On this cruise, we had 14 scheduled days at sea and one extra day because we could not make our last port – Ponta Delgado, Azores – due to high winds and waves. Sea Days 1 thru 8 were spaced out in one- or two-day increments between ports giving you time to recharge between exploring the next stop. Sea Days 9 thru 15 were back-to-back as we crossed the Atlantic heading to Ft. Lauderdale.
I like sea days because you can do as much or as you little as you want. The printed daily planner or the HAL app will show you the options of what activities are going to be offered throughout the day or evening – sports, workshops, trivia games, lectures – to name a few. Of course, the spa, the shops and the casino are open and ready for your business too.
If the weather was nice, I leaned toward doing very little except reading and enjoying the sound of wind and waves from the balcony.
However, I did participate in several activities when the weather was not as cooperative.
Lectures –
Wine Tasting –
A movie –
Mariner’s Award Ceremony and Reception. You get to meet some of the ship’s officers and watch the people who have sailed 100 days (Bronze), 300 days (Silver), 500 days (gold), and 700 days (platinum) receive their medallions while drinking free champagne, wine, beer, mimosas, or a non-alcoholic beverage and eat Hors d’oeuvres. Sometimes this ceremony is followed up by a special luncheon.
The CaptainL-R: Mariner Society Director and Hotel Director
Sometimes I just liked to wander around the ship and admire the artwork and the fresh flower arrangements.
I’ve met people who do not like sea days at all. I would hope they never find themselves on a TransAtlantic. I think it would drive them crazy. I’m looking forward to doing another one in 2025.
Today, we are back in France and instead of visiting a large city, our plan was to spend a few hours in the countryside and a small town with another HAL tour. It’s another sunny day in the 70’s.
Name of the tour: CIDER IS THE NEW WINE
HAL tour description: To learn more about cider and Breton culture, you’ll head to Le Faou — the gateway to the Crozon Peninsula. Le Faou is a town of immense character, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
As you travel, your guide will tell you about this village that dates back to the 11th century, and (s)he will point out the traditional timbered houses in the center. You will also discover Saint Sauveur Church, facing the port. It is made of Logonna stone from Logonna-Daoulas — a small village nearby.
At the Living Museum of Old Crafts & Trades, meet a team of volunteers whose passion is keeping the crafts and trades of yesteryear alive. The fifteen workshops house a potter, linen- and wool-spinners, embroiders, a lace-maker, a clog-maker, a blacksmith, sea-based trades, a basket-weaver, a chandler (rope-maker), and a wood-turner. Your visit focuses on the traditional aspect of cider-making, from the apple to the beverage. At the end of your visit, taste the cider and enjoy a delicious crepe with it.
Back on the coach, you’ll drive to the Terenez Bridge. This curved cable-stay bridge, designed by architect Charles Lavigne, crosses the Aulne River to link the Breton cities of Argol and Rosnoën. Take in the view over Armorique National Park, and take note of the bridge’s architecture, as it won the World Infrastructure Award in 2013.
Our guide was from this Brittany Region, and she had a lot of information about how the Brittany Region is different from the more well-known Normandy Region. This region is very well known for their cider and crepes. We also had a female bus driver. I believe this is the first time we’ve ever had a female bus driver in all of the tours we’ve ever taken.
Our first stop was the Terenez Bridge. It really was unusual.
Our next stop and the one we spent the most time at was the Living Museum of Old Crafts and Trades. We didn’t get to see all of the areas of the indoor/outdoor museum as the docent seemed compelled to pick up and describe every item in each of the sections that she did cover.
Before we left, another docent demonstrated the cider-making process, and our guide translated her French to English. Every time she translated something, the docent said “Voilla!” Our guide explained that many people from this region and others end sentences with Voilla or Ooh la la. I thought she was exaggerating but this docent did it every time.
The cider they served us was very good. I thought it tasted like my favorite Angry Orchard. We were also served a crepe right off the griddle. It was good but I think it would have been better if it had some sort of topping.
The next stop was a pretty village named La Faou. Our guide took us on a “petite promenade” – a short walk through it and talked about life in a small village.
Found it interesting that a crematorium and a pizza parlor were side-byThese metal signs were all over in the sidewalks
I especially liked the Saint Sauveur Church.
Once we made it back to the ship, we spent the evening listening to the Ocean Bar band, eating in the Lido, and then went to the magician and comedian Tom Crosbie’s show. He billed himself as a nerd. He had an uncanny memory and was able to quote direct passages of the works of Shakespeare just by someone giving him the page and verse number of a play, and he could solve a Rubik’s cube in all sorts of manners including being blindfolded. As someone who once took a hammer to a Rubik’s cube, I was impressed with his skill.
Travel Trivia
Brest, France
The meaning of the coat of arms of Brest is half France (the three fleurs-de-lis of the former kingdom of France), half Brittany (semé d’hermine of Brittany). These arms were used for the first time in a register of deliberations of the city council dated the 15 July 1683.
The city of Brest does not have much remaining historical architecture, apart from a few select monuments such as the castle and the Tanguy tower. This is due to heavy bombing by the Allies during World War II, in an attempt to destroy the submarine base the Germans had built in the harbor.
Brest claims to be the largest European center for sciences and techniques linked to the sea: 60% of the French research in the maritime field is based in Brest.
