Northern Europe - Near the Arctic Circle (59° N to 69° N)

1. Northern Europe Story
2. All Photos

What started out as a search for July 4th weekend plan, expanded to include 6 days in Norway and a 12 day cruise of the Baltic Capitals from Kiel, Germany.  In the process, we visited 9 countries and 14 cities over 3 weeks - Norway (Oslo, Tromso, Bergen/ Voss/ Flam/ Myrdal, Stavanger); Germany (Hamburg, Kiel and Lubeck); plus Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland.  Here is Norway plus  cruise map for visual reference.  We hiked a total of 92 hours in these 21 days.

• Initially, an 11 day cruise of Norway starting on July 4 (which would take us way past the Arctic Circle to Honningsvag, Norway) caught my eye.  Almost all visitors come specifically to visit the North Cape -- Nordkapp in Norwegian -- Europe's northernmost point (70.9786° N, 25.9767° E; for reference: North Pole is 90° N).  During Summer, the sun never sets there for a couple of months, and of course, during winter, it doesn't rise above the horizon for about the same number of days.
• In addition to experiencing 24-hour days, watching the natural beauty of Norway, its mountains, waterfalls and fjords over much of its Atlantic shoreline was tempting.  But far too much time on cruises is spent on eating and drinking, and much less on sightseeing.  Yet the idea of visiting Norway was very appealing.
• Right after the Norway cruise mentioned above, there was an option of continuing on a 12 day cruise of Baltic Capitals - another tempting option - a lot of countries covered in one fell swoop without needing to pack and unpack bags daily.  As we found out later, Costa Cruises alternate between the two (Norway and Baltic Capitals) itineraries, so there were some passengers who stayed on the same ship, in their same rooms and continued on to the second cruise.  Very convenient.
  - Instead, we decided to do Norway on our own and then take the 12 day Baltic cruise from Kiel, Germany - for a total of 3 weeks.  Coincidentally, the cheapest round trip airfare was to/from Oslo.  Plan set!
• In Norway, another tempting option: 7-day self-guided 900 mile road trip called "Express Norway" that takes you up close to famous attractions like the beautiful Geirangerford fjord, the Olympic town of Lillehammer, Jostdalsbreen Glacier, Bergen, Geilo and many other breathtaking places - for roughly $1100 per person.
• Yet another temptation: Northernmost part of Norway (and Russia), about mid-way between continental Norway and the North Pole, is the Archipelago of Svalbard.  The airport at Longyearbyen (LYR) is at 78°13′11″ N, 15°39′00″ E - much closer to the North Pole.
  - However, the airline schedule was such that it would take us three days (and lots of money) just to visit Svalbard.  In Svalbard, you must take a guided tour - and you can't go on your own unless you carried a gun.  Why?  Because this is the only place in Norway where you COULD see a polar bear, but of course, no guarantees.  Going that far just to go on a hike - that too not even on snow/ice - just wasn't worth it.- Honningsvag, Norway, Europe's northernmost point (70.9786° N, 25.9767° E), can be visited by cruise ships or Hurtigruten commuter service - also didn't fit our schedule.- So, in the end, we settled on Tromso (69.6828° N, 18.9428° E), a large city - in fact, the largest with population of 50,000 - about 217 miles into the Arctic Circle, easily reachable with a two hour flight from Oslo.

How does a weekend plan turns in to a 3 week vacation?  Answer - Blue Sky.

Weather is of course always a factor - one that you can't predict that far ahead and can't do anything about other than to deal with it.  Most locations on our trip reported getting rains over 300 days a year.  The weather forecast showed some percent chance of rain every single day, in every place.  So we just ignored it entirely - didn't even pack an umbrella.  Luckily, most days were bright, sunny and at least partly clear.  None of our plans got rained out.  When it did rain, it was either at nights, or just a drizzle, rather than pouring rain.

In six days, give or take, we wanted to spend a day above the Arctic Circle and watch midnight sun, visit the longest and most scenic fjord, hike Pulpit Rock and see the Capital Oslo.  This nearly 3000 mile journey - mostly by plane - gave us one day in Tromso, 3 in Bergen (including NIN) and one in Stavanger, but none in Oslo.  We visited Oslo at the end of the trip - for two nights.

