The Hicks Place

Positives of Apathy

If you know me you are well aware that I can often be critical, some would say a complainer.  In general, I think I have a positive outlook on life, but when I say that my wife, Marcia, will roll her eyes and come up with a derisive laugh.  There are plenty of things wrong to complain about, and when my friend Ron, our friend in Roanoke who's my age, get together on our balcony with a beer and some Evan Williams, we have the best time discussing all of them.  Of course we usually have some aches and pains to share, but we get around to everything eventually: the greed of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, what's wrong with politicians and Washington, the weather, packaging we seniors can't open, driving with all of those bike lanes on the street, how they cut the grass in our complex and even why do they need to repaint the numbers and stripes on our parking places.  Oh, I forgot my major one, daylight savings time.  Ron and I have a marvelous time.

I am also a cautioner.  "We had better leave a little early because you never know how traffic is going to be."  "Your coffee cup is sitting over the edge of that coaster."  "This is too much food, I should have ordered something smaller."  "We should eat more fruit," which gets interpreted as "you should eat more fruit."  "I don't think we have time to watch that movie, I drive for Red Cross tomorrow."  I once was even the subject of an object lesson included in a sermon by our friend, Dean.  He said that if the weather was especially nice, I would caution, "We will have to pay for this later." 

I know much of this comes from my Baptist upbringing, and my mother was a cautious person.  But that is another fault of mine, I can always find an external cause for my misbehavior.

So now I have decided that in order to have a more positive outlook on life, I will be more apathetic.  After all, no one listens to us old farts anyway.  If we complain about the violence in the movies, on TV and in computer games, the younger generation just ignores us.  We just have a problem accepting progress.  Why should kids have to learn how to write cursive, all they will need in life is knowledge of cell phones and computers.  So for my own well-being and the peace of mind of those around me, I try to ignore the evening news and its commercials.  The world's problems now have been passed to a new generation.  I have my opinions and standards, but I won't be sharing them on Facebook.  There are plenty of others to do that.  I will pay my taxes and vote, I will try to eat the right foods so I don't get too fat, I will exercise to try to remain healthy as long as I can, but I will try to take a "don't care" attitude about things I can't control.  Many will critize my apathy, but "frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."  I'm worried more about my bloodpressure. 

Catching Up

 A lot has happened since my last post, which I am surprised to see was way back in November.  I fret a lot about the holidays; what presents to get for persons who seem to have everything and of course need nothing.  It always seems to me that after Thanksgiving the time goes into fast forward.  And we had a lot of travel plans to make; to Cleveland for Christmas with Jen and family, to California for New Year's with our old 500 crowd of friends and to celebrate Marcia's mom's 90th birthday, plus visits to Marcia's brother and a couple of table mates we met last summer on our Baltic Cruise, to our little condo in Roanoke at the beginning of this month, including a week-long side trip to Florida to see my sons from which we just returned.  We certainly have enjoyed these trips and time spent with our friends and family, but we will also be glad when in another 10 days we return to Indy and some down time.

I have decided I want to document my ancestry back to the late 1700's in book form, including some of my early life experiences.  I have traced most of my ancestors back that far, but have very little information about some major events of their lives, their experiences as they came from Delaware and Virginia to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.  So I have been reading accounts of similar travels of others that are documented in books and diaries (see "what I read" at right), and find these stories very interesting.  I also came across a recent sketch of the reaper perfected by Cyrus McCormick in 1884 
(he had produced prototypes as early as the 1820's) and realized it is essentially the same model that was still being used in many farm communities until after WWII, except modified to be pulled by tractor instead of horses.  In fact, one of my jobs as an early teen on the farm was to ride where the man is sitting in this picture and lift a lever with my foot to dump several bundles together after they had accumulated on a rack attached to the right of the machine.  So I realize that many aspects of life on a small farm did not change much between the Civil War and WWII. 

I am enjoying Indiana University basketball more this year than in the recent past.  I watched the game with Butler with mixed feelings, for happily again the Bulldogs are having a good season.  My affinity for the little guy and underdog made me not too unhappy that Butler won.  Luckily during these cold winter evenings we have college basketball to stimulate our blood circulation and help keep us warm.  And now March is just around the corner.

I had not read any of Charles Dickens until the holidays when I decided to do so, but probably made a poor choice by selecting Nicholas Nickleby.  I was persuaded by some reviewers who thought it his best book, but I found annoying some of the overly long and redundant descriptions, such as that of Nicholas's mother, and the introduction of some extraneous characters associated with sister Katherine's employment.  The success of Nicholas's romance was no surprise, but it took Dickens too long to bring it about, as well as the demise of the hateful uncle Ralph.  I'm sure I should have read one of Dickens' better known novels, for this early one which established his success did not impress.