Brittany’s most famous local delicacy, the Breton crêpe, is the main culinary feature apart from seafood. There are many crêpe restaurants (called crêperies). Breton apple cider is often featured. Traditional biscuits include Traou Mad, which is a full-fat butter biscuit similar to Scottish shortbread.
A strong Celtic background distinguishes Brittany from other parts of France. The Celts were the first historically identifiable inhabitants of Brittany, but they probably intermingled with the earlier peoples who built the great stone monuments, the menhirs and dolmens, that still stand.
Other than Berlin, today was our longest shore excursion day. We docked in Le Havre, but we were going to Paris. Since Paris is not on the coast, we had a long bus ride to and from the city. We ordered a very early room service breakfast. We had to take our passports off the ship again.
The name of the HAL tour: LANDMARKS OF PARIS & VIEWS FROM THE SEINE
The tour description: It is a three-hour escorted motorcoach ride from Le Havre to the timeless city of Paris via the autoroute Normandie.
Upon arrival in Paris, meet your city guide and set out to explore Paris. You will stop at the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero area for a photo opportunity, and then view the outside of the Notre Dame Basilica. Transferring to the Trocadero Dock, you will board a bateau mouche-style riverboat and cruise through Paris along the River Seine.
Enjoy lunch along the way. Continuing with your tour in the afternoon, take a panoramic drive past many of Paris’ famous landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysées and l’Opéra. On the way back to Normandy, you can simply relax and take in the rural scenery.
Notes:Travel time to Paris is approximately three hours each way. Due to traffic congestion in Paris, it may not be possible to stop at certain sights. Rest stops will be made en route to and from Paris.
The tour bus was comfortable, but we chose seats on the driver’s side. Mistake. It was a sunny day and I wanted to see the countryside, so I kept the shades open. The sun was blinding. Chuck wasn’t aware. He slept almost the entire way there.
Our guide’s name was Giselle. She was easy to understand. She gave us a lot of interesting information about the Normandy region and Paris itself.
We had one bathroom break enroute to Paris. We bought Pim’s cookies and some peach tea. I had heard Pim’s cookies were delicious, and they were.
It was exciting to come into Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. Our first photo stop. It was a gorgeous day – sunny and in the 70’s.
Then we rode through Paris.
Hotel des InvalidesNapolean is buried hereLes InvalidesNational Assembly
I was excited to hear that it was “Fashion Week”. I saw several photographers and models all around the city. I had hoped to see some celebrities, but I never saw anyone I recognized.
Lunch was provided on the River Seine. It was a very fancy lunch. We had an appetizer, Beef Borgnine, and an ice cream dessert all served with very good wine.
The river ride gave us an interesting perspective of the city and the Louve. However, you could not raise the windows and the air conditioning was struggling so it was very warm on our side.
Once the boat turned around to come back to the dock, we were finally on the shady side. It was not until the very end that we realized there was a small outside deck on either side that we could have stood for a while.
Louvre
Once we were back on the bus, we drove past the Obelisk and Parliament, and down the Champs-Elysees gawking at the famous stores.
Petit PalaisCharles de Gaulle in front of Parliament
Our destination was the Arc de Triomphe. Despite the traffic, we were able to make several passes around it.
I really enjoyed the tour even though it was a long day. I had people ask me why would I spend all that time just to have basically a drive-by in Paris? I don’t know that we’ll ever pass that way again and I wanted to see the famous sites. I was happy we went.
Once we got back, Chuck was not hungry, so I went to the Lido. Tonight’s entertainment was a movie on the World Stage. We decided to skip it and call it an early night.
Travel Trivia
France
France is slightly smaller than the state of Texas. But France is the biggest country in the European Union. For a little more perspective, France is twice as big as the United Kingdom and eight times the size of Ireland.
On average, a resident of France eats approximately 500 snails per year. The most common ways to eat snails in France is cooked in butter and garlic.
France ranks in the top ten countries for their amount of cheese consumption. More than 95% of the French population eats cheese.
Some of the most popular cheeses found in France:
Camembert de Normandie
Brie de Meaux
Reblochen
Fromage Blanc
Roqefort
Munster
The French invented camouflage during World War I in 1915. They hired artists to paint both their vehicles and their guns so that they would blend in with the environment around them. They did this by painting lines that would distract from the shape of the object.
The Tour De France is more than 100 years old. The famous cycling race has been running since 1903.
The French drink over 11 million glasses of wine each year. It is also known for creating the most expensive wine in the world. This bottle of wine costs around $21,000.
France has more Nobel Prize winners in Literature than any other country.
Until the nineteen-hundreds, women rarely bought a special wedding dress and opted for their best outfit instead. The tradition of wearing a white dress originated in France with the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Louis XII of France in 1499. She wore a white dress to the wedding, marking the start of the popular Western custom. However, it wasn’t until 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, that the white dress really took off in popularity and the tradition was cemented.
Paris, France
The Louvre in Paris is the world’s largest art gallery and museum, it has over 38,000 pieces of art within its walls, including the Mona Lisa.
There is one dog for every 7 Parisians.
The most popular way that locals get around Paris is by their underground train system. After Moscow, it’s the busiest underground network in Europe. Count your stations when using their metro as Paris Metro system doesn’t announce their stops like most major cities.
The famous “Bloody Mary” cocktail was invented in Paris at the Ritz Hotel. Legend says that this popular cocktail was made for the famous novelist Ernest Hemingway! Hemingway requested for a drink that didn’t smell like alcohol, so he was given vodka mixed with tomato juice.
