Featured photo is of Frankfurt as we descended into the city this afternoon.
I had a great time turning 53 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This was the fifth former Soviet country I have visited, the others being: Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, and Estonia. Of course, if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you might know that I lived in Armenia for 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1995-97. I didn’t get a great look at Georgia, Estonia, or Latvia, as I just passed through Georgia on a bus in 1996 and Bill and I visited Tallin, Estonia twice, and Riga and Liepaja, Latvia once each on cruises.
Our visit to Vilnius was a comprehensive and full five night affair, and boy was I impressed with the place. Lithuania was once a Peace Corps country, as were Latvia and Estonia. Their programs ended in 2002. I could hardly believe how upscale Lithuania felt and appeared. It’s hard to imagine that it once hosted Peace Corps Volunteers! Of course, when I visited Armenia in 2023, I was surprised by how far it’s come, too, although it doesn’t look quite as clean and spiffy as Lithuania does… at least not yet.
Anyway, I will be doing my usual series for our trip, which was fairly busy. We didn’t do much on my birthday, because it was pouring rain all day, and because my muscles were extremely sore from climbing the Cathedral Bell Tower. But it still managed to be a memorable birthday for me, as Bill and I enjoyed lots of beers at a really cool pub.
I think I’ll start the series tomorrow morning. I’m kind of tired from our travel today. But I have lots of pictures and stories to share, so I hope a few readers will tune in… For now, here are a few photos…
One thing I learned is that Lithuanians are people of great faith… and I found their faith hopeful and uplifting in these troubling times. Aside from that, Vilnius is literally a cool city. The weather was actually chilly a couple of days. I had to wear a sweater on my birthday! We also enjoyed a lot of really good food. I was surprised by how fresh and delicious everything was. We even tried the famous “Pink Soup”.
So, hopefully tomorrow, I’ll get started on my latest series, and maybe get it finished before this Saturday, when we head to Zurich/Kusnacht, Switzerland for eight nights! For now, I need to relax for a bit and regroup. Traveling is tiring.
Well, folks, I went and did it. I finally broke down and visited Yerevan, Armenia, which was my home for 27 months of my 20s, back in the 1990s. The 90s were quite a difficult time to be living in Yerevan, especially for a clueless twenty something like I was at the time. I had a difficult time serving in the third group to go to Armenia with the Peace Corps. There were a lot of times back then when I wondered if I would successfully conclude my service without either quitting or being thrown out of the country. Looking back on it, there were people I met through the Peace Corps whom I thought were stronger than I was and didn’t stay the course. But I did, and now that I’m 51 years old and a “hausfrau”, I’ll take that success.
I’m being very serious when I state that I resisted going back to the former Soviet Republic of Armenia for a long time. Part of me really wanted to go there… to see where I used to live, take photos, and experience the place as a tourist. Armenia actually is a very interesting country with a fascinating history. Parts of it are stunningly beautiful, too. I’d like to go back and visit those parts on a proper tour, or maybe hire a guide to take us around the country. Actually, I’d probably be better off with a private guide cuz, you know… I can be a little “extra”. 😀
Bill was also hesitant about going to Armenia. I’m not really sure why. He’s been to some pretty austere places. Last summer, I was pressuring him to go, because I was doing some research that indicated that Armenia has become a place drastically different from what I remembered from the 90s. I thought we could have an amazing and relatively inexpensive vacation. But he demurred, and when we did our usual Champagne Bucket drawing, Finland won. We ended up turning that into a Scandinavian extravaganza that included Estonia and Latvia. As we were wandering around Latvia, I couldn’t help but remember Armenia, and how I needed to grow a spine and go already.
Then in September, fate intervened. Bill put his hand in the Champagne Bucket, and pulled out Armenia. And this time, I decided come hell or high water, we were going– just in time to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. I found a great hotel, booked business class tickets, and let my former student, Stepan, who now works for the Peace Corps, know I was going to be coming.
I remember Stepan was a little skeptical at first. He didn’t want to get excited, since I’d been talking about coming to Armenia for ages. But I insisted that this time, it was for real. I was finally going to come back to Yerevan. I’m so glad we finally made it happen. We had an amazing trip that was extremely meaningful to me on so many levels. I think the biggest takeaway, though, is that sometimes going back to make good memories is the best way to get clarity and perspective.
My first time in Armenia was affected by a lot of things that I probably made more of than I should have at the time. But my second time there, I felt surprisingly confident and comfortable… and save for our actual anniversary day, which was pretty weird, we really had fun. Of course, Yerevan is a lot more developed now than it was in the 90s.
I couldn’t believe the shopping, western style food, and sheer lights everywhere. When I arrived in 1995, none of that stuff was there. Yerevan had few restaurants, few western style shops, and few lights. I got to see it change significantly when I was living there, but it was not even close to the level of development then that it is now. English is everywhere, too. I used my rusty Armenian skills, but I didn’t really need to do that, most everywhere we went.