• Wednesday, July 8, 2015: (to Tromso) - Click on the link.
  - Our flight to Oslo was reaching in the morning, so it was possible to spend our first day sightseeing Oslo.  Or, we could just continue our journey directly to Tromso and experience the "midnight sun" on our very first day in Norway.  No brainer.
  - It was raining in Oslo when we reached there, so our decision to fly directly to Tromso turned out to be the right one.
• Thursday, July 9, 2015:  (to Bergen) - We reached Bergen on the 9th and left for Stavanger on the 12th.  Click on the links to read more.
• Friday, July 10, 2015: (NIN)  - Click on the link.
  - NIN is a popular, convenient (and like everything else in Norway, expensive) way to see Norway when you are short on time.  The Norway in a Nutshell® tour from Oslo or Bergen combines travel by train, bus and ferry, offering panoramic scenery of snow-capped peaks, waterfalls, fjords and small goat farms nestled in the mountainsides.  It could be an all-inclusive tour, which come with accommodations, train reservations and other local services, or a day trip only like we did.  One ticket books you for a train journey followed by a bus trip along the countryside to one arm of the fjord, then 2 hour boat ride to the next arm of the fjord to Flam, then the famous Flam train to the top of the mountain and a fast train back to Bergen.
• Saturday, July 11, 2015: (Bergen)  - Click on the link.
• Sunday, July 12, 2015: (to Stavanger)  - Click on the link.
• Monday, July 13, 2015: (to Hamburg)- 2:20 PM flght from SVG connecting to 4:15 PM flight from OSL to 6:30 PM flight from CPG dropped us off in HAM at 7:30 PM.  I was shocked that we made all those connections without a hitch.  We took train to Central Hamburg, checked in to Hotel Polo nearby, looked for a grocery store, ate, showered and slept.  It was a long but successful day. 
• Tuesday, July 14, 2015: (to Kiel) - We had some time this morning to see Hamburg before taking a train to Kiel.  After it stopped raining around 10 am, we walked to Hamburg City Hall, St. Michael's church, walked around the lake. - We took 11:38 am train to Kiel (€29) and reached Kiel around 12:40 PM. We had to be on the cruise ship by 5 PM (or earlier.) - Cruise ship offered to take our bags to the ship from the train station. We could see our ship about a mile away, and decided to walk around the city before going there. - Kiel is a university city in north-central Germany has been an important port since the 10th century and boasts a rich maritime history. Downtown is small and walkable. After about an hour or so, we walked to the ship to board our ship Costa Pacifica, returning to Kiel 12 days later. Read about 12 day cruise of the Baltic Capitals from Kiel, Germany here. 
• Saturday, July 25, 2015: (to Lubeck) - After the cruise, we were back to Kiel at 8 am.  We disembarked carrying our own luggage.  We then took a train to visit Lubeck for one night.
• Sunday, July 26, 2015: (to Oslo) - After walking around in Lubeck, we took a train back to Hamburg.  Our 4:15 PM flight reached Oslo at 8:50 PM.
• Monday, July 27, 2015: (Oslo) - Click on the link.
• Tuesday, July 28, 2015: (to SFO) - Our 7:45 am flight SAS 482 to Stockholm (ARN) connected with SAS 945 to Chicago (ORD) and after a 6 hour layover (thank you, United Club.), Virgin America 211 returned us to SFO at 9:25 PM.

Cruise Details

Our Cruise started from Hamburg, Germany with a train ride to Kiel to board our ship Costa Pacifica, returning to Kiel 12 days later.

Costa Pacifica July 2015

Click on each Port below to view photos.

Tue	Jul	14	Kiel, Germany		5:00 PM
Wed	Jul	15	At Sea
Thu	Jul	16	Stockholm, Sweden	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Fri	Jul	17	Helsinki, Finland	Noon	6:00 PM
Sat	Jul	18	St. Petersburg, Russia	7:00 AM
Sun	Jul	19	St. Petersburg, Russia		6:00 PM
Mon	Jul	20	Tallinn, Estonia	8:00 AM	1:00 PM
Tue	Jul	21	Riga, Latvia	9:00 AM	5:00 PM
Wed	Jul	22	Klaipeda, Lithuania	9:00 AM	8:00 PM
Thu	Jul	23	Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland	7:00 AM	8:00 PM
Fri	Jul	24	At Sea
Sat	Jul	25	Kiel, Germany	8:00 AM

To give you an idea of distances traveled by the cruise ship from one port to the next (Total - 2351 nautical miles. 1 NM=1.15 miles), here are the numbers. 