The Eiffel Tower was only meant to be a temporary monument. It was France’s way of demonstrating its superior technological and construction skills. When it was constructed in 1889, it was extremely unpopular. Residents and senior figures protested against it, and the media called it a ‘useless monstrosity’.
To officially be a Parisian baguette, the bread must have a specific dough consistency and be of a certain size. The law also says that baguettes must get sold on the premise that they are made. So, bakeries cannot ship baguettes from elsewhere. Lastly, the bread must include just four ingredients: wheat flour, yeast, water, and salt.
Since we had an early tour, we requested a room service breakfast. Typically, the order is perfect. Today, they brought two plates of bacon and eggs when I only ordered one plate. Glad we were hungry.
We had a HAL walking tour and a canal ride of Bruges scheduled for 8:30 this morning. The title of the tour: ROMANTIC BRUGES.
The tour description: It’s a half-hour motor coach drive from the port of Zeebrugge to the romantic city of Bruges.
Set out on a guided walking tour through the heart of the city. Once you enter the Old Town of Bruges, you can feel the historic atmosphere. Strolling through the cobblestone streets, you’ll pass by the Dijver, then through this picturesque city to view the Burg, complete with the Town Hall, the Chapel of the Holy Blood, the market place with its guild houses, and the Belfry Tower.
Board a boat for a pleasant 30-minute canal cruise. Take full advantage of this chance to relax and simply soak in all the beauty of medieval Bruges.
Some free time is allowed for shopping or browsing before you return to the coach and drive back to Zeebrugge.
Notes:Tour does not operate on holidays. Use of an audio headset (included) will enhance your tour experience.
We really liked the cute town. We were lucky to get there early before the crowds arrived. It was an easy walk even though much of the walk was on cobblestones again. We could hear our guide well with the audio headset. But you had to watch that you didn’t trip off the curb or get in the way of the bicyclists and the horse-drawn carriages (or the poop that might fall into the street).
Lake of LoveTrough for the Carriage Horses in the Market PlaceBruges City HallFront of St. John’s Hospital
After the walk, we took a canal ride that gave us a different perspective on the town. The boat was a little crowded, but the ride was pleasant.
I liked the donkey statue in the windowBelfry of Bruges
Once the canal ride was over, we had free time to wander around. We bought some Belgium chocolates, a Christmas ornament, and then we went to a café to eat a Belgium waffle and drink espresso.
Handmade Bruges laceAll chocolate
As we were sitting there eating our waffle, we witnessed a woman turn her ankle when she went off the sidewalk onto the cobblestones, and then we heard that a member of our group fell hard and had to go back to the ship in a taxi to see the ship doctor.
As we left, the crowds in the streets were much larger, and it got harder to move around, so I was glad that we were leaving.
I did enjoy the tour but, again, I’m glad we were on the first tour of the day. I knew there were several of the same tours throughout the day and I wonder if they were as much fun as ours because the town got so crowded.
Once we got back, we had another pleasant afternoon on the balcony. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for another Pinnacle Grill dinner.
I had planned just to get the lobster bisque as my appetizer and then have the crab cake appetizers as my main course since my last Pinnacle meal, I felt so bloated. However, the waiter convinced me that the lamb chops were small, and I should really have them as my main. I did and they weren’t small. I barely finished them and had to skip dessert. Chuck had the 15 oz ribeye, cooked perfectly he said, and he had the key lime pie.
Harry the Piano was doing another show tonight, but we skipped it. Chuck was ready to go play cards. I shuffled off to the room.
Travel Trivia
Belgium
In traditional Belgian culture, it was acceptable for everyone, including children, to drink a kind of light, ‘table beer’ as they drank their water and coffee. In fact, it was the norm until the 1970s, but it was eventually replaced by water and soft drinks.
The town of Spa in Belgium is from where we get the word ‘spa.’Europe’s first modern health resort and casino ‘la Redoute’ opened in Spa in the 18th century, although the famed springs have been reportedly used for health and healing purposes as far back as Roman times.
It was a Belgian who designed the common sides of euro coins. Belgian Luc Luycx’s design was the chosen winner of a European Union design competition. See if you can spot his connected initials ‘LL’ on all numerical sides of euro coins.
Belgium has the most cycling Tour de France victories of any country except France. Famous Belgian tour winners include Eddy Merckx and Philippe Thys. Merckx is the only cyclist to have won the general, points and king of the mountains classifications in the same tour, and is among a small group of cyclists who won a tour on their first attempt.
Belgium is the world’s leading exporter of billiard balls. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s billiard balls are made in Belgium. Saluc AC, established in 1923, has its own chemical plant to make the phenolic resin, which give Aramith balls their characteristic high-gloss, rock-hard finish.
In 1846, Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone.
Belgium is roughly the same size as the state of Maryland.
Belgium is the world’s biggest importer of rough diamonds. About 84% of the world’s most precious gems are cut and polished in Antwerp diamond factories.
Belgium is famous for its chocolate:
The chocolate is made from 100% cocoa butter, with a typically higher than average cocoa content and uses high quality cocoa beans.
The raw materials used in chocolate production do not originate in Belgium; most cocoa is produced in Africa, Central America, and South America.
Belgium can produce up to 600,000 tons of chocolate a year.
