We arrived in St. Petersburg at about noon today. Our plans are to take a canal boat cruise this evening, a tour of Catherine's Palace tomorrow, and dinner and the Russian Ballet tomorrow night. The kids are very excited to have the chance to see Russia and are curious about what it is like.
I have still only been able to use the ship's computers to access the Blog, so this will be brief. I have been typing longer blog entries on my computer and will post those when I can.
We have been incredibly fortunate with the weather. Once again it is sunny today AND in the 80s. I should have packed more shorts! The down side of that is that there is no air conditioning in buildings here, so we will all be hot in our shore excusions.
We have entered yet another time zone - we are now 8 hours ahead of EST. We are also getting closer to white nights - very disorienting when you can't get a clue about the time by looking in the sky.
The sea has also been as calm as can be. You would think that we were in the Caribbean. My worries over the water in the North Sea and Baltic were for nothing.
To get into Russia, you must have a visa. We can go on tours without one, but cannot go out and just walk around. Since we did not get one, we are spending the afternoon relaxing on the ship and will be VERY sure to stay with our tour group. Most Russians do not speak English, so we are best staying where we are supposed to be.
We got a little news from the states, including that some Russian spies have been arrested - awkward timing for us. I hope they are not too upset with Americans today.
Well, that is enough for this post. I promise to share more about each day when I can access the Internet on my laptop.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Internet Challenges
We are having a wonderful trip so far. I have been a little disappointed to not be able to share more of it as it happens. Getting on the Internet while sailing across the sea has been very challenging. This is only the second time that I have been able to get on the Internet. I will keep trying, but may have to post some about the trip after I have gotten home.
So far, we have been to Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen Denmark, and Berlin Germany. They were all fabulous and more than I had imagined. In Oslo, we saw authentic Viking ships (amazing) from the years 800 a.d. - 1,100 a.d. They used to bury weathy people, so this is how they were preserved. Yet, it is still amazing that wooden ships would last this long in the ground.
We also saw an enormous ski jump ramp. It was hard to imagine skiing down that!
In Denmark, we went to one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. The park was beautiful. It had flower gardens everywhere. There were also restaurants, theatre, and rides. We went on a wooden roller coaster that was one of the original rides - so fun!!!
We also took a canal boat tour in Denmark - Copenhagen is a beautiful city!
Berlin was a long, fun day. We took a 2 1/2 hour train ride just to get there from the port where we docked. The ride took us through the countryside. Berlin was amazing to see. The one and only other time I was there was in 1981 when the wall was very much still there. We got the checkpoint charlie experience and everything in 1981. Now, East Berlin is a VERY different place. All of the ruins of war have disappeared, and many new buildings have been put up. They have replicated the design of the original buildings.
Well, more on all of this in later posts. I will try to make more posts during this trip, but may have to add some after I return.
So far, we have been to Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen Denmark, and Berlin Germany. They were all fabulous and more than I had imagined. In Oslo, we saw authentic Viking ships (amazing) from the years 800 a.d. - 1,100 a.d. They used to bury weathy people, so this is how they were preserved. Yet, it is still amazing that wooden ships would last this long in the ground.
We also saw an enormous ski jump ramp. It was hard to imagine skiing down that!
In Denmark, we went to one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. The park was beautiful. It had flower gardens everywhere. There were also restaurants, theatre, and rides. We went on a wooden roller coaster that was one of the original rides - so fun!!!
We also took a canal boat tour in Denmark - Copenhagen is a beautiful city!
Berlin was a long, fun day. We took a 2 1/2 hour train ride just to get there from the port where we docked. The ride took us through the countryside. Berlin was amazing to see. The one and only other time I was there was in 1981 when the wall was very much still there. We got the checkpoint charlie experience and everything in 1981. Now, East Berlin is a VERY different place. All of the ruins of war have disappeared, and many new buildings have been put up. They have replicated the design of the original buildings.
Well, more on all of this in later posts. I will try to make more posts during this trip, but may have to add some after I return.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sightseeing in London
Despite being concerned about my lost wallet and frustrated by having to deal with the consequences of losing something so important, I am so very grateful to be able to be in London. I feel very fortunate to be able to take such a nice vacation and appreciative of the Strategic team who are "holding down the fort" while we are gone.
