2011-06-23 shopping at ICA

Today we went grocery shopping at the local ICA Maxi . This was a huge market, larger than the stores we are accustomed to shopping in. Besides food, it carries all kinds of other goods, including "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series books and videos (in Swedish, of course). Pippi Longstocking is quite popular with Swedish children, so we saw many books and videos featuring her and her friends. We were impressed with the checkout system: when you enter, you pick up a barcode scanner. As you add items to your cart, you scan the price tag; for produce, you use a scale, select the type of produce and specific item. A label is printed, which you affix to the bag and scan. Kiyomi was fascinated by how easy it was to go through the check out line when all your items are listed in the scanner, and just needs a quick confirmation by the check-out clerk. Then just zip your credit card and you are done!

2011-06-22 Kiyomi's nice birthday

Kiyomi had a nice birthday experience, we visited Roland's mother, Wiola. She lives in a very nice condo in the heart of Stockholm. On the way back we visited the Bergius Botanic Garden and Park where we saw a kitchen and herb garden, a Japanese garden and pond and many native plants. We then had dinner with Veronica and Sami, and met their 2 children, Felicia (3) and Victor (1 yr 3 months). The children are energetic dynamos. Johan was there, too; but we hardly recognized him. He had grown up to a handsome young man, quite different from the 10-year old we remembered from our last visit 20 years ago . We had a nice time, watching the kids play and hearing what they have been doing in the last 20 years. Veronica cooked the Italian delicious meal, and for dessert a fantastic chocolate and strawberry creation, with whip cream topping. Roland provided the wine from his company GustaVino, a special Chianti imported from the Italian island Elba that was an excellent companion with the meal. We found the sun still up at 11 pm when we finally went to bed; it set around midnight, then came up about 2 am.

2011-06-21 Stockholm, Sweden

Roland and Ragnhild met us at the port after we disembarked. After a quick trip to their home in Haninge, we returned to Stockholm for an Italian celebration put on by the Italian club that they both belong to. We had a delightful time. There were a variety of Italian cheeses for tasting, champagne, red and white wine, a "little ear" pasta with broccoli and cheese, then the main course, and tiramisu for dessert. Roland's friend Carlo was a dinner companion, and he was a wealth of information and entertaining stories.

2011-06-20 Helsinki, Finland

Today we stopped in Helsinki, Finland. We took a shuttle from the port to the city center. Kiyomi enjoyed going through the Marimekko store. Then we walked back to the ship along the shore, past the Silja "Symphony" we took 20 years ago from Stockholm to Helsinki. This is our last night on board, so Stan enjoyed the string quartet while Kiyomi packed. Then we had an early dinner and retired early so we could get up early to watch our cruise through the Archipelago to Stockholm. It was beautiful watching the many islands go by. The sun had come up at 2 am, so there was plenty of light by 4 am.

2011-06-19 T St. Petersburg, Russia

Today we continued in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our tour was to Catherine the Great's Summer Palace in Pushkin, a few miles outside St. Petersburg. The ride through the city was interesting: among establishments with names I could not even guess at the pronunciation or meaning (they used the Cyrillic alphabet) were very familiar icons: MacDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway, Ikea, Yves DeLorme and a few others. The Palace grounds are beautiful green woods, with many flowering shrubs. We were told in the winter, when there is 18 to 19 hours darkness, temperature below zero, and snow several feet thick, it is not so pleasant. But today was sunny and warm, with birds chirping and the sun reflecting off gilded towers. Inside the Palace was very lavishly decorated. There was a spacious high-ceilinged ballroom, with huge windows giving a view of the landscape on both sides. Another section was composed of many large rooms, one after the other, connected by a long hallway that went through each of them. Gilt candle holders lined the wall, and the doorways were elaborate gilt designs. One of the rooms was the throne room, one the paintings room, one the giant portraits of Catherine and Elizabeth, one a dining room, one was the Amber room (wallpapered in real amber). After touring inside, we went outside, past the bath house, which was a very large multi-story structure that reputedly was used for more than just baths. We saw a Turkish bath house across a lake; apparently the Russian nobility enjoyed bathing. We had a concert by some singers inside a chapel that had incredible acoustics. They sounded really good. Then we returned back to the ship along Moscow Prospekt and through St. Petersburg. We enjoyed Tea Time and the string quartet concert, then prepared for our dinner at the Polo Restaurant, which features steaks. I had Surf 'n Turf, Kiyomi had a New York Steak. For dessert I could not make up my mind, so had the Quintet Special, a sampling of five of the eight dessert selections.