Click on each link to view Blog for that port.

• Kiel - Stockholm 597 (1-day cruising)
• Stockholm - Helsinki 260
• Helsinki - St Petersburg 179
• St Petersburg - Tallinn 198
• Tallinn - Riga 303
• Riga - Klaipeda 265
• Klaipeda - Gdynia 177
• Gdynia - Kiel 372 (1-day cruising)

Cruise ships have the process down pat.  After all, they have to be able to embark/disembark thousands of passengers each day, at a different port, at different times of the day, and ensure that passengers have a wonderful experience.  For the most part, they succeed.

A fear about food poisoning, though rare, is real, and something to keep in mind when you order your dishes.  Having gotten smarter with their experience, all meals are still covered on the cruise - room service adds just the service charge, but can be available any time.  Drinks, other than coffee, tea, fountain juices and milk for breakfast, and plain ("still") water is still free.  Carbonated ("gas") water is not.  All other drinks including specialty drinks and alcoholic beverages are extra - unless you purchase an Adult Beverage Package (25 euros per day - very expensive!)

The entertainment was light - a daily entertainment show just before (for second seating) or after (for first seating) was available only half the time, and was mostly dances.

Crew as usual was Indians in the kitchen and security detail, and Filipinos for the rest.  Of course, there were other nationalities represented as well.  Passengers on this cruise were mostly Germans (because it started from Kiel, Germany), Spanish, Italians - very few English Speaking, and even fewer from the US.   

Everything went well with our cruise - including weather which miraculously cleared up JUST FOR US when we reached each stop (who cares if it rains at nights - right?)  Best of all, two days in St Petersburg were clear and sunny (almost unheard of for them - just some showers in the morning to keep us humble.) with a local tour company and without a need for visa - was a clear highlight.

On July 11, We accidentally stumbled up on Costa Pacifica in Bergen.  As we were walking around, we saw it anchored there.  It was returning from its voyage to the northernmost point of Honningsvag - a trip we substituted with our own 6 day version.  We probably missed the ship in Tromso by one day.


Photos of the entire trip

Oslo, Norway

Oslo Photos

• Monday, July 27, 2015: Our incoming flight from SFO to Oslo (on July 8) was reaching in the morning, so we could spend our first day sightseeing Oslo.  Or, we could just continue on to Tromso and watch the midnight sun on our very first day in Norway.  It was raining in Oslo that day anyways, so our decision to fly directly to Tromso worked out well.
  - Having seen most other Baltic capitals, Oslo was the last one.  We stayed at the Oslo Apartments in Frogner, very close to the City Hall and other attractions. 
  - We wanted to see Holmenkollen Ski Jump, about 10 km away, which we did first.  Being perched on a hilltop overlooking Oslo, you get a panoramic view of the city.
  - Bus (T-bane line 1 to Holmenkollen) drops you off near the Ski Museum uphill.  The Museum leads you through the 4000-year history of Nordic and downhill skiing in Norway.  There are exhibits featuring the Antarctic expeditions of Amundsen and Scott, as well as Fridtjof Nansen's slog across the Greenland icecap (you'll see the boat he constructed from his sled and canvas tent to row the final 100km to Nuuk).
  - Admission also includes a visit to the ski-jump tower.  Part of the route to the top of the tower is served by a lift, but you're on your own for the final 114 steep steps.  Outside, the ski-jump simulator is good for a laugh, but don't try it if you have a weak stomach.
  - Returning back to the city, we visited the brand-new, glacier-white opera house that they claim could make even Sydney envious.  I didn't think so, but the building is impressive.  A nice place for children to run around, and for picnicking.
  - Around the harbor, we walked through the Akershus Fortress.  The City Hall is on the other side.  Wide open spaces provide lots of areas for people to walk around and relax.
  - Next, we took bus out to Vigeland Park, 4 km away.  This large park is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions.  The park is open to visitors all year round.  The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron.  Vigeland was also in charge of the design and architectural layout of the park, which was mainly completed between 1939 and 1949.  Most of the sculptures are placed in five units along an 850 meter long axis: The Main gate, the Bridge with the Children's playground, the Fountain, the Monolith plateau and the Wheel of Life.
  - After walking to the far end, we returned to the City.  We walked by the National Theater and visited the Royal Palace. 
  - A 90 NOK day pass worked out well for all bus travel.
• We have an early morning flight back to SFO.