Belgium has over 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country, and the reputation of Belgian chocolate remains as high as ever.
Brussels Airport is said to retail the most chocolate of any airport in the world.
Bruges, Belgium
In the Bruges area, the first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar’s conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect the coastal area against pirates.
In World War I German forces occupied Bruges, but the city suffered virtually no damage and was liberated on 19 October 1918 by the allies.
From 1940 in World War II the city again was occupied by the Germans and again spared destruction. On 12 September 1944 it was liberated by Canadian troops.
The medieval architecture in Bruges is mostly intact, making it one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.
The “Historic Centre of Bruges” has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Bruges’ best-known landmark is the Belfry of Bruges, a 13th-century belfry housing a municipal carillon comprising 47 bells.
Bruges is known for its lace.
Tony Parker, NBA Basketball Player, is from Bruges.
Fred Zinneman’s The Nun’s Story is a 1959 dramatic film starring Audrey Hepburn that is primarily set in Bruges.
The movie In Bruges with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes was made there in 2008.
The main antagonist of the Austin Powers film series, Dr. Evil, was raised in Bruges.
The 2019 Hallmark movie, Love, Romance & Chocolate, starring Lacey Chabert, takes place in Bruges.
This morning was almost identical to yesterday. After coffee and breakfast, we left the ship at 10:00 with plans to just wander into downtown. Originally, we had planned to take another HAL walking tour but after our “Hike from Hell” in Sweden, we just couldn’t muster up enough enthusiasm, so we cancelled that tour.
Wish I had never discovered these mini donuts
I had hoped that Aarhus had a Hop-on-Hop-off bus like some of the Baltic cities did, but they did not (despite the information you can find about it on the web). The woman in the tourist information booth gave us a map and we followed it to the downtown shopping area. They should invest in painting a blue line like Kiel.
It was a very pleasant day. We passed the very modern library and the very old (12th century) Cathedral and the Theater.
We visited the small Viking Museum. We tried to find another one of their churches, but Google Maps and I just couldn’t seem to communicate.
We passed some interesting statues and some pretty wildlife.
Christian XHarbor worker
Eventually we made our way back to the ship and I bought an ornament from a vendor near the ship.
We spent the rest of the day reading until it was time for the sail-away.
We chose the main dining room for dinner tonight. We had a table for 2 but it was so close to the next table, it might as well have been a table for 4. Chuck had the halibut, and I had the turkey and dressing. He said his meal was excellent. Mine was only okay. The turkey was dry. We both had the carrot cake. HAL makes very good carrot cake but they don’t serve it very often so I am always happy to see it on the menu.
We had heard good things about the first Harry the Piano show so we decided to see his second show. He was an excellent pianist, but he talked so much between songs that we got bored and left early.
Aarhus was our last Baltic city, and we now make our way west toward our final destination of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Travel Trivia
Denmark
First acknowledged in 1219, the Danish flag “Dannebrog” remains the oldest state flag in the world still in use by an independent nation.
In the 1840s, some Austrian bakers settled themselves in Denmark and introduced the beloved pastry. For this reason, what most people call “Danish pastry” is actually called “wienerbrød” or “Viennese bread” in Denmark.
The world-famous LEGO® brick was invented by Danish Ole Kirk Christiansen in the town of Billund in 1949.
In Denmark, a person is never farther than 32 miles from the ocean.
Dane Nikolaj Coster-Waldau played Jamie Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Denmark’s size, in US terms, is somewhere between Maryland and West Virginia in size. However, the Kingdom of Denmark has islands, and lots of them. In total, Denmark has 443 islands, 70 of which are inhabited. One of those islands is Greenland, the largest non-continental island on the planet. Adding all the territory together brings them up to 12th biggest territory in the world, between DR Congo and Saudi Arabia.
Denmark’s sales tax of 25% is one of the highest in the world. Denmark also has one of the highest rates of income tax in the world with Danes paying as much as 45% of their income to the government. The bulk of the income tax covers the education system and the healthcare system of Denmark.
Aarhus, Denmark
Pronounced: Or – hoos
The settlement of Aarhus was started in around the year 770 as a trading place of the Vikings, but the oldest recorded history of Aarhus is from 951. The city grew in the 16th century and again during the Industrial Revolution.
A shipbuilding yard from the Viking Age was uncovered upriver in 2002 by archaeologists.
The center of Aarhus was originally a pagan burial site until Arhus’s first Christian church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber structure, was built upon it during the reign of Frode, King of Jutland, around 900.
Aarhus Cathedral in the center of Aarhus is the longest and tallest church in Denmark 305 ft and 315 ft in length and height respectively.
Since 1938, Aarhus has marketed itself as City of Smiles which has become both an informal moniker and official slogan.
I had signed us up for a tour to go to Hamburg but after reading the reviews and deciding we didn’t feel like another long trip, we decided to cancel the tour and just stay in the port town of Kiel.
We walked off the ship at 10:00 and picked up a map at the tourist booth. Didn’t really need the map because the town painted a blue line from the port to the downtown shopping area. Genius.
Lots of statues on the way to downtown.
Memorial to the Naval Shipyard Workers1889 Bronze sculpture of a Protection Goddess created by Eduard Lurssen
We went into a Woolworth’s. I didn’t even know they were still in business. We also went into a TJ Maxx but it was called a TK Maxx.
