for he was from a poor family. But, instead of getting tied up to the Post of Shame, he was made an apprentice guard, because he had such remarkable skills. Thomas eventually became an expert soldier and a great guard loved by many. When he died, the city made a metal statue and put it on top of the City Hall, so Thomas could still look after Tallinn until the end of times. The citizens of Tallinn still believe that as long as Old Thomas is up there, looking after them, nothing too bad can happen to the city.

We finished the tour here and walked the short distance back to the ship. Mo was intrigued by a doorway which was signed as a KGB prison and he stopped to take pictures. Then we returned to the pier stopping at a cafés to sample Saku Originaal, the local beer. We could access the WiFi here and we received a Facebook photo from Geoffrey showing his classmates for his master's degree at USC. We told him we would celebrate his day with him.

Re-boarding the ship, we dropped

156 off our day packs in our rooms and then went to the Park Café for lunch. It is beginning to be a favorite. You select the choices for your salad as a chef prepares and dresses the salad to order. Then you may go to an area which holds prepared sandwiches or you may have a roast beef sandwich with either horseradish, mustard, or gravy. HEADLINER SHOWTIME Starring the Star of the West End's 'Rat Pack' GARY WILLIAMS Sings the hits of Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra, Luis Miguel and more.

Mr. Williams, from northern England, has a very good voice which covered a lovely range of songs. We were familiar with most of the songs and artists he performed. It was an enjoyable performance and Mr. Williams would be performing in the Centrum again in a couple days.

Monday, May 07, 2018 (Exclusive St. Petersburg Two Day Program)

Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, with five million inhabitants in 2012. An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it has a status of a federal city.

Situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703. On 01 September 1914, the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, on 26 January 1924 to Leningrad, and on 07 September 1991 back to Saint Petersburg. Between 1713 and 1728 and in 1732–1918, Saint Petersburg was the capital of Imperial Russia. In 1918, the central government bodies moved to Moscow.

Saint Petersburg is one of the modern cities of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is home to the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. Many foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and businesses have offices in Saint Petersburg.

The port has changed considerably since we were last here. Now there are numerous immigration agents to process the passengers and the time to do so has been shortened. When you check in the agents give you a temporary visa if you are on a recognized tour (on your own one needs a full visa). After processing we then found our tour group and were directed to a smaller van which held fourteen people. Illia was to be our guide and Andrew our driver for the next two days. As we drove from the port he briefed us concerning our two day excursion.

Our port was further out than last time and the super highways and ring roads seemed new. Many buildings have been added and a new Gasprom office complex is under construction and reminded me of the “Lipstick and Compact” nicknamed buildings in Berlin. The Gasprom building will be the largest in Russia when completed.

Illia said, “The city is located on 47 islands. We used to have more canals than Venice. You might have heard that Saint Petersburg is often called 'the Venice of the North.' There are 342 bridges over canals and rivers built at different periods. Some of them are small pedestrian bridges, such as Bank and Lion bridges, others are huge transport arteries such as almost one kilometer long Alexander Nevsky Bridge. There are about 800 small bridges across hundreds of smaller ponds and lakes in public parks and gardens, and over 100 bridges in various ports, marinas, yacht clubs and private industries. The total number of bridges in Saint Petersburg is over a thousand. The nearly 100-meter-wide Blue Bridge, said to be the widest in the world, spans the Moyka River.

157 From late May to early July the nights are bright in St Petersburg, with the brightest period, the White Nights, normally lasting from June 11th to July 2nd. The White Nights (Beliye Nochi) are a curious phenomenon caused by St. Petersburg's very northerly geographical location - at 59 degrees 57' North (roughly on the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, the southern tip of Greenland and Seward, Alaska). St. Petersburg is the world's most northern city with a population over 1 million, and its stands at such a high latitude that the sun does not descend below the horizon enough for the sky to grow dark. In fact night becomes curiously indistinguishable from day, so much so that the authorities never need to turn the city's streetlights on!

Catherine's Palace was to be our first stop. As we were enroute Illia briefed us on Peter the Great (Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov): “Peter visited a lot of foreign countries and his favorite was Holland and he also liked the summer residence of French kings in Versailles. He was greatly impressed and wanted to have several summer residences in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. I suppose you are going to Peterhof tomorrow but the place we are going to this evening was built earlier. [Tsarskoye Selo or Pushkin (named in 1937 after the revolution), is approximately 17 miles south of the city of St. Petersburg and is the site of Catherine’s Palace.

The palace was named Catherine's Palace. Peter was married twice. The second time he was married in 1712 and his second wife's name was Catherine. She became Catherine I. The year they were married he presented the land to her as a wedding present. Built between 1719-1723, it has been renovated many times. It was heavily damaged by retreating German forces during World War II, but is now almost completely restored.

What you will see today is the palace as it was designed by the Empress Elizabeth, their daughter. By the way, Peter the Great and

158 Catherine I had 19 children. Eleven of them were born before Peter and Catherine were married.”

As we drove towards Pushkin we were treated to new views of the city. We crossed several key bridges and canals which helped us understand the city layout a bit better. Illia pointed out “Stalin Cake” buildings, the nickname given to a group of skyscrapers built in the Stalinist style of architecture, which is also known as a "wedding cake" style because of the tiered construction that Stalin approved. When getting closer to the palace Tanya pointed out the Egyptian Gate leading to the town from Saint Petersburg which was designed by Adam Menelaws, a Scottish architect. This structure, erected in 1827-32 and intricately covered with hieroglyphics, bears testimony to the Egyptomania of the 1820s.

Walking toward the palace grounds we were greeted by music played by costumed military musicians reflecting the uniforms of the 1800s. Once ushered into the palace we donned booties over our shoes to protect the parquet floors.

Although the palace is popularly associated with Catherine the Great, she actually regarded its "whipped cream" architecture as old-fashioned. When she ascended the throne, a number of statues in the park were being covered with gold, in accordance with the last wish of Empress Elizabeth, yet the new monarch had all the works suspended upon being informed about the expense. In her memoirs she censured the reckless extravagance of Elizabeth, her predecessor. Upon Catherine's death in 1796, the palace was abandoned in favor of the Pavlovsk Palace. Subsequent monarchs preferred to reside in the nearby Alexander Palace and, with only two exceptions, refrained from making new additions to the Catherine Palace, regarding it as a splendid monument to Elizabeth's wealth and Catherine II's glory.

When the German forces retreated after the siege of Leningrad, they had the residence intentionally destroyed, leaving only the hollow shell of the palace behind. Prior to the World War Two, the Russian archivists managed to document a fair amount of the contents, which proved of great importance in reconstructing the palace. Although the largest part of the reconstruction was completed in time for the Tercentenary of St Petersburg in 2003, much work is still required to restore the palace to its former glory.

As we walked up the grand stairway there were costumed courtiers, presumably from the same time period of the musicians outside. Walking through the rooms Illia described decorations and artwork favored by Catherine I and those installed by the Empress Elizabeth. In the Picture Gallery almost every inch of wall space is covered with paneling comprising 17th and 18th century canvases. The instrumentalist was standing next to a 20 foot high Delft porcelain stove.

Offices, reception rooms, and boudoirs were all lavishly furnished. Dinning rooms featured china made in England, France and

159 Holland and reflected the wealth and taste of era. Most astounding of the rooms for me was the amber room.

To create this extraordinary chamber, Rastrelli used the panels of amber mosaic originally destined for an Amber Cabinet at Konigsberg Castle and presented to Peter the Great by Friedrich-Wilhelm I of Prussia, and surrounded them with gilded carving, mirrors, more amber panels created by Florentine and Russian craftsman (comprising a total of 450kg of amber), and further mosaics of Ural and Caucasus gemstones. The room was completed in 1770. Due to the fragility of the materials used, a caretaker was employed constantly to maintain and repair the decorations, and major restoration was undertaken three times in the 19th century. The room was used to house a substantial collection of amber-work and Chinese porcelain. In 1941, when German troops took Tsarskoe Selo, the Amber Room was dismantled in 36 hours, and shipped to Konigsberg in a tawdry pretense at historical fidelity. As the Nazi war machine crumbled, the panels were crated up and moved out of danger, but their eventual fate is unknown.

Moving on to the The Great Hall, “also known as the Hall of Light”, measures nearly 1,000 square meters, and occupies the full width of the palace so that there are superb views on either side. The large arched windows provide enough light to relieve the vast quantity of gilded stucco decorating the walls, and the entire ceiling is covered by a monumental fresco entitled The Triumph of Russia.” As we walked we could not help making comparisons with the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.