As a liberal arts student at Indiana, way back in the '50's, I needed a foreign language and for the political reasons of the time chose Russian.  I have had an interest in Russian history and culture ever since and have read various Russian novels and biographies.  Last fall I read Catherine The Great: Life, Sex and Power  by Virginia Rounding.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was enlightened about the political relations between Russia, England, France and other European countries during Catherine's reign.  She was relentless in buying art works, especially from France, committed to improving health by introducing vaccination, and advancing Russia's status as a nation of Europe.  She was a strong woman and leader who needed the company of men. 

 

Thoughts and Opinions

During the last few months I have been busy trying to protect our plants and bird feeders from predators.  Chipmunks were burrowing in our flower beds, eating roots.  Deer were spotted in the valley below, also eyeing our vegetation, and squirrels were succeeding in climbing the bird feeder poles. 

I first got some little canisters at the local Ace Hardware which purportedly gave off a scent unnoticeable to humans but offensive to the deer.  The unobtrusive canisters seemed to work, but I supplemented them with a deer repellent spray on the rose bushes.  I bought a trap and relocated two chipmunks, four squirrels and an opposum.   I haven't seen the chipmunks or opposum again, but trapping squirrels would be a never-ending process here adjacent to the woods. 

So, after looking at squirrel shields available at local bird supply stores, I decided to make my own.  At the hardware store I bought 6 inch diameter by 24 inch length galvanized stove pipe and 6 inch diameter dampers to fit into the top end of the pipe ( I drilled a center hole in the damper so it would slip over the bird feeder pole).  I assembled and installed my own shields and painted them black.  

 So far they are working!

I have had a lot of thoughts and opinions which I withheld until the election was over.  Now, in a less partisan way, I feel like sharing some of them. 

George Will says the large turnout in this election was due to the increase in the information available to voters as the result of commercials financed by organizations funded from corporation and union funds unleashed by the Supreme Court's wise decision lifting limits on such funding.  Well maybe those ads did arouse more people to go to the polls, but my opinion is that they were full of misrepresentations and outright lies and did little to "inform" the public on the issues.  And in my opinion it is obscene that millions of dollars are spent on election commercials that could otherwise be put to better use. 

Point.  An argument for right-to-work laws is that a worker should be free to either pay or not pay dues to a union; but as a stockholder through a mutual fund investing in a corporation,  I may unknowingly be contributing dollars supporting a candidate that I oppose.  (Indiana is the only "right-to-work" state in the great lakes region.)

Blue Cross/Blue Shield was originally formed without stockholders (not-for-profit).   In some states it still is, but Wellpoint now owns Blue Cross/Blue Shield in many states including Indiana and California.  Wellpoint and other large health insurance companies serve two masters, policyholders and investors.  You know what that means.  The CEO of Wellpoint was recently replaced because large investors were not satisfied with earnings!   Herein lies a major cause of the high cost of healthcare. In my opinion,  President Obama should have pushed for a single-payer healthcare provision to be included in the law passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress.

Now to education.  Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction was defeated because he and the Governor had been agressive in supporting vouchers, charter schools, and grading all schools based on standardized tests.  Under his direction, the state even took over some low-performing schools and hired out-of-state corporations to run those schools.  Teachers and parents had had enough.  Why is it popular belief that professional educators are less qualified to decide what is the best way to improve the education process?  While politicians argue that funds aren't available for preschool and kindergarten, school lunch programs are sustaining children in poverty homes, and teachers are required to teach what is on the test rather than develop the individual child, the public is told that it is the fault of the professionally-trained school administration and teachers!  Public funds are diverted to private corporations, which have to serve two masters again, the student and the stockholder! 

Ladies and Gentlemen, some things belong in the private sector and some things do not!  Insurance companies should not be making huge profits and paying exhorbitant salaries to executives while providing health insurance.  A strong public school system is fundamental to the future of our country.  Public funds should not be diverted to profit- making organizations and stockholders to educate our children.

Balancing the national budget will reguire both increased revenue and budget cuts.  Cuts can be made in some areas without reducing the services provided.  A single-payer system will reduce the cost of providing healthcare.  It may mean the elimination of some jobs in the large insurance companies, but a significant number of persons in Congress did not seem worried when thousands were about to be without jobs if certain domestic auto companies failed.  

These are my opinions.  You don't have to agree with me, but if you don't, start your own blog.  Don't bother me with comments.

To Gothenburg and back to Windsor

The next day after we left Tallinn was a great one to be at sea; sunny, warm, and calm.  Everyone was out on deck taking some sun, reading and resting after our exciting previous five days in port.  The pool was finally crowded.  I finished Tess of the d'Urbervilles, after which I hated Angel Clare.  Dinner that evening was formal and Paul took it seriously.  He had us all practically falling out of our chairs with laughter after we got a peak at his formal white boxers with red bow tie.  You have to see them in my Gothenburg album at right. 

We sailed into Gothenburg at mid-morning the next day and docked by the huge Volvo complex and museum.  We learned that one third of the shipping out of the Baltic leaves from Gothenburg, and it was the point of departure for most of the Swedes who immigrated to America.  One concentration of immigrants established Gothenburg, Nebraska.   The gulf stream moderates the climate of Sweden's west coast so its winters are mild for its latitude even though the days are short. 