We wanted to go inside the St. Nikolia Church, but it was under renovation.
1920’s sculpture depicting victory of good over evil by Ernst Barlach
Once we finished wandering around the downtown area, we made our way back to the port. We walked through a park that had busts of all the people who had won a Nobel prize over the years from the area. I was astonished at how many there were.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1907
Once we got to the port, we began walking on the waterfront. We were looking for the Botanical Gardens but never saw the sign to direct us to it from the waterfront.
We did watch the harbor seal swim into and out of his outside enclosure of the Aquarium. He was quite large. He was also too fast for a decent photo.
We also saw a gentleman getting ready to take a swim in the sea. Off came the shirt. Off came the pants. Off came the underwear. Okay – that is a lot of wrinkled skin. Then, he jumped in and started swimming laps. Good for him. That water had to be freezing. It may have been a sunny day, but it was still chilly and windy.
We really had a nice time wandering around the town and waterfront. The town with all its parks was lovely. The people we encountered were very friendly and helpful. I think we definitely made the right choice for our day.
Once we made it back to the ship again, we went to the Lido for a hamburger for Chuck and chicken fajitas for me.
We enjoyed watching the sail away from the balcony. It was soon time to go to the Casino and then to the Lido for dinner. The stage show tonight was the One Step Dance Company – “In Tandem.” We’ve seen it a number of times so Chuck decided to play some cards. I played some slots and then went back to the room to finish my book.
Travel Trivia
Kiel, Germany
Pronounced: keel
Kiel’s recorded history began in the 13th century, but the city was originally a Danish village, in the 8th century. Until 1864 it was administered by Denmark in personal union. In 1866 the city was annexed by Prussia and in 1871 it became part of Germany.
Kiel was a member of the Hanseatic League from 1284 until it was expelled in 1518 for harboring pirates.
Kiel was the site of the sailors’ mutiny which sparked the German Revolution in late 1918. Just before the end of the First World War, the German fleet stationed at Kiel was ordered to be sent out on a last great battle with the Royal Navy. The sailors, who thought of this as a suicide mission which would have no effect on the outcome of the war, decided they had nothing to lose and refused to leave the safety of the port. The sailors’ actions and the lack of response of the government to them, fueled by an increasingly critical view of the Kaiser, sparked a revolution which caused the abolition of the monarchy and the creation of the Weimar Republic.
Kiel has been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy’s Baltic fleet and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding center.
Kiel is known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics were held in the Bay of Kiel.
The oldest building in the city is the 13th century Church of St. Nicholas.
Kiel’s Holstenstraße is one of the longest shopping streets in Germany.
We had no plans to leave the ship today. We slept until almost 8:00, got coffee from the Grand Dutch Cafe, and then some breakfast in the Lido.
After getting back to the room, Chuck decided to go to the gym. I went off the ship to the shoreside souvenir shops and found a Sweden Christmas ornament. When I came back, the room stewards were cleaning the room, so I went to the Crow’s Nest with my laptop to work on my photographs.
We received an invitation to a Mariner reception for this cruise as we did for the Norway cruise. However, this invitation indicated there would be a luncheon following the reception which we did not have on the Norway cruise portion.
We went to the Dive-In grill for grilled chicken sandwiches for a late lunch. Our sail-away back through the Stockholm archipelago was at 3:00. We watched it from the balcony listening to the Cruise Director Karlijn providing commentary. The water was very calm, and I enjoyed looking at the unique homes on the small islands.
We spent some time in the Casino before we went to dinner in the Tamarind restaurant again. As always, the dinner was delicious. Tonight, Chuck had the Five Spice Baby-Back Ribs and the Spicy Thai Shrimp, and I had the Jewels of Sea soup and the Mongolian Bar-b-Que Lamb Chops. For dessert, we shared the Exotic Fruits. We were able to identify dragon fruit, plum, pomegranate, mango, pineapple, and the mango sorbet. We also got our favorite Tamarind beverages – Wasabi Cocktail and Cucumber Mojito.
The show tonight was Harry the Piano. He was described as probably the most gifted improvising pianist in the world. High praise. We gave it some thought but then just waddled off to the room. Food coma.
Travel Trivia
Stockholm, Sweden
Ericsson Globe, located just south of Stockholm’s Södermalm district, is the world’s largest hemispherical building. It has a diameter of 361 feet, the volume is 792 thousand cubic yards, and the inner height is 279 feet. You can see it from pretty much anywhere in Stockholm.
The term Stockholm Syndrome originated from one of Sweden’s most famous crimes. During this six-day bank siege at Norrmalmstorg in 1973, hostages began to identify with their captors. The enormous charm of career criminal Clark Olofsson is considered a key reason for this happening.
The computer game Minecraft and internet radio Spotify were invented in Stockholm.
ABBA The Museum is an interactive museum where you can virtually try on ABBA’s costumes, sing, play, mix original music and become the fifth member of ABBA by performing on our large stage together with Björn, Benny, Frida and Agnetha.
Stockholm’s oldest surviving building is The Riddarholmen Church, a Franciscan monastery built in 1270.
The city became the venue for the award of the first Nobel Prizes, in the year 1901.
The city’s subway is also known as the world’s longest art gallery, with the majority of its stations being adorned with paintings, sculptures and mosaics. The name Stockholm comes from the words stock meaning “log” and holm meaning “islet.” No one seems to know exactly how the town got its tag; one account claims that Vikings trying to determine the location of their new settlement used a log bound with gold, while others point to the masses of logs driven into the waters near Old Town.