Our last rooms of the excursion were filled with photos of the destruction of the palace by the retreating Nazis from World War II. Only a portion of the artwork was evacuated before the German invasion and the restoration of the palace began in 1945. Much of the effort is depicted here too. The work continues.

Returning to St Petersburg, we stopped for “a simple lunch” of chicken consume with noodles, chicken breast with a mayonnaise-like sauce and rice. I think the dark bread was the best part of the meal. Then we had an apricot blini for dessert. Illia said “tomorrow you will have a much more elaborate, Russian lunch”.

After lunch we continued to St. Isaac's Cathedral. The cathedral's massive central gold dome, one of the largest in the world, is covered with 220 pounds of pure gold and dominates the city skyline. St. Isaac's Cathedral was once the main church of St. Petersburg and the Russian Empire's largest church. It was built in 1818-58 by French-born architect Auguste Montferrand. One hundred and eighty years later the gilded dome of St. Isaac's still dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg. The facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite), while the interiors dazzle the eye with mosaic icons, paintings and columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli. A large stained glass of the resurrected Christ, located inside the main altar, is truly fascinating. The church, designed to accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers, was closed in the early 1930s and reopened as a museum. Nowadays, church services are held here only on major occasions.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral (sobor) in the city and was the tallest Eastern Orthodox church upon its completion. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great who had been born on the feast day of that saint.

The church was ordered by Tsar Alexander I, to replace an earlier Rinaldiesque structure. A specially appointed commission examined several designs, including that of the French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand (1786–1858), who had studied in the atelier of Napoleon's designer, Charles Percier. Monferrand's design was criticized by some members of the

160 commission for the dry and allegedly boring rhythm of its four identical pedimented octastyle porticos. It was also suggested that despite gigantic dimensions, the edifice would look squat and not very impressive. The emperor, who favored the ponderous Empire style of architecture, had to step in and solve the dispute in Monferrand's favour.

The cathedral took 40 years to construct, under Montferrand's direction, from 1818 to 1858. Under the Soviet government, the building was abandoned, then turned into a museum of atheism. The dove sculpture was removed, and replaced by a Foucault pendulum.

With the fall of communism, the museum was removed and regular worship activity has resumed in the cathedral, but only in the left-hand side chapel. The main body of the cathedral is used for services on feast days only.

The neoclassical exterior expresses a traditional Russian-Byzantine formula: a Greek-cross groundplan with a large central dome and four subsidiary domes. It is similar to Andrea Palladio's Villa La Rotonda, with a full dome on a high drum substituted for the Villa's low central saucer dome. The design of the cathedral in general and the dome in particular later influenced the design of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. and the Cathedral in Helsinki.

The exterior is faced with gray and pink stone, and features a total of 112 red granite columns with Corinthian capitals, each hewn and erected as a single block: 48 at ground level, 24 on the rotunda of the uppermost dome, 8 on each of four side domes, and 2 framing each of four windows. The rotunda is encircled by a walkway accessible to tourists. 24 statues gaze down from the roof, and another 24 from the top of the rotunda.”

Illia turned in our group pass to the ticket taker and we immediately came upon a wooden model of the unique structure designed specifically to lift the 67-ton granite columns to the height of 40

161 m and install them around the dome drum. The actual scaffolding allowed each column to be lifted into place in 45 minutes. We additionally learned that the dome initially had been covered with 100 kg of gold which had been applied with a mercury process similar to spray-painting and caused the death of many workers.

“It is recorded that the financial outlay was 23,256,000 rubles, which was more than six times that of the Winter Palace. But what value should be put on human lives that were painfully lost during the forty years of construction. Hundreds of serfs lost their lives in the quarrying and transportation of the marble. Untold numbers of serfs and laborers who worked for 15 hours a day without holidays were crushed or fell to their deaths from the scaffolding during the main part of construction up to 1842. Then at least 60 and maybe many more indirectly, died from inhaling mercury fumes during the gilding processes that took place under the domes.

No expenses were spared to decorate the cathedral with the most expensive materials - fourteen different colors of marble and many semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli and malachite were used, one of the reasons the cost of the cathedral ballooned to almost ten times that of the Winter Palace. The most renowned artists of the time, including painter Karl Briullov and sculptors Ivan Vitali and Peter Clodt, collaborated to create the most striking decorations.

Brullyov created the magnificent fresco inside the dome, depicting Maria surrounded by saints. At the center of the fresco, in the copula at a height of about 80 meters (263 ft) hangs a silver pigeon. The large pigeon - with a wing span of 1 meter 65cm - represents the Holy Spirit.”

Next we coached to Peter and Paul Fortress. Built in 1703, by Peter the Great to protect his new capital, it never saw battle and became a prison for politically harmful people.

“The Peter and Paul Fortress is figuratively and literally the center of the city. When Peter the Great re-claimed the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by the Swedish army and navy. The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar) and that day became the birthday of the city of St Petersburg. The Swedes were defeated before the fortress was even completed. For that reason, from 1721 onward the fortress housed part of the city's garrison and rather notoriously served as a high security political jail. Among the first inmates was Peter's own rebellious son Alexei.

The Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul is the oldest church in St. Petersburg, and also the second-tallest building in the city (after the television tower). It is intimately linked to both the history of the city and to the Romanov dynasty, as it is home to the graves of nearly all the rulers of Russia since Peter the Great.

Work began on the first, wooden church

162 to be erected on the site just one month after St. Petersburg was officially founded, and the church was consecrated on April 1, 1704. In 1712, the current, stone Peter and Paul Cathedral started to be built, to a design by Domenico Trezzini. This one took slightly longer to build - 20 years, in fact - and was consecrated on June 29, 1733.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral marked a radical departure from traditional Orthodox churches, being built in early Baroque style. Its rectangular shape, bell-tower, and landmark needle are all features borrowed from the protestant churches of Western Europe - the influence of Dutch architecture is particularly visible - all of which was in accordance with Peter's wishes.

One major attraction is the graves of most of the Romanov rulers of Russia from Peter the Great onward. Peter's grave is at the front right, and people still leave fresh flowers on it. Also here are both Catherine’s, Elizabeth, all three Alexanders, Paul, Peter III, Anne - and now both Nicholases as well, as the remains of Nicholas II and his family were re-interred in the small Chapel of St. Catherine on July 17, 1998.

The graves of the former rulers and their families are very extravagant, and well worth seeing. For example, monoliths carved from delicate and valuable stones including gray and green Altai jasper, rise over the graves of Alexander II and his wife, Maria. Top craftsmen from Peterhof worked on the decorations for 17 years.”

Leaving the fortress, we then passed by the battleship Aurora, currently preserved as a museum ship. During the First World War the ship operated in the Baltic Sea. In 1915 her armament was changed to fourteen 152 mm (6in) guns. At the end of 1916, the ship was moved to Saint Petersburg (later Petrograd) for a major repair. The city was brimming with revolutionary ferment and part of her crew joined the 1917 February Revolution. A revolutionary committee was created on the ship. Most of the crew joined the Bolsheviks, who were preparing for a Communist revolution.

On 25 October 1917, Aurora refused to carry an order to take off to sea, which sparked the October Revolution. At 9.45 P. M. on that date, a blank shot from her forecastle gun signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, which was to be the last episode of the October Revolution. The cruiser's crew actually took part in the attack.

Our last stop on this first day of our two day excursion was at the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood. Built on the site of the 1881 assassination (spilled blood) of Tsar Alexander II. It sports a fantastic ornate "Russian-style" exterior of traditional colorful onion domes, ceramic tiles and colored glazed bricks. Inside you will view large works of colorful mosaic of different religious themes.

163 The cathedral was also downgraded like many other churches in Saint Petersburg. It was closed soon after the revolution of 1917 and for many years was used as a storehouse. It is the most colorful of the churches and has a grand history of its own.

“Cathedral of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood was erected on the place where Russian Emperor Alexander II was murdered on the 1st of March, 1881. The tsar was mortally wounded by the terrorists from the People's Will revolutionist organization. Already on the next day the Municipal Duma on its extraordinary meeting decided to construct the cathedral to commemorate the tsar- liberator.

The cathedral was constructed in the style of the 16th-17th century Russian architecture and has a lot in common with the Church of St. Basil the Blessed that stands on the Red Square in Moscow.

In the decor of interiors Italian marbles and Russian semiprecious stones, such as jasper, topaz, rock crystal and others are used. On the socle of the cathedral, there are 20 granite desks, dedicated to the major events and reforms of the ruling of Alexander II, and on the belfry there are coats of arms of all the regions and provinces of Russia. The height of the tallest dome is 81 meters. The domes are gilt and covered with colorful enamel.

