Hyvää huomenta Helsinki

It was a great morning in Finlands capital. As the city awakes slowly, we were nearly on our way for the first excursion, experiencing the uniqueness and beauty of the sights and architectural diversity. Helsinki is a rather young city, only 200 years old and the cathedral dates back to 1852. Finns are proud of their independence, the only bilingual street signs are reminders of the component parts of Sweden.

The metropolis has undergone a gentle, but constant change during the years: in the old factory district you find today lofts and businiess building. It is a lively city, shops, cafes invite to sit outside in the sun. Suomenlinna Sea Fortress is only a ferry ride away. It is one of Finland`s cultural treasures and was built in the 1700s. Today, Suomenlinna is a city district with approximately 900 residents.

And already we hear music in our ears: half an hour from Helsinki at Tuusula Lake, one finds the villa of the countrys greatest composers, Jean Sibelius. His work is well known all around the globe- and when you see the surroundings you know what gave the inspiration for this great artist.
We still had time for a short stroll over the marketplace with many fruits, vegetables, flowers and fresh fish. And be aware: one can not resist the charm of the old Market Hall and taste a delicious rolls!

Right on time we set off, but I am sure that many guests would like to return to Helsinki! 

Back on board there is a full programme once again: lectures are given and in the evening there will be a great surprise: a very skilled carving show with ice, fruits and vegetables!

Good morning St Petersburg

Like the early birds we started into the morning on our second day. But our night enhusiasts had still rather small eyes- and that for a good reason: each night the bridges of St Petersburg open at a set time and are beautifully lightened. A wonderful scenery over the old capital of Tsar Peter.

One excursion stared with a city tour towards the Peter and Paul Fortress, the birthplace of the city and place of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Here you also find the Aurora- from here came the signal of the start of the revolution in 1917 by firing a single blank shot from the bow gun. But the hightlight of this excursion was definately the visit of the world famous Hermitage Museum- the "Crown Jewel" of the museums of St Petersburg. Founded in 1764 as a private museum of Catherine the Great it is now displaying an unbelievable selection of about three millon pieces of art. To see all of them you would spent an estimated 17 years!

The Neva river cruise gave us a great sense why the city is called "Venice of the North". St Petersburg is situated on 42 islands with more than 60 small rivers and canals crisscrossing the city. Our open boat went past the magnificant palaces facing the Neva, beautiful parks and garden and the onion-shaped domes of the Smolny Cathedral. This tour also brought us to the Yusupov Palace, an outstanding historic and architectural monument of the late 19th, early 20th century. It presents a fine example of the Russian classicism. The Yusupovs resembled a rich family and they were great collectors of art as well. The palace is in addition one of the most mysterious places of the city, full of occult memories. It was here that Grigory Rasputin, a peasant monk (also the "Lover of the Russian Queen",) who had gained control over the Tsar`s family through his alleged supernatural powers, was murdered by the young prince Felix Yusupov. And in the cellar of the palace there is a display of wax figures re-enacting the whole event (a bit like "Madame Tussauds").
In the early afternoon it was time to say "farewell" to this great place and we sail out the river and passed Kronstadt.

And Helsinki- here we come!

St. Petersburg

Oh what a day, we are in St. Petersburg, this wonderful russian city, also well known as the "Venedig of the North". Everybody was looking forward to this day and we have been very happy, when we could see the first golden roofs very early in the morning. But, and there is always a but, we were a little bit disappointed, that the sunny sky we have had for the last days was gone. Instead of the sun we had grey clouds and rain, but even when it was raining cats and dogs we staid optimistic and that was good because the weather became better during the day.

All of us had a more or less busy daily schedule. The excursions started already very early and we really needed the time to get a good first impression of St. Petersburg. Very soon we recognized, that we would need weeks or months to learn all about the town, but our guides did their best to provide a good overview. A big group started the bus tour in the direction of  Pushkin to visit the Catherine Palace and of course the reconstruction of the Amber Room. We nearly got a "gold and amber rush" and too soon it was time to drive back to St. Peterburg where a typical russian lunch was waiting for us. Champagne and balalaica music set us in a good mood. After the visit of the magnificent St. Isaac Cathedral we had a little bus ride through the city and than we went back to the ship.

