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.

Submarines and Cupolas

About a year ago, about the same time, MV FRAM's reception got anxious phone calls in the early morning hours, people were worried about a very weird sound in the ship, that seemed to come from the hull. Well, they were right: A year ago we had to push through a layer of ice to make our way east to St. Petersburg. Ships were trapped, traffic was only for those who had a reinforced ship. So the ice image is a year old.

Not today. Under another blue sky we are ploughing through open water, past the famous fortress of Kronstadt, built by Peter I. as defense against the Suedes, later the refuge of revolting seaman during the Revolution; past military compounds, harboring submarines and ancient war ships. All vessels are decorated to the brim with colorful banners, and this is an image that will follow us all day long. The 9th of May is Victory Day in Russia, celebrating the end of the 2nd World War.

Around 10am we welcome the Russian pilot on board. His task is more complicated than the one yesterday, since there are a lot of shallows, there is a lot more to navigate in-between until we finally reach the Neva River. We are in Russia.

The scenario to both sides of our ship is spectacular, the mixture of decaying industrial complexes, shiny palaces, ships that are about to go down right on their pier and extended Hummer limousines parked nearby, rusty ice breakers that billow smoke of incredible blackness from their stacks, submarines that look ready for battle and the immense richness of orthodox churches are competing for our attention. You can not arrange this, this has grown over decades.

Our pier is directly on the embankment, just before the first bridge across the Neva River. In the distance the slim golden spire of the Peter and Paul Fortress aims for the clouds as if to spear them.

The port authorities are fast and rather unbeaurocratic, so we can start with the shore excursions even earlier than expected. During the Canal Cruise you get a very characteristic overview of the strange contrast between splendor and workers life. The rich are superrich here, the others are not rich at all and struggle daily for their income. After the channel tour, which was rich in information, there is also the visit of the Peter and Paul fortress. Others go and see the Alexander Nevsky Monastery and the Smolny Cathedral.

In the evening we have a performance of great beauty: The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra is playing on board of FRAM in the observation lounge, of course mainly the well-known works of Russsian composers.

And then it is time to go outside - as if we had ordered for it, there are huge fireworks on the embankment, honoring the Victory Day. A tremendous finale for a wonderful day.

Sunset in Helsinki

The keen observer will notice that today's title is a tautology - Helsinki does actually mean sunset in Finnish. But who will understand this language, if not the Finnish...? There is so much öö and ää in it, and it doesn't resemble to anything we might have learned.

But we are not there yet, the morning is a silent, viewless gliding across a flat foggy pond, mild, devoid of any visual disturbance. The ship is an island which could be anywhere. Only the bridge knows where we are, but that's ok, we still have lectures to listen to, books to read.

As the sun gathers strength, the mist lifts and like a curtain that rises for a play we are suddenly under a blue sky, just in time to welcome the pilot, who will be our guide in these foreign waters, until we reach the harbor entrance of Helsinki. Narrow it is, lined with pretty houses, curiously parked submarines, and cannons, remnants of several wars. 

We make fast right next to the old market hall, practically in the middle of the city. So everything is close by, an opportunity used by most of us who enjoy a sunshine stroll in a city with a most peculiar mix of architecture; post-communist buildings are planted next to delicate Jugendstil structures and modern galleries. Coffee houses invite as well as beer gardens, and the young generation - which is the largest part of the Helsinki population - hangs out leisurely in squares and parks, on steps and statues. 
A very summerly feeling is this, but it's the reward for months and months of winterly chill and cold winds.

The days only excursion starts later on and has two parts: Firstly, a very instructive ride through the whole town, with a few remarkable stops to see the main attractions like the Sibelius monument and the Dome. Then we are invited to the German Church, where two very capable young artists spoil us with a selection of said Sibelius' fine music, evoking a feeling for the vastness that is all around us and easily forgotten in this nice place.

Everybody is back on board, the lines are cast and we sail into a really scenic Hel Sinki...

The Quiet Pond

Sea day. Calm day. Actually, that sums it up so nicely that there is hardly anything to add to it. Our itinerary leads us in considerable distance from the nearest land masses, so all we see is - sea.

What do you do when all of a sudden you have time on your hands?

Many find it difficult in the beginning to deal with this surprising amount of liberty and just do nothing, to only sit and watch the totally calm waters around us. Ok, the morning is wisely spent by attending the bridge visits, where our captain Arild Hårvik patiently explains the ship's technical features and answers all questions. And now? Well, point of fact, there's no need to be lazy, there are lectures given - on the Hanseatic League, on the famous Hermitage in St. Petersburg and on the Baltic Sea throughout the last couple of billion (!) years. There is our lofty gym, where you can work out or stretch while overlooking the endless horizons, giving you the perfect excuse during the meals to add a ladle more soup or a slice of meat.

The atmosphere is superbly laid back, the sunset is one you want to touch with your hand, it makes you bow toward the West. And so everybody is in a happy mood as we all gather for the Incredible Fashion Show. Well, I leave the definition of incredible to you...