The Savior-on-the-Blood was greatly damaged under the Soviets. Like many other churches in Saint Petersburg it was closed soon after the revolution of 1917 and for many years was used as a storehouse. By the late 1960s the unique monument of Russian architecture had been in drastic condition and in 1970 the restoration works that lasted for almost 30 years were started. Such duration of the restoration was difficult to explain and people talk that unless the scaffolding stood, the Soviet power would last. It is strange but the scaffolding was taken away in 1991 short before

164 August crises in Moscow. So the prophecy turned out to be true.”

The interior seems to be entirely covered with mosaics. The floor, walls, and interiors of the onion domes all reflect this art form. “In order to erect the belfry, which stands on the spot where the Russian emperor had been attacked by terrorists, the body of the Spilled Blood Church was extended beyond the line of the embankment and thus juts out into the canal. As a result, the building of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ lacks symmetry and doesn’t have the usual central entrance. Instead, it has two porches – one on either side of the bell tower – each with a sloping roof and a doorway leading into the church.”

Tonight's entertainment:

MOVIE ON THE BIG SCREEN: BLACK PANTHER

There also was a scheduled FOLKLORIC SHOW: Stars of St. Petersburg, however that would not begin until 10:00PM. We decided to pass up both performances.

Tuesday, May 08, 2018 (Exclusive St. Petersburg Two Day Program)

At the end of the 17th century, Peter the Great, who was very interested in seafaring and maritime affairs, wanted Russia to gain a seaport in order to trade with Europe. He needed a better seaport than the country's main one at the time, Arkhangelsk, which was on the White Sea in the far north and closed to shipping during the winter.

On May 12 1703, during the Great Northern War, Peter the Great captured Nyenskans and soon replaced the fortress. On May 27 1703, closer to the estuary 3 mi inland from the gulf), on Zayachy (Hare) Island, he laid down the Peter and Paul Fortress, which became the first brick and stone building of the new city.

The city was built by conscripted peasants from all over Russia; a number of Swedish prisoners of war were also involved in some years under the supervision of Alexander Menshikov. Tens of thousands of serfs died building the city. Later, the city became the center of the Saint Petersburg Governorate. Peter moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 1712, 9 years before the Treaty of Nystad of 1721 ended the war; he referred to Saint Petersburg as the capital (or seat of government) as early as 1704.

During its first few years, the city developed around Trinity Square on the right bank of the Neva, near the Peter and Paul Fortress. However, Saint Petersburg soon started to be built out according to a plan. By 1716 the Swiss Italian Domenico Trezzini had elaborated a project whereby the city center would be located on Vasilyevsky Island and shaped by a rectangular grid of canals. The project was not completed, but is evident in the layout of the streets. In 1716, Peter the Great appointed Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond as the chief architect of Saint Petersburg.

The style of Petrine Baroque, developed by Trezzini and other architects and exemplified by such buildings as the Menshikov Palace, Kunstkamera, Peter and Paul Cathedral, Twelve Collegia, became prominent in the city architecture of the early 18th century. In 1724 the Academy of Sciences, University and Academic Gymnasium were established in Saint Petersburg by Peter the Great.

In 1725, Peter died at the age of fifty-two. His endeavors to modernize Russia had met with opposition from the Russian nobility—resulting in several attempts on his life and a treason case involving his son. In 1728, Peter II of Russia moved his seat back to Moscow. But four years later, in 1732, under Empress Anna of Russia, Saint Petersburg was again designated as the capital of

165 the Russian Empire. It remained the seat of the Romanov dynasty and the Imperial Court of the Russian Tsars, as well as the seat of the Russian government, for another 186 years until the communist revolution of 1917.

“Thirty kilometers southwest of Saint Petersburg; with direct access to the Gulf of Finland, Peterhof - which means 'Peter's Yard' in German - became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter's granddaughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.

Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great, after leaving her own mark on the park, moved the court to Pushkin, but Peterhof once again became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the building of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.

Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers and over 1,000 volunteers, most of the estate's major structures had been fully restored by 1947. The name was also de-Germanicized after the war, becoming Petrodvorets, the name under which the surrounding town is still known. The palace and park are once again known as Peterhof.”

We walked through the area and out to the front of the palace and the Upper Garden. While security personnel and ticket agents reported for work we had about ten minutes to wander the grounds before entering.

Walking between rows of linden trees (we were later informed this wood was a perfect medium for gilding) I looked back at a four-sided cupola, with a weather-vane in the shape of the Russian Imperial two-headed eagle, installed there in 1751 by order of Empress Elizabeth. This is made of three views of the symbol so that one faces the proper image whatever way the wind turns. Before we entered the building from the Upper Garden we were informed that photographs are forbidden inside the palace.

“The largest of Peterhof's palaces looks truly imposing when seen from the Lower or Upper Gardens, but in fact it is quite narrow and not overly large.

The Chesma Hall is decorated with twelve large paintings of the Battle of Chesma, a stunning naval

166 victory of the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774. These were painted between 1771 and 1773 by the German artist Jacob Philipp Hackert. His first renderings of the great battle scenes were criticized by witnesses as not showing realistically the effect of exploding ships — the flying timbers, great flames, smoke, and fireballs. Catherine II assisted the artist by exploding a frigate in the harbor of Livorno, Italy, for the benefit of Hackert, who had never seen a naval battle first-hand. Hackert also did not research the actual positions of the Russian and Turkish forces during the battle, so the scenes depicted are somewhat fanciful, but do effectively convey drama and destruction of naval warfare.

The East and West Chinese Cabinets were decorated between 1766 and 1769 to exhibit objects of decorative art imported from the East. The walls were decorated with imitation Oriental patterns by Russian craftsmen, and hung with Chinese landscape paintings in yellow and black lacquer.

Another room, positioned at the center of the palace, bears the name of the Picture Hall. Its walls are almost entirely covered by a series of 368 paintings, mostly of variously dressed women, differing in appearance and even age, yet most were drawn from a single model. These were purchased in 1764 from the widow of the Italian artist P. Rotari, who died in St. Petersburg.”

I found the simplicity of the Tsar’s oak study charming and yet quite impressive. “Four latticed windows with small square lights, so characteristic of the period, open on to the quiet Upper Gardens, completely still in Peter's day, undisturbed even by the sound of splashing waters. One of the room's three doors leads to a balcony, another to the interior of the house, and the third to a spiral staircase descending into the garden. Isolation was essential for this apartment, intended for study and often used by Peter for private interviews with high-ranking officials and foreign diplomats.”

Concluding our tour of the inside of the palace we entered the throne room, about seventy-five feet long and thirty feet wide. It gave a better perspective of the entire building because one can view the upper and lower gardens from here. When we first entered I thought there was a painting of Peter the Great behind the throne however it was described as, “the chair of state placed on a dais before it, is richly decorated. Its central portion is occupied by a large picture presenting Catherine II on Her Horse Brilliant, the work of Vigilius Erichsen. The picture has a molded frame of oak garlands and is flanked by beautiful wreaths of oak leaves, roses, and laurels.”

We now had a few minutes to walk through the gardens and view some of the more prominent features of the fountains throughout the grounds. All of this led to the eleven o'clock highlight of the tour. Hundreds of people from our tour groups as well as the general public, lined the canal to listen to

167 classical music as the fountains of the Grand Cascade were engaged.

“The fountains of Peterhof are one of Russia's most famous tourist attractions, drawing millions of visitors every year. Fountains were intrinsic to Peter the Great's original plans for Peterhof - it was the impossibility of engineering sufficiently powerful jets of water that prompted him to move his attentions from the Strelna site to Peterhof - and subsequent generations competed with their predecessors to add grander and ever more ingenious water features to the parkland surrounding the Grand Palace.

The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, bas- reliefs, and other decorations. At the center stands Rastrelli's spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion. The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, the first sight to great visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, which was once used for small parties, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains.” [The fountain system works by gravity, without any machinery or pumps.]

Yesterday Illia had informed us that “tomorrow we will have a much better Russian lunch” than the simple fare we had then. I'm afraid we suffered from the anticipation but when we arrived at the Hotel St Petersburg we discovered the view was more impressive than the food.

We could serve ourselves bowls of borscht to have with a good, dark bread and that was promising. We added Krušovice Imperial (Czech Pilsener). Then the staff brought bowls of Pelmeni, Siberian Meat Dumplings (stuffing of beef, lamb, and pork, onion, egg, flour, nettles, and goutweed. The dough is rolled as thin as possible, shaped like tortellini. The pelnyani are boiled in meat broth or water with onion, bay leaf, and parsley). They were bland and more than anyone would finish. Sadly, we were seated next to a full buffet of traditional Russian foods... not available to us.

