We're finally home after 18 days away. To call this trip amazing doesn't do it justice. We truly had the time of our lives and every day was a new exciting experience. We made so many new friends that we hope to vacation with again in the future. Otto discovered the kids club which allowed us a lot of time on our own.
The last two days at seas were spent relaxing and relishing our last few days of vacation. The highlight was when Otto (with a little help from dad) won the Mickey 200. This is a competition where you are given a potato, a carrot, and 4 wheels. You have 30 minutes to make a car. Otto was so excited every time his car won. What a hoot.
As soon as I sort through the 2000 pictures we took I will get some uploaded.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
July 15 2010
Today was Stockholm Sweden and I have to say this was one of my favorite stops. The ship left port at 2:45 so our time in town was limited.
We toured on our own using public transportation which was easy and far less expensive than being on an excursion. Our first stop was the Vasa museum. The Vasa is a 350 year old war ship which sunk on her maiden voyage in Stockholm harbor since she was top heavy. She has been raised and preserved. This museum was the highlight of the day. The ship was awe inspiring and pictures do it no justice. We spent almost two hours at the museum.
From there we went on a ferry to Gamla Stan, the Old Town. It is filled with narrow streets and neat shops. We eventually made our way to the Royal Palace where we toured the treasury which holds the crown jewels and saw the changing of the guard.
There had been a royal wedding about a month prior and you could buy and souvenir emblazoned with the picture of the Prince and Princess. Magnet, shot glass, postcard. You name it and you can find it. They even sold pieces of silver used at the wedding in the palace gift shop. A little creepy if you ask me.
After that it was time to head back to the ship. We didn't even have time to visit the downtown area and would love to go back some day.
Coming up we have two days at sea followed by the trip home on Sunday. It is hard to believe this trip is almost over. It has been amazing to visit all of these places and to spend time with Pam and Otto without the worries of every day life looming. The internet is just too slow to upload pictures, so they will have to wait until we get back.
July 14th 2010
Today we spent the day in Helsinki Finland. Everyone said this would be the least interesting port and they were right. We did an excursion called Santa's Summer House. Basically, we drove an hour out of the city to visit Santa their were arts and crafts and games . This is the perfect excursion for the three to five set and Otto had a great time. After that we walked through town where there just isn't a lot to see. There was a nice outdoor market and that was about it. Just not a lot to do in town compared to the other stops. Tomorrow is Stockholm which should be great.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
July 12th and 13th
Sorry the updates have been slow, but our Internet access was pretty hit or miss for several days. It seems to be working well today. I have almost 500 pictures to sort through for St Petersburg, so they will follow later.
All I can say about St Petersburg is WOW! What an amazing city. To visit St Petersburg you Need to be on a ship excursion, have a Russian visa which costs $450, or use a private tour company. Pam and I joined ten other DISers for a privately guided tour through Denrus. In my opinion we saw and experienced far more than anyone that took the ships tours. Since their were only 12 of us we moved much more quickly than a bus full of people and our motor coach was driven by a pro, Igor, who could teach NASCAR drivers a thing or two about squeezing into tight spaces. Our tour guide Nadia was great and did everything she could to keep us comfortable despite the record breaking heat. It was over 90 degrees both days in a city where the typical summer high is 68.
Needless to say our tour hit all the high points in the city: Catherine's Palace, Peter's Fortress, a ride on the canals and one on the subway (the stations are like museums), the fountains at Peterhof, the Church of Spilled Blood, the Hermitage, and St Isaacs Cathedral (plus any I forgot). Without a private tour we would have seen only half is much in our two days. The ships excursions weren't efficient since you had to return to the ship after pretty much each location. Plus this was less expensive than taking several of the ships tours.
I will not give a detailed description of each site, but they frequently went like this: here is a room full of Monets take a look around...thirty seconds later: please step into the next room which you will find filled with the work of Renoir. Your mind can only process so many gilded palaces and masterpieces in a day. To quote one of our tour companions "I am palaced out"
We're in the middle of what the locals refer to as the White Nights. Last night at midnight you could sit on the deck and read a book without any extra light. It never really get completely dark even though the sun goes just below the horizon for about four hours.
Last night at midnight there were people all over the deck and in the pools enjoying themselves like it was four in the afternoon.
I will upload the pictures as soon as I have a chance. Helsinki and a trip to Santa's Summer House tomorrow.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)