This is our first day of an overnight stop in Stockholm. I woke up without an alarm. Slept pretty well last night. Went for coffee at the Grand Dutch Cafe and then watched the sail-in on the Stockholm archipelago until we were ready for breakfast.
Today’s independent tour has been very convoluted. Originally the ship was to dock at 8:00. A group of us were going to meet in the Ocean Bar at 9:00 and walk off together for the meeting point of Guru Tour’s WALK THROUGH STOCKHOLM’S OLD TOWN.
Tour Description: Join us on our Old Town Tour to enjoy the beautiful island of Gamlastan and understand why the Vikings chose this island to create their next capital. Our tour is designed chronologically so you can experience history just like the city did. We will start from the Viking Era, the German influence in the country and the Danish clash which led to the most important Swedish event: the Stockholm bloodbath in 1520 followed by the succession of Gustav Vasa. The tour ends in Stortorget, by the Nobel Prize Museum.
Then we were notified that the ship would not be docking until 10:00 because of the tidal conditions. One of the women who first contacted Guru Tours kept us informed about the time changes to our tour.
Our guide decided that a 1:00 tour would work, and we would meet at the Royal Opera House. I checked to see how far the Opera House was from the ship. It was over an hour walk so I bought us HAL shuttle tickets.
I kept getting varying reports about how long it would take the busses to reach the drop-off point because of road construction and traffic. We ended up on the 11:00 bus. We were dropped off at 11:30. The Opera House and a park were across the street from the bus drop-off/pick-up point. We had to take our passports off the ship today too which I still hate to do.
King Karl XII (King of Sweden 1697-1718)Opera House
It wasn’t long before I needed to use the restroom (dang that large coffee). Luckily, I had the FLUSH app on my phone. It showed that the nearest public restroom was at the Museum of Medieval Stockholm. The museum admission was free and there was no charge to use the restroom either (a number of restrooms charge .50 or 1 Euro). Win-Win!
We spent some time looking around the museum and then made our way back to the Opera House. Eventually we were joined by the rest of the group and our guide Christian.
Our walking tour was supposed to be two hours. However, it ended up being three hours. We walked up and down hills of cobblestone. The day was sunny, but the wind was brutal. Christian had a lot of information at each stop. In my opinion, too much detail for me. I think he could have talked less, and we would have been finished in two hours. The majority of the group, including us, were exhausted.
ParliamentGrand HotelNational MuseumClock TowerNobel Prize MuseumStortorget SquareStockholm City Hall
Lots of statues in Stockholm.
Gustavo Erici (King of Sweden 1523-1560)The Sun Singer – ApolloAdolf Gustav II (King of Sweden 1611-1632)Iron Boy (smallest public monument in Stockholm)
About half-way through the tour, we were treated to a parade where most of the people were dressed in animal costumes. Christian said it was a protest, but I didn’t see anyone carrying signs or saying anything, so I don’t know what they were protesting.
One of the things that Christian emphasized was that people who live in Stockholm are almost cashless. They use a sophisticated debit card, or they use a credit card for almost all purchases. In fact, when we got ready to tip him for the tour, he pulled out his personal debit/credit card reader. However, most of us had Euros to give him. He didn’t reject them.
We took the shuttle back to the ship. Walking over all the cobblestones really wore out my legs and back.
I liked the tour except for the length of it. I don’t feel like it followed the tour description of a chronological order. However, we learned some history, some societal information, and some current events. Christian was a personable young man who really loves his adopted home of Stockholm.
I went to the New York Pizza and Deli and brought us back a pizza and a couple of beers to have in our room for dinner. The movie Fast X was showing on the screen in the World Stage tonight. We skipped the movie, took some Tylenol, and called it a very early night.
Travel Trivia
Sweden
In 1909, Sweden became first country in Europe to establish national parks.
Sweden is known for its sweet tooth, as the country ranks as the fifth largest consumer of chocolates in the world. The average Swede enjoys 14.6 pounds of chocolate each year.
Dynamite, the pacemaker, ultrasound, safety match, astronomical lens, marine propeller, refrigerator, and computer mouse are all famous items that were invented in Sweden or by Swedes who weren’t living in Sweden.
Swedes are well known for their love of meatballs and the dish is highly popular in the country, usually served with gravy and boiled potatoes, so much so that the IKEA furniture store serves them in its stores around the world.
Although Swedish people pride themselves on leading a healthy, outdoor lifestyle that includes eating well, the country holds the record for one of the highest number of McDonalds restaurants per-capita in the world.
One of the most popular flavors of ice cream in Sweden is salmiakki, or salty licorice, which can also be coal black in color.
Halloween has been celebrated in Sweden only since the 1990s and it is celebrated on Maundy (Holy) Thursday just before Easter. Children and teenagers mainly dress up for fancy parties and ghost parties, light lanterns, and venture forth to scare their neighbors and trick-or-treat.
I thought I had set my alarm correctly. I didn’t. Just suddenly woke up with a start. We had a room service breakfast delivery at 7:00 and I was glad I was up before he arrived.
I looked outside and it was very foggy, and it was already raining. Not only would we be wearing all of our rain gear, I was bringing the large orange HAL golf umbrella that was in our closet.
