Cruise Chronicles – Day 8 – St. Petersburg – Day 2

The second day in St. Petersburg was not nearly as strenuous as the first. The pristine, blue-sky day began with a drive down the city’s main boulevard, the Nevsky Prospekt for a brief stop at the Kazan Cathedral. The mother church of St. Petersburg was also the official church of the Romanov family where weddings and other ceremonies were held.

Kazan Cathedral and Statue of Kutuzov, St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

There was no time to enter the church. We received our briefing besides the statue of one of the most revered generals in Russian history. Field Marshall Mikhail Kutuzov defeated Napoleon in 1812 and died a year later. He is interred in the cathedral and has had towns, ships, monuments and heroic awards named for him ever since.

The Summer Garden of Peter the Great,

St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

We then joined other tour groups on a boat to cruise along the canals and Neva River. It was good to get off the crowded streets and see St. Petersburg’s impressive landmarks from the water. Within ten years of the city’s founding, Peter the Great created his summer garden…again modeled after the formal gardens he saw in the West.

Peter and Paul Fortress from the Neva River,

St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

The Peter and Paul Fortress dates to the founding of St. Petersburg in 1703 and was the original citadel of the city. It is dominated by the Cathedral with a spire over 400 feet tall.

The day’s itinerary included a visit to the great Hermitage Museum. That will be the subject of a separate post since it deserves singular attention.

The last stop of the day took us 15 miles south of St. Petersburg to the town of Pushkin. There we visited another extravagant monument to royal excess, the Catherine Palace. What began as a modest two-story summer home built by Peter the Great for his wife Catherine was greatly expanded by their daughter, Empress Elizabeth. It is now nearly a kilometer in circumference and beyond excessive.

Catherine Palace, Pushkin, Russia (15 May 2019)

The property encompasses 1400 acres of grounds. Apparently, Empress Elizabeth wanted her own Versailles to match her father’s effort at Peterhof. The palace exterior alone was decorated with nearly 220 pounds of gold.

The Great Hall of the Catherine Palace,

Pushkin, Russia (15 May 2019)

With an area of 1000 square meters, the Hall takes the full width of the palace. Large windows flood the room with light to illuminate the inlaid floor, the colossal fresco on the ceiling entitled ‘The Triumph of Russia’ and the gold that covers everything else.

Catherine Palace, Pushkin, Russia (15 May 2019)

Our guides more than earned their gratuities for two days of exceptional touring. I was grateful to be driven back to our ship. It was comforting to get off my feet and eat a light Italian supper as we sailed toward Estonia.

Cruise Chronicles – Day 7 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Day 1

For the next two days, we toured St. Petersburg in a van along with eight other passengers, a driver and our terrific guide, Dina. The driver knew his way around town and Dina knew all about St. Petersburg. We were in very good hands.

In the 1600’s, Sweden had an outpost near the mouth of the Neva River. In 1703, Peter the Great captured that fortress and never gave it back. He built a city that became the capital of Imperial Russia and remained so until 1917 when the Communist revolutionaries moved the center of government to Moscow. It was called Leningrad until 1991 when the original name was restored.

Subway Station, St. Petersburg, Russia (14 May 2019)

The first thing we did was get dropped off at a subway station for a one-stop ride on the famous Russian underground. The Moscow subway stations have been likened to museum displays. St. Petersburg stations are similar. We entered in this ancient Olympic-themed station and exited through an old naval history station.

St. Isaacs Cathedral, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

St. Isaac is the patron saint of Peter the Great so it’s no surprise this was a special place. The Cathedral was completed in 1858 and has been a museum since the Soviets declared it so in 1931. The grand interior space can accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers. The features and decor in every direction are stunning. It was a shame we had to leave for our next stop because I could have stayed there for hours photographing the lines and details of every feature.

Major Matryoshka Display, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

We were a van-load of tourists, some of whom were eager to buy souvenirs. This particular vendor had extensive offerings of everything Russian. The place was loaded with imitation Faberge eggs, specialty vodka, fur hats, Christmas ornaments and of course, t-shirts. I got my own throw-back CCCP model figuring it might put me in good stead with our president’s pal Vlad. Naturally, one can buy every example of the famous nesting dolls. The one above has thirty dolls and at about 63 rubles to the dollar, the set will set you back close to $4700. I’ll take the shirt.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

In 1881, Czar Alexander II was assassinated…the fourth of the five Romanov rulers who were murdered. That’s a quarter of the total line. Some might think we are a violent nation (especially these days) but we’ve assassinated only eight percent of our presidents (four total)…so far.