So now it’s time for my usual blow by blow trip report. I hope some of you will come along for the ride. I have a lot of new stories to write and pictures to share! Not everything was positive, of course, and I do plan to be honest about that… but overall, I was left with a very good impression and a strong feeling of welcome. One thing that hasn’t changed since the 90s, for instance, is that people still seem to think I’m Russian.
I’ll get more into that later… especially when I write in detail about the overly intimate frisking I got this morning from a very obnoxious security officer at the airport. She seemed to be on a massive power trip. There was a lot of confusion, because there was a woman trying to deal with her baby stroller. She was holding things up.
Yerevan only has a metal detector, which requires security officers to put their hands on people who they deem “suspicious”, which I guess I must have been to to the security officer. She spoke English to me, then switched to Russian, as she snarled “Put your arms out. I’m not finished with you, yet.”
I looked her in the eyes and said in a calm, but very serious tone of voice, “I don’t speak Russian.”
At that point, she kind of backed off and let me get on my way. Now I wonder if she thought I was Russian, and was taking out some of the recent Armenian anti-Russian sentiment on me. Don’t get me wrong. It’s certainly well deserved. Russia screwed over Armenia regarding the conflict with Azerbaijan. But I don’t have a drop of Russian blood in me, and I had nothing to do with Putin’s policies toward Armenia and Azerbaijan. I simply wanted to move on from the struggling lady with the baby stroller, and the aggressive security officer with personality deficits. Sue me.
All week, people have been trying to speak Russian to me, just like the old days. I shocked more than a few of them by responding in Armenian. I didn’t bother trying to speak Armenian with the security lady, because I just wanted to get away from her. Aside from that, I think she needed a reminder that not everyone with blonde hair and blue eyes is an oppressor. My aim was simply to get through security and have some coffee, since it was about 3:30 AM. What the hell is wrong with that?
If the officer had spoken in Armenian, she might have gotten a cheerier and more respectful response from me. I’m not sure how people are supposed to behave in the wee hours of the morning when we’re trying to get through security and some woman with a baby stroller is holding up the line, frantically trying to get it to fold. I know I appeared to be very annoyed, because I was. My annoyance was perfectly justified, and there was really no reason for the security officer to practically give me a “happy ending” as I left her country. She certainly had no cause to be so nasty to me. Sorry… just had to get that out of my system. I feel better now.
But anyway, I’m pretty much over that rather traumatizing incident– for now, anyway… 😉 Tomorrow, I’ll commence with writing about the trip and everything we saw and did. That will be a much happier topic. Most Armenians are wonderful, warm, friendly, and talented people, and I really want to focus on their kindness, generosity, and good humor. So stay tuned. “Heto noritz k’gameli…” (and if you’re Armenian and this doesn’t make any sense, “Voch inch.“)
Hi ho, folks. I usually do a “ten things I learned” post after our trips. Since this was a comparatively massive trip that was divided into a few segments, I’ve decided to compose slightly more than double the usual list. I’ve found that the “things I learned” posts tend to get read more than the “blow by blow” posts. So, in the interest of engaging people, here’s my latest list of things I learned while traveling. Some of these things I mention will seem silly or irrelevant. Nevertheless, they are still things I learned on our trip. I hope some of you enjoy it!
Here goes…
22. In Northern Europe, you are encouraged or even obliged to forgo housekeeping for charitable purposes.
We stayed in four hotels. In three of them, there were signs encouraging or even requiring guests to skip having their rooms cleaned. In Oslo, it was a choice, which we did opt for, since we only stayed two nights. In Bergen, it was automatically skipped unless we requested it by 10 PM the night before. And in Copenhagen, it was encouraged. All three hotels claimed that they donated money saved by not cleaning rooms to environmental or women’s causes. I was actually surprised by how environmentally aware the hotels were. In Copenhagen, they even had a daily 6 AM jog sponsored by the hotel where people could jog together and pick up trash.
21. When you check into a hotel in Northern Europe, don’t be shocked if you’re asked to pay when you get your key, if you haven’t already prepaid.
We had to pay upfront for both Norway hotels and our hotel in Denmark. It didn’t really matter, in the grand scheme of things, but it was kind of surprising at the time.
20. At the moment, it’s hard to plan a land based trip up north. But that’s changing.
I had originally wanted this to be a land based trip because I like to stay at least a night or two in places I visit, especially when they are in countries I’ve never visited in the past. We ended up cruising on this trip, because it was simply more practical. I have a feeling that even though we were on a luxury cruise, it might have also been somewhat cheaper. The Rail Baltica project is making a land based trip to Baltic countries more feasible. I hope we’re still living here when it’s completed, or will be able to visit.
19. Sometimes, Norwegians are indistinguishable from Americans.
Or maybe we were just in places where Norwegians don’t have thick accents. I was often shocked by how much Norwegians reminded me of my countrymen! The one difference was that they tended to be taller, blonder, and a lot more beautiful. Especially the women.