We got our first real glimpses of the city today. Although we drove through it yesterday, I spent more of my time sleeping than observing. We hopped on a Hop-on Hop-Off tour bus today. Unfortunately we got such a late start that we did not take much advantage of the hop off feature.
This is actually a great way to at least get a quick look at the sights - enough to convince us that we must return someday. There is such a long and rich history here that the US seems like a mere baby.
Some of the "must see more of" places that we passed are The Tower of London, Parliament, Buckingham Palace and various Museums. This is not to mention the shopping, theatre, and restaurants that called our names.
We did hop off once to take a ride on the Eye, th
Some of the things that I learned today.
- Green park was originally a cemetary for leapors (sp). There are no ponds or flower beds in the park. Eeww.
- The first miniskirts were work in London.
- The first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London. The owners got the idea because they could not find a good burger here.
- One of the favorite foods of people here is Indian. I guess that is what the result of colonization. The first Indian restaurant opened here in the early 1800s.
- They have such high regard for Winston Churchhill that his statue has an electrick current that scares birds away. They do not want pigeons pooping on his head.
Funny conversation of the day: We passed a statue of a nude man. Kristina pointed it out to Ben and they laughed about seeing the man's butt. Ben said something about his butt cheeks. I thought to myself . . . it is a good thing we did not drive past the other side. I can just imagine what that conversation would be like.
Tomorrow we are headed to the ship.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Jet Lagged in London
Les and I shuffled down the street in search of a restaurant as our overactive, sleep deprived children ran circles around us. I know alot of kids get super busy when they are tired and that it is not unique to ours, but managing them can be very challenging.
The staff at the hotel directed us to Covent Garden, an area with lots of shops and restaurants, saying that we could find all kinds of food there (Indian, Thai, Chinese). As I listened to their suggestions, I tried to wrap my mind around the idea of coming all the way to London and then eating Chinese food. It seems absurd.
After walking a few blocks and passing several of the restaurants mentioned at the hotel, we decided on an English pub and enjoyed a traditional English meal, fish and chips. It seemed like lunch to us (noon EST), but was really about 5pm local time. Although fried foods are not my favorite, I feel satisfied that I have had a true British experience. (I think I actually like those other foods better though.)
As we lingered over our meal, the food settled in and I once again grew tired. My thoughts of taking a walk vanished, and we returned to the hotel for rest and wallet searching. It is now almost 7 p.m. here, and I am looking forward to going to bed tonight.
By the way, Wikepedia says that jet lag can take about 1.5 days per time zone to adjust. If that is true, we will be "jet lagging" for almost half of our visit!
The staff at the hotel directed us to Covent Garden, an area with lots of shops and restaurants, saying that we could find all kinds of food there (Indian, Thai, Chinese). As I listened to their suggestions, I tried to wrap my mind around the idea of coming all the way to London and then eating Chinese food. It seems absurd.
After walking a few blocks and passing several of the restaurants mentioned at the hotel, we decided on an English pub and enjoyed a traditional English meal, fish and chips. It seemed like lunch to us (noon EST), but was really about 5pm local time. Although fried foods are not my favorite, I feel satisfied that I have had a true British experience. (I think I actually like those other foods better though.)
As we lingered over our meal, the food settled in and I once again grew tired. My thoughts of taking a walk vanished, and we returned to the hotel for rest and wallet searching. It is now almost 7 p.m. here, and I am looking forward to going to bed tonight.
By the way, Wikepedia says that jet lag can take about 1.5 days per time zone to adjust. If that is true, we will be "jet lagging" for almost half of our visit!
Arrived in London but the Wallet Didn't
I seem to be really get myself worked up about leaving town. Did I remember to do everything? Are we taking enough money? What kind of clothes will we need? Did I pack enough? I spent most of the day yesterday feeling anxious about these things as we prepared to leave.
At times it seemed that things took twice as long as they should. After spending hours trying to do a load of laundry, I finally discovered that the water valve was turned off. Then I lost the cat, and finally discovered that she was locked out on the porch. Then I lost the keys to the storage unit where the suitcases are kept . . . and my day went on like that.
Well, I thought it was all over once we left the house. My anxiety is overcome by the sweet relief that all tasks are completed and we are on our way. All seemed to be fine until I got to the hotel this morning and discovered that I lost my wallet . . . good grief . . . so now the calls and searching are on.
