With MV FRAM in the middle of the city

What is great on this voyage is the connection between the places and that for example the history connects it all:

We left Stockholm for Mariehamn, which was named after Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of tsar Alexander II of Russia. Even though Mariehamn belongs to Finland, it is an autonomous region. Today we are in Finland’s Capital Helsinki and in sight of the vessel is the Uspenski Russian cathedral. And tomorrow and the day after we are in St Petersburg itself… Next stop is Tallinn then- and to close the circle: King Gustav Vasa only founded Helsinki to compete with the port of Tallinn which was in Danish hands during his time….

And being on board Fram is great because…Fram can sail during our European time often directly into the cities itself! Don`t get us wrong-  vessels like the Queen Victoria are a great sight, but it is also nice to pass them, leave them at the outer ports and sail like in Helsinki directly into the heart of the city!

Nothing is far away for us today in Helsinki- and during this fantastic weather everyone is out either on excursion or just to stroll around. We could talk about the fantastic Cathedral, the city hall, the Russian Uspenski church but this is something you can see in every big capital….

   Today a few “insider” tips! If you are in Helsinki you should definitely

1. Eat Fish at the Old Market building at the pier- it is just delicious and a great spot for people watching

2.      Stroll over the local market for some nice arts and crafts

3. Do some window shopping and quickly understand why Helsinki is the “World Design Capital 2012” and why the name really fits!

4.     Take a ferry over to the old fortress of Suomenlinna! It is one of the biggest coastal fortresses on earth and earned the name “Gibralta of the north”. It was build by Sweden in 1748 and was later the home for Russian officers. In our days, around 1000 people inhabit the island and there is a kindergarden, nice cafes and many Finns love to come here for picnic.

Spring on the Ȧland Islands

Early in the morning we reached the harbor of Mariehamn the capital of the Ȧland Islands. We pulled up alongside the pier directly next to the old four-masted sailing ship “POMMERN”.

Around 9h we started our excursions of the day.  A huge group of active passengers went out for a four hour bicycle tour. The weather was sunny but cold and windy. So the guest had really to be sportive to stay with the group. Congratulations to all bikers.

Most passengers chose a more comfortable tour in a bus. One group visited an old brewery. The building belonged in former times to the royal farm house of Grelsby out of the 14^th century.

The other group went on a very interesting historical tour. The first stop was done at the old fortress of Bomarsund; build by the Russians as a powerful symbol for the Russian Tsar´s authority in the middle of the 19^th century. The fort was originally a huge building with 246 bedrooms for 2500 soldiers. Today you can find only the rest of the fundament and of course some walls, constructed out of the red Ȧland Granit.

The second stop we had in an outdoor-museum called “Jan Karlsgarden” next to the ruins of “Castle Kastelholm”, which was built in the 1380s. The old houses in the museum gave us a good overview over the way of live in the 19^th century.

The political background of the Ȧland Islands is very interesting and also a little bit funny, so that we want to let you know about it. As the islands came together with Finland to the Russian Empire in 1809 they stayed with Finland after the Russian period in 1918. But, and there is always a but, as the Ȧland Islands belonged before the Russian period to Sweden, and that for a very long time, the culture is more affected by the Swedish culture. That is the reason why the people of the Ȧland Islands speak Swedish as their mother language and not Finnish. Evan the Islands belong to Finland they have their own autonomy. So they have their own parliament, their own stamps ….The children learn at school first Swedish, than in the 3^rd class they have to learn English, first in the 5^th class they can learn Finish, but there is no must for it. That is the reason why many inhabitants of the Ȧland Islands cannot speak Finnish even they are Finnish.

We cannot finish the blog without speaking about the wonderful nature of the Ȧland Islands. The small islands are all eroded by the ice during the last ice age. The old stones, most of them Granites, look nearly polished. Most islands are covered with the wonderful Boreal Forest. Only some of the deciduous trees just got their new leaves. The whole vegetation looks very fresh. On the ground you can find now all the different flowers, which are typical for springtime. Everything looks colorful - especially in the nice sunshine we have had today.

At 15.30h we left the Ȧland Islands. As soon as we reached the open waters the sea became a little bit rough. But it was not too bad, so that we could listen to the very informative lectures.

After dinner many guests went to the Panorama Lounge to meet with their new friends and to listen to Ralph our Piano player.

A sunny start, what can be nicer?

Stockholm welcomed us with blue sky and sunshine. After the check in procedure most guests went directly out to the open decks to enjoy the wonderful scenery of Stockholm. Some passengers used the last possibility to walk along the pier into the town before MV FRAM closed the gangway. Everybody was dressed already in the blue jackets we get on board. So during the next cruise days we will walk sometimes like a “long blue snake” through the streets of the Baltic Nations.

But before we could leave the harbor, all passengers had to join the mandatory rescue drill. It is good to know how to behave in an emergency situation before the cruise starts.

During dinnertime MV FRAM sailed slowly through the small islands in front of the Swedish coastline. It was the first test for our cameras to make nice pictures.

At nine o´clock our Captain Rune Andreassen invited us to a welcome cocktail in the observation lounge. Here he introduced his officers and the Expedition leader Anja Erdmann. Anja used than the opportunity to give us a first overview over the expedition team that will inform and teach us during the trip. 