2011-06-18 St. Petersburg, Russia

Today we stopped in St. Petersburg, Russia (aka Petrograd or Leningrad). The ship docked on the Neva River, but visitors cannot enter the city without a visa or being with an organized tour. Our first day tour was of the Hermitage, the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great, built in the late 1700s. The architecture is "over the top", competing with the other palaces of Europe for ostentation. There are lots of statuary, parquet floors, marble staircases and columns, chandeliers, gilt and glitter, and of course Catherine's fabulous collection of art from all over Europe. She seemed to specialize in old masters, especially from Holland, Netherlands, and Spain. Unfortunately the Hermitage is a major tourist destination, so it is quite crowded. The tour has to keep moving, to make room for the following groups. It is difficult to appreciate the splendor while being herded along surrounded by other people. I did not bother taking photos; I just gawked at the architecture, decorations and treasures, overwhelmed by the quantity and quality. It was a cold windy rainy day, and we were glad to be indoors. After returning to the ship and taking a brief rest, we enjoyed Tea Time and the string quartet concert. We had dinner at the Red Ginger restaurant, where once again we enjoyed the Asian Fusion menu. Kiyomi reports the sushi plate is satisfactory, and the Chilean Sea Bass is delicious. Stan had the Thai chicken soup with coconut milk and pan-fried noodles, then a delicious tapioca-mango dessert. The show featured the Marina Singers and Dancers in "Swing Time", a retrospective of the music of the 1940s. Again, lots of energy and color made for a very enjoyable show. The second part of the show was the Liars Club, where we had to guess which of three definitions of a word was correct. Des, Cherry and one of the dancers were the "definers" of five words that were unfamiliar (such as tittup, groaking, xhosa). Each definition was accompanied by a very funny story about how the person knows what the word means; but only one definition is true – the other two are lies. The audience guesses which definition is true by applause. Sad to say, we were wrong 3 out of 5 words. Who knew there was a word that means, "fear of having peanut butter stick to the roof of your mouth"?

2011-06-17 Tallinn, Estonia

Today we stopped in Tallinn, Estonia. A shuttle bus took us to the Kanuti Garden and entrance to Old Town (Vanalinn). Kiyomi took one look at the "garden", saw it was just a small park with a flowerbed and fountain, so we walked through it into the town, along the cobblestone streets and up to the Toompea area overlooking the town with a very nice panorama view, where the castle and several cathedrals/churches and museums are located. As we passed one of the churches, we saw a graduation ceremony had taken place, and many people, all dressed up in their finest and carrying flowers, were celebrating. The architecture here was medieval, in contrast to the new, modern part of town. We noticed that here, too, many, if not most, of the young people have cell phones, and use them frequently. We had another very enjoyable meal in the Grand Dining Room, and later saw the show "Groovin", a retrospective of the music of the 60s and 70s, sung and danced by the Marina Singers and Dancers.

2011-06-16 Riga, Latvia

Today we stopped in Riga, Latvia. The ship docked along the riverbank, just a few blocks from the city. We walked over to and along the City Canal, a nice waterway bordered by trees, lawn and flowerbeds. It was a quiet and pretty walk. Then we walked through Old Town, looking at the gothic, baroque, and Art Nouveau architecture, many points of interest (that were marked on the map we brought from the ship), souvenirs shops, pubs and cafes. As we were walking back to the ship, the sky got darker and darker. We just made it back to the ship when a heavy rainstorm passed by. Back on the ship after lunch, Kiyomi got her nails done while Stan got a haircut (not as good as Bob does). After Tea Time and the string quartet concert, we attended a preview of future cruises. We decided the San Francisco to Miami Panama Canal cruise sounded interesting, so we signed up for it. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the Main Dining Room. The service is first-rate, the waiters are well-trained, and the menu selections are wonderful. It is hard to choose among the 4 or 5 appetizers, soups, and/or salads, 5 or 6 entrees (not to mention 6 or 7 dessert choices!). There is something for every taste, including "healthy:, vegan, and "just meat and potatoes" appetites. The evening entertainment was "The Gypsies' Enchanting Evening" featuring virtuoso violinist Artur Banaskiewicz playing gypsy-inspired music with great flair and excitement. His fingers flew and the bow was a blur as he made his violin sing.

At sea

Today we should have stopped in Visby, Sweden, but high wind prevented the tenders from operating. The ship was too large to dock in the port. The ship continued toward our next port: Riga, Latvia. We had dinner at "Chez Jacques", the French themed restaurant. Stan's escargots were served under a puff pastry shell, and were quite delicious. The evening entertainment was a high energy singing and dancing performance "Con Molto!". It was an enjoyable performance, colorful costumes, and very well executed.

