“To Travel is to
Live” – Hans Christen Andersen
Travel is one of the most important things a person can do
for themselves. Get out. Go see the world. You’ll learn so much more about the
world around us and about yourself. I truly think I can’t trust people who
don’t like to travel.
So here I go, more travel adventures…
Land of the DAY-nish!
My mom and I started our journey in Copenhagen. This city
has been high on my list for many years. We loved the city and managed to see
and do a lot in our 3 days there. Some of the highlights included:
·
Strolling through the colorful buildings of
Nyhavn (New Harbor)
· Delicious meals at The Fish Market restaurant
(we went twice!), and numerous food markets throughout the city including the
Street Food Market at Papirøen (Paper Island) and Torvehallerne for smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches)
·
Marching through the streets with the guards
from Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg Palace
·
Cruising through the city via canal (duh!)
·
Visiting the H.C. Andersen Fairy Tale House and
Experience, and seeing the famed fables come to life through alternative art
forms, such as ballet, cut-outs, and installations
·
Exploring the hippie island called Christiania
Free Town
· The Little Mermaid statue!!
- Discovering the gloriousness that is Flodeboller; a chocolate covered soft meringue that sits on top of an almond cookie
Viking X-ing
After Copenhagen we boarded the ship and headed towards
Sweden, another place that has been on the bucket list forever. We pulled into
Stockholm on a wonderfully sunny day, a rarity in this part of the world. We
went straight to the Vasa Museum, which is dedicated to the excavated Vasa
Viking ship that sunk in the 17th century. We toured the ship and learned about
Viking culture.
A seafaring nation, it’s no wonder my childhood hero Pippi
Longstocking comes from Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Why do I love her so much? She’s
strong (physically and emotionally), generally fearless, adventurous, and of
course, a freckle-faced redhead. What’s not to love?
We popped into a children’s store to get our fix of
all-things Pippi. 10-year-old me was in heaven. If only I was headed back to 4th
grade in September, I would’ve gone crazy buying all the paraphernalia.
After the museums we meandered along the river admiring the
beauty of the city. Our eventual goal was to end up in the Old City, which was
an adorable collection of cobblestone streets, historic buildings, palaces,
shops and restaurants.
To end the day, we went on a hunt for a famous food market
called Östermalms Saluhall, which is not to be missed when visiting Stockholm. It’s a
great spot to chow down on local cuisine, namely Swedish meatballs (just called
meatballs in Sweden!). So we had our fix before trying to find out way back to
the ship. This proved to be more difficult than anticipated (because there are two ports in Stockholm). And although we
made it back on, it was not without some sweat, blood and tears (literally. All
three).
We sailed away, marveling at the Swedish countryside. A vast
array of inlets surrounded by huge mansions, forests of trees and beautiful
ships in the moorings.
Finding Fairy Tale
Lands in Eastern Europe
The next day we were off to Tallinn, Estonia. I know half of
your are going, “Where?!” That’s what we said when we booked the cruise. If you
haven’t heard of Tallinn, you should. If you have no desire to go to Estonia,
you should change your mind.
Tallinn was like stepping into a medieval fairy tale. The
red-roofed buildings lined the old city and the gates of the old city are now
forever flung open, welcoming visitors to the town. Estonia itself has a very
interesting history, having been occupied over the years by everyone, except
the Estonians. We took an interesting walking tour and our local guide told us about the history
of the city – and the country. The guide was about my age, so it was
interesting to hear her opinion of the Russians, how she grew up vs. her
parents and even her grandparents. All very, very interesting.
In addition to meeting the warm people and viewing the beautiful
landscapes, we were also able to walk on a part of the old city walls. From
there we had great views.
Before heading back to the ship we met up with Kim Friedman,
a colleague from the Emanate days. Kim and I have kept in touch over the years.
It’s always great to catch up with her, both personally and professionally. She
and I both share a love of travel and while this is not the first time we were
in the same place around (or at) the same time, it was definitely one of the
most unique places we could’ve met up!