Another group conquered the town on foot and had the possibility for shopping in the famous Nevskiy Prospekt. Those, who could't walk very well had of course the chance to explore St. Petersburg by bus. After a long day full of new impressions we were all happy to sit down in our ships restaurant to enjoy the Norwegian Buffet.
Dinner gave us new power for a classic concert given by a russian orchestra on board MV Fram. In front of the panorame of St. Petersburg it was an unforgettable event.
After the concert everybody went to bed early because another day is waiting for us in St. Petersburg. At 7.15 the first excursions will start, but this city is really worth to get up early!

The old Hanse city of Tallinn

A beautiful morning has broken over Tallinn.  After a wonderful Norwegian breakfast with lovely Gejte Ost and fresh smooked salmon we started to conquer the historical city of Tallinn.On the pier bicycles were waiting for a ride with the group of our sporty guests. Everyone enjoyed the 12 km cycling outside and inside the mysterial city walls. The other guests went by foot through the narrow streets, passed hundreds of restaurants and coffee shops and some of them bought souvenirs from the people dressed in mideveal clothes. Excursions brought the rest of us to the churches and the ruins of the Brigitta monestry, passing the beach entered the upper city. At the market place a lot of people were gathered. It looked like a campus in the Mediterian area.
We set sail early in the afternoon in the direction of St. Petersburg. Lectures about the Hanse trade organisation,  the fish of the Baltic Sea and the preparing of immigration for the next day were offered in the lecture halls.

We are all just watching the last 20 minutes of the glorious sunset on the Baltic- either from the dining room, the outside areas or from the Observation Lounge. Cydnie, our photographer, is just preparing a picture presentation upstairs that will run continuously later on tonight.

It has been an interesting day- bridge visits with Captain Rune Andreassen in the morning, lectures about architecture, amber and the Baltic Sea and our next destination Tallinn. Even though it is a sea day, something always goes on! And if it is only eating freshly baked waffles in the afternoon! And as we have very busy days coming up, everyone is happy about the calm seas and the sunshine we experienced today. And while finishing writing this blog, the sun is nearly gone and I bet you wish you would be here with us when you read this!

Zaproszamy do Gdynia!

Welcome to Gdynia, Poland! It is not only the countries richest city (due to the fact that most buildings, shops etc are privately owned) but also the youngest city of Poland. The city rights were only granted in 1926!  Before that it has been a rather small place that turned out to grow quickly with the construction of the seaport in the 1920s. Today Gdynia is home to approximately 250.00 inhabiants.

All in all five excursion busses left in direction Gdansk. This 1000 year old city on the Baltic coast is an amazing place- especially on a public holiday like May 1st! Everyone seemed to be relaxing in the sun, strolling along the main streets and enjoying the rich Renaissance facades of the houses around the Long Market with the famous Neptun Fountain. Wherever you look, there are fine buildings from the time of the Hanseatic League. In 1945, the city was destroyed by 90%. Now many buildings  are restored- but only the outside while the inside is used in a modern way. And that is also the reason why Gdansk is not in the Unesco list.

The pictures today show impressions of Malbork Castle and Gdansk.

Gudhjem/ Bornholm

Travelling in our days is amazing: yesterday Kiel, today we spent in Denmark, tomorrow Poland, later on in Russia, Finland, Sweden and then back to Germany. Imagine how long it took travellers 100 years ago what we are going to experience within the next 12 days?? At the moment we have 229 German speaking passengers on board and the morning was spent with port and excursion presentations. Around noon we reached Bornholm in typical spring weather... A mixture of rain, lots of sunshine- and some wind. The picturesque fishing village with approximately 750 inhabitants did not offer a harbor but we are very  independend with our Polar Cirkle Boats. Once ashore, many went on excursions to see either the exciting Southern part of Bornholm or for a roundtrip. Others explored the town, enjoyed the fantastic views or chatted with the locals that came down to the harbor to greet. And what would be a day in Gudhjem without some typical smoked hering or a icecream?! Too soon it was time to say "good bye" again and off we went- tomorrow it is time for Poland!

The beating heart of FRAM

At sea, at sea, that's where she longs to be…
This old line seems to fit perfectly on our brave ship, her bow ploughing the waves as if she enjoys it. But do we, who are travelling with her, working on her, living in her - do we ever think of what's moving us? With this thought in mind it might be a good idea to climb down into the deepest recesses where all propulsion comes from. Here sits the power that drives us across the oceans, that gently manouevers us into ports and fjords, that pushes FRAM through the ice with vigour. And you do hear it. You think the control room is a noisy place? Just enter the next room through the heavy door, but don't forget your ear protection! Four huge diesel generators (MAK, which is a German make) hammer their song in the belly of the boat. It's deafening, everyone who works here must be a lip reader!
And also here, especially here, maintenance is a constant chore. The guys just take apart a oil cleaning filter, it's routine for them, but looking at the amount of available tools you realized that this is highly specialized work. Thanks for all that, thanks for working so hard down here, where nobody seems to notice, in order to make this vessel what it is.