We left the ship about 11:30 for our four-hour bus excursion to some west coast islands followed by a brief ride through the heart of Gothenburg.  Our guide was a middle-aged American and he had lived in Gothenburg for the last several years.  Our route took us by, but we did not stop at, the remains of the Bohus Fortress which is about 700 years old, built by Norway on what was then its border with Sweden.  It is now a museum.  We also drove through the old part of the nearby city of  Kungalv which may have been the early capitol of Norway. 

As we continued toward our first stop at Kladesholmen, granite outcroppings became more dominant in the landscape amidst some fertile land.  Farm buildings were often seen next to these huge mounds of stone.  A small fishing village which produces half of Sweden's herring, Kladesholmen is perched on two small, rock islands. We enjoyed the beauty of its white houses with red-tile roofs and flower beds, the calm waters of its inlets filled with boats, and the surrounding views as we  walked through its narrow streets.  It certainly appears to be an ideal place to spend a quiet, relaxing vacation.  Here is a video of our  Walk through Kladesholmen .   (If you are asked for a password it is "nate and claire".)

Our next stop was at Skarhamn, also a very picturesque village with a beautiful harbor filled with sail boats and yachts.  Our limited time allowed us to visit a small restaurant and enjoy some ice cream.  On  our way back to the ship we drove through the thriving older part of Gothenburg, the main shopping street (Kings Gate Avenue) with many sidewalk cafes and and shops, by the Gustus Adolphus Square on the Stora Hamn Canal  and other sights.   Our guide explained that Gothenburg's climate and the close proximity of its sports and other venues make it a very desirable convention city.  This and its size reminded us of Indianapolis, though of course we don't have all of that water around.

Back on ship, we packed our bags for early disembarking the next morning, then sadly shared our last supper with the three couples that had made our cruising evenings so enjoyable.  After dinner we retired to the Schooner Bar for our last drink together and then climbed into the little dinghy there for a parting group photo.  We also made this video  of our Goodbyes .  (If you are asked for a password, enter "Jewel".)

Early the next morning we had a quick breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe, jumped ship and found our excursion bus.  Since our flight didn't leave Heathrow until after 3 pm, the 65-mile-plus trip from Harwich was to include a stop and short tour of Windsor Castle.  However, our bus was an hour late leaving the dock and it was the day before the Olympics opening ceremony.  Traffic to London was horrendous.  Our guide kept conferring with the driver and modifying our route, but by the time we got to the castle we could only stop for 30 minutes.  Needless to say that didn't allow time to tour even part of the castle, but we were able to walk through the surrounding streets of the town and take some pictures of the exterior, which are included at the end of the Gothenburg album.  

Our flight left Heathrow shortly after 4 pm, essentially on time but thunderstorms welcomed us at Dulles airport outside of Washington DC.  Our connecting flight to Indianapolis was delayed so that instead of arriving about midnight Thursday it was after 2 am, and we didn't get home and into bed until nearly 4 am Friday, July 27th.  We had been up essentially 24 hours, but it was the end of a wonderful and exciting trip.

 

From St. Petersburg to Tallinn

I was up on deck as we left St. Petersburg about 5 pm, headed west through Neva Bay towards the Gulf of Finland and on to Tallinn, Estonia.  It is about 250 miles by land between the two cities; we would arrive there the next morning, Sunday July 22nd, for our fifth straight day in port. The passage at Kotlin Island
is very narrow which provides excellent defenses for the Russian Navy in the city of Kronstadt
on the island.  In fact, our Captain sounded the ship's horn five times in warning to a yacht that was approaching us head-on at high speed just as we passed the highway tunnel entrance from the mainland to the island,  
the narrowest point of the channel.  The yacht veered off and passed perhaps 30 yards to our stern, those of us on deck thinking we were about to witness the yacht's demise.

Estonia gained its independence from Russia in 1991, after having essentially always been under foreign rule (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Russia).  But Tallinn is the oldest capital city in northern Europe and its old town area the best-preserved.  Toompea is the castle and highest fortified area which today houses the parliament and several foreign embassies.  It overlooks the old town which also is walled and where the peasants lived outside the original castle.   Beyond that is the newer central part of Tallinn which has modern high rise buildings, but which we only saw in the distance from Toompea.

Our ship was docked in Tallinn from 8 am to about 5 pm.  We chose to take a shore excursion whch took us to a dairy farm, then stopped for coffee and cake at the home of a local resident, and then took us up to Toompea Castle where we toured the area and had magnificent views of lower old town before returning to the ship. 

The dairy farm was near a small town a few miles outside of Tallinn.  The owner had been an accountant or businessman before Estonia's independence in 1991, when the new government returned property to its owners or heirs when possible.  Finding himself the heir to 80 acres of land and 8 dairy cows, our man who had no farming experience decided to become a farmer.  There is a long friendship between the Finns and Estonians, and Finnish farmers were very helpful, providing their experience and even farm equipment to Estonians who got their land back.  A Finnish woman spent several years helping our farmer get established.  He now has some 160 acres of land and over 100 head of dairy and beef cows.  The farmer and his wife with about five helpers now produce cheese they sell to shops and restaurants in Tallinn, and their extra hay they sell to neighboring greenhouses to burn for heat in winter.  I took this video  and some photos at the farm (See Tallinn album at right).

