Baltics Adventure

In the Baltics I found a land of midnight sunsets with petrified sap turned to amber jewels, gilded castles, medieval forts in limestone and enchanted waterways and treasures each more fascinating than the next port of call. Steered through calm waters by the Seven Seas Radisson Cruise line I saw five countries in two weeks: Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Time zones, landscapes and languages spoken all changed so fast, yet in the sheltered confines of the cruise ship, it felt like a familiar blanket wrapped around me while the world opened up in new ways. The ship's restaurants' Compass Room, Veranda and Latitude served the finest mix of continental and European themed food with under stated elegance. At Signatures, the formal style restaurant, my favorite by far and reminiscent of my stay months earlier in Paris I encountered sumptuous dishes with the Le Cordon Bleu standard and well worth my Buddha belly that soon ensued.

Copenhagen–The artist's landscape

In Copenhagen a day before the cruise my morning began with a taste of grav lax more orange than the late evening sky joined by various styles of herring in a spree of yellow, white, peach and caramel colors, not so different than the buildings that first greeted me at Nyhavn, the canal area. Like an impressionistic painting they appeared charming and inviting, all the things I expected. But what surprised is the neatness of the walkways leading to the canals and the adjacent streets. Instead of strewn bits of trash I saw recycling bins and wide bike lanes, a sign perhaps that being environmentally conscious is woven into the Danish society.

At Tivoli Gardens, like most amusement parks I expected to see trash bins overflowing, but there too the cleanness continued. While others raved about this park, it left me disappointed. Maybe it's the hype or the fact that my Aunt also on the trip got bruised by a run-away stroller of all things.

The park itself is tranquil with pagodas and various restaurants set in full view of roller coasters, a merry go-round and games where a lucky coin toss could win a plush furry animal. I learned that the excitement at the park mostly happens at night when the rock and roll bands play.

In pursuit of scholarly things, I headed to the National Museum, which provided an overview of the life of the Danish people both in prehistoric times, the Middle Ages, and during World War II. The Sky Disk and the Sun Chariot exhibit, which explored sun worship, captivated my interest the longest. In some art pieces the horse carried the sun along with the help of the fish and snake, while other drawings showed what looked like a button with smaller circles designated for sunrise, midday, sunset, and evening.

At nightfall on the ship I expected darkness. It's the essence of night, we come to expect, but not in the Baltics. It stayed light all through dinner and then some. Still I rested, anxious to begin a new day in Gotland, a quaint island that dates back to the Vikings that's part of Sweden.

Gotland – A step back in time, along the Baltic Sea

To get toGotland from the cruise ship we took what's known as a tender (small boat) and arrived in Visby for a hike along the coast. The white sandy beaches reminded me a bit of Carmel except Gotland is more remote. The absence of traffic is what's so striking at first. The singing of the birds reverberated louder than the noises of the people. Even our group soon found soft spoken voices.

Past seaside cabins some fancy, others ramshackle and camping grounds our guide shared with us how camping is permitted often on what we in the U.S. would think of as private property, but just for twenty five hours he said. I wondered if this is regulated as we entered the grounds of an estate built around a fireplace with carved statures representing pain, labor and love.  At sunset, I learned, the sun shined on the love stature. I didn't need to see the statue all aglow with the sun's rays to know it's so.

In Visby, the capital of Gotland, I walked on cobble stone streets, the very ones used as walkways by the Vikings. Below the cobblestones excavators have unearthed the original wooden planks the Vikings used on their roads.

Visby for thousands of years has been visited by Vikings, kings, and nobleman and achieved World Heritage status in 1995.  Known as a leading city in the Baltic Region in the 12th and 13th century, the remnants of impressive medieval stone buildings are still visible today. Nearly 200 hundred of these buildings have survived either partially or fully intact. The remains of the ancient wall, more than 3Km long, that once surrounded the city is one of the best preserved in Europe.

Guards, I imagined kept a weary eye seaward, while their countrymen mingled in the medieval market, not so different than the fair I walked through. As I examined the wares of blacksmiths, seamstresses and carpenters and watched some jousting inspired games I wondered what the Vikings thought about when they sipped on a beer or maybe munched on a candied apple like me.

Estonia – A walk in the former Eastern Bloc

When the ship docked in Tallinn, Estonia, I felt a wave of apprehension: "I'm in a former communist nation, once part of the U.S.S.R." But the city of Tallinn itself felt vibrant and seemed like many European cities with its designer boutiques, outdoor cafes, cobble stoned streets and the mix of old and new buildings.

In the Tallinn Town Hall built in the Gothic style, once the heart of the town I felt the whispers of past commerce as I saw barrels of spices and records of merchant visits. Along its Basement Hall there are archaic windows with their stepped sills. The Citizen's Hall with arches painted in a zigzag pattern of blue, green, yellow and rust is still used today for concerts and receptions.

After the Town Hall I explored a former 13th century bathhouse with three steep towers. In the narrow winding stair ways in darkness I clung to the frayed rope on the side rail knowing it led upward even though I couldn't see. At the top of two of these towers I found a welcome view of the coastline, village and the neighboring park below. The summit of the third tower contained what seemed like the remnants of a sauna with its aromatic smell of burnt wood and closed quarters.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur of tourist and antique shops in quest of amber. It seems it's in no short supply in virtually every tourist shop all through the Baltics, but capturing just the right gem stone for a keepsake is part of the allure.