After lunch we concluded our two day excursion at the Hermitage. The former residential Winter Palace of the Romanov rulers, today houses one of the world's most prestigious museums where the rooms rival the art within them. Your guided tour includes both the Winter Palace and the Hermitage display rooms, which house some of the museums more than three million art works, including works by DaVinci, Rafael, Rembrandt - to name a few. If nothing else, this is the must see place in St. Petersburg.

The Hermitage, a Wealth of Art and History

168 One of the world's most famous and esteemed museums, the Hermitage houses a vast collection of priceless artwork. It's also an architectural gem, as you will see upon visiting areas such as the Small Throne Room, the gilded- column Armorial Hall, and the sumptuous Malachite Room, which features more than two tons of ornamental stone. Walking through the ensemble of buildings, you will marvel at the seemingly endless exhibitions. There are displays of 15th- and 16th- century French art, as well as Impressionist works from Renoir, Degas, Monet, Van Gogh, and Cezanne. You might see Leonardo da Vinci's "The Little Madonna," "Abraham's Sacrifice" by Rembrandt, and a Scythian gold stag from the 2nd century B.C. You will also browse through the Small Hermitage, a wing known for its exquisite marble colonnade, crystal chandeliers, and gilded, 18th century Peacock Clock. In the wing known as the Old Hermitage, there is a splendid collection of Italian Renaissance art, and in the New Hermitage, the Dutch masters are represented. Upon leaving the museum, you will walk through the Palace Square, passing the red-granite Alexander Column, a monument that commemorates Russia's victory over Napoleon.

The Hermitage Museum (Gosudarstvennyj Èrmitaž), that vast collection of Russian and human art and artifacts, has swollen to fill six buildings, the largest and most appropriate being St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, once home of the Tsars. This magnificent Baroque building and its contents fit well into the collection began in the mid 18th century by Catherine the Great. Starting with an incredible collection of paintings, predominantly from the Old and Dutch Masters, the catalog grew to engulf the best private collections put up for sale, and expanded from just art into artifacts, relics and gold - including important pieces from Classical cultures from Greece, Rome and Egypt and a huge collection of ancient gold.

It was Nicholas I who ordered the ordering and opening of the Hermitage to the public. In 1852 the first building was the first purpose built gallery in Eastern Europe. The Revolution nationalized the museum property further and 'absorbed' up the personal collections of the Tsars, including work collected by Catherine’s forebear, Peter the Great and other wealthy families long associated with Russian rulers which bolstered up the collection with those of the Catherine and Alexander Palaces, known for their Old Masters and modern works by Picasso, Matisse and Van Gogh.

With more than three million items and having expanded over six buildings and in other pockets around the world, the Hermitage Collection is best known for it’s Russian regalia and Faberge collections as well as excellent collections of the works of Gauguin, Monet, Rodin, Renoir, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Rubens. It also has collections from pre-history and the east, strong in Siberian and Central Asian Art.

169 Like many large, world-class museums there are so many treasures to see that it would take weeks, instead of four hours, to view it properly. In fact, there are so many pieces of any one type or any particular artist that your mind begins to fog and cut out what you are experiencing. As we continued through the exhibits we noticed several of our party appearing fatigued. At one point a man leaned out to get a breath of fresh air from a small open window panel and brushed up against a guide rope which caused a buzzer to sound and one of the elderly women guards waved him away from the rope. I thought of it as a very poor security system.

“Whatever money the Hermitage can scare up... is sorely needed. Of all the world's great museums, it is in the worst physical shape. It is an enormous and, to the tourist, impossibly labyrinthine array of 1,050 rooms in six buildings along the bank of the Neva, the oldest of which, the Winter Palace, was finished in the 1750s. Though extremely art rich, the Hermitage is sustenance poor, from its crumbling basements to the cracking veneer on its intarsia doors. Its storage and conservation facilities are woefully inadequate: the walls weep with rising damp, and the lighting is poor -- the "babushka brigade" of women guards has the habit of lifting the frilly curtains of the gloomy galleries to expose fragile Rembrandt’s and Poussin's to direct sunlight. Rumors abound that the primitive cataloging and security systems have made it easy for thieves to purloin objects from storage to sell on Russia's flourishing black market.”

Our last exhibit was to the Pavilion Hall, designed by Andrei Stakenschneider in 1858. Located in the Northern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage, it features the 18th- century golden Peacock Clock by James Cox and a collection of mosaics. The floor of the hall is adorned with a 19th-century imitation of an ancient Roman mosaic. The Peacock Clock is the only large 18th-century automaton in the world to still be functioning in its original unaltered condition. It includes the figures of a cockerel and owl. All three of the birds move. Catherine II loved collecting, and Grigory Potiomkin ordered the piece for her (1772) from celebrated goldsmith and clock-maker James Cox.

HEADLINER SHOWTIME Starring Comedy Ventriloquist SERGE MASSOT

We did not make it to the show.

Wednesday, May 09, 2018 (Hop-on Hop-off Helsinki Highlights Tour)

Helsinki is the capital city and most populous municipality of Finland. Helsinki is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Helsinki has a population of 642,045, the Helsinki urban area has a population of 1,231,595,[9] and the Helsinki

170 metropolitan area has a population of over 1.4 million, making it the most populous municipality and urban area in Finland. Helsinki is located 50 mi north of Tallinn, Estonia, 250 mi east of Stockholm, Sweden, and 240 mi west of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Helsinki has close historical ties with these three cities.

The Helsinki metropolitan area includes Helsinki's urban core and Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen, and surrounding commuter towns It is the world's northernmost metro area with over one million people, and the city is the northernmost capital of an EU member state. Helsinki is the third largest city in the Nordic countries, after Stockholm and Oslo. Helsinki is Finland's most important political, educational, financial, cultural, and research center. The neighboring city of Vantaa is the location of the Helsinki Airport, which has frequent service to many destinations in Europe and Asia.

Helsinki has one of the highest urban standards of living in the world. In 2011, the British magazine Monocle ranked Helsinki the world's most liveable city in its liveable cities index.[12] In the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2016 liveability survey, Helsinki scored ninth place among 140 cities.

Helsinki was established as a trading town by King Gustav I of Sweden in 1550 as the town of Helsingfors, which he intended to be a rival to the Hanseatic city of Reval (today known as Tallinn). Little came of the plans as Helsinki remained a tiny town plagued by poverty, wars, and diseases. The plague of 1710 killed the greater part of the inhabitants of Helsinki. The construction of the naval fortress Sveaborg (In Finnish Viapori, today also Suomenlinna) in the 18th century helped improve Helsinki's status, but it was not until Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War and annexed Finland as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 that the town began to develop into a substantial city. During the war, Russians besieged the Sveaborg fortress, and about one quarter of the town was destroyed in an 1808 fire.

Russian Emperor Alexander I of Russia moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki in 1812 to reduce Swedish influence in Finland, and to bring the capital closer to Saint Petersburg. Following the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, the Royal Academy of Turku, at the time the country's only university, was also relocated to Helsinki, and eventually became the modern University of Helsinki. The move consolidated the city's new role and helped set it on a path of continuous growth. This transformation is highly apparent in the downtown core, which was rebuilt in neoclassical style to resemble Saint Petersburg, mostly to a plan by the German-born architect C. L. Engel. As elsewhere, technological advancements such as railroads and industrialization were key factors behind the city's growth.

“Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden and originally known as Helsingfors. It was intended as a new trading post in the southern part of Finland and as a rival to the city of Reval (today known as Tallinn, the capital and largest city of Estonia), on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Finland, which dominated local trade at the time. In 1640, Helsinki was moved from its original location at the mouth of the river Vantaa, which proved unfavorable. After Helsinki was temporarily occupied by Russian forces, first in 1713 and again in 1742, the Swedish army decided to fortify the town, constructing the sea-fortress of Suomenlinna in 1748.

After Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War, begun in 1808, Finland was annexed to Russia in 1809 as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within Imperial Russia. In order to reduce Swedish influence in Finland, Czar Alexander I of Russia relocated the Finnish capital from Turku, at the edge of the Baltic sea, to Helsinki. The city's downtown core was rebuilt in the neoclassical style to resemble Saint Petersburg.” “Helsinki is a small, compact capital, with a population of half a million people. If we add three

171 suburbs or 'greater Helsinki', then we reach 1.2 million. The population of the whole country is 5.2 million so 20% of the population lives here in Helsinki.