A wonderful sunset let us hope for good weather conditions tomorrow. But on this evening most of us went to bed early. The arrival day is always a hard and long day and we want to be fit for our first day in Finland.  

Skerry Islands

Not Scary - Skerries they are called, the flat, rocky islands forming a labyrhintic belt outside of Swedens capital. There accurate number is unknown, an incredible 25.000 at least. Here it is very, very obvious why we need a pilot - the chance of making a fatal mistake is very high, so: Do we trust the man? Yes, we do. And indeed, after a scenic three-hour ride through this archipelago of leisure, lined with the most beautiful and cozy houses, jetties and pleasure boats, we arrive in front of the charming facades of Stockholm.

Our parking position is smack in the city center, less than a cat's jump to Gamla Stan, the old town, one of the main attractions. Per-fect! The Swedish authorities are friendly and unbeaurocratic, so after a very short while everybody can go ashore.

Two excursions prove to be a full success, be it the "Stockholm Waterways", an extensive tour with a little barge, through old and new parts of the town. Or the "Old Town and City Hall" tour, showing the traditional aspects of this gentle, pretty place.

Well, and then it is definitely time to pack up, get a great summary of the whole trip in photographer Heather's slide show, and watch the day fade, wrapping the stout buildings in the twilight of the last evening.

A colorful trip this has been, rich in history, architecture, events, information - and fun.

Fancy to come back? - You'll be more than welcome!

Your "blogger" for the last couple of weeks is signing off tomorrow - thank you for following so closely, and please stay tuned: The Blog continues...

Black Heads and Blue Jackets

The next morning is a foggy one, nothing in sight, no contours, no land, no nada. So maybe it's a good time to start packing, or at least pre-arranging. The forecast says we will have better view later on, but who really relies in forecasts...?

One hour before we reach Tallinn the pilot boards us and shows us into on of the Baltics busiest ports, many bigger ships and ferries departing every hour, criss-crossing the flat calm ocean, connecting all the beautiful cities we have seen, but also many other places like Riga, Gdansk.

Today we are in for a real treat. Ever heard of Reval? That was Tallinn's name for many a century, meaning the "place where the deer (Reh) are falling", a very popular hunting ground. Reaching as far back as the 11th century, it did not only change name, but even more often rulers. From the Danish that went there first in order to christianize, the Hanseatic League, who made the place prosper and so a very desirable town, to the Swedish who were supposed to grant protection against Russia, to the Russians (who overcame the Swedish), Germans during several wars, Sowjet Union - and finally independence.

And the most amazing part: The unbelievably well-preserved medieval town centre remain practically undamaged throughout all this. So if you enter Old Tallinn through one of the stony gates you take a leap back in time, round turrets looming above, fortress walls and merchant buildings with hooks in for hoisting goods and weapons, cobble stone pavements that have seen hooves, cart wheels and handmade leather boots, wooden doors bent under the weight of centuries, thick oakwood doors, studded with iron spikes, telling the tale of unpleasant neighborhoods.

Today, of course, there is tourism, but in a nice way, people are dressing up in historical clothes, speaking an old version of English when they serve you a soup made after a medieval recipe.

Instruments from the past are masterly played and the overall atmosphere is refreshingly ancient. Here, that is, inside the walls.

Out "there" there is a modern country growing, with a keen, ever-learning population, advancing to Europe's spearhead in the IT business and technology, just to name two. Amber is a main sales hit, too, you see it literally everywhere.

But none of it during the excursions in the old parts of Reval/Tallinn, be it by bike or on foot. We breathe the air of knights and templars for a day, of swords and spells, of spices and lutes.

It is a little unreal to go back to the ship, to the modern world. But our Captain is giving his Farewell Cocktail in the panorama lounge, and nobody wants to miss it.

So we are ready for our last leg that leads us to Stockholm, capital of the last country on our multinational trip.

Perfection in Petersburg,

Palaces, Paintings, People.

There is no question that everyone was enthusiastic to see as much as possible of this special Russian city.

Yesterday, the Canals, Fortress , Monastery and Smolny. Today many more of the highlights of art and architecture.

The clear view of the dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral is poor preparation for seeing the scale of the building from ground level. Ceramic domes at the memorial Church of the Spilled Blood sparkled in sunshine.

At the Hermitage (starting pre public opening hours) we saw not only the art filled interiors of the Winter Palace but also the precious treasure and fine gems of the Gold Room. “Everyday Life in St. Petersburg” led passengers to explore the deepest underground rail system in the world. The Metro Plans were drawn up in 1899 - a very different era to that in which it finally opened in 1955.

There was also the great option of a full day expedition out of the city centre to Tsarskoe Selo on the Gulf of Finland taking in both the dramatic Catherine Palace, so often referred to as the “Russian Versailles” and the grounds of Peterhof.

With a Wedding Palace close to the ship it was no surprise to see bride and groom posing with historic backdrops. The mansions along the English Embankment mooring are less well known to visitors, but like the Palaces, each has a story to be told. No wonder that this is a popular place for locals to stroll.

Surprised by warm temperatures over the last couple of days, guests are cooling down watching ice carving tonight as we head off out into the Baltic once more.