2011-06-14 Gdynia, Poland

There was a shuttle bus into town; from there we walked to the seashore, and a long way beside the beach. Then we walked over a few blocks and passed through a residential area. The differences in architecture were quite distinct: some buildings were pre-war and in disrepair; some were post-war Communist era and quite plain and drab; some were new or newly renovated, and were modern style. The yards were not maintained for the most part: uncut grass, not much landscaping, minimal flowers and shrubs. The evening entertainment was Des & Cherry King, a magic and comedy show. We were sitting in the front row, so Stan was called on to help out, and played a straight man role. Even sitting right up front, it was not clear how some of the illusions were performed – it really looked like magic.

2011-06-13 Ronne, Denmark

Today we stopped in Ronne, Denmark. We walked through the town, admiring the medieval architecture. It was a holiday so everything was closed. The town was very peaceful, no cars and hardly any pedestrians. We walked through a woods to a Radisson Hotel where we had coffee and beer for $15. Then we walked back along the cliff above the Baltic Sea. Then we returned for the 4 pm High Tea and Marina String Quartet. The evening show was Agata Holdyk, an very accomplished pianist, who played a number of classical selections for us.

2011-06-12 Warnemunde, Germany

Today we stopped in Warnemunde, Germany. We walked around the old town for our daily exercise, past many fish shops, selling fresh as well as freshly prepared, smoked, salted, dried, or whatever. We continued on past the port area window shopping, then walked along the waterfront bars, pubs, souvenir shops and hotels to the end of the road, where there were two lighthouses marking the entrance to the harbor, and a beach that was quite popular despite the cool temperature and cloudy sky. Then we returned for the 4 pm High Tea and Marina String Quartet. We had dinner at the Toscana Italian theme specialty restaurant. Stan enjoyed Lobster Fra Diavola, Kiyomi enjoyed a delicious pasta dish.

2011-06-11 Cruise the Oceania "Marina"

After packing and a leisurely breakfast, we took a taxi to the port and boarded the Oceania "Marina", the newest and largest of Oceania's fleet. We were immediately impressed with the luxury and opulence, extending even to our cabin. There are some more photos at Smugmug. We have a tub and a shower, plus plenty of room to move around. The stateroom on the 9th deck has a queen bed, nightstands, a large desk, a sofa and coffee table. Then the veranda has a table and two chairs overlooking the ocean or port. The desk includes a laptop computer, but all it does is email and Internet; and at $0.95/minute(!) we won't be using it. Email is $3.95 per letter (as many cc as desired no extra charge). There is a satellite newspaper service for $6.50/day/newspaper. All of the ship's areas are sumptuously furnished, with modern art and sculpture to enhance the comfortable areas. There are decks 4-16 available to passengers. Everyone was given a deck map/guide along with their stateroom key/boarding card/charge card so we could find our way around. Even so, it is easy to get turned around. After listening to a concert by the Marina String Quartet, we had a delicious Asian Fusion dinner at the Red Ginger restaurant, one of four specialty restaurants we'll try. Kiyomi was very pleased with the Japanese style dishes, and Stan enjoyed Thai cuisine.

2011-06-10 Copenhagen 4 Frederiksborg Castle

2011-06-10 Today we took a train trip to visit the Frederiksborg Castle Gardens. The castle dates from the 1600s, although it was reconstructed in 1859 after a fire. The garden dates from the 1720s. It has several major sections: the four terraces; the monograms (made up of 65,000 box plants) of Frederik IV, Frederik V, Christian VI and Margrethe II; the cascade (waterfall feature); two ponds in addition to the castle lake; and the sculptures. We split a nice roast beef sandwich and potato fries, and had a coffee and a beer (179DKK or about $36) at the Vivaldi Café. Then we walked back through the pedestrian-only street, with shops on each side, to the station. Along the way I bought four AA batteries for DKK 70 or about $14). We were impressed with the quiet efficient train and rail infrastructure. It seems to serve the Danes well, and is a boon to tourists, too. Back in Copenhagen, we were again impressed by the large number of cyclists apparently returning from work. The bike lanes separated from pedestrians and motorists are a real help to encouraging cyclists. For dinner we had "A Taste of Thai": coconut chicken soup, pad thai and two beers (176 DKK or about $36).