18. Helsinki, Finland has an Armenian restaurant!
I noticed it on the bus ride from the port to the city center. No, we didn’t have a chance to visit it, but I did look it up. Apparently, it’s currently temporarily closed, as they are moving from their old location to a new one. I took a look at the menu and it appeared to be a great place to dine Armenian style. Maybe, if we go back to Helsinki, we can give it a try. As some of you know, Armenia is important to me, because I lived there for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
17. Most Finnish people have saunas, second homes, and boats… some women even give birth in saunas!
The ladies who did our harbor cruise tour told us that many Finnish people have their very own private saunas at home. They are considered very clean, so some women even have babies in their home saunas. That doesn’t seem appealing to me, but what do I know? The ladies also said that many people have their own boats and second homes, and that it doesn’t require a lot of money to have either. That’s just part of their culture. I clearly need to explore Finland more!
16. Estonia had a comparatively easy time during the pandemic, because people there naturally “social distance”.
Our tour guide, the hilarious Raul (Robin Williams come to visit in another life form), told us that most Estonians don’t have big families (same as in Finland). And when COVID-19 was especially terrible, it wasn’t so hard for the Estonians, because people up there are kind of solitary. He said the government would like to see more babies being made and is trying to encourage it, but Estonians aren’t so into the idea.
15. There’s an old AIDA cruise ship stuck at Tallinn’s harbor…
As we were entering and leaving Tallinn, Estonia, I couldn’t help but notice the loudly painted AIDAvita, docked at the pier. It looked a little rusty, but I paid it no mind until I got back on our ship and did some Googling. The AIDAvita was sold and is now known as Avitak. But it still looks like an AIDA ship, even though it flies the Liberian flag and has been stuck in Tallinn since November 2021.
14. Everybody up north celebrates Midsommar… It’s a big deal!
I didn’t know about this holiday, which is celebrated in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and other northerly countries. This year, it took place on Saturday, June 24th, and I noticed lots of women wearing flower crowns on their heads. Raul, our guide in Estonia, said that starting on Midsommar Eve (this year, the 23rd of June– the shortest night of the year) people party all night and spend the next day recovering. When we visited Tallinn, it was Sunday, June 25th, and Raul said we probably wouldn’t see too many locals, since people still needed to recuperate from the festivities. Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st… but, of course, they’re going by the Summer Solstice. Midsommar represents the time between planting crops and harvesting them.
13. People in Estonia and Latvia are GLAD to be running their own countries now.
I’m not totally surprised about this one, of course. It makes perfect sense that people would take pride in their cultures and want to run their countries the way they see fit. Still, as an American who grew up in the 1980s, it was very interesting to hear about the Soviet times from the locals and how, on the whole, they were very happy not to be part of the Soviet Union anymore. When I lived in Armenia, I think the sentiment was probably similar, although I was there in the mid 90s, when times were more difficult. I did hear some people say they missed the Soviet Union, but probably only because they were tearing pages from books to wipe their asses when they went to the toilet. I’m sure they no longer long for those days.
12. Riga, Latvia has many beautiful art deco buildings!
I hadn’t known much about Latvia before this trip, other than what Bill told me about visiting there. I didn’t know there were so many beautiful buildings in Riga that managed to survive the Soviet era. I do remember some nice buildings in Armenia, too, no doubt built before the Soviet Union existed and imported a lot of industrial tackiness and weird architecture. Still, it was a pleasant surprise to see that there are still many gorgeous old buildings there.
11. Visby, Sweden is a beautiful place, but I think I’d hate to own a home in the old town!
As we walked through Visby’s historic old town within its medieval walls, I couldn’t help but think I’d probably dislike living there. The local government is very strict about how locals can decorate or improve their properties, and as I saw and experienced firsthand, there are MANY tour groups coming through there. But I’m still really glad we visited. And luckily, we probably could never afford to live there, anyway. 😉
10. Liepaja and Karosta, Latvia, are still big military areas. But Liepaja has potential!
I had heard of Karosta before our visit there, to see the big naval military prison. I had not heard of Liepaja, which is one of Latvia’s biggest cities. I was surprised by how nice the town is. There are many trees there; music is a focus of the city; and the beach is surprisingly inviting. I hope we can visit again sometime.
9. I learned the tragic story of the Rose of Turaida…
And you can learn it too, by clicking here and reading up about it.
8. Religious people in northern Europe are typically Lutherans…
In 2023, I don’t expect *that* many people in Europe to be especially religious. Those who do practice religion tend to be Lutherans, although there are also Catholics. We visited several Russian Orthodox churches, too. There are still some Russians living in the Baltic areas.
Gutmana Cave
7. Latvians love their “biggest” cave, which isn’t very big at all, and is more like a grotto.
Our guide explained that Latvians love the largest cave in Latvia, which is not a big cave at all. Gutmana Cave is not very deep and lacks the typical exciting formations one tends to see in caves. What it does have is very pure water, which locals claim bestow eternal youth and good health. Also, on the sandstone walls, there are many carvings and inscriptions dating back hundreds of years.
Sorry about the window glare. Norway sure is beautiful!