Gdynia (Gdansk), Poland

Photos

• Thursday, July 23, 2015: Sunrise 4 42 am, Sunset 8,59 PM Rainy 16° / 23° C Arrival 7 00 am Departure. 8.00 PM, Local Currency Polish Zloty
  - Gdynia is one of the youngest cities in Poland with building works commencing in 1921, within a small fishing village. 
  - From this port, Gdansk, 22 km away, is a culturally active city. The city centre is home to a number of perfectly preserved aristocratic buildings. 
  - Although most of Gdansk was damaged during WWII, they have restored a lot of it.  At the same time, they retained some damaged buildings as a reminder!
  - we took $11.04 taxi to railway station, and the train round trip, we then walked back to port.
  - The city is walkable with most touristy places concentrated between the train station and the river.
  - Tonight, Costa Pacifica sails towards KIEL - After departure from the port of Gdynia, at around 10.00 pm, we will pass by the Torfowe peninsula on our left, with the city of Hel, During the evening and throughout the night, we will be cruising in the Gulf of Gdansk with a westerly route towards Kiel (Germany)

Klaipeda, Lithuania

Photos

• Wednesday, July 22, 2015: 5:21 am - 9:59 PM, Sunny, 18/14 C, 8 am - 8 PM
  - Klaipeda is Lithuania's northernmost city.  The old town center has almost completely been rebuilt, as has the port area, where the remains of an ancient castle can be seen.

Riga, Latvia

Photos

• Tuesday, July 21, 2015: Cloudy Min: 13° C Max: 20° C, Arrival 9.00 am, Departure 5 00 PM, Currency: Euro
  - At around 3.00 am, we passed by the Kolka lighthouse, and entered the Bay of Riga.  From there, with the help of a pilot, we navigated for around 11 miles along the River Daugava, where the city of Riga is situated.  For those venturing on their own, the cruise ship provided alternative shuttle bus service (€6.00 per person, distance: 2 km) - we just walked.
  - Riga, the capital of Latvia, is one of the largest cities of the Baltic States, and an important center for culture and industry.  Founded in the 12th century, Riga became the seat of the bishopric of Livonia in 1201.  The town grew as a commercial and craft center, becoming a part of the Hanseatic League in 1282.  The oldest parts of Riga contain many medieval buildings, including the 13th century cathedral and several 14th century guild houses.  Great city to walk around.
  - Unusual experience - one store was handing out samples for horse, wild boar, deer and regular sausage.

Tallinn, Estonia

Photos

• Monday, July 20, 2015: Sunrise: 4:37 am, Sunset: 10:21 PM, Cloudy 14/11 C
  - Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, consists of two distinct parts.  One part of the city perches on high ground immediately above the coastline, while the older part is located around the port area.  The high part of the city is dominated by the Toompea Fort built in 1219 by the Danish King.  The town hall square is home to the oldest Gothic town hall in the Baltic Region.
  - Great city to walk around on your own.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Photos - Day 1, Day 2

• Sat/Sunday, July 18-19, 2015: 7 am Sat - 6 PM Sun
  
  - Because we signed up for our cruise at the last minute, English speaking shore excursion was sold out.  (Most passengers on our ship were Germans and Italians.)  We were very disappointed - it was too late to get a Russian visa on our own AND it was expensive.  These days, most countries have outsourced visa issuance to private companies such as http://www.visaexpress.net/russia/russiatouristvisa.htm who charge a lot of money to get it done - even more for Rush or Urgent orders, as you can see below.  Even at the cheapest option, we would shell out $193+$79+$27 = $289 just to enter the country.  All sightseeing will be additional.
  
  - Consulate Fee & Service Fee:

SERVICE TYPE	ENTRIES	CONSULATE FEE	SERVICE FEE	PROCESSING TIME
REGULAR	1	$193	$79	8 BUSINESS DAYS
REGULAR	2	$193	$79	8 BUSINESS DAYS
RUSH	1	$283	$159	3 BUSINESS DAYS
RUSH	2	$283	$159	3 BUSINESS DAYS
URGENT	1	$313	$199	24 HOURS
URGENT	2	$313	$199	24 HOURS

Return Shipping Option & Fee: Extra $27-$75.