Finland speaks two official languages, Finish and Swedish but only 6% speak Swedish as their mother tongue. For historical reasons, Finland has been part of Sweden for seven centuries. Here on your left you will see Finish Fortress Island which was built in 1748 by the Swedes when they joined forces with the French in an alliance to fight the Russians.

Finland is famous for shipbuilding. Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas which was the largest ship built [in Turku, the southwest coast of Finland]. At a passenger capacity of 5,600 people this is an enormous giant. Finland is also number one in the world for building ice breakers. Not only for itself but also for other countries such as Canada, Sweden, and during the Soviet Union time.”

Driving by a central monument, the guide explained this was dedicated to Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defense Forces, Marshal of Finland and a politician. He was Regent of Finland (1918–1919) and the sixth President of Finland (1944–1946). He made a career in the Russian army, rising to general. After the Bolshevik revolution, Finland declared its independence but was soon embroiled in a civil war along class lines. The workers overwhelmingly held a socialist ("Red") creed and bourgeois, farmers, and small businessmen held a capitalist ("White") creed. Mannerheim became the military chief of the Whites. Twenty years later, when Finland was at war with the Soviet Union from 1939–1944, Mannerheim was appointed commander of the country's armed forces.

“Finland was the first country in Europe to allow women to vote (1906) and the first in the world to allow women to be members of parliament (1906). Today 45% of our unicameral parliament are women. Twelve of our twenty ministers are women.”

We got off the bus at the stop next to the cathedral. Originally Russian Orthodox, the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki was originally built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St. Nicholas' Church.

172 Another very ornate church on a hilltop across the horizon was Uspensky cathedral, the Finnish Orthodox Church. Completed in 1868, it is the largest orthodox church in Western Europe. It is an autonomous Orthodox archbishopric of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

The four of us then walked through the market area we had seen being set up earlier this morning. Crafts were offered and we did buy two pottery cups and some amber trinkets. We passed on buying Viking horned or fur hats. I also passed by the lunch counters which featured reindeer casserole. I stopped at a stand which was selling large mounds of minnow-like, fried fish. We sampled them and asked what they were called. The young lady then asked where we were from and when I told her she said they are “smelt”. When I was a youngster we used to fish the smelt runs in the Menominee river. There were memories here.

Kauppahalli Indoor Market is located near the Market Square by the harbor in a red brick building. As you walk into the market, the century-old building (1899) was busy with vendors setting up their food-stands and people having morning coffee and pastry or buying a freshly-made lunch to go. Liz and I had Korvapuusti Pastries (cinnamon roll) as we walked. The market is a large sun-lit complex with antique wooden food stalls lining the building's interior. As you walk down the long walkways, looking at the various foods, we noticed the way everything was nicely displayed and presented. It was tempting to see all the cheese, smoked salmon and seafood cases and the bakery breads. There are also interesting food items like smoked reindeer meat and Finnish produce. We also spotted a wine stall and purchased a few bottles for our stateroom. Then we explored some of the outside tents which were being set up and stocked with crafts and foods for the day.

Re-boarding the bus we completed the full circuit. This included two temporary detours to cruise

173 terminals to drop off and pick up passengers for the Hop On – Hop Off. Our berth was the second of these but we stayed on board to return to the Rock Church for further exploration.

We got off the bus and walked the two blocks to the Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Kirkko) which was designed by architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. Construction began in 1968 and was finished a year later in 1969. The architects chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level in a residential neighborhood and blasted out the walls of a massive block of natural granite from the inside. The church is circular and enclosed by walls of bare rock. The ceiling is a giant disc made of copper wire. The interior is lit by natural light streaming through 180 vertical window panes that connect the dome and the wall.

As an added treat, a symphony orchestra was rehearsing for a concert. The acoustics of the church are such that it is in demand for such performances throughout the year.

Since this area is popular locally and for tourists, it is fronted with tourist shops on the two corners of the road that forms a T-intersection with the church entrance. The twenty minutes planned for this pause stretched to twenty-five but offered a souvenir hunting opportunity before setting out for another section of the city.

At another point on our route we came to Sibelius Park. Here we learned of the tribute to Finland's famous composer, Jean Sibelius (1865–1957).

The main part of the Sibelius Monument consists of approx. 600 acid-proof stainless steel tubes of various diameters, welded together individually and hand-textured by Eila Hiltunen. While several specialists were consulted on metallurgy, structural calculations and welding methods, the physical accomplishment of this structure, which measures 10.5 (length) by 6.5 (depth) by 8.5 (height) meters and weighs 30 tons, is the work of two people, Eila Hiltunen and assistant metalworker Emil Kukkonen, 21, at the start.

The work lasted almost four years in Helsinki's Lauttasaari suburb, in a temporary studio erected for a previous high-profile project, the equestrian statue of Marshall C.G.E. Mannerheim. A great shed, it was primitive, dark and ice-cold in winter. Fortunately, the new photo studio of Otso Pietinen, Eila Hiltunen's husband, offered modern amenities next door.

Welding stainless steel is challenging, as it is easily deformed by heat, and special jigs were employed to keep the tubes straight. Eila Hiltunen used the then new MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding technology to texture the surface of the outer pipes. Wearing a 1930s leather jacket and red overalls scattered with holes from welding sparks, she would sit on a tube for hours, with the welding torch in one hand and a water-hose for rapid cooling in the other. This exposed her to toxic metal fumes in spite of protective masks, resulting in chronic bronchial asthma.

174 HEADLINER SHOWTIME An Evening with Celine Dion performed by the award winning artist, TRACEY SHIELD

This was a nice performance but suffered a bit as we have many of Celine's records and have seen her in person. That precipitated comparisons of their shows. Still, it was fun to remember.

Thursday, May 10, 2018 (A Day in Stockholm)

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in the Nordic countries; 949,761 people live in the municipality, approximately 1.5 million in the urban area, and 2.3 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Just outside the city and along the coast is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the capital of Stockholm County.

Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic center of Sweden. The Stockholm region alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP, and is among the top 10 regions in Europe by GDP per capita. It is an important global city, and the main center for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for its decoration of the stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Sweden's

175 national football arena is located north of the city center, in Solna. Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics, and hosted the equestrian portion of the 1956 Summer Olympics otherwise held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) is seated in the Parliament House, and the Prime Minister's residence is adjacent at the Sager House. The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch, while the Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Stockholm, serves as the Royal Family's private residence.

Stockholm's core, the present Old Town (Gamla Stan) was built on the central island next to Helgeandsholmen from the mid 13th century onward. The city originally rose to prominence as a result of the Baltic trade of the Hanseatic League. Stockholm developed strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby, Reval, and Riga during this time. Between 1296 and 1478 Stockholm's City Council was made up of 24 members, half of whom were selected from the town's German-speaking burghers.

The strategic and economic importance of the city made Stockholm an important factor in relations between the Danish Kings of the Kalmar Union and the national independence movement in the 15th century. The Danish King Christian II was able to enter the city in 1520. On 8 November 1520 a massacre of opposition figures called the Stockholm Bloodbath took place and set off further uprisings that eventually led to the breakup of the Kalmar Union. With the accession of Gustav Vasa in 1523 and the establishment of a royal power, the population of Stockholm began to grow, reaching 10,000 by 1600.

The 17th century saw Sweden grow into a major European power, reflected in the development of the city of Stockholm. From 1610 to 1680 the population multiplied sixfold. In 1634, Stockholm became the official capital of the Swedish empire. Trading rules were also created that gave Stockholm an essential monopoly over trade between foreign merchants and other Swedish and Scandinavian territories. In 1697, Tre Kronor (castle) burned and was replaced by Stockholm Palace.

In 1710, a plague killed about 20,000 (36 percent) of the population. After the end of the Great Northern War the city stagnated. Population growth halted and economic growth slowed. The city was in shock after having lost its place as the capital of a Great power. However Stockholm maintained its role as the political center of Sweden and continued to develop culturally under Gustav III.

Our tour, A Day In Stockholm, was guided by Adi Cohen. He was well spoken, knowledgeable, and cleverly funny. As we drove to the center of the city he briefed us that the city lies at the mouth of Lake Mälaren and consists of 14 islands. The harbor opens up to 24,000 islands.

The entire region reminded me of western Wisconsin... and Minnesota. The sky was clear and blue and the temperature was probably 55° – 60°. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. As we sailed into the harbor we looked at the summer homes built on the shorelines of the many islands. I would have loved the red paint concession in Sweden though. Every house seemed to be painted barn red... so were the barns and any other buildings. I guess they figure you can see red better in the snow.