Discovering Imperial
Russia
In a completely
ironic state of happenstance, 2017 was truly the summer of the Romanovs. It
was never intended to be, yet somehow, 100 years after the Russian Revolution
(1917), this summer was eerily dedicated to them. It kicked off in June when
Melissa and I saw Anastasia on Broadway. I always had a fascination with
Anastasia. I believe she truly did escape, made it to Paris, and lived out her
days as an unassuming Parisian wannabe. And that’s what I continue to believe.
Then our trip brought a stop in St. Petersburg. After an
almost two-hour wait in customs (yes, TWO HOURS. Welcome to Russia), we were
able to leave the port and join our tour. The day was action-packed and we hit
the following highlights:
·
The Hermitage: I can write a full blog post just
on this museum! The stunning Winter Palace is now home to the main part of the
museum. We toured several of the rooms of the palace as well as the
galleries which consist mostly of 18th and 19th century
European masterpieces. No trip to St. Petersburg is complete without a stop at the
Hermitage. I just wish we had more time!
·
The Fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul: The
burial site of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great and the Romanov family
(although I learned that might not be true from my visit to the Hermitage in
Amsterdam today…)
·
Catherine the Great’s Summer Palace: Just as
impressive as the Winter Palace, and potentially even more opulent. The
stunning Amber Room is jaw-dropping. Unfortunately no pictures can be taken in
there.
·
Peterhof: Summer palace to Peter the Great, the
palace is incredible, but the site is probably the most known for its
impressive gardens.
·
And a little shopping: We were on the hunt for
Russian lacquer boxes and matryoshka dolls. I’m excited to share we located
both and I absolutely love my purchases, which are now proudly on display in my
living room
We sadly did not go to
the Church of Spilled Blood as it is closed on Wednesdays. It was one of the
biggest disappointments, but we were able to snag a picture from fellow
cruisers who did visit the exterior of the church on their tour.
^ Notice the bullet holes in the painting
^ the murder weapon used to kill the family -- eek!
It was informative, dark and haunting. The Romanovs were a
strange bunch. Contrary to what I always assumed, the last ruling family did
not enjoy the societal events that made their predecessors so famous. They kept
the five children relatively secluded and used the Winter Palace seldomly, opting
for a quieter residence (still a palace) in the outskirts of the city.
So there you have it. Summer of the Romanovs, 100 years
after the Revolution.
Last stop: Helsinki
Last, but certainly not least, we stopped in Helsinki,
Finland. Our time in port was the shortest of all, which was unfortunate
because the city had such charm. We spent our time marveling at the
architecture, particularly of the churches in the city center, and popping in
and out of the amazing art and design shops in the city.
We walked up and down the Esplandi, a main shopping street
with tons of shops and boutiques. The median of the street is lined with
greenery, park benches and art installations. We couldn’t help but stop to take
pictures and rest our feet along the way.
I never realized Marimekko was from Finland. That was a nice
surprise! We spent a good amount of time in the shop browsing the home ware
section, as well as the kids section. We walked out with a gift for Alani, and
some new decorations for my kitchen!
A trip to Helsinki would not be complete without a visit to
the famed food markets, where we tried the most amazing salmon soup and
looked at all the fresh fish stalls in the city.
Our bellies full, wallets empty and arms dragged down from
the shopping bags, we begrudgingly headed back to the ship to begin our return
trip to Copenhagen.
Cruisin’
Overall our time aboard the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the
Seas was great. The ship was a bit old, but our days at sea were just enough of
the relaxation dose that the doctor ordered. Since the weather was a bit cooler
than what you’d find on a Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise, we spent a lot of
time relaxing in the indoor solarium by the heated pool and hot tub, watching
the waves roll by. I took advantage of the spa and we went to several of the
cultural sessions on board that prepared us for what we were going to see in
port, particularly in Russia. The ship had an impressive collection of Faberge,
too!
And just like that, our week flew by and we were back in
Amsterdam. A sadness always washes over as your vacation slips away and reality
sinks back in. However, we still had two fun-filled days left to enjoy in the
Netherlands!
Hans Christen Andersen truly said it best, “To Travel is to Live”