And now we are arriving in Kiel Ostseekai, in Germany after a long while.
Thanks to those who leave and a warm welcome to all the new guests. Have a good trip!!

Seaport with attached History

Gdynia and Gdansk, neighbours on the Polish shores of the Baltic sea, couldn't be more different from each other. Gdynias not only has the highest building on the Baltic coast (the "Twin Towers"), also its port is big enough to host more than 40 big cruiseships at a time, so it is no wonder FRAM gets a pier all on its own!

Today, everything is a little bit out of the ordinary, since one of the victimes of the recent Smolensk plane crash was the Gdynia-based High Admiral of Poland and we arrive just on the day of the funeral ceremonies. That means traffic jam everywhere, controls and closed streets. Anyhow, the bus somehow finds a way to Gdansk, where people can walk around this very old city and get a glimpse of medieval architecture and Hanseatic style.
But this can only be a short stopover - Oslo is waiting for us!

The Art of FRAM

After all we have seen, after all we have done, after so many impressions, places, kinds of food, of churches and people it feels rather like a break from the break, a welcome opportunity to take a deep breath and - do nothing.
It is just fine to wake up for breakfast, then sit around on deck or in the lounge, contemplating the time that lies behind us. And as it happens very often: As soon as you divert the eye from the colorful outside, from the many things that are somewhere else, you start discovering what is around you. Have you ever noticed how much love for the detail is in FRAM? Well, then let me show you a bit of the artful decoration that is everywhere on our ship. Walk up the stairs and you will find beautiful copper etchings done by Anne-Birthe Hove, a Greenlandic artist, who dedicated her œvre to the tradition of the people in the north. Even the transparent ends on the handrails are made of frosted glass in the shape of icebergs, each deck in a different color.
Nothing is left to chance, when you go dancing on deck 7, take a look to the black pattern that is laid out in the dancefloor. Not many know that this symbolizes driftwood on the coast of Greenland, coming from Canada, a natural building material that played and still plays a major part in Greenlandic life. Lift your eyes to the ceiling, what do you see? Well-designed lights? OK, what else? If you look at the whole construction you will see that it is imitating the shape of a whale-hunters harpoon, and is of course another dedication to the brave Arctic people that go out in simple kayaks to hunt for their survival. Those who are more into paintings admire the water-colors of Lars Lerin that are on display in the Bistro area and have been created especially for FRAM. Speaking of painting, no one can overlook the huge depiction of an Arctic sunset by Miki Jacobsen, on the way to the restaurant.
As you can see, FRAM is not only a ship, it is a declaration of passionate devotion to the Polar regions.

After a flaming red nightfall - a display of nature's art - there is a gathering in the Lounge to witness the fashion show, an array of little performances to introduce our shop's products. Some present themselves in true top form. Art? Well, that's up to you...

Amber and Ambience

Tallinn has got something, that St. Petersburg seems to lack - a time machine.
Whereas all the palaces and cathedrals on the Russian end of the Gulf of Finland are impressing witnesses of periods and emperors long gone, showing you how it must have been in those days a walk inside the city walls of Tallinn literally takes you back into the medieaval age. It is stunning how well this place is preserved, cobblestones round as balloons, the city walls stubby and sturdy, just waiting for a Tartar attack, the towers and spires pointing at a sky that is limited by the narrowness of the alleyways. Of course, the medieaval card is played by the tourism, but somehow here it really feels like chainmail and honeybeer, like hanseatic amber trade and banners and lute playing, and you cannot pinpoint why this is. Maybe the fabulous condition of the buildings, sporting old, very old beams and pediments and bronze nails in huge oak doors. Maybe the people who are actually performing here, serving you in the tavern, playing the music or just chat with you, curtseying or bowing the old-fashioned way so naturally. Or a little bit of all. Certainly here you can forget about the speed and pressure of our cities, and when we walk back to the pier, a little bit outside, a modern port with our modern ship sitting there, the stroll that we just had, seems to be far away, like a story told or a song that's been sung a while ago. You might even want to hum it...