We drove to the city hall and Adi led us to the Blue Room and described the design of the room and it's famous use as the site of the Nobel Laureate Dinner and Gala celebration. He explained that this year's

176 laureates and guests, previous winners (they have to pay their own way to the event), and about 200 university students (selected by lottery) make up the approximate 1,100 people who attend the event. Our group then walked up the stairs to the second floor and the gold room. Here Adi told us of the Italian design and installation using both artists and workmen from Italy. The designs depict Swedish ideals and concepts as interpreted by non-Swedish artisans. There are errors which purists enjoy discovering.

Returning to our bus, we enjoyed viewing the panorama of the city as Adi described the experience of the long days as the area reaches about 22 hours of daylight by June 21st and a corresponding night dominance during mid-winter.

Lake Mälaren is about two meters above the Baltic Sea and separated by a lock. Both the lake and the shallow sea freeze solid in winter and one could walk (or skate) between the city islands. The region is primarily granite and, while called the “Venice of the North, full of canals and bridges”, it is rising about half a meter in 100 years; unlike the actual Venice, which is sinking into the sea.

Our next stop was at the palace and we began at the foot of the statue mounted at the entrance. This is now supported by an undercarriage as well as pillions supporting the stirrups and one of the horse's hoofs. It seems odd and one hopes there might be a more aesthetic way to display the statue in the future.

Walking from here Adi took us to Gamla Stan – the Old Town. This is the island center of town and contains the palace. Since Sweden wasn’t bombed during the war it has many of the original old buildings which are not found in many of the capitals of the other countries. Gamla Stan typifies this. The streets are narrow and now, full of shops and restaurants.

We then had an hour to tour through the area. It was crowded with many locals on holiday as well as tourists from several cruise ships. We found an out of the way Gardesn Café which was small but delightful. Mo ordered a cookie and coffee, Fereshteh had a pastry, and Liz and I shared a cheese and Parma ham focaccia supplemented by a lemon chiffon meringue pie.

Then shopping through the souvenir stores took up the last half hour of this visit. Liz and Fereshteh looked for “Swedish dishcloths” and picked out several. I had not heard of them and at first they looked like a rough textured computer mouse pad. Mo also found a tea light to take home as a gift and the shop keeper additionally wrapped the carton with more corrugated paper to protect it for the trip.

177 The last stop of the excursion was a visit to the Wasa. The ship was built for Gustavus Adolphus and was launched in 1628. It was built to carry sixty 24-pound cannon plus a few smaller cannon. In 1628 the ship was ready. Sunday, August 10 was the day of the Wasa's maiden voyage. The beaches around Stockholm were filled with spectators, among them foreign diplomats. The maiden voyage was to be an act of propaganda for the ambitious Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus.

The Wasa set sail and fired a salute. When the ship was about 300 meters into the harbor its sails were caught by a gust of wind and it capsized. She righted herself slightly - and heeled over again. Water started to gush in through the open gun ports. And, to everyone’s horror and disbelief, the glorious and mighty warship suddenly sank! Of the 150 people on board, 30-50 died in the disaster.

They had no means to recover the ship and part of the top mast had to be removed to clear the underwater obstruction. In a few years a man developed a diving bell, which was literally just that. It was a bell with a platform where the end of the clapper would be. When it was lowered into the water the inventor could work under water for approximately 20 minutes. After much effort he did manage to salvage the 60 main guns but then nothing was done to salvage the rest of the ship and it was forgotten.

The ship was rediscovered in 1961 and it was carefully brought to the surface after devices to sling cables under the hull without damaging the wood were developed. Because the Baltic Sea apparently lacks the full salt content which the microbes normally found in warmer climates need, the wood was not attacked.

The Swedish archaeologists found the remains of 25 skeletons. They then began to restore the ship. This has been a long process because they just couldn’t let the ship “dry” or the wood would have

178 turned to dust. They have been drying the ship under controlled circumstances since then.

When I first saw the ship in 1980 it was shrouded in a type of greenhouse and was being sprayed with a water and glycol liquid. At that time I think the humidity of the place was about 90%. Liz and I next saw the ship in 1989. A concrete and steel museum was being constructed and was due to be officially opened the next year (probably in August). The museum is a modern structure and fits the huge wooden ship. There is a steel superstructure, which resembles the old sails.

Second guessing today allows one to suggest that the 120 tons of ballast was about 220 tons short for the narrow design of the ship but the master had been a successful builder of Dutch ships and had the forethought to send his concept to the king who had approved them. The Admiral of the Navy was out of town the day they launched the ship and the finger pointing must have been furious but in the end no one was found to be at fault. Nothing was said about it but I assume the Master Shipwright took up farming after the trials though.

Over 740 woodcarvings, gargoyles and pieces of artwork were recovered. The ships hull stands about four or five stories above the floor of the museum and it is quite impressive. I think navy life is tough now – it was a real bummer then. They used an open fire in a firebrick oven in the middle of the ship for a kitchen. A ships compliment was 40 officers and about 300 men who certainly had small areas of their own. Actually, the hammock had not yet been invented and the gun crews slept on the deck: near their guns. The officers didn’t have it any better except for the admiral. When the ship sailed they had yet to pick up the marines whom they planned to add after they were further out in the Archipelago. Everyone was responsible for their own meals until they reached this final outfitting point so some had their families and children on board.

The Wasa Museum is truly fantastic. I have been happy to watch the progress they have made to display this ancient warship three times in these past twenty-eight years. It has been a great experience.

MOVIE ON THE BIG SCREEN: DUNKIRK

Friday, May 11, 2018 (Sea Day)

We usually have a sit down breakfast whenever we have a sea day. Such was the case today. After that I worked on the journal. I also processed photos.

The afternoon dance session was Meringue. Pedro (Fereshteh) and Maria (Liz) wore themselves out trying to keep up with all the South Americans, raising their arms and waving as they stepped through the dances. It gave Liz many steps and aerobic minutes on her Vivofit though.

HEADLINER SHOWTIME Starring THE SENSATIONAL GARY LOVINI: A spectacular, energetic & entertaining show with a difference. A 'must see' show.

We were on the elevator with a woman who had a Cruise Compass in her hand and we said the description of the entertainment was so vague that we had no idea what the entertainment might be. Liz said, “the last time we saw such a comment it resulted in the artist being a violin player. That performer turned out to be excellent but evidently that cruise director felt that had he described the musician as a violin player people would not come to the show.”

179 Sure enough, Gary Lovini was an English fiddle player. He began playing some Irish standards. Then he switched to Scottish music, followed by a Beatles song (Elinor Rigby). Everything seemed like the same song. Fereshteh and Mo were nodding off and we felt the best part of the show was watching the house band drummer. He was exciting to watch; a bright spot in many of the shows so far. Liz and I told the Sarrams that we had enough and we left early and went back to our stateroom.

Saturday, May 13, 2018 (Rostock On Our Own)

By the time we had breakfast in the Windjammer Café at seven o'clock we were almost the last people on the ship. Most of the passengers were taking trips to Berlin but we opted out. That trip was 3½ hours each way and Liz and I have been to Berlin at least a dozen times over the years. Today we took a shuttle to Rostock instead.

The rise of Rostock began with its membership in the Hanseatic League. In the 14th century it was a powerful seaport town with 12,000 inhabitants and the biggest city of Mecklenburg. Ships for cruising the Baltic Sea were constructed in Rostock. In 1419 one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe, the University of Rostock, was founded. In the 20th century, important airplane manufacturing facilities were situated in the city, such as the Arado Flugzeugwerke in Warnemünde and the Heinkel Works with facilities at various places. It was at their facilities in Rostock-Marienehe where the world's

180 pioneering jet plane made its test flights. Aeroplane construction ceased at the end of the Second World War.

Large parts of the central city were destroyed in World War II by Allied bombing in 1942 and 1945. Through reconstruction and subsequent extension, the city became a major industrial center of the German Democratic Republic with the port being developed as the primary gate to the world. Much of the historic center has been faithfully rebuilt and much of its historic character rebuilt. This includes several buildings characterized by vertical brick ribs, a style common to the Hanseatic towns. Following the reunification of Germany in 1989/1990, Rostock lost its prior privileged position as the principal overseas port of the former GDR and became one of several German ports, now located in one of the least industrialized regions of reunited Germany. Despite large infrastructure investments, the city's economy declined in the 1990s but is now growing again.