Leaving the farm our bus took us back into the outskirts of Tallinn where we stoped at a private residence for coffee and cake.  We were greated by our host and his daughter who kindly showed us through their two-story house with features comparable to one which might have been found in a suburban development in Indianapolis in the 1960's.  He is a taxi driver and both he and his teenage daughter spoke very good English.  I voiced my pleasure at being served the tasty rhubarb cake, and we were told it had been prepared by the grandmother.  The property had a well-manicured side yard with a small fountain and flower beds. 

After this brief stop we were taken to the oldest part of Tallinn and to its highest point, the Toompea (cathedral hill).  The 700 year old castle and original town were obviously established here because of its defensible position and commanding view of the surrounding lowlands.  Less than 20 acres in area, still surrounded by stone walls and turrets, it is the seat of the present day parliament, some embassies, the old Toomkirk Lutheran Church and the magnificient Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its onion-shaped domes.  It was Sunday but we were allowed to go inside the Cathedral. 

From this high vantage point we could look down into the lower old town with all of its clay tile roofs and narrow cobblestone steets, the tower of the city hall and the spires of St. Nicholas and St. Olaf's Church, which in 1600 was the tallest building in the world. 

Having had a very busy and interesting morning and early afternoon, we returned to the ship for late lunch and some relaxation in the sun on deck, and to watch the contrasting old and new skylines of Tallinn as we left the harbor.

St. Petersburg, 7-20/21 2012

When we arrived in St. Petersburg on July 20th sunrise was about 5 am and sunset around 11 pm, so I am not sure if it ever really got dark.  The latitude of St. Petersburg is very similar to that of Skagway, Alaska.  Our ship docked at 7 am and our excursion to Peter the Great's summer palace, Peterhof, left at 8:30, so we were up and in the Windjammer early for breakfast.  But so was everyone else, because, unlike our other ports of call, if you didn't have a visa you weren't allowed off of the ship except to take one of the authorized shore excursions with a guide.  

It was a beautiful day as we rode the bus from our dock on Vasilyevsky Island across the oldest bridge in St. Petersburg to the English embankment and then southwest from the heart of  the city about 25 miles to Peterhof.  St. Petersburg is located on so many islands with so many rivers and canals that it has about 400 bridges, more than any other city in the world.  Our impression as we entered the neighborhoods and suburbs was that the apartment and business buildings likely built during the Soviet times lacked architectural interest and maintenance, and appeared to have a lot of vacancies.  As we got further into the country along the coast of Finland Bay there were some very attractive homes and dachas.  

We were not disappointed by our visit to Peter's Summer Palace.  I couldn't begin to count the fountains, which we were told originally were all naturally fed by gravity from springs, although now pumps are necessary.  Gold glitters everywhere from roof tops to statues and fountains.  The huge palace is beautifully yellow, trimed in white.  We toured the the first and second floors of the central section which included the grand ballroom and living quarters of the Emperor and Empress.  We were required to put cloth covers over our shoes to protect the beautiful floors.  Our guide was an attractive young girl, but in each room a babushka (grandmother) sat on a stool and made sure that no one touched anything or took any pictures.  As we entered the bedroom of Catherine the Great, our guide told us that Catherine had at least 21 lovers and she had asked one of them to kill her husband, Peter III, grandson of Peter the Great. 

We exited the palace onto a balcony overlooking the cascade of fountains and the reflecting water pool extending to the shore of the Gulf of Finland. 
By this time the grounds were  crowded with tour groups, but we made our way down the stairs to the large fountain below where we could look back and take in the awesome view of the bay side of the palace and the cascade of fountains. 

After taking several pictures we proceeded through the surrounding gardens to the Orangery, then back up to the Peterhof Chapel and out into the gardens on the entrance side where there is a display of large photos of the Nazi occupation during WW II.  The German troops vandalized and nearly demolished the palace during the nearly three years they were there.
  Reconstruction is still underway.

On our bus ride back to the ship we got on what is sometimes referred to as the diameter toll road, which was 3 lanes wide in each direction but not heavily travelled at mid-day.  Back in the city we drove through some neighborhoods of older, single family homes in reasonable condition, and stopped for a short time at a souvenir shop which served very good shots of complimentary vodka.  We were back on the ship by 1:30 for lunch.

A special show, "Moroshka - The Stars of St. Petersburg", folkloric music and dancing of Russia was presented that night in the Coral Theatre on ship.  Our group met early for dinner and then attended this outstanding show together. 