The HAL tour title: A STROLL THROUGH HELSINKI
Tour description: Helsinki’s tree-lined avenues, graceful parks, and distinctive architecture make the city a wonderful venue for walking.
The coach will take you from the pier to Senate Square, where the Lutheran Church stands near the Senate Building, and the University boasts a neo-Classical style. Along the way you will see the formidable buildings that dominate Helsinki’s skyline — the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Finlandia Hall, the National Museum and Parliament House.
Begin your walking tour past the central railway station, Eliel Saarinen, to the National Theater and Sanoma Talo.
A cup of coffee or tea will be served with a pastry snack at a local cafe.
Walk up to the Töölö residential area and through Hesperia Park. Visit the famous Rock Church — a modern-day structure built, amazingly, entirely into bedrock and quarried stone. Your walking tour ends here and you will return to the pier by coach.
Notes: Guests who wish to stay in town to shop or explore on their own are welcome to do so, but must return to the ship on their own. Use of an audio headset (included) will enhance your tour experience. The walk covers approximately four miles. Wear comfortable walking shoes. It is a 400-yard walk uphill from the coach parking to the Rock Church. In the event that a special function is being held here, an inside visit will not be possible. Minimum age is 7 years.
We boarded the bus for our ride to the Senate Square. Once we exited the bus, the skies decided to open up and the wind started whipping. My umbrella turned inside out. I got it back together and held it like a shield in front of me against the blowing rain.
Our guide Christine was a very tiny woman so she had to hold the “follow me” sign as high as she could so we could spot her in the crowd. She didn’t have an umbrella.
We had ear pieces so we could hear her but with the wind blowing, I didn’t catch everything she said.
As we continued to walk, the rain eventually stopped, and the sun came out. It actually got warm for a while. Then the sun went back in, the wind picked up again, and it was chilly again. Just so unpredictable.
We finished our tour at the Rock Church. It was beautiful inside, and it was going to close early because there was an evening wedding scheduled. We had about 30 minutes before we were to catch the bus back to the ship. We walked over to some of the small stores nearby and I bought a Christmas ornament. We sat on a park bench and people-watched until it was time to go.
I have to say that the rain today dampened my enthusiasm for this tour. Christine did the best she could to make it fun and informative, but I was glad when it was over. However, people I talked with who went to Helsinki after the rain stopped said they had a wonderful time.
Once we were back to the ship, I was happy to see that we had a note letting us know the clocks would be moved back one hour tonight.
I got a bag of laundry ready to send out – free laundry is my favorite Mariner perk that we have earned.
We sat on the balcony and watched all the boats – including some jet skis that kept chasing one of the car ferries and a couple of synchronized wind surfers.
Tonight, we decided to eat in the Lido again and go see the comedian at the World Stage. I thought he was very funny.
Afterwards, we spent some time in the Casino before calling it a night.
Travel Trivia
Finland
Finland is one of the best places to spot the Northern Lights.
Finnish law states that anyone living in or visiting Finland has the right to roam the countryside, forage mushrooms and berries, and enjoy the recreational use of natural areas, even on privately owned land.
Drinking eight cups of coffee per day would not be considered unusual in Finland.
Estimates put the number of saunas in Finland at around three million.
The games of Angry Birds, Snake, and Clash of Clans all originated in Finland.
The annual milk consumption per person in Finland is approximately 34 gallons.
Wife-carrying is a competition in which men have to carry their female teammate (traditionally their wives) and race against other competitors through a special obstacle track and the one who finishes first is declared the winner. The sport was first introduced in Sonkajärvi, Finland. Today, Sonkajärvi serves as the venue for the Wife Carrying World Championships. The winner receives a prize of beer worth the weight of his wife.
The longest known palindromic word is the 19-lettered saippuakivikauppias, which in Finnish means a lye (caustic soda) dealer.
Finland celebrates “The Day of Failure” on the 13th of October each year. The first such day was held in 2010 by Finnish university students. It soon became very popular and attracted big names in Finnish society. Today, many famous politicians, artists, media personalities, and others support the Day for Failure and share their own stories of failure and how they overcame the problems. The day is celebrated to allow people to open up about their problems in life and gather encouragement from society and others who have suffered similar fates but still managed to persevere.
Finland is home to one of the largest number of Heavy Metal bands, with 53 per 100 000 people.
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki holds the distinction of being the northernmost capital city in Europe.
Helsinki includes the mainland located on the Gulf of Finland, but also covers 300 islands that are interconnected with many bridges.
The local government heats the granite slabs from underground during winter making the boulevards and sidewalks in central Helsinki completely snow-free.
Helsinki is also called ‘the white city of the north’ because of the number of white buildings that are built from the local light-colored granite.
The red squirrel is the symbol of the city of Helsinki, Finland.
You can find canned bear meat at the markets of Helsinki.
Helsinki has the highest cellphone-to-resident ratios in the world. Cell phone maker, Nokia, is based in Finland.
We got up at 7:00 and had breakfast in the Lido again. Service in the Lido has been inconsistent. There are times that multiple staff come around offering water, coffee, tea, etc. numerous times. Other times, nobody comes around at all. I’ve just started getting my own beverages most of the time.
We had to get our passports out of the room safe. We don’t usually have to take them off the ship, but Estonia requires it for all non-European tourists. I am keeping them close.