6. Norway has many, many electric vehicles…
I was very surprised by the sheer volume of electric vehicles in Norway. The cabs we rode in were all electric. We actually rode in our very first Tesla there. The train from Oslo to Bergen is electric. The gas stations have places for people to recharge their vehicles. Gas is expensive, and Norway has many rules regarding emissions and pollution. I read that as of 2026, a lot of cruise ships won’t be able to explore the fjords anymore.
5. If you visit Sigulda in Latvia, you might want to buy a walking stick… or jewelry.
I was surprised by the excellent handcrafts in Sigulda, especially given how reasonably priced they were. One of the items people typically buy there are ornate and colorfully painted walking sticks. We bought a small one for Bill’s granddaughter. I got myself some beautiful silver earrings. That reminds me… I need to look up the boutique online and see if I can order more. 😀
4. There is no more fishing in Bornholm, Denmark…
Bornholm is an island south of the Swedish coast. It belongs to Denmark. You’d think there would be many fish there, but the area has been overfished by humans, and lots of seals call the island home. So now, although there once were fish factories in Bornholm, they are now closed. The locals get their fish from other places. This trip really made me more aware of the environment and how our choices affect everything.
3. Only one restaurant on Bornholm still smokes fish the old fashioned way.
We visited Hasle Smokehouse, a “museum restaurant” in Bornholm, where the proprietor still smokes fish over an outdoor open fire. His establishment is the only one that still operates that way. It’s allowed because the place is also considered a museum, but he told us that the government sends him warning letters every year about public health/foodborne illness dangers. I can attest that the smoked herring is delicious, health risks notwithstanding!
2. Copenhagen, Denmark is fabulous…
I already had an idea that it was fabulous, as this was our third time in the city. But, we clearly need to go there and spend a few days. A couple of nights at the end of a long trip, a night on the way to Rostock, and a few hours as part of a cruise is not sufficient to really appreciate how cool that city is. We need to do a long weekend there. We also need more time in Stockholm and Helsinki… Hell, all of the places we went to were great! I wouldn’t change any aspect of our trip.
And finally, 1. It wasn’t a bad idea in 2023 to go to Northern Europe instead of Italy, France, England, or any of the biggest European hot spots.
Granted, it seemed like everyone was on vacation when we were, but I don’t think as many people came to Northern Europe as some of the most touristy European cities. I’ve been reading a lot about how many people have descended upon Europe this summer. It didn’t seem so bad where we were, with the exception of Bergen. But even Bergen wasn’t that bad… A bonus was that the weather, by and large, wasn’t that hot. However, we did encounter hot weather and a couple of chilly days. I read that the weather last week wasn’t so great, either. So, you take a risk… Still, we were very lucky on our trip, and got to see most everything we planned to see. I still want to see more of the fjords. Hopefully, we’ll get the chance.
Anyway… I could probably add even more to this list. You learn a lot when you go on two week trips to half a dozen countries! But I’ve got some other stuff to do. Noyzi needs a walk; I need to practice guitar; and I have at least one more blog post to write. So I’ll wrap up this post now… I’m glad our big trip worked out the way it did, hectic as it was. We had a good time.
In June 2009, Bill and I visited Tallinn, Estonia for the first time, as Vision of the Seas pulled up to the rather primitive looking harbor. I remember getting off the ship and being serenaded by a local brass band. Royal Caribbean had local bands playing at each stop, which I thought was really cool. In fact, I even recorded some of their performance and put it on YouTube. Check it out!
This was a nice welcome to Estonia in 2009.
On June 25th, 2023, we were back in Estonia, having signed up for a “free” beer tasting excursion, courtesy of Regent Seven Seas. I immediately noticed, as we pulled in, that the port looked a lot more developed than it had in 2009. There was a large cruise terminal that I don’t remember being there when we visited 14 years ago. I also noticed what appeared to be an AIDA ship in port. It was unusually rusty. I didn’t think much of it, though, as we made our way from the Constellation Theater to the tour bus.
We fueled up right… Mimosas…And caviar!I’ve heard this is customary on Regent Splendor on Sundays.
Our excursion was in the morning. I had a tough time choosing which trip I wanted to do. They were also offering a tour to a local museum dedicated to Estonia’s Soviet years. Since I spent two years living in Armenia, another former Soviet republic, just after the fall of the Soviet Union, I am especially interested in the history. But I needn’t have worried. We met our hilarious guide, Raul, who seemed to effortlessly channel the late comic Robin Williams as he delivered witty one liners and told us about Estonia. He added a fair amount of commentary about the Soviet years, making it very clear that the Estonians were delighted to be rid of that regime, even though the ensuing years after the Soviet Union fell apart were quite difficult.
When we visited Tallinn the first time, Bill and I walked from the port to the old town. It’s not that far as the crow flies. However, since 2009, there’s been a whole lot of construction. I think the walk today, while technically possible, would be more dangerous, due to all the traffic.