We got off to an early start again the next morning on an excursion to the Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum.  We were amazed to find out that we could take photos most anywhere inside, even of the paintings if flash was not used.  After going through several magnificent rooms of the palace we continued through other buildings of the complex which contain much of the museum's 3 million art items and the world's largest collection of paintings.  This was the highlight of the trip for me.  Since taking Russian to satisfy my language requirement in college, it has been my dream to see the Hermitage.  The splendor of the place exceeded my expectations and it would be wonderful to be able to go back and browse through all of the halls at leisure.  The nearly 4 hours we spent there went by so quickly.  I did take nearly 300 pictures in St. Petersburg and have uploaded an album of them here (see at right). 

We got back to the dock in time to get a sandwich at the snack shop in the port terminal before departing on another excursion which promised time for visiting shops along the Nevsky Prospect, the central street in St. Petersburg.  Our bus dropped us off in the Arts Square near the Russian Ethnological Museum as it began to rain and we were referred to a nearby souvenir shop as our first stop.  We spent some time in there, but then walked a couple of blocks to Nevsky and found the Gostiny Dvor,
  an indoor collection of shops in a mall-like building which occupies a whole block.  Since I had no idea how to say "toy store" in Russian, Marcia used a translation app on her iPhone to get directions from a security guard.   It was halfway around the block, but we found it.  I was able, using my limited vocabulary, to convey to a clerk that we wanted Russian-made products and she showed us where they were. As here, most of their merchandise was from China.  We found a couple of items we wanted to buy, but then the manager kept entering my charge card as a debit and each time my pin was rejected.  The cost in rubles exceeded the exchange value of the dollars we had and we were running out of time to get back to the bus, so our purchase attempt had to be aborted.  The store help and a young man customer were very courteous and helpful and I'm sure we could have worked it out if we had had time to get to an atm machine.  We wish we could have had more time to explore that area of shops and restaurants on our own.  It was bustling with people and most of them were not foreign tourists. 

On the way back to the ship our guide pointed out some additional sights along the way.  At 5:30 our ship left the dock and I was up on deck to watch our exit through the fairly narrow navigable channel out into the Gulf of Finland. 

 

 

 

Stockholm and Finland (7-18 & 19, 2012)

 

Tuesday, July 16th was a day at sea.  Usually that means everyone is out by the pool or sunning themselves somewhere on deck, or on their cabin  balconies if they have them.  On this sunny day, as we were headed northeast again in the Baltic, only the very hardy and teenagers were around the pool, as the air temperature was in the low 60's.  That meant that every seat was taken in the Solarium; reserved for adults, enclosed from the wind with a heated pool and hot tub.  I went to the library and came across the book Tess of the d'Urbervilles  by Thomas Hardy, which became the book I read during the cruise.  Marcia and I eventually found lounge chairs in the Solarium and enjoyed a relaxing day, intermittently reading, sleeping, and watching passing ships at sea.  

The captain announced that we should all be up by 5 am Wednesday morning to see the scenery as our ship made its way through the crowded channel of the Stockholm archipelago , which contains 24,000 islands.  Though it was 6:30 before I was out on deck, this proved to be a truly beautiful and amazing sight as we passed closely by both small and large islands dotted with vacation homes, the sun rising at our stern and the skyline of Stockholm growing nearer to our bow. 

What is also amazing is the number of motor and sail boats of all sizes which the inhabitants of those islands must use to reach them. 

Soon after we docked we were on a bus tour through the older parts of the city, headed for the Vasa Museum.  The Vasa is the only preserved seventeenth-century ship in the world, and a unique art treasure. More than 95 percent of the ship is original.  It sank on its maiden voyage in 1628, just a few minutes out into the harbor, because the king had insisted upon a second deck of cannons.  This made it top-heavy, so when the ship tilted in the wind and the lower level cannon port doors had been left open, she took on water and sank.  It was found in the 1950's and has since been raised and moved to this museum.  After our tour of the museum, our bus dropped us off near the old town area, Gamla Stan.

We walked by the parliament buildings into narrow, cobblestone streets where we found a nice little shop for lunch.  Further on we found one of their famous coffee shops where they also had ice cream and were making their own waffle cones.  The aroma of the cones being made required us to each have one.  On the highest part of the Gamla Stan is the Royal Palace, the Stockholm Cathedral and the Nobel Museum.  We walked through Stortorget (a picturesque plaza), past the cathedral and then to the rear of the palace where we saw the changing of the guard. 

After our walk we took the shuttle back to the ship.  As the ship moved slowly away from the dock we found a vantage point on the fantail to watch the sights of the city fall behind and the sun sink lower in the sky.  Later, as our ship wound its way back through the islands, we found a better spot high up in the Vortex lounge where I enjoyed a martini, Marcia had a "Bahama Papa", and we watched the interesting life of the islands go by in the fabulous still-bright light of the evening sky.

Our cruise took us into three time zones, so we had to set our clocks ahead twice on the way east, the first night after we left England and then again between Stockholm and Helsinki.  We didn't dock in Helsinki until 10 am. and had to be back on board by 5:30 pm, so it was one of our shortest days in port. 