Well on a brighter note, the flight was on time and very smooth. We left Dulles at 10 p.m - just in time for sleeping - and arrived at about 5 a.m. EST. That means it was 10 a.m. here. Although we were tired, we did get some sleep on the plane and are functioning. (Although not well enough to keep from losing my wallet.)
Tip: The extra legroom coach seats are worth the price for a long flight. 5 extra inches of leg room make a big difference when trying to sleep. I don't think I would do it for a shorter flight though.
So far, my impressions of London are that it is steeped in tradition and is a very old city. Whenever I come to Europe, I am always struck by how much older the building are than in the US. Of course, I understand this on an intellectual level - I learned about it in history class. However, it is different to see it in person.
We drove through various parts of London on the way from the airport to the hotel. Each area of the city seems to have its own character and charm. To really appreciate this city, one would need more than just two days.
Funniest conversation of the trip: Ben expressed disappointment about leaving his balloon at the restaurant (went to Red Robin on the way to the airport). Kristina tried to console him by saying that it was no big deal, balloons are not that important, and she does not even really like them.
Then he said, "so can I have yours."
"Well, I didn't really mean . . . sometimes its actually the reverse . . . actually . . ." She sputtered.
"So, that means no?"
At times it seemed that things took twice as long as they should. After spending hours trying to do a load of laundry, I finally discovered that the water valve was turned off. Then I lost the cat, and finally discovered that she was locked out on the porch. Then I lost the keys to the storage unit where the suitcases are kept . . . and my day went on like that.
Well, I thought it was all over once we left the house. My anxiety is overcome by the sweet relief that all tasks are completed and we are on our way. All seemed to be fine until I got to the hotel this morning and discovered that I lost my wallet . . . good grief . . . so now the calls and searching are on.
Well on a brighter note, the flight was on time and very smooth. We left Dulles at 10 p.m - just in time for sleeping - and arrived at about 5 a.m. EST. That means it was 10 a.m. here. Although we were tired, we did get some sleep on the plane and are functioning. (Although not well enough to keep from losing my wallet.)
Tip: The extra legroom coach seats are worth the price for a long flight. 5 extra inches of leg room make a big difference when trying to sleep. I don't think I would do it for a shorter flight though.
So far, my impressions of London are that it is steeped in tradition and is a very old city. Whenever I come to Europe, I am always struck by how much older the building are than in the US. Of course, I understand this on an intellectual level - I learned about it in history class. However, it is different to see it in person.
We drove through various parts of London on the way from the airport to the hotel. Each area of the city seems to have its own character and charm. To really appreciate this city, one would need more than just two days.
Funniest conversation of the trip: Ben expressed disappointment about leaving his balloon at the restaurant (went to Red Robin on the way to the airport). Kristina tried to console him by saying that it was no big deal, balloons are not that important, and she does not even really like them.
Then he said, "so can I have yours."
"Well, I didn't really mean . . . sometimes its actually the reverse . . . actually . . ." She sputtered.
"So, that means no?"
Monday, June 21, 2010
My First Blog
Up before anyone else, I am quickly setting up my blog -- my first -- so that I can get back to the laundry, dishes, packing, errands, and other tasks to prepare for the trip. For some reason, my stress level seems to build the closer we get to time to leave. The washing machine acting up and a last minute decision to try "the patch" are not helping.
I just learned that "the patch" requires a prescription, adding even more tasks to my day. But after learning that the waters of the North Sea can be quite rough, this has moved to the top of my list.
Well, so far so good with the blog set up. I hope this works out because I am looking forward to share with you my travel experiences.
At 7:40 tonight, we will be boarding a plane headed for London. After a couple of days there, we embark on a 12 day Disney Cruise to Norway, Germany, Sweden, Russia . . .
See you there!
I just learned that "the patch" requires a prescription, adding even more tasks to my day. But after learning that the waters of the North Sea can be quite rough, this has moved to the top of my list.
Well, so far so good with the blog set up. I hope this works out because I am looking forward to share with you my travel experiences.
At 7:40 tonight, we will be boarding a plane headed for London. After a couple of days there, we embark on a 12 day Disney Cruise to Norway, Germany, Sweden, Russia . . .
See you there!
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