Raul explained that Estonia doesn’t have many inhabitants and, in fact, the COVID crisis was probably not so bad for their society, since they naturally “social distance”. He said that large families are not very common, and that their population is aging.
We started our tour in the “upper town”, which is different from how Bill and I did our self-guided tour in 2009. In fact, the one thing that disappointed me about Raul’s tour is that we missed the entrance to the old town, where “Fat Margaret” is. This tower, which dates from the early 16th century, is now home to the Estonian Maritime Museum. I remember taking some good pictures in that part of town. I also got a video of some Hare Krishnas!
Hare Krishnas in Tallinn, back in 2009…
And here are some of the more interesting photos I took in 2009…
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 2009.I managed to get an updated shot of this in 2023.
But Raul did hit the highlights, including the beautiful Russian Orthodox church, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I distinctly remember that when we visited in 2009, it was a Sunday, and there were many women with scarves on their heads in the church. I remember the heavy smell of incense and old ladies standing outside the church collecting donations from men.
It was Sunday when we visited this time, too, and we were reminded not to take pictures inside the cathedral. Those who did try to sneak pictures were quickly spotted and reprimanded, as a service was going on when we visited.
Apparently, the port in Tallinn now has a mascot!This was not there in 2009… or, I don’t remember it.Splendor in port.Alexander Nevsky CathedralPalace
We also visited a Lutheran church, just before a service was to begin. Raul was talking when the organist erupted into a rendition of “Amazing Grace”. It was actually very beautiful. I left the church with tears in my eyes.
The organist played beautifully!
We had a chance to view the lower part of the town from a picturesque spot in the upper part, where we got some photos and shopped for souvenirs. We picked up a new beer stein for our collection.
After our potty and shopping stop, we went to the lower part of town, where we stopped by a chocolatier and bought some chocolate. I still haven’t opened the box to see if they’re any good. A lovely young lady was playing a key harp (Nyckelharpa)– an instrument from Sweden that looks like a combination of a violin and a keyboard. I dropped a couple of euros in her hat, because I have a soft spot for buskers. She played well, and her music added to the atmosphere.
Updated photo from 2009.Chocolate!
At the end of the tour, we went to a restaurant to taste local beers and eat fresh local sausages. It was at this point that Bill and I met Lynn and Ron, a very nice couple from Dundee, Scotland. The beer tasting was a treat for me, since I liked the three beers that were offered. Not everyone did. Especially the delicious cherry beer! No one discussed the beers or even mentioned who made them. They were simply served with the sausages.
Sausages!
As we made our way back to the bus, I thought to myself that we really do need to come back to Tallinn and spend a couple of days in the city, then maybe venture out to the countryside. Maybe after the train is ready, we can do that. Tallinn by itself is a really cool city– literally and figuratively. But I think the country as a whole is interesting, as I watched a great documentary years ago about Estonia called The Singing Revolution. I happen to own this film and found it fascinating.
A trailer for The Singing Revolution.
Raul did a great job of telling us about Tallinn and showing us the sights. I was sorry to be leaving Tallinn, as it really is such a neat city, with so much color and personality! The beer is pretty good, too!
The ship was going to be leaving Estonia in the early afternoon, as our next port was Riga, Latvia, which is quite a distance when you’re in transportation that moves as slowly as a cruise ship does. So, we sadly bid farewell to Estonia that afternoon. As Bill and I watched the skyline disappear, I looked up the rusty looking AIDA vessel that was sitting in the harbor and learned that it was a ship that was sold to new owners and is now flagged in Liberia. But it’s been sitting abandoned in Tallin’s port since November 2021. Another AIDA ship was also sitting in the port for over a year, but finally left.
We decided to enjoy the afternoon on our balcony, drinking some of the beers brought by the steward the night before. Unfortunately, they weren’t very cold. I think it’s because when no one is in the staterooms, the power is completely shut off. Anything plugged in is unplugged, and you have to use a card to get the lights to work. But it was still a pleasant afternoon’s cruise. We were blessed with nice weather, which I understand is not the case for those who are cruising this week!
A former AIDA ship, sitting idle in port.
After awhile, we decided to visit the Splendor Lounge on Deck 4, then have dinner in the Compass Rose restaurant. Aldo and Dimas– a singer and pianist– were there performing, playing slow hits from the 70s. I commented to Bill that I thought the playlist was a little depressing. Nevertheless, we enjoyed their performance, and then met another couple from Germany, who actually live near Wiesbaden and know Breckenheim (our village), because they go to a restaurant there.
George and Claudia were interesting to talk to. Claudia spoke some English, but was delighted when Bill spoke some German. I think she was very happy to talk to someone besides George, who was in a wheelchair and appeared to be profoundly physically disabled. I had first noticed them in the dining room. Claudia said that she and George had traveled all over the place together, and she loved America, because there was so much consideration for people in wheelchairs. For instance, in Germany, a lot of facilities have toilets upstairs or downstairs, making it hard for physically disabled people to access them. But in the United States, most modern buildings have ramps, wide doors, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. I noticed that Regent Splendor, more than any other ship I’ve ever been on, also catered a lot to people in wheelchairs.