Our shore excursion destination was the second-oldest town in Finland,  Porvoo, which is some 30 miles east of Helsinki.  Our guide pointed out the most interesting sights of Helsinki on the way, the fish market by the port, Uspenski Cathedral, the Helsinki Cathedral and Senate Square.  Out of  the city, the countryside was very green with forests and farms of mostly hay fields. 

Old Porvoo is a small area of cobblestone streets on a hillside overlooking a lazy river. 
The shops and houses lining the streets are mostly wooden and painted yellow, white, pink or red. It was our warmest day yet as we climbed the hill to the 500-year-old Porvoo Cathedral, then casually walked back down into the center of town and visited some of the quaint shops.  Our final stop was at the large old Porvoon Paahtimo bar and grill where we had delicious cake and tea or coffee under the heavy wooden beams of the structure before heading back to the bus and returning to the ship. 

Back on the ship, Marcia and I went to our warm balcony in the sun and watched a nearby ferry ship leave for Tallinn, Estonia, which is only 50 miles south of Helsinki across the Baltic.  We thoroughly enjoyed The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers in a great musical show that night in the Coral Theatre before dinner. 

Each night at dinner we caught up with what our friends had done that day, with a few interesting, funny and sometimes riotous stories about ourselves, which further helped us get acquainted.  At one point I mentioned that I was reading Tess, which led Debbie to announce that Tess was mentioned in her book Fifty Shades of Grey.  A lively conversation about the books ensued.  Another evening after dinner Tom and Tari asked us to join them for cigars in the Hollywood Odyssey on Deck 13 where we enjoyed live music and drinks and closed the place.  See my Stockholm and Finland photo album at right.

 

Baltic Cruise Begins

Our ship, Jewel of the Seas, dwarfed the dock and train station at the port of Harwich, England, about 65 miles northeast of London on the North Sea. Our bus from London arrived sometime after 2 pm, in a light rain. Processing through the terminal paperwork and photos to obtain our SeaPass (I-D and on-board charge card), put us in our cabin 45 minutes later.  We went immediately to the Windjammer dining area as we hadn't eaten since breakfast.  We assembled at our designated area for lifeboat drill around 4:30 and by shortly after 5 we were on our cabin balcony where we could see and hear the bagpipe band playing as our ship moved away from the dock. 

Our initial course was northeast, towards Norway, as we had to round the north tip of Denmark and then turn back south to Copenhagen, our first port of call.  We would be sailing then into the Baltic Sea
to dock at Stockholm, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, St. Petersburg, Russia and Tallinn, Estonia.  Then on our way back to England we would dock at Gothenburg on the southwest coast of Sweden. It was a twelve-day cruise with 7 days in port, 4 days at sea, and the afternoon of our departure.

We like to have dinner in the formal dining room where we have assigned seats and have the same people at our table every night.  Of course there is a chance that some of your dining mates will be duds, people you don't really want to spend much time with, but we have been lucky to have found those whom we want as friends at our table.  This was our fifth cruise, but on all except the first and last we have travelled and dined with previous friends.  On our first cruise we met Bill and Joan who remain among our best friends.  On this cruise, we really enjoyed three of the four couples at our table that first night, and hope to keep in close touch and see them again.  We chose the late dining time, 8:30 because 6:30 seemed too early for us.  Luckily the one couple that didn't seem to fit in with our group gave us the excuse that they decided 8:30 was too late for them, and left our table after the 2nd night.

So, here they are, in formal wear at dinner after our first day out at sea. 
The lady at left, left.  From her, left to right, are Tari and Tom from San Diego, Paul and Debbie from London, and Colin and Carol from near Plymouth, England.  More about them later because they made every evening at dinner very entertaining and informative.  Dinner that night offered escargot appetizer, and as is my tradition I had to order a second helping.

Upon arriving in Copenhagen on Monday morning, the 16th, Marcia and I took the shore excursion entitled "Charming Copenhagen Walk and Cruise".  Just a hundred yards from the dock was the famous Little Mermaid statue  sitting on a rock by the bay.  We then walked through the Old Citadel (Kastellet) which is surrounded by water and near the bay, a fortress for the old city. Denmark was occupied by the Germans during WW II; it was powerless to resist and was spared significant bombing or destruction, but the people avoided cooperation with German demands.

Our walk then took us past the headquarters of Maersk , the shipping container manufacturer and into the Royal Palace complex, Amalienborg Palace.  Continuing through the Palace plaza, ahead of us rose the beautiful dome of the Marble Church.  We turned left walking on toward the heart of the old town and entered The Odd Fellows Hall for a refreshing soda and restroom stop.

A short distance further on our walk we came to the Nyhavn district of Copenhagen, a famously picturesque canal connecting with the harbor and lined with pastel-colored buildings, known for its entertainment, restaurants and market.   The streets were crowded of course, both with foreign and local tourists as well as the people of Copenhagen going about their daily activities.   We were within sight of their largest department store but didn't enter, instead we saw statues, such as that of King Christian X on his horse, churches, alleyways and old buildings. 