Our 10:00 a.m. tour today was an independent one through Shore Excursions Group. We have taken several of their excursions over the years. The title of today’s tour: CRAFT BREWERY AND CITY TOUR.
Tour description: Spend the day seeing the main highlights of the medieval part of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea and the country’s cultural hub.
You will visit the famed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a large Russian Orthodox church dominating the landscape at the top of Toompea Hill. Completed in 1900, this mixed historical style structure contains a powerful ensemble of 11 church bells within its towers.
Down the hill you will find Toompea Castle, home to the Estonian Parliament. This Baroque-style facade building was constructed on the remnants of a 13th-century fortress and sports an eclectic mix of styles thanks to each ruler who left their impressions on the place throughout the centuries.
Also view St. Mary’s Cathedral, commonly referred to as the Dome Church. In its original form, the 11th-century church was fashioned out of wood, then replaced with stone over centuries of conquests, fires, and more. While exploring Tallinn you will make your way through a retro Soviet-style residential district and see Kadriorg Park and the Song and Dance festival grounds.
From there you will head into the Estonian countryside and pass by Jagala, the biggest waterfall in Estonia. At over 50 meters in width and 8 meters in height, this natural waterfall is only thirty minutes away from Tallinn and is not to be missed as part of your true immersive experience of Estonia.
Stop at a small brewery where you will sample 5 different kinds of beers and ciders as well as 3 kinds of delicious local farm cheese.
Book this popular brewery tour now and get ready to enjoy a cultural and palatable taste of Estonia and the unique town of Tallinn.
Please Note: The tour ends in central Tallinn, to allow you to explore or shop at your leisure after the tour. It is about a 15-minute walk, or a 5-minute taxi ride (not included, approximately 15 EUR), from the cruise pier.
We followed the directions and found the representative of Discover Estonia exactly where he said he would be. However, we also discovered that the other people gathered there did not sign up for the same tour that we and one other couple did. They had signed up for a city tour, shopping time, and a transport back to the ship. I wondered how they planned to combine the two tours.
Our guide’s name was Roman. He walked us to where the van was waiting. We had a short ride to our first stop – Kadriorg Park and Kadriorg Palace. I thought the park was very peaceful.
As we were making our way to the van, we passed more entertaining statues and places in the park.
Roman then took us to the Tallin Song and Dance Festival Grounds. Roman said he has attended many of the festivals here and the festivals were a great source of national pride.
100 years of festivalsGustav Ernesaks Memorial (founder) and friendExamples of concerts held hereEstonia Song Festival
Our next stop was the old town of Tallin.
We all had to go to the restroom by then, so we were directed to three different shops. I guess the shops allow the tour groups to use their restrooms in hopes that the tourists buy stuff. The shop I went into was selling a lot of Baltic amber jewelry pieces. Beautiful but I passed on a purchase.
Then Roman walked us to the center of old town and we got to make a wish on the lucky chimney sweep.
Once we had all made our wishes, he was going to walk four of us over to a restaurant at the nearby Market for a beer and cheese tasting. However, the other couple decided they wanted to stay in old town, so he walked with just us.
I did not care for any of the beers served. They were all too sour for me. The cheese was very garlicky.
Roman had to leave us to go back and pick up the others who were still in old town shopping and take them back to the ship. We were left to find our own way back to the ship or to old town. He encouraged us to wander around the Market since we didn’t have to be back on the ship until 8:00 pm. We were ready to go on back to the ship.
After walking all day, we did not want to walk back to the ship. We decided to use my Bolt app and hail a rideshare. Bolt is a European version of Uber or Lyft. I had read that many of the cities were now using Bolt, so I had downloaded the app and set up an account before we left the United States.
The map was a little confusing as to where we were going to be picked up. We were not going to be picked up at the restaurant but had to walk to the front of the Market. We arrived at what we hoped was the front entrance of the Market and I was relieved to see the car was pulling up. He took us right to the ship.
So, our tour did not exactly match the tour description. I was disappointed we did not get to see a waterfall or the countryside, but we still learned a lot about Tallin and Estonia.
We had a drink on our balcony and watched the sites for a while. Decided to have an early dinner in the Lido and then see the illusionist. We had seen him before on another HAL ship, but he had a new act this time.
Once the show was over, we were done for the day.
Travel Trivia
Estonia
Among European countries, Estonia has the highest number of startup businesses per person and even offers a ‘Startup Visa’ to encourage young entrepreneurs to relocate and join its growing startup community. Digital household names like Skype, as well as up-and-comers like MeetFrank, started in Tallinn, and that list of names is only expected to grow over the next few decades.
The country is the first country in the world to have implementeda flat tax system.
It is the least populous state of the European Union.
Estonia has the highest number of supermodels per capita.
The Estonian language is one of the hardest to learn for a native English speaker.
Estonians put sour cream on almost everything.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as one of Europe’s best-preserved towns from the Medieval Period. The towering stone Viru Gate, which welcomes visitors to the city’s historic center, dates back to the 14th Century and was part of the city’s defenses.
You can find wireless Internet just about everywhere in Tallinn.
Opened since 1864, Maiasmokk is Tallinn’s oldest running café.
The 1980 Moscow Olympic sailing events were held in Tallinn.
The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence is located in Tallinn.
Held only once every five years, the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration was declared a UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Tallinn was the home of the first publicly displayed Christmas tree in 1441.