St. Petersburg– The former land of Czars and Communism

Docked in St. Petersburg a trumpet blared at what felt like the crack of dawn on my time zone. It heightened the excitement as our guide bus drove parallel to the Neva River and I glimpsed Russian tug boats, sight seeing vessels, yachts and cruise ships. A pertinent sign by the river with a finger pointing our guide explained meant "no demonstrating", a concept so foreign to America, but a reminder of how different life is and has been in Russia.

Our guide shared in a relaxed manner how pre-Perestroika she never knew who could be listening among the group or at a museum. Back then she mostly talked about history, but now other subjects are fine.

I asked about the transition from communism to free enterprise. She explained how Russians refer to communist times as "warm prison" with no sense of unemployment and a steady stipend. "Now we call it cold freedom, but it is better, better for the people, so many more opportunities."

At Peterhof, our talk with the guide turned to history and I learned how this summer residence of Peter The Great is often referred to as a Northern Versailles. But still I felt the influence of  America the moment I stepped off the bus. I heard the unmistakable sound of the American Star Spangled Banner. The tune played by a Russian band accompanied vendors hawking a t-shirt modeled after the McDonald's logo, which said, "McLenin" and on the backside, "The Party Is Over," along side Russian military hats, enameled boxes, Faberge inspired eggs and traditional wooden dolls within dolls some painted with Russian folklores and others depicted modern icons like Harry Potter.

On the grounds of Peterhof one majestic fountain seemed to give birth to another and another. In all there are 64 fountains and statues. Black and white photos from World War II of the palace show the bombed out remains in stark contrast to refurbished rooms with elaborate paintings on the ceilings, antique statues, vases and period furnishings all of which have been meticulously restored.

After Peterhof we took a Hydrofoil boat along the Neva River and dined in the Grand Hotel Europe, 130 year old hotel. Eating in a room as ornate as the palace walls I felt like a Romanoff as I sat back and enjoyed the balalaika music and dance.

Still enamored by the spirit of Russian entertainment in the evening I saw the ballet, Giselle, in the city aptly called the Russian capital of ballet. It's easy to see why it has such a distinction when the dancers move across the stage with such poise and grace.

The following day, I toured cathedrals and synagogues in the historic center of St. Petersburg as the weather grew warm. I asked our guide if this is normal weather for the summer as I tied my jacket around my waist. She smiled and said, "In Russia we say summer is nine months waiting and three months disappointment."

While a short summer might be the norm, the weather of our stay low sixties Fahrenheit, proved to be a delight.

At St. Isaac's I saw one of the largest domes of the world, splendid paintings and tombs of the Czars of Russia, along with a wall of photographs of the Romanoffs. Our guide explained how religion is returning toRussia and mentioned a recent mass with thousands in attendance and pointed to a section of the cathedral currently used for worship.

Next, I visited a Russian Synagogue with Moorish architectural influences founded in 1893. The synagogue is active and is also experiencing a renaissance.

The Hermitage- The Louvre of Russia

In five hours I toured through the Hermitage, a museum that could easily take a week to see everything. The Hermitage is known as one of the most prestigious museums of the world, founded by Catherine the Great in 1764. It's far grander than the Lourve. The rooms are as much a treasure as the jewelry and paintings. Extensive space is devoted to Western European masters including: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and the French Impressionists Degas, Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Gaugin and Matisse.

I marveled in the Amber Room and heard how it too was meticulously recreated after WWII. There are various theories as to where the original amber from this room might well be. The mystery is as fascinating as the beauty of the walls all aglow with this petrified sap.

In the Gold Room, I found one bejeweled spectacle to love after another between the jeweled crowns, rings, watches, snuff boxes, swords, and horses' reigns and saddles decorated with emeralds and diamonds. In front of the royal stage coach decorated in gold and red velvet I felt the epitome of the word; breathless.

Helsinki, Stockholm – Quiet, calm beauties

In Helsinki on a nice sunny day, no longer in quest of gilded palaces, I strolled through the Senate Square with its famed green domes and gazed at the stature of Alexander.

At the Ateneum Art Museum, I set my sights set on the more modern Finnish print work made from wooden blocks. I also admired the Finnish artists and foreign art from the 18 th, 19th  centuries and up to the 1960s. At the Design Museum I saw the artwork of Marja Isola, and became an instant fan of her colorful circular and geometric patterns, which adorned enormous sheets that stretched from floor to ceiling.

In Stockholm I took a quick tour through the Royal Palace, the state rooms and baked in the sun at the changing of the guards. Unlike the changing of the guards in London, which I remembered took just a few minutes, the one in Stockholm is quite a ceremony and lasted a whole hour with a full marching band.

After the bake in the palace, unseasonably hot weather, a stroll by the water brought a dose of coolness and tranquility. Much of span Stockholm is along the lake. I found natural inlets to explore and with great amusement I noticed a giant finger pointing sculpture that jiggled with the current and a few feet away from it a nose and a mouth bobbed in the water. With no tour guide in sight, I can't say for sure what it means, just an artistic expression of modern art, I suppose.

The modern art museum itself in Stockholm is a real treat. The Andy Warhol painting with the Marilyn Monroe faces makes such a bold statement, the same with the Picasso and Matisse paintings and so many other modern artworks in odd shapes, colors and textures, which question the mind and challenge the senses.

The outdoor colorful sculpture garden is reminiscent of the Pompidou Centre fountain in Paris. Many of the sculptures have moving parts and are quite fun to watch and the source of much giggling too.

A short walk past the museum there's a lovely park, actually there are several all around the lake district. Sitting on a bench in a grassy park I watched swans bend their necks in the water and slowly paddle along. I no longer felt like a tourist. I found a park to call home, if not just for a day.