2011-06-09 Copenhagen 3 Christiansborg Slot

2011-06-09 Today we visited the Christiansborg Slot (palace) http://www.ses.dk/da/SlotteOgHaver/Slotte/ChristiansborgSlot.aspx. It's an important government building, serving Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Supreme Court and has the Royal Reception Rooms. The Reception Rooms were open to the public, and are very impressive. The rooms are spacious, with very high ceilings that are decorated with paintings and chandeliers; the floors are parquet in complicated geometric patterns. The walls are decorated with huge paintings or tapestries, many woven especially for the palace. The rooms are still used by the Royal family for State functions (dinners, receiving ambassadors, etc.). Then we went around the corner to the Thorvaldsen Museum www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk. Bertel Thorvaldsen was the pre-eminent Danish sculpture, lived 1770-1844. He designed the museum and bequeathed his works to it when he died. It's a very pleasant exhibition of marble sculpture, much like the Roman or Medieval, but the works are complete – not headless or armless. We had lunch at a Thai restaurant, but it was somewhat disappointing. The cooking style was not as sophisticated as we are used to. After lunch we went to the
For dinner we had a Margerita pizza, mixed salad and two 250cc beers for DKK 232 or about $46. Fortunately it was all very good, generous portions and good draft Tuborg. Photo is one of the many elephants, each of which is painted in a unique manner.

2011-06-08 Copenhagen 2 Rosenborg Slot, National Gallery of Art

2011-06-08 After our nice buffet breakfast we walked to the Rosenborg Slot (Chateau) where we saw a retrospective of Royal family life from 1600-1863in furniture, portraits, jewelry, table settings, etc. The Treasury, downstairs in a walk-through vault, was very impressive, with bejeweled swords, gold place settings, royal jewelry, and 3 royal crowns studded with jewels. Outside was a lovely garden we enjoyed walking through on our way to the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Art Gallery) where we were overwhelmed by the quantity of Danish and other art covering 700 years. There were hundreds of works by Danish artists we'd never heard of, plus many works by famous artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Rembrandt. And not only paintings; there were sculptures and wood block prints, and some multimedia items. After the art, we went to the Botanical Garden to enjoy Nature's art. We saw a lot of familiar plants, and some that were new to us. It was warm and sunny, so walking through the garden was quite pleasant. We had dinner at the hotel: Kiyomi had steamed mussels (very fresh and tasty, according to her) and I had a Chocolate "Bomb" with ice cream. It was not the "moelleux chocolat coeur fondant groseille" that I had expected, but was delicious nevertheless, with three kinds of chocolate: frosting, cake and topping.

2011-06-07 Copenhagen 1

2011-06-07 We get a nice buffet breakfast at the Phoenix Hotel, good strong coffee, authentic fresh Danish pastries, cereal, eggs and bacon, fruit, cheese, etc. With the high prices, I try to fill up so I can last to dinner. Even McDonald's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken are expensive. We have a Copenhagen Card that gives free admission to numerous attractions, and free bus rides around the city. Today after taking a canal tour for an overview of the city, we went to a couple of interesting museums; one that traced Danish design and art over several hundred years; and one that gave a history of the recent Danish kings and queens, with examples of their furnishings of their study or office. In the evening we ended up at Tivoli Gardens, after walking through the main shopping street. At Tivoli we heard a nice concert, admired the flowers, and decided not to try any of the rides. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by for Chinese and Japanese food take-out, which we enjoyed at the hotel.

2011-06-06 Midnight Sun

2011-06-06 I was up several times last night and this morning to take a picture of the view (photo), using the midnight sun. Unfortunately, the sun was not visible due to clouds, but the light was more than sufficient to photograph the scenery. We experienced 24 hours of daylight. After sleeping a few more hours, we awoke to a clear blue sky. So ironic that it was just hours too late for me! We disembarked and were taken to the airport for our flight to Copenhagen via Oslo. We arrived safely in the Phoenix Hotel in downtown Copenhagen. We find the prices quite high here, too.

2011-06-05 furtherst north

2011-06-05 Today we finally see blue skies again. We passed an oil refinery located on an island, burning gas on top of high stacks, we could tell what it was. The strong chill wind was blowing the flames almost horizontally. Later we passed and island dotted with 3-blade wind turbines generating power. It seemed ironic that the waste gas was burned, rather than harnessed for power. All of the islands are splotched with patches of snow. The clouds returned in the afternoon and evening. At about 7 pm we reached the northernmost point of our trip (photo), off the north coast of Norway.

2011-06-04 Tromso

2011-06-04 Yet another chilly windy rainy day. Our port is Tromso at N 69°38'55.5" E 018°57'43.5". We walked into town up to the main street where there was an old car festival, some actually quite old. We stopped by the northernmost brewery in the world and had the local Mack beer in the Ølhallen pub (established 1928)

2011-06-03 Bodo

2011-06-03 Today is another chilly windy rainy day. Our port is Bodǿ, above the Arctic Circle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle) at N 67°17'20.1" E 014°23'44.7". We walked around for exercise until it started to rain, then rushed back to the ship. There was not much to do in port anyway, besides get the exercise.