We were too early to go to the Tourist Information Center and we continued on Kröpeliner Straße, a major road perpendicular to the market. People were setting up fruit and vegetable stands and a few merchants were setting out inexpensive books, plastic ware, pots and pans, and T-shirts. We walked down the line to shop. Mo found a new leather belt and we asked the owner for directions to the Galeria Kaufhof. Walking back behind the market we saw that the “fixed” stores were also opening and setting up small displays on the sidewalks.

Dominating the square was the Marienkirche. It has scaffolding around the upper portions, common enough in the evident Baltic reconstruction. “Building started mid 13th century, but in 1398 the nearly finished building collapsed. After that a cross-shaped Basilica emerged, built in the style of the French cathedral style and the Marienkirche in Lübeck. Its tower is Baroque. The art treasures of the Marienkirche are worth seeing including the astronomical clock built in 1472, the bronze baptismal font consecrated in 1290, the Rochus altar from around 1530 and the Baroque organ.” It was much too early to watch the impressive clock as the next scheduled movement was to be at noon. We turned right on Breite Straße and walked the Fußgängerzone. There were many coffee shops filled with people getting recharged for the morning.

Walking on to Galeria Kaufhof we looked to find what we hoped might be unique and interesting. Liz looked at some table linens and even some tableware but nothing we wanted to bring back to the ship and have to fly it home. Mo bought new underwear as he has worn all he has and it is cheaper to buy new pairs than send them to the ship laundry. Liz decided Mo's nickname should be “Captain Underpants.”

181 We walked by the "Joy of Living" Fountain in University Square and noticed young people laying on the grass. They seemed to be students and maybe even squatters. We took a few pictures and then retook them when the fountain was turned on a few minutes later. Children were splashing in the fountain and driving their mothers crazy as they tried to catch them. A most enjoyable sight.

“The University of Rostock was founded in 1419 by Pope Martin V and thus is one of the oldest universities in continental Northern Europe. In Germany, there are only five older universities: Heidelberg (1386), Köln (1388), Erfurt (1392/1994), Würzburg (1402/1582) and Leipzig (1409). On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the university, Albert Einstein and Max Planck received honorary doctorates on 12 November 1919. This made the University of Rostock the world's first institute of higher learning to award this honor to Einstein. Interestingly enough, the doctorate was not revoked during the Nazi rule in Germany (1933-1945), despite such orders by the Nazis. The reason for this remains unknown.

The end of the Second World War in 1945 brought many changes. The university, now finding itself in the Soviet Zone of Germany (the later German Democratic Republic), was re-opened on 24 February 1946. The Faculty of Law was closed in 1951, a Faculty of Agriculture was introduced in 1950 and in 1951 saw the opening of a Department of Shipbuilding (renamed Faculty of Technology in 1963). The University of Rostock was the first traditional university in Germany to open a technical faculty. In 1952, the Faculty of Aviation was opened, but eventually relocated to Dresden. The university was named after Wilhelm Pieck in 1976. This was annulled after the German reunification.”

Then we walked further up the street to Kröpeliner Tor which was Rostock's western city gate. It was first built in 1260. An addition around 1400 made it 54 m (177 ft) high. It houses a small museum of Rostock history.

We made our way back using this street as our base and checking side streets looking for a place for lunch. Our mind's eyes were set on a gasthaus or keller and we became disheartened to see everything but those. Liz checked at the Tourist Information Center for a traditional German restaurant and they suggested a place around the corner. It turned out to be the very restaurant we fell upon when we were here eight years ago.

We found the Hopfenkeller- Mecklenburg, a lovely restaurant in an old hops cellar. There was only one other table filled with patrons. The waitress served us a beer, Wernesgrüner Pils (founded in 1436), which is now owned by Bitburger Braugruppe. I always liked Bitburger and this was good too. They had a special on white asparagus with boiled potatoes.

182 Liz and I shared this and I ordered Schnitzel nach Jäger Art and Liz ordered the Viener Art with home fries. Fereshteh had the Weiss Spargel too and Mo had the tomato soup and helped Fereshteh eat the white asparagus.

After lunch we walked about and shopped for batteries, souvenirs, clothes, and sheers and thinning sheers for haircuts. Then we stopped at a bakery for a pastry and coffee as our dessert. It was now time to walk back to the shuttle point for the trip to the ship.

It was a most enjoyable day, full of memories of Germany, our youth, and the fun we had living here. Even some of my German started to come back to me. By three o'clock we decided it would be a good idea to go back to the ship so we went to the shuttle point and arrived in time to board the coach as they were ready to close the doors.

Back at the ship I was able to process today's photos and recharge my camera battery. I also wrote a few words in my journal. I am behind on that project and doubt that I will catch up with my writing by the time we set out for the British Isles.

HEADLINER SHOWTIME The UK's finest ABBA Tribute, ABBAMAX

This performance was refreshingly quite nice. The performers looked much like ABBA and their sound was good. I don't remember ABBA doing so many syncopated routines but that was fun to watch too.

Sunday, May 13, 2018 (Castles of North Zealand with Lunch)

Copenhagen was originally a Viking fishing village founded in the 10th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the early 15th century. Beginning in the 17th century it consolidated its position as a regional center of power with its institutions, defenses and armed forces. After suffering from the effects of plague and fire in the 18th century, the city underwent a period of redevelopment. This included construction of the prestigious district of Frederiksstaden and founding of such cultural institutions as the Royal Theater and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After further disasters in the early 19th century when Nelson attacked the Dano-Norwegian fleet and bombarded the city, rebuilding during the Danish Golden Age brought a Neoclassical look to Copenhagen's architecture. Later, following the Second World War, the Finger Plan fostered the development of housing and businesses along the five urban railway routes stretching out from the city center.

Since the turn of the 21st century, Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development, facilitated by investment in its institutions and infrastructure. The city is the cultural, economic and governmental center of Denmark; it is one of the major financial centers of Northern Europe with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Copenhagen's economy has seen rapid developments in the service sector, especially through initiatives in information technology, pharmaceuticals and clean technology. Since the completion of the Øresund Bridge, Copenhagen has become increasingly integrated with the Swedish province of Scania and its largest city, Malmö, forming the Øresund Region. With a number of bridges connecting the various districts, the cityscape is characterized by parks, promenades and waterfronts. Copenhagen's landmarks such as Tivoli Gardens, The Little Mermaid statue, the Amalienborg and Christiansborg palaces, Rosenborg Castle Gardens, Frederik's Church, and many museums, restaurants and nightclubs are significant tourist attractions.

Copenhagen is home to the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen Business School. The University of Copenhagen, founded in 1479, is the oldest

183 university in Denmark. Copenhagen is home to the FC København and Brøndby football clubs. The annual Copenhagen Marathon was established in 1980. Copenhagen is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. The Copenhagen Metro launched in 2002 serves central Copenhagen while the Copenhagen S-train network connects central Copenhagen to its outlying boroughs. Serving roughly two million passengers a month, Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, is the largest airport in the Nordic countries.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the Minstrel Dining Room. I brought Lydia's Mother's Day card and added two of mine to recognize the importance of the day.

Our excursion met in the Colony Club at ten o'clock and we set out for our coach tour. The access road next to the ship was filled with excursion groups and self guided walking groups so we had to thread our way through them and on to our bus. We met Arne Kolson, our guide for the day.

Although not scheduled for our trip, we made our way to the Little Mermaid first. This was to be a bonus for our group. A fifteen minute photo stop gave all that wished to do so the opportunity to take pictures of this now famous emblem of Copenhagen. Then, while we were enroute our guide gave us a synopsis of the original version of Hans Christian Anderson's tale. Unlike the Walt Disney production, the story tells of of a mermaid who falls in love with a sailor and makes a pact with a sorceress at a great cost. She would have her fins turned into legs but would lose her voice and, if her new love would marry someone else, she would die. He did so choose and the mermaid's sisters told her that if she would kill her lover it would break the spell and she would return to being a mermaid. With unrequited love, she refused and died.

Arne informed us that we were fortunate to have selected this trip because there was a marathon being run today and many of the roads were blocked off, making a traffic mess of many other excursions. But we drove up the narrow waterway to North Zealand along a coastal road dotted with picturesque villages.

There were many elegant homes along the way. This being Sunday, people were on their balconies or backyard picnic tables, having their morning coffee and reading books or newspapers with their coffee. And the beaches along the route were quite active with families out swimming in spite of Arne's declaration that the water would be cold.