Claudia did not let George’s disability slow her down. She got up and danced, holding George’s hand as she sashayed to the music. She said she loved American rock n’ roll, especially Elvis Presley. And she reminded us that Elvis spent time in the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden area, back when he was in the Army. We will have to visit where he once lived!
Lobster bisque for me…SorbetPork for me.Fish…Petit foursI loved this dessert. Chocolate mousse cake with cream brulee in the center.A cheese course for Bill.
Taken on June 24th, just before the lounge opened.
After we had dinner in the Compass Rose, we came back to the Splendor Lounge, where Aldo and Dimas had picked up the tempo considerably. More people joined us and there was soon much singing and dancing. It was a nice way to end a great day!
Bill and his cheese!
A little singing and dancing in the Splendor Lounge!
We are waiting for our excursion to begin. Right now, we’re on the 12th deck of the Splendor, gazing at Riga, Latvia’s old town skyline. I think our tour will take us out of the city for a few hours.
I really enjoyed Tallinn yesterday. We definitely need to plan a trip to stay there at some point… but there are so many other places I still want to see! Here are a couple of photos for now. The stories are piling up quickly.
We are into our Baltic cruise now, and Internet access isn’t always a given. It is included with our room, but we’re limited to four devices. I may end up buying a package for the computer, because I have a lot to write about, and plenty of photos to share.
As I mentioned yesterday on the main blog, Regent Seven Seas is a very pleasant way to travel. I wish we had more time in port to see some of the fantastic cities we’re visiting, but seeing these places once or twice helps us decide on future trips. We already knew we liked Tallinn when we were here in 2009. Now we know we like it even more.
Yesterday’s visit to Helsinki was also a success. We managed to find a few gifts for Bill’s grandchildren, as well as a few things for us.
Unfortunately, Bill has picked up my cold. He’s not as sick as I was… or have been, as I’m not 100 percent back to normal yet. Now, I have an annoying cough and a stuffy nose. But I have more energy and feel better. I can see I wasn’t the only unfortunate to pick up a cold on this trip.
Tomorrow, we head to Riga, Latvia, a place Bill have been to twice. It will be my first time there. I’m looking forward to seeing a new place and adding a new mug and magnet to my collection. We set sail in about an hour.
Again, cross-posted on the main blog… The featured photo was taken on the car ferry from Denmark to Germany, back in 2019.
Yesterday, I wrote about my apprehension about booking a cruise. I termed it a “true first world problem.” Aye– as my Scottish ancestors would say– that it is. Twenty-four hours ago, as I was pondering whether or not I wanted to spend big bucks on a luxury cruise in the Baltic region, I started looking for alternatives.
A friend of mine had suggested touring the Norwegian fjords on Hurtigruten, which is, of course, a perfectly good suggestion. However, if I had decided to go for the fjords, that would have completely negated using the champagne bucket to choose where to go. The Norwegian fjords are a place I’d love to see the right way, and a cruise is probably the right way to go. But it wasn’t one of the choices for this particular trip. Moreover, I never asked for alternative suggestions.
I still decided to look into the Norwegian fjords experience and found that besides Hurtigruten, there’s another line that does cruises along the fjords. Maybe at some point we’ll pull the trigger on that. I did look into short cruises in Norway for the days we’ll be there, but they aren’t very convenient to our plans.
After a short while, I stopped researching travel possibilities, and turned my attention to my guitar, which badly needed new strings. I don’t play it so often that I routinely change the strings. But, it had gotten to the point at which I had forgotten when I had last changed them. The old ones were starting to get discolored, and weren’t staying tuned well. So, as much as I hate changing the strings, but love the results of changing them, once they stretch, I knew it was a job that urgently needed doing. I had just put one string on when my phone rang.
It was someone from Regent Seven Seas Cruises calling. I felt confident in answering, since I knew Bill was already agreeable to my booking the cruise, once we confirmed the correct price. The cruise specialist, whose name is Andrea, is from Germany. She thought I was German too, and was speaking German to me, even though I had made contact in English. I didn’t realize it, but the voicemail on my phone is in German… No one ever calls me, so I didn’t know. I thought the call was coming from Germany, but actually, it was a U.S. based call that somehow looked like it came from Germany.
Andrea and I got to talking, and it turns out she lives in Florida, which is where Regent is based. She’s been there since 1991. I always find myself bonding with Germans in the U.S., since I’m an American in Germany. As we discussed the cruise, we talked about how we ended up in each other’s countries. In many ways, Germany is kind of like the U.S., but I find that the U.K. feels more like home to me than Germany does, even though people drive on the other side of the road and kids wear uniforms to school.