2011-06-02 Trondheim

2011-06-02 Our main port is Trondheim at N 63°26'32.7" E 010°24'16.5". It was windy and cold, but not raining so we decided to go for a walk. We walked past Chinese, Thai, Italian (pizza), French and American (Burger King and McDonald's) restaurants to an old church with nice architecture. As we were returning, it started to drizzle so we stopped into a mall consisting of 5 stories with many kinds of shops. Everything was more expensive than in the US, and the fashions were not to Kiyomi's taste, so it was just looking at the merchandise.

2011-06-01 Norway Fjords

2011-06-01 The morning was clear and sunny, and we saw some spectacular scenery. However, it was too chilly to comfortably stay outside on the deck, so we did most of our watching from the Deck 7 lounge. There is still a lot of snow on the mountains around the fjords, so we see many waterfalls. Some are mere trickles, some pretty large cascades. Some of the mountains seem bare of vegetation, where only a greenish moss or lichen exists; others are covered with trees. Houses and villages are infrequently seen. Apparently the Hurtigruten line is a ferry service between towns, and runs up and down the coast, often passing each other. The ships stop by various towns, often for just 15 to 30 minutes to board or deboard passengers, and load and unload freight. Then one port will be a major stop, where excursions from the ship are started; for example to visit a glacier, see the sled dogs, visit North Cape, etc.

2011-05-31 We depart Bergen

2011-05-31 We departed Bergen today on the Kong Harald for the Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Cruise. We are expecting to see the Midnight Sun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_sun) as we cruise north to Kirkenes. The long days will also give us more time to admire the lovely Norwegian fjords and picturesque little towns that are the highlight of the cruise. Contrary to the brochure, the ship has no reliable Internet service, so I was not able to send and receive email.

2011-05-30

Another cold, windy day with rain showers. We took a walk, but had to hurry back to the hotel when it started raining. By the time we reached the hotel, the sun was coming out again. So after a while, we set out again to visit the shops. Everything is much more expensive than we see in the Bay Area. At a Chinese restaurant we paid $25 for a dish of Chow Mein, and another $5 for Chinese tea (just common Oolong, not even Jasmine). We spent most of the remaining day and evening reading and relaxing. The hotel's supper buffet was quite good, plenty of real food, not just snack food. The cheese selections are very nice: blue cheese and several varieties of mild white cheese. There is a surprising amount of fresh vegetables and fruit available at breakfast and supper, considering we are so far north. I suppose most of the food is imported from southern countries.

2011-05-29

We awakened about 6 am despite going to bed after midnight. The time change meant our bodies thought 6 am was 3 pm and that we were sleeping the day away. By 6 am here at 60 degrees North latitude, the sun has been up for a while, and doesn't set until quite late in the evening. We went for a walk, but the temperature was about 10 C (50 F) with a chill wind, and occasional showers. Bergen is an attractive city, not too big to walk around, and actually quite pleasant with the picturesque buildings. Bryggen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen) is a port area, and a historically significant UNESCO World Heritage site. We found everything quite expensive; the dollar is pretty weak. At Macdonald's we had a chicken nuggets with fries and a soft drink that cost about $20. Fortunately our hotel serves buffet breakfast and evening buffet, with coffee and tea available during the day. It is pleasant to sit in the lobby area where the sun shines through the window (when it's not raining!).

2011-05-27

We departed SFO at about 8:15 on Lufthansa for Frankfurt, Germany. We were in Business Class, so the food was very good. The salad was just about a meal by itself; then they brought the main course. Complimentary beer or wine is served in Business, so we enjoyed a relaxing meal. The entertainment system was old style, but I watched The Green Hornet, which I had not seen before. The seats are quite comfortable, with foot rests that make the seat like a recliner, and very nice head rests that prevent your head from lolling to one side when you sleep. After a nap, we had breakfast prior to our landing. It was already 3 pm, but our flight for Bergen was not scheduled until about 9 pm. With our Business Class tickets, we were able to wait in the very nice lounge with snacks, coffee, and an interesting view of the Frankfurt airport, where airplanes from all over the world came and went. Our flight to Bergen, Norway was on a small E80, but we were served a nice meal and beer. After arrival at the Bergen airport we collected our luggage and took a cab to our hotel, The Clarion Collection in Bryggen, the former Hotel Havnekontoret. The cab fare was over $100, our first "sticker shock". We later found out a an airport bus goes from the airport and stops right in front of our hotel.