Our walk brought us back to Nhavny, where we boarded a boat for our trip through canals adjacent to the harbor and back to our ship.  Just as we were getting on the boat it began to rain; luckily we were seated under a glass roof.  We slowly cruised by the Town Hall and other government buildings, past old and new condominium and apartment buildings, the very new and modern Opera House built by Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller ,the late president of the Maersk company, and Naval facilities near the mouth of the harbor.

We did not see the famous Tivoli Gardens   because we were interested in the history and architecture of the central old part of the city.  When we got back to the ship we were ready for lunch and some time in the Solarium,
which was warm and had some comfortable lounge chairs quite suitable for resting one's feet, reading and sleeping. 

I don't remember what the entertainment was at 7 pm. in the Coral Theatre that evening, but overall we were impressed with the quality of the on-board entertainment.  The ship's own staff of singers and dancers were very talented and the choreography was exceptionally good.   We always lingered over dinner with conversation after Paul had had his two desserts, so we usually did not leave the Tides Dining Room until well after 10 pm.  The Captain had announced that we would be passing under the Oresund Bridge about 11:30, so we agreed to meet on deck to watch it go overhead.  Similar in design to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was well lighted, but the clearance between the ship's smokestack and the bridge floor was hard to gauge.  Later we were told it was about 10 meters.

Tomorrow would be a day at sea, which we looked forward to, considering our tired feet and bodies.  Some of my photos are in the Copenhagen album at the right of this column.

Friday the 13th, London

After an overnight rain, Friday the 13th dawned brisk and clear.  Our hotel, as most homes and smaller hotels in England, was not air conditioned. There isn't much need for it.  Temperature highs typically are in the 70's and while we were there it was usually in the mid 60's, making it comfortable to wear a windbreaker most of the time.  Mine has deep inside pockets which were convenient for stowing maps, my Flip video camera, and other items out of reach of pickpockets, whom we were often warned about.

Having decided that Friday our agenda was to see Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Churchill's War Rooms, have dinner and see a play in the theatre district around Leicester Square; we got an early start with a quick McDonald's breakfast.  Then we took the District line to Westminster and were in the short line at the Abbey before ten. 

We entered the north entrance of the Abbey and got our self-guided tour earphones.  This procedure works very well and allows the large crowds to move through smoothly and yet hear all about the history of the building as well as that of most of the famous people buried or memorialized there.  Just to be in the presence of so much history is a sobering but wonderful experience.  Follow the link above if you want to learn more about what an awesome place it is.  No photos are allowed inside, but those of the outside in my London 7-13-12 album at right help give a  feel for the beauty and magnitude of the building.

We spent an hour and a half in the Abbey.  When we came out we walked over to Birdcage Walk and went along the south side of St. James Park towards Buckingham Palace.  It is in that area of the park where the Beach Volleyball venue for the Olympics is located, and it was under construction at the time.

Buckingham Palace was not open for tours while we were in town, so all we have are pictures of the crowd outside and of the Guard on parade.  We spent a few minutes taking some photos of and from the Victoria Memorial and then decided it was time for lunch.  With the help of Yelp and Marcia's iPhone we found this marvelous little pub, the Cask and Glass,

Surely the smallest pub in London, we sat down at one of only a half dozen tables, next to a table of four young women who were perhaps getting an early start on the weekend, sharing a lot of stories and laughter.  We got a pint and ordered sandwiches off of the small menu, which were quite good when they came, from a kitchen which had to be upstairs or down, I don't know which.  There were a few tables outside and soon there was a large crowd of locals standing around in small groups on the sidewalk, talking and drinking with pints in their hands. 

We were having a conversation about what play we wanted to see that evening.  Marcia was trying to call the Wyndham Theatre to see if they had hearing devices, because I knew I would have difficulty hearing the dialogue.  The number she had wasn't working, but soon a gentleman who had sat down where the women had left offered his assistance.  He offered the use of his phone, after which we determined that the number in the brochure was just wrong.  The man was very friendly and jolly, as were all of the people in London with whom we had occasion to talk.  

It was just a few blocks from the pub to Churchill's War Rooms.  The actual rooms are still there furnished much as they were at the end of the war, plus a huge museum telling the story of Churchill and London during the war.  Churchill was aware that the shelter was not sufficiently reinforced to survive a direct hit, but luckily it was never bombed.  One interesting feature of the museum is a long, table-like display, the surface of which is touch sensitive with tabs for each month of the war with drop down menus for each day of that month showing historical facts regarding what happened that particular day.  One could spend days there; we became overwhelmed after an hour and left, but I would certainly recommend it if you are interested in London life during the war.

When we came out it was raining, we walked around the corner past No. 10 Downing St., then crossed the street to Westminster station and took the tube to Leicester Square.  Walking in a gentle rain we found the half-price ticket booth in the square, (ignore the other ticket counters in the storefronts along the way).  We were assured that the theatre had earphones so bought tickets to Abigail's Party, playing at the Wyndham.