Andrea said that my request went to her, because I am in Germany. She handles all clients from Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, even though she’s based in Florida. It was still very early in the morning where she lives when we were talking– maybe 5:30AM! Nevertheless, she was wide awake and friendly. I guess she’s a morning person like Bill is. All of our documents are in German. Andrea says there’s nothing she can do about that, since I’m in Germany. Google Chrome will save us, I’m sure…
It didn’t take long for Andrea to sell me on Regent. I put down a deposit on the cruise. I would have just paid for the whole thing, since the cruise is coming up in June, but I used my credit card with a lower limit, and the whole cruise costs more than the limit is. I used that card rather than the other one, because I knew it was less likely to get declined for “suspicious activity”. Both of my cards usually have zero balances. I rarely use them because it took me forever to pay them off when we were less affluent. The deposit didn’t raise any red flags, which made me feel confident about using my card (mistake).
Bill got home later and I proposed booking the flights. I was thinking of flying into Stavanger or Bergen, since we had never been to either of those beautiful towns, and we have been to Oslo. But it turned out there weren’t any flights that worked with boarding Noyzi and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Like… there was an attractive flight that would have worked, except it left at 10:30AM, and that wasn’t enough time to get Noyzi to the Hundepension and get ourselves checked in at the airport. So, Oslo it is…
I had no idea that Norway’s cities were so far apart. Stavanger looks like it’s not that far from Oslo, but it’s a seven or eight hour car ride or train trip. Bergen, likewise, is hours away by car or train. There are cheap flights available, and we may decide to avail ourselves of one, just so we can get a feel for a city other than Oslo. But, we did also enjoy visiting Oslo when we were there in 2009, and that was at a time when we had a lot less money.
Oslo is also closer to Stockholm, which is where we will be meeting the ship. We haven’t seen anything in Stockholm except the cruise port, which is where our first Baltic cruise in 2009 ended. It was a four night “short break” on Royal Caribbean, and we started in Oslo and stopped in Tallin and Copenhagen, then ended in Stockholm. We couldn’t enjoy the city, because Bill had a conference in Garmisch-Partenkirchen the next day. So, we hopped a plane to Munich. I spent the next week taking tours out of the Edelweiss MWR Lodge while Bill tended to his Army duties. We had flown to Oslo from Munich, and when we got back to the parking garage, the car battery was dead, necessitating a call to ADAC. Plus, our bags didn’t make the flight, and had to be brought to us in Garmisch.
This time, we will end in Copenhagen, a city we’ve been to twice, but haven’t had much of a chance to really enjoy. The first time, it was on that short cruise, that only allowed a few hours in town. The second time was in 2019, when we were passing through on our way home with our new car and stopped for a night of rest as we continued onward to Rostock, Germany. This trip will at least give us a full day to enjoy Denmark. We’ll spend a couple of nights there before coming home on July 2.
So, off I went to Lufthansa to book our flights, after confirming with Bill which ones we wanted. I input all of the information, then tried to use my trusty credit card to pay. Sure enough, it was declined. I called up PenFed and explained that I was trying to book my vacation. I should have probably asked them to raise the limit on that card, too. Maybe next time I call…
The tickets are now booked. All I have to do now is decide on hotels in Norway and Denmark and maybe book transportation to Stockholm. A flight from Oslo takes an hour, but a train is much more scenic and is about five hours of fun. 😉 Oh… and I also need to choose excursions and restaurant reservations for the cruise, since they are included in the fare.
It’s hard to believe, just a few days ago, I was agonizing over all of this. It’s all coming together now, like magic. I wasn’t planning to do a cruise, but this may turn out to be a bit of a Godsend. If it turns out we really love any of the places we see, we can come back and do a land based tour, as I originally planned. They are now building a railway in the Baltics that will make it a lot easier to travel there. And I do want to go and spend more than a few hours. We already know we like Tallinn from our 2009 trip, and Bill enjoyed Riga when he went.
I know… first world problem, and maybe I should be ashamed of myself for writing about it. But, at least this isn’t a cranky complaint post about politics or similarly unpleasant topics.
For those who are curious, here’s a video highlighting the ship we’re going to be on. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s not like you don’t get a lot for the money. This is also not our usual style. We normally prefer much smaller ships, and that generally means the ships we’re on are usually much older. Splendor was built in 2020. Hebridean Princess, by contrast, was built in 1964 as a car ferry and later became a cruise ship in 1989. SeaDream I was built in 1984. I think Vision of the Seas is 1998 vintage, and I’m not even sure if it’s still in service.
A new experience for us… revisiting the region where we had our very first cruise. This time, we’re taking more time and spending way more money!
We booked a Concierge Suite.
Again, I chose this entirely for the itinerary, and the fact that it’s an all inclusive cruise. I’m not a Regent cheerleader, and I’m not sure we’ll give up small ships for this. But then again, maybe we will. We won’t know until we actually have the experience. At least now, I’ll have something new to write about on the travel blog!
By the way… I was very impressed by Andrea. I hope she’s a representative of most of the people who work for Regent. She seems pretty awesome… but then, maybe it’s because Germans demand it. 😀
I posted on my main blog about my friend, Patrick Killough, who died yesterday after a battle with leukemia. The review below prompted my first online meeting with Patrick, who was a delightful man who lived near Asheville, North Carolina. He enjoyed the movie after reading my review, so I’ve decided to repost it here in his honor.