But I digress. The Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood was erected on the site of Alexander’s killing. Completed in 1907 by the next Czar to be killed on the job, its interior is remarkable…with Orthodox iconography on every wall and column.

I have no good pictures of the outside of the church because it was a rainy day and parts of the building was covered in scaffolding. Instead, I refer you to this shot on Alexander’s Wiki page…taken by someone with much better post-production skill than I possess.

Peterhof, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

After lunch, we boarded a boat bound for Peterhof, the Russian Versailles. Peter the Great had visited the French palace and he wanted one of his own. Greatly expanded by his daughter, Empress Elizabeth, the estate was ravaged by German troops in World War II. By 1952, thousands of volunteers helped restore the palace and park to their original grandeur.

Fountains at Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

The Grand Cascade has 64 fountains and over 200 statues. Peter wanted his summer palace on the Gulf of Finland to out-do France with its fountains and out-do the Netherlands with its gardens. I have not visited Versailles but believe Imperial Russia can out-do anyone.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

The Peter and Paul Fortress was built on the Neva River to protect the city from Sweden, the other power in the region. Inside the walls is the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. And inside the Cathedral are the tombs of Czars. Lots of Czars. Peter the Great, who founded the city and did much to modernize and westernize the Empire, has a front-row tomb and still receives fresh flowers.

Tomb of Peter the Great

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

All but two of the Romanov rulers after Peter I are buried here. Nicholas II, the last Czar, was interred here in 1998, eighty years after he and his family were rubbed out by the Bolsheviks in 1918. It took an international team of forensic DNA specialists to confirm the family’s identities and a special room in the church was built to memorialize them.

Lakhta Tower, St. Petersburg (14 May 2019)

At the end of this day, the view off our cabin balcony permitted a magic light shot across the harbor toward the brand new Lakhta Center. The tallest building in Europe is over 1500 feet high and boasts many modern energy and environmental features.

While I regret seeing none of the day’s amazing sights, it was a long, grueling outing. I lost a toe nail and a persistent bump on the insole of my right foot was painfully aggravated. Tomorrow’s touring will be in flip-flops.

Cruise Chronicles – Day 6 – Helsinki, Finland

We crossed another time zone overnight (now seven hours earlier than east coast U.S.) and tied up the behemoth during breakfast. We are now in Helsinki, the capitol of Finland. Our pier has the town’s name printed in letters that might be seen from outer space.

Need a Wider Lens, Helsinki, Finland (13 May 2019)

By 10 AM, we are off on a shuttle bus to circle the city sights. With over 650,000 residents, it is by far the most populated Finnish city and the center of all the country’s major activities. This most northern of Europe’s capitals is considered one of the world’s most livable cities.

First settled as a Swedish trading outpost in 1550, the town grew slowly over the centuries that followed. Along the way, the region experienced setbacks caused by wars, plagues and the like. Finland has been a nation independent of Sweden and/or Russia only since 1917.

Rock Church, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

One of the shuttle stops was at the popular Rock Church…which is easier to pronounce than the Temppeliaukio Church. The Lutheran sanctuary, carved out of solid rock and opened in 1969, is a popular stop on city tours. As you might imagine, the dense rock walls and copper-domed roof make for superior acoustics and the church is a primo concert venue.

Outside the Rock Church, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

In a park named for the Finnish composer and national treasure, Jean Sebelius, a monument was erected in 1967. Six hundred hollow steel pipes are welded together to create a pattern that evokes soaring music. Naturally, there were criticisms from traditionalists, including griping about the absence of any image of the man himself. The artist succumbed to the pressure and added his likeness on the right. In shaping Sibelius’ face, the artist irritated other critics because she chose to depict him in his creative age and not as the familiar, elderly man the nation adored.

Sibelius Monument, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

This is also a popular stop on city tours. Buses lined up on the park’s perimeter. Hordes of selfie addicts insert themselves between you and the objects you came to see. One must be patient if one wants a picture of the monument by itself. What a concept.

Sibelius Park, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

While waiting for our bus, I looked back into the park and saw this iconic image of the Great White North. I much prefer landscape/horizontal perspectives but this simple scene begs to be seen in a portrait/vertical format. I wanted to find an angle that didn’t include crossing paths or people…anything that would distract from the interesting bark and leaves.