• I couldn't imagine cruise ship passengers being stranded on the ship only because they don't have a visa OR excursions were sold out.  There had to be a way.  That's when I found TJ Travels.  TripAdvisor reviews were great.  Their itinerary was better than the one offered by the cruise line, and less expensive.  We didn't have to pay in advance, and we didn't need a visa.  For $285 - about the same amount of money as getting a visa (coincidence?), we were able to do a two-day shore excursion - All Highlights St Petersburg Excursion - a 20 hour full itinerary.  We had to stay with the tour group the entire time, but then there was no reason not to.
  - Price included admission fees to all museums, photo and video permissions at the museums (except for Yusupov Palace, where camera pass is 5$ pp, video pass is 12 pp), hydrofoil ride and a boat trip along rivers and canals, guide and driver, Mercedes minibus with A/C, all port fees, blanket visa, all local taxes, two traditional Russian lunches, bottled water each day, headsets for the group.
  - I signed up online on July 11 - three days before the cruise started and only a week before we arrived in St Petersburg.  Unlike other companies, TJ responded to my emails quickly, and provided very clear instructions about how and where to meet their guide.  They assured us that cruise ship can not stop us from getting off the ship, and Russian immigration doesn't care who the tour company is as long as we have a reservation - apparently the most asked question.  I still had my doubts, and only after getting the visa at the port that I believed that we will see St Petersburg on this trip after all.  
• A smaller bus/group works much better than the big buses cruise ship provided.  With only 11 people - 4 families including 3 preteens (all Americans), it was easy to keep the group together and on time.  Free wifi on board, a safe place to leave valuables if necessary, bottled water and umbrellas/ponchos (that we did NOT need) - everything was thought of and taken care of.  With individual headsets, we were able to hear everything that our guide Daria was saying - even in crowded Hermitage.  Russian lunches on both days were a nice touch - though ice cream for dessert didn't sound much Russian.
• Daria was very knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke very good English.  Most importantly for us, the weather cooperated - in fact, it was surprisingly clear on both days except light drizzle on second morning.  St Petersburg doesn't have two such days in a row that often.  A couple of days later, we heard a report that there was hailstorm there.
• Payment with a credit card was taken on the second day in the afternoon - one of the last things we did.  We received a souvenir bag, and shots of vodka to boot.  We had only one shopping stop - that too because one family asked for it.  No pressure tactics or wasting time at local shops.  Very positive experience.

The itinerary, subject to change, was as follows:

Day 1

7.30 am             Meeting by the ship. City tour in St Petersburg

10:00-10.30 am Travel to Petergof by hydrofoil 

10.30-12.00 pm Guided tour of the Fountain Park. Walk in the Petergof.  Lower Fountain Park and the Upper Gardens

12.00-1.00 pm  Traditional Russian lunch 

1.00-2.00 pm    Travel to Tsars’ Village

2.00-3:30 pm    Inside guided tour of Catherine Palace with the Amber Room

3.30-4.30 pm-   Driving back to the city. Visit to the subway station 

4.30-5:00 pm    Inside guided tour of the Church on Spilt Blood

5.15-6.00 pm    Inside guided tour of St Peter and Paul fortress/Cathedral

6.30 pm            Return to the ship or evening optional program

• Actual itinerary was slightly different, but all items were covered, with no rush.
• Like clockwork, the ship docked on time, so we could depart at 7 am.  I was expecting a mad rush of people wanting to get out and then having to endure long lines at Immigration.  We had arrived at the ship exit a bit earlier, so we were in fact the first ones to get off the ship, and therefore, at the Immigration.  After checking the passport and our tour reservation, passport was stamped and we were give a loose slip of paper noting a two day blanket visa - we had to safe keep that and return to Immigration when leaving.  
• Just outside, Daria (guide), Tatyana (owner) and Alex (driver) greeted us and led us to the waiting minibus.  Two other families from our ship joined soon thereafter.  To pick up the fourth family, we drove to the adjacent pier where Norwegian was docked.  They were delayed getting out so we had to wait a while.  St Petersburg is known for its horrendous traffic jams.  For us, it being a weekend, traffic wasn't bad at all, and we were still ahead of schedule.  
• The city straddles the Neva river and is connected by many bridges - some of them are opened at night for ship traffic.  A drive along the Neva river gives you the lay of the land (pretty much all the sites we visited in two days) and some nice pictures.  We also had a stop near St Isaac's Cathedral for outside pictures.  
• We were still early for the 10 am Hydrofoil ride to Peterhof, so we visited a metro station “
  