The Singing Revolution… a very moving film about Estonia’s journey to freedom
Jan 10, 2010 (Updated Jul 20, 2011)
Review by knotheadusc
Rated a Very Helpful Review
User Rating:Excellent
Action Factor:
Special Effects:
Suspense:
Pros:Very inspiring and moving documentary about Estonia.
Cons:None.
The Bottom Line:The Singing Revolution shows how the power of music can overcome oppression and despair.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie’s plot.
Last summer, my husband Bill and I took our very first cruise. Although we were both hoping for a trip to the Greek Isles, we ended up with a Baltic itinerary. One of the exciting ports of call we visited was Tallin, Estonia. I was particularly interested in seeing Estonia because it was once one of the fifteen republics that had made up the Soviet Union. In the mid 1990s, I spent two years of my life living in another former Soviet republic, Armenia. I wanted to see how Estonia was faring since the fall of the once great Soviet empire.
Tallin, Estonia turned out to be a wonderful place. Bill and I wandered around the old town, very impressed by how well preserved the medieval city was. Although we only got to spend a few hours there, I found myself mentally planning to come back someday. Then, the other day, while dreaming of my next trip to Europe, I read a CNN travel article about Estonia. The author mentioned renting the movie The Singing Revolution, a documentary film about Estonia’s great love for singing and how it helped them achieve independence. Intrigued, I immediately went to iTunes and downloaded the film so I could see it for myself.
The premise
Estonia has a long, complicated history as a land that has been passed around and fought over by a number of different peoples. It has been a Swedish, Danish, and Russian territory at different times in its history. In the last 100 years, it was invaded by Josef Stalin and the Soviet Union as well as Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. In the wake of these invasions, thousands of ethnic Estonians were killed, sent to prison in Siberia, or just plain disappeared. Thousands more fled to other countries, hoping to be able to return to their homeland someday.
The Singing Revolution introduces viewers to several people who were directly influenced by Estonia’s history. We meet a conductor whose grandparents were killed during the Soviet invasion. We meet a female conductor who, along with her family, was herself sent to a Siberian prison camp at age 14. We also meet a man who was considered a “Forest Brother”; he and other men lived in the forests of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania for years and worked against the Soviet occupation through guerilla warfare.
The film very touchingly paints a picture of the way Estonia was “Russified”; Russians were moved into the country as a way to homogenize the culture and stamp out the Estonian majority. People lived in oppression, unable to express themselves freely. For fifty years, life went on this way until the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev was the President of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev sought to reform the Soviet Union and improve its lagging economy through perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). Through these new reforms, more freedom of expression was allowed among the Soviet people. Estonians now had the power to protest.
Starting in 1987, Estonians began to demonstrate by singing. In 1988, as many as 300,000 Estonians aided by Estonian rock musicians were singing Estonian national songs and hymns that, under Soviet rule, had been forbidden. One man in the film quipped that when thousands of people start to sing, it’s impossible to shut them up. That’s exactly how the Estonian people started to be heard. Meanwhile, by 1989, formerly Communist Eastern Europe was starting to disintegrate. One by one, countries were rejecting Communism and demanding freedom. In 1990, Estonia openly defied the Soviet Union by offering aid to Estonian residents who wanted to avoid being drafted into the Soviet Army. And of course, by 1991, the Soviet Union was dismantled.
My thoughts
I found this film extremely moving, especially since the Singing Revolution happened relatively recently. The film shows how everyone– men, women and children– came together to reclaim their independence against a mighty opponent. I also found this film very informative. Although I was a teenager and young adult when all of this stuff was going on, I was woefully uninformed about it as it was taking place. It was very interesting to me to be able to see this story unfold in a powerful and beautifully filmed documentary. Finally, I found this film satisfying on a musical level. I am myself a singer, so I was very interested in hearing the music the very talented Estonians produced. I found it very inspiring on an artistic level.
And now…
I’m dying to go back to Estonia. In fact, I’d love to take a trip to all three Baltic nations to learn more about their history and peoples. The Singing Revolution was a very worthwhile film in terms of giving a perspective of what it was like for Estonians in the wake of World War II. It was fascinating for me, as well, because I spent time in Armenia, where the Russians were seen more as saviors than oppressors… the Russians saved the Armenians from the Turks.
Having just spent two years on a continent that was so heavily affected by World War II, I now find myself much more eager than I ever was in the past to learn about what happened during the war. There’s nothing like actually going to a place to develop an appreciation for it and a desire to learn more. Estonia is not one of those places that’s easy to visit, particularly from America. Watching The Singing Revolution may be one of the next best alternatives to visiting.
Overall
I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in history, particularly as it affected the Soviet Union and the Baltic region. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys music, powerful, inspirational stories about triumph, and a good documentary. The Singing Revolution runs for 97 minutes and is unrated. It’s a film by James and Maureen Trusty.
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