Market Square, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

Another popular attraction is Market Square, a dense collection of vendors with all manner of merchandise…produce, flowers, carved and knit goods, the usual plastic and t-shirt souvenirs…and some interesting food items. We weren’t feeling too meaty at the time so we eschewed the reindeer burgers and moose meat pies for French fries to share.

The Market is on the waterfront. Docked there was a private yacht big enough to find on The Google. My one photograph of it does not do it justice so I recommend you see the images on the web site. Let’s just leave you with the knowledge that you too can charter it for a mere $1.35 million a week.

Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki (13 May 2019)

We split up for some individual time and I walked a few blocks to Senate Square. Facing the Square on one side is the Government Palace. On another side is the main building of the University of Helsinki and between the two is the Helsinki Cathedral. Completed in 1852, the Finnish Lutheran church might be the most photographed building in the country.

Every Statue is a Sea Gull’s Toilet,

Helsinki (13 May 2019)

The Market and Senate Squares were the last stops for us today and this old guy’s bad feet were begging to be parked somewhere. I was in no mood to climb the stairs and see more of the Cathedral so I shuffled back to the bus and was glad to take my shoes off on the boat. I enjoyed the best dinner of the cruise in flip-flops.

Tomorrow will be another day in another country…a grand two-day stay in St. Petersburg.

Cruise Chronicles – Day 5 – Stockholm, Sweden

We woke up on a pleasant, sunny morning in Nynashamn, a deep water port town 60 km south of Stockholm. Of course, there was a rail station within walking distance of the dock and a modern train to take us to the middle of the city. This is Europe after all.

Parliament Building, Stockholm (12 May 2019)

Before long, we were exiting the downtown Central Station and walking to Old Town (Gamla Stan). The island that contains the royal palace and the national parliament dates to the 13th century and is one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe.

Old Town, Stockholm (12 May 2019)

One reason I like old European cities is that the ancient buildings have a flair for decoration. Many buildings were designed with ledges and nooks for statuary. So many valiant-looking, powerful female figures. I have to remind myself that women in those days were hardly ever treated as majestically and they were portrayed. “Thanks for posing, wench. Now go fetch us more firewood.” Also, it really takes away from any heroic impression when the regal head is streaked with pigeon poo. Closer to the harbor, statues are degraded by sea gull poo. Every statue in every city we visited was similarly stained.

Old Town, Stockholm (12 May 2019)

I guess one can find a southern tree like a magnolia in a northern place like Stockholm if there is an open spot that protects the tree from the harsh winds and cold. This little gem appeared to be thriving well enough.

Stockholm Skateboard Deterrence Installation No. 7 (12 May 2019)

Because the layout in Old Town is 800 years old, the streets are narrow and the alleys more so. There were occasional cars ambling through but not much room for them to maneuver around. Also, the ancient pavement was (and still is) granite cobblestones. My feet are already old and flat and ugly and walking here was not easy. Even if it’s summer, one should wear sturdy shoes in old European cities. This alley sloped down to the waterfront. Don’t have to worry about skate boarders rolling through…and if they try, you’ll certainly hear them coming.

‘Vasa’ Museum, Stockholm (12 May 2019)

We took one of those Hop On – Hop Off boat tours through the city’s harbor. It was a chance to get off the feet and learn about some of the waterfront sights. The venue we hopped off to visit was the Vasa Museum.

The 1600’s marked the height of Swedish military superiority in northern Europe. At the time, the country was involved in many conflicts and controlled territory on all sides of the Baltic Sea. In 1626, King Gustavus Adolphus ordered the construction of the largest boat of its day. The ‘Vasa’ was over 200 feet long, had two decks of cannons and a crew of 145 sailors and 300 soldiers. It was launched in 1628 and because it was so large and unstable, sank within minutes. Clearly, being the biggest does not mean you’re the best.

After 333 years under the Stockholm harbor, the ship was salvaged, restored and a magnificent museum was built around it.

Dinner with a View, Nynashamn, Sweden (12 May 2019)

After the train ride back to Nynashamn, it was a pleasure to replace the walking shoes with flip-flops and have dinner at the port-side window with its high view of the nearby rocky islands and the Baltic Sea in the distance.

Next stop – Helsinki, Finland.