  Admiralteyskaya.”  Why would anyone visit St Peterburg to see a metro station - I had wondered.  How does a metro station become a tourist attraction - but it was.
  - Only recently opened, this is the deepest metro station in Russia - with escalators almost 400 feet long.  During cold war, it was designed as a bomb shelter, and is now decorated with mosaics all over.  Until recently, even picture taking was not allowed inside the station. Worth visiting even if you do not need to take the metro. 
  - Because we needed to deposit tokens to enter the station, Daria offered to ride the train to the next station, turn around and come right back.  None of us were interested.
  - The  station is located only one minute walk from Nevsky Avenue and five minutes walk from Dvortsovaya Square - ideal for tourists to visit the central part of the city.  Entry and exit are located at the intersection of Malaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichniy Lane - very close to Palace Square.  
• Hydrofoil dock is adjacent to Hermitage - on the other side of the Palace Square.  TJ Travels had the tickets ready for us.  We left right on time.  Hydrofoil to Peterhof takes roughly 45 minutes. It is the fastest and most expensive way (about 700 Rubles) to get there. Hydrofoil ride did not feel any different/special other than being fast and very noisy.
• As soon as we docked, the pier led to ticket windows for Peterhof.  By the time we reached there, Daria had those tickets ready and we rushed towards the palace. A lot of groups were already there.   Show began exactly at 11 am when all fountains started one by one - all operating under gravity, no pumps.
• Peterhof or Petergof ("Peter's Court") is famous for its palaces and gardens - laid out on the orders of Peter the Great and sometimes called the "Russian Versailles." The area was extensively damaged during World War II during occupation by Nazi Germany. Reconstruction efforts began almost immediately after the war, and are still continuing. Nevertheless, what you see is breathtaking.  
• From the lower gardens, you can enter upper gardens for free, but not the other way around.
• The gardens are well manicured and fountains are all around - small and large, some are gimmicky and will get you wet when you are not watching. A small canal from the gulf all the way to the steps of the palace is symbolic of Peter the Great's victory over Sweden, bringing him back to his palace by boat. Fountains on both sides of the canal as well as the gilded statues and fountains at the steps of the Palace are a sight not to miss (picture tells the story.)
• We did not visit the palace itself - short on time and long lines. Catherine Palace and Hermitage more than made up for it.
• By then, it was lunch time already.  We drove to a nearby lunch place that looked like a two story bungalow converted to a restaurant.  Another bus load from TJ Travels also joined us for lunch, which was pre-ordered.  Courses were brought in one after the other, and we were done before we knew it.  
• There are usually at least three courses to a Russian lunch. First course, a heavy Russian “salad”; usually made of potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, pickles, chicken or ham, and mayonnaise.  Second course is usually soup, such as Borsch, served with sour cream.  This one had beets in them, which some don't like.  Third course is usually a meat dish consisting of a piece of meat with buckwheat porridge or mashed potatoes.  Tea or coffee are typically served with lunch.  For dessert, Ice Cream.
• After lunch, we traveled to Tsars’ Village in Pushkin, about an hour away, feeling relaxed after lunch.  We still had three more places to see.  First up was Catherine's Palace.  Named after Catherine the Great, this  Palace and the surrounding gardens make you feel like a royalty. Huge gilded rooms, fine furniture, imported silk wallpaper and imported china serving pieces are everywhere.  And of course, the Amber Room.  This room, aptly decorated in Amber, was destroyed and no photos or drawings were found.  What you see now is partly original amber art, with rest filled in with replacement parts to match what the original might have looked like.  Shoe covers are needed to protect the Parquet floors. Outside grounds and gardens were very well maintained.
• Like all other places, you always want more time there if possible. Instead use the time you have to hit the highlights. A guided tour, which we had, help move you through and cover the main areas.  No photos of Amber Room.
• A 4.30-5:00 pm guided tour of the Church on Spilt Blood (Church of the Resurrection, also known as the "Savior on Spilled Blood") is one of the city’s prime attractions. If you haven't been to Moscow, this is your opportunity to see Onion Domes up close. Built at the location where Tsar Alexander II, a reformist, was assassinated, this church by the canal is a huge tourist attraction.
• A 45 minute guided tour of St Peter and Paul fortress/Cathedral where Tzar and Emperors of Romanov dynasty are laid to rest. - Romanov dynasty ruled Russia from 1613-1917.  Czars become Emperors and then "the Great" depending on their military success.  Peter the Great began building St Petersburg - supervising personally - to defend against Sweden.  It is fitting that Romanovs from Peter to Alexander III (with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI) are buried here.
  - The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral which has a 402 ft bell-tower (the tallest in the city center) and a gilded angel-topped cupola.
  - Fortress served as city garrison and later political prison, and now a museum.  The fortress walls overlook sandy beaches that have become among the most popular in St. Petersburg.  In summer, the beach is often overcrowded.
  - This Cathedral is the only place where we had to stand in the line, but it moved quickly.
• This was the end of Day 1. We returned to the ship, not opting for the evening program.