We had a couple of hours until show time, so finally found nearby Salisbury Pub, which Frommer's had recommended.  The place was packed, it was Friday evening after all, but we found a table in the back corner by the stairs.  What was up I don't know, but down were the necessary rooms, quite welcome at the time.  Ordering our usual bitters at the bar we sat down and were soon engaged in conversation with two guys at the next table.  They were from Scotland, had left their wives at home and were in town for the Bruce Springsteen concert in Hyde Park the next day.  Seems they always try to go to his concerts anywhere in Britain.  One of the fellows was from Edinburgh and the other from Aberdeen, so we had to tell them about our trip there with Nora and Dean a couple of years ago.  We found out that Trump's golf course is now completed north of Aberdeen, and though they hate Trump they understand the golf course is every Scotsman's dream.  My pie sampler plate was unimpressive, but Marcia's pork belly wrapped in Yorkshire pudding was very good, though "probably the most unhealthy thing I have ever eaten".  

It was still raining as we walked to the theatre.  The interior was impressive and we enjoyed the play very much, well-acted though not the greatest plot.  We took our by now familiar Piccadily line back to Earl's Court and our hotel.  Next morning we packed and took a cab, still in the rain, to Victoria Coach Station and our bus to Harwich.  The cab driver was so accomodating, helping us into the station with our bags, but he was complaining about how difficult it was going to be for the taxis to get around during the Olympics.

London (Thursday 7-12-12)

It was a beautiful morning, warm in the bright sunshine though a cool 68 degrees in the light breeze.  We were excited as we sat down.  What better way to see London than to go careening around its narrow streets on the open upper deck of one of its famous busses?  Our guide was a young lady full of historical and interesting facts which she announced as we passed famous monuments, churches, architecture and parks.  London is full of church spires, fountains and statues, old buildings and new,  presenting beautiful scenes everywhere, all of which I wanted to get on camera.  I took over a hundred pics from the top of the bus.  

In planning our agenda for London I read Rick Steves' Walk: City of London and consulted Frommer's London 2010.  I had decided to use Frommer's itinerary suggestions for seeing "The Best of London in one day" on our first full day there, and then pick other attractions we knew we wanted to see for our second day, Friday.  The third day, Saturday, we had to be at Victoria Coach Station by noon for our transfer to Harwich and the cruise.

Frommer's suggests starting early at Westminster Abbey, and a walking tour from there.  Because we were still tired from the trip over and the walking we had done upon arrival, we decided instead to get an overview of the city from a double decker bus tour starting near Piccadilly Circus, The Original London sightseeing tour.   After a quick breakfast at the ever present McDonalds (not enough protein in the toast and cereal continental breakfast at hotel), we bought our daily tube tickets and crowded in with commuters and other tourists for the ride to the Piccadilly station, from which it was a short walk to board the bus on Whitcomb Street. 

The route of the bus was essentially around Trafalgar Square, west past St. james Palace and on to Hyde Park Corner, north to Marble Arch, back past Hyde Park Corner and on south to Buckingham Gate, around Westminster Abbey past Parliament and across Westminster Bridge from which we had a great view of the London Eye, back across the Thames on Waterloo Bridge, east on Fleet St. and Cannon St. past St. Paul's Cathedral and The Monument, across London Bridge and east past London Dungeon and City Hall, across the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London.

We had wanted to see the Tower so we got off the bus, bought our tickets and went in without having to stand in queue.  Inside, one of the famous Beefeaters
was beginning a tour so we joined in.  He was having a wonderful time entertaining the crowd about all of the prisoners who had been jailed in the various towers and the horrible executions carried out there.  He particularly enjoyed reminding us Americans of the age of the establishment.  "What?  You Americans can study your history in about an hour!  What has happened on this ground goes back a thousand years!".   After his tour we saw the crown jewels, a display of dozens of crowns, spoons, swords etc. gleaming and gold, and  had a good lunch in the cafe there.

We left the Tower and continued the bus tour back west along the Victoria Embankment and the Thames, around Parliament Square again, past Downing St. and the Horse Guard, again around Trafalgar Square, up to Piccadilly Circus and then back to our starting point.

If you look at my photos in the London7-12-12 album to the right you will see some of the photos I took from the top of the bus plus many taken during the couple of hours we were inside the Tower of London.  We had a wonderful morning and afternoon. 

We then took the tube back to Knightsbridge and went to Harrods.  What  an amazing experience it was to walk through that place.  The area where you can buy meat, fish, groceries and produce is surprising, located in the middle of all of these expensive clothing, jewelery, and perfume departments.  We bought a jar of Westminster chutney.  We got lost in the place a couple of times, looking for the ice cream parlour but finally found it behind the huge toy department.  My chocolate malt and Marcia's raspberry shake were beautiful and delicious.  

When we came out of Harrods it was raining.  We took the tube back to our hotel for a brief nap.  The Pappardella Italian restaurant was a few blocks south of our hotel on Old Brompton Road.  We walked there in the rain and enjoyed our dinner and the atmosphere, with others apparently mostly living in the neighborhood.  We had thoroughly enjoyed the day.