Twenty-nine years ago Liz and I drove back from Sweden in our new car and crossed the narrow channel to Helsingør and Kronborg Castle. We had Carlberg Elephant Beer on the ferry crossing (there was no bridge at the time) and thought it would not be prudent to drive on to Copenhagen. We toured

184 the castle then but today Arne said we would not go inside the castle, “It is has been fairly well stripped down but we will go inside Frederiksborg Castle, which houses the Museum of National History.”

Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list (2000).

The castle is situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between present Denmark and the provinces of present Sweden that were also Danish at the time the castle was built. In this part, the sound is only 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) wide, hence the strategic importance of maintaining a coastal fortification at this location commanding one of the few outlets of the Baltic Sea.

The castle's story dates back to a stronghold, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. Along with the fortress Kärnan, Helsingborg on the opposite coast of Øresund, it controlled the entrance way to the Baltic Sea. From 1574 to 1585 King Frederick II had the medieval fortress radically transformed into a magnificent Renaissance castle. The main architects were the Flemings Hans Hendrik van Paesschen and Anthonis van Obbergen, whereas the sculptural work was coordinated by Gert van Groningen. In 1629 a fire destroyed much of the castle, but King Christian IV subsequently had it rebuilt. The castle also has a church within its walls. In 1658 Kronborg was besieged and captured by the Swedes who took many of its valuable art treasures as war booty. In 1785 the castle ceased to be a royal residence and was converted into barracks for the army. The army left the castle in 1923, and after a thorough renovation it was opened to the public.

It was disappointing for both of us, we had wanted to walk back through with new eyes. We saw the

185 entrance and the ticket office but later Liz reminded me that Arne had said the agency which booked him as our guide today did not wish to pay the price of an inside castle tour. Instead, we just observed the outside citadel and overlooked the ramparts and the salute battery. The battery is still used to recognize the royal family or head of state visitors when appropriate.

Here we were to have lunch at the Kadetten Grill. It was to be served family style and as we sat down we could select a bottle of beer, saft, soda, or water. There were two bowls which half of our table could not identify. I told them it was smoked herring with a mustard sauce. Over half of our table of seven said they would not even try it. It was quite good and certainly traditional Danish fare. We also had meatballs (very dry and hard), potato salad, and lovely dark bread. Dessert featured tasteless cookies with coffee. Sadly, we were reminded of our lunch in St Petersberg... not too impressive. Much like this visit.

Our coach returned south to Fredensborg in North Zealand, the favorite summer residence of the Queen Margrethe and her family. This country seat, architecturally inspired by Italian baroque, was built by Frederik IV in 1720-1722 to mark the end of the Great Nordic War.

The beautifully situated palace has since been used to a varying extent as a summer residence by successive monarchs. It was probably used most frequently by Christian IX, who every summer during the ‘Fredensborg Days’ would summon his large family from the European princely houses to informal gatherings at the palace. Today, it is also used for gala dinners in connection with state visits and festive celebrations of family occasions in the royal house.

This too would be only a photo stop. We arrived in time to watch a changing of the guard. The guards who were being relieved were wearing their bear skin headgear but because it was getting hot the replacement guard wore a more practical service cap of light blue and white.

The last castle of the tour was Frederiksborg Slot.

Frederiksborg Castle is beautifully situated on three small islets in the castle lake in Hillerød. Within the walls of the castle, large cultural experiences await the whole family, while the scenic surroundings invite you to peaceful walks and sailing trips.

Frederiksborg Castle was built by Christian 4th in the 16th century's first decades and is the largest renaissance plant in the Nordic region. The new construction should emphasize and strengthen Christian 4th 's position as a powerful European monarch. Therefore, the castle is richly embellished with symbolic and decorative elements such as the impressive Neptune jumping

186 water and the royal wing's marble gallery.

Since 1878 Frederiksborg Slot Room has the National History Museum, which tells 500 years of Denmark history through its collection of portraits, history paintings, furniture and art industry. The museum was established by Carlsberg's founder, JC Jacobsen, and has since been an independent department of the Carlsberg Foundation . Arne led us first to The Rose Room on the ground floor. At the time of Christian IV this room was called the Knight's Room and it was a dining room for the king and the ladies and gentlemen of the court. After the fire of 1859, it was restored after drawings and paintings of the room.

Next we entered the Castle Chapel. The magnificent Castle Chapel dates back to 1617 and luckily survived the fire of 1859. In 1693 Christian V converted the church into a Knight's Chapel for the two Danish orders: The Order of the Elephant and the Order of Dannebrog. Covering the walls of the Chapel are therefore hundreds of Coats of Arms belonging to royalty and notabilities from all over the world.

The Great Hall on the second floor was meant for feasting and dancing. Unfortunately, The Great Hall was badly destroyed in the fire of 1859 and was subsequently reconstructed. On the walls of The Great Hall can be seen weaved tapestries depicting events from the life of Christian IV and portraits of the Danish royal family. The Museum of National History has over 10,000 portraits in the collection, and among these are portraits of the Danish kings and queens.

This portrait of Christian IV was painted, when the king was at the height of his power following the victory against Sweden in the Kalmar War in 1611- 1613. The portrait features many of the symbols typical of classical royal portraits. Beside the royal regalia are a war helmet and a marshal's baton which symbolize that the king is in charge of the army.

Alexander Roslin's portrait of Christian VII is largely in reference to the King's trip to Paris in 1768 and testament to the close relationship that existed between Denmark and France in the 1700s. Roslin's painting depicts the absolute monarch in a classical ruler's pose, dressed in expensive robes and with all the necessary royal symbols, but at the same time the artist also manages to capture the King's individuality by allowing his fragile personality to shine through. The portrait is also significant because it was during this trip to Paris that the King became close friends with the German physician Struensee. This encounter would later prove to have serious consequences.

History painting have had a prominent place at Frederiksborg Castle ever since the museum was established in 1878. Early in 1884 J. C. Jacobsen presented a list of about 80 subjects for history

187 paintings and suggestions for placing them in the museum. Today, the museum has revived the tradition and both old and new history paintings can be seen at the museum.

PRODUCTION SHOWTIME Staring TANGO BUENOS AIRES With the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers and the Tango Buenos Aires Orchestra with Maestro Marcelo Steffanoli featuring Daniel Espinoza on Bandoneon. Featuring our Tango Dancers, Ismael and Belen.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Today is the last sea day before most of the passengers leave the ship tomorrow morning. As “Consecutive Cruisers” we will be relaxing and getting ready to pay the bill for this leg of our trip and then, in the early morning, pick up our new sea passes. Then we will leave the ship for a day in Amsterdam.

After breakfast we returned to our stateroom. I logged on to the internet for my single “free” day. We each washed several shirts and then cleared the room so Wayne, our steward from Guyana, could set up our room. Liz walked about the ship and went to check out the sale in the ship store. I went to the Colony Club on Deck 6 and continued work on the journal.

Later Liz joined me and showed me her new rain parka she bought on sale. It looked like a good deal and we returned to the Royal Shops and found a new parka for me. We then took them to our room to replace the one I brought with me. I asked Wayne if he might know someone who might be able to use it. He did.

Our lunch featured a half dozen English dishes. We shared a Paté Plate and Liz had the fish and chips while I ordered the ploughman's lunch (English cold meal which is based around bread, cheese, and onions, usually accompanied with butter and some form of pickle). Everything was quite good. We asked Glenn, the maitre'd, to be sure to keep that menu on the next leg of our trip as we couldn't try everything they offered.

Liz took Fereshteh to the diamond level theater tour at one thirty o'clock. Unfortunately, Lucy, the dance captain, was the only person conducting the tour and the amount of people trying to squeeze in the tight spaces it was too crowded to get pictures of or even see the costume section. On past cruises several of the performers would divide the group and cover the briefing in sections.

Both of them went to stretch class and then to Bachata Dance Class with Luiza of the Cruise Director's Staff. I went to the Centrum to take a few pictures and returned to the room. Liz and Fereshteh then went to the Russian Bazaar and Marketplace in the Royal Shops.

FAREWELL SHOWTIME Starring The Amazing Acrobatics of Duo Bolshakov in ABOVE THE SKY

The show began with the male acrobat coming out in black so one could not see him with the black background. Then he produced two “light sabers” and began twirling them in various patterns. I have no idea how flowers, geometric patterns, musical graph symbols and even words could come out of the rhythms but they were interesting.

188 When the other half of the duo came on stage they both wrapped their wrists with flat strips of material secured at the ceiling. They swung around with the man holding the hand or, later the foot of the woman as they bent or folded in positions a person should not be able to bend. Their capabilities were almost painful to watch but know for sure that in my most active youth I was never able to place my limbs and back in that way. I understand that they both trained for this for years but still, they were mesmerizing.

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