Day 2 

8 am                Meeting by the ship

8:30-9:30 am   Boat Ride along the rivers and canals 

9:45-12:00 am Inside guided tour of the Hermitage Museum (Early entrance, before official opening hours)  

12:30-1:15 pm Traditional Russian lunch 

1.30-2.30 pm   Inside guided tour of St Isaac cathedral. Payment for the tour. Shopping.

3.00-4.30 pm   Inside guided tour of Yusupov palace

5 pm                Return to the ship

• Unlike yesterday, it was very cloudy with some drizzle in the morning. A good to day to be visiting museums. We left on time and took a boat ride along the river and canals to Hermitage.  We had early entrance tickets (before official opening hours) so we were ahead of the crowds.  By the time we came out, there were long lines of people waiting to get in, and inside was packed.
  - Spread over several interconnected buildings, Hermitage is a vast museum.  Like Louvre or Smithsonian, you can stay here forever, or pick and choose areas you like and skip others.  The Winter Palace is an attraction in itself - both outside and inside.  Luxury in palaces in St Petersburg is mesmerizing - This Palace is no exception.
• For Traditional Russian lunch, we had Borsch without beets. Dessert - crepe.
• Next up was St Isaac cathedral - Not covered by all tours, but worth visiting!
  - St. Isaac’s Cathedral with a delightful golden-domed creation was built during Romanov dynasty, for Peter the Great.  It was the tallest structure in St. Petersburg.  Massive columns in front, ceiling frescoes and walls with lavish mosaics are the reasons to go.  Inside, scale models of the Cathedral's designs - small to current, as well as model showing how the columns were erected are also interesting.
• The last item on our tour was 3.00-4.30 pm guided tour of Yusupov palace - Not worth it, unless you like murder mysteries.
  - We signed up for our guided tour specifically because it included Yusupov Palace - many others don't.  A non-descript looking building is still a massive palace.  It starts out like Haunted Mansion in Disneyland with twisting halls and stairs where you go down to the spot where Rasputin was (presumably) murdered.  The guide tells you the story along the way, and then you enter the room where the wax figures let you imagine what it would have been like on that day.
  - We didn't know what to expect on the rest of the tour, but it was a tour of a beautifully maintained place of a rich family.  Because we had already seen Hermitage, Catherine's Palace and Peterhof, it paled in comparison.  We wouldn't have missed much.
• Two days of wonderful experience in St. Petersburg - one of the primary reasons for this cruise.  
• In case you can stay up late at night, experience this - With its crazy traffic jams and flood of tourists, St Petersburg remains a major shipping port. Which means large ships have to be able to make it through Neva River - and they can do so only at night.  Find the schedule when bridges are drawn (closed for foot and car traffic) and large ships parade in and out.  During the day, you can take ferry and other tourists boats under the bridge.

Helsinki, Finland

Photos

• Friday, July 17, 2015: Sunrise: 4:50 am, Sunset: 10:14 PM, Cloudy 18/13 C, Noon - 6 PM (time change to Eastern European, UTC+2)
  
  - Helsinki is like a gigantic architecture exhibition with its different building styles.  The city features Empire style architecture from the first half of 19th century, Art Nouveau from the beginning of 20th century, and complex, modern buildings.  Finland has always been particularly interested in arts, especially, music.  Much of country's population lives in the south part, mostly Helsinki.  Everything up north is wilderness - with Sweden on the west, Norway in the north, and Russia on the east.
  - We had six hours in Helsinki - cruise ships have figured this timing out very well.  That meant we had plenty of time to do everything we wanted to do, without hurry, and still come back well before the mad rush at the end.
  - As soon as you get off the ship, showing just your Costa Card, your first stop is the Information Center, where there is usually a gift shop, restroom, and free WiFi (when it works.)  After passengers leave for the day, crew members congregate here for free WiFI (it is 15 euros per hour on the ship.)
  - You pick up map, get directions to town - walking or by public transport, and you are on your way.  Here, we were told to cross the road just outside the port (Hernesaari 2), turn left and catch Bus 14.  Just as we crossed the road, Bus 14 arrived.  The stop was further ahead, so everyone ran.  Boarding was slow because everyone had to purchase a ticket - usually with a credit card.  Bus left completely full.  One way ticket was 3 euros, and Day pass 8 - any more than two trips makes it worth it.  So we got the Day passes.
  - No one really knew where we were going, the bus didn't exactly go where we wanted to go - about 3 blocks away.  We got off where many people did, and followed them to the right.  As usual, we had maps.me with points of interest pinned, and had some idea as to the direction and distances.
  - Three blocks later, we crossed a major street and stumbled up on the Esplanadi Park.  This one block wide, four blocks long park has big shade trees and statues, people and children walking/playing around, assortment of street performers,   And of course, tourists.

Are statues made for Seagulls to perch? The Esplanadi Park

• Our first order of business was to find some place to print paper copies of our Tour Tickets for tomorrow in St Petersburg - electronic copy on the phone won't do.  Our best bet was to find tourist information center who could direct us to the nearest "Kinkos."  In the middle of the park, we ran in to two girls wearing "How may I help you?" vests.  They told us to go to the end of the park and find the Center on the left.  The center also made copies (50 cents a page) right there, in addition to maps and directions.
  - With that taken care of, we walked one block further to the left (north) and reached the Senate Square.  Right in front is Lutheran Cathedral,  There was a stage at the bottom of the steps with some dance competition going on.  Steps were filled with spectators.  Tourist buses were lined up on sides, and tram and car traffic was all around.  A statue in the middle of Senate Square provided a parking spot for another seagull.

Lutheran Cathedral from Senate Square

Statue in Senate Square - Lutheran Cathedral behind

• Tram stop for 7B was nearby.  It makes a counterclockwise loop around the city (7a goes clockwise.)  We decided to take the tram and get off if we find something interesting along the way.  We went by the 1952 Olympic Village, and got off at the Rock Church (Temppeliaukion Church)  Several tour buses were unloading people when we reached.
  - Built in rocks (a bomb shelter?) with a flat copper top made of thousands of miles of copper strips makes you wonder what sound quality you will get, but the acoustic is great.  Inside the church, a glass panel separated the entrance (and noise) from the interior.  This very spacious church has rock unevenly carved on three sides (75%) with glass in front.  You can also go upstairs for a different perspective.  Slanted glass windows made the place bright.  Giant pipe organ was playing soothing music.  Sitting in the back and enjoying the music was a wonderful experience,  Even with large groups of people moving in and out, it was quiet enough to enjoy.  At the entrance, there was a line to the left with a sign €1.  We wondered if there was an entrance fee to the church.  Well, the line was for restrooms.

Large pipe organ in Rock Church

Rock Church with copper top and surrounding windows

Candles in Rock Church

Pulpit at Rock Church

Rock Church

Copper top of Rock Church

• We continued on tram 7B back to Market Square. Crossing the market full of berries and fish, and fast food lunches, we walked past the Presidential Palace, Uspenki Cathedral is set upon a hillside across the bridge on the Katajanokka peninsula overlooking the city.  On the back of the cathedral, a plaque commemorates Russian Emperor Alexander II, who was the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Finland during the cathedral's construction.  Less popular than Lutheran Cathedral, may be because of the climb, it is definitely worth a visit.  Inside is very impressive as well.

Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral

Inside Uspenski Cathedral

Dome of Uspenski Cathedral

View of Lutheran Cathedral from Uspenski Cathedral

• With that, we had covered all of Helsinki's highlights.  The tram had taken us past the Railway Station.  Had we taken tram 4, we would have passed by the Opera House, Parliament and Museum.  We walked back past the Esplanadi Park back to where Bus 14 had dropped us off.  That was a one way road, so we had to walk another block beyond, but we didn't know where the bus stop was.  Because of road construction, buses were rerouted.  So we kept walking in the direction of our cruise terminal.  We got on Tram 6 going in that direction, which took us part of the way.  We then walked another 15-20 minutes back to the ship.
  - A lot of crew members were at the gift shop, but no one was getting WiFi signal - our emails would have to wait for another day.