Stockholm is My Kind of City

Stockholm was our port of disembarkation, so we chose to spend three days here to 'relax' after our cruise.  This is much more of a big city compared to Copenhagen.  It feels like a place where business is happening with tourist spots mixed in.

We hit the ground running with a visit to the current royal palace in Drottningholm. Shabby chic came to mind, especially in comparison to those in Russia.  In many rooms the floors were unfinished wood.  Perhaps I just don't get the Swedish design aesthetic.  Still a quite interesting place not to mention the scenic boat ride with a fantastic fish 'casserole' to boot.

Next stop, City Hall where the Nobel Prizes are awarded annually.  This may be the finest example of gold tile mosaic I've had the chance to see.  Little depictions from the around the world (the Statute of Liberty and a Native American represent the US) are mixed in with historic tales.  A relatively new building, the architect went to great lengths to make it feel old even darkening some bricks to look like centuries old water stains.

Day two found us touring a museum dedicated to a ship that the Swedish shipbuilding industry would just as soon forget - The Vasso.  Its maiden voyage lasted only twenty minutes before a strong wind blew it completely over and it promptly sunk and remained at the bottom of the bay until recovered in the 6o's.  An entire building is built around this heavily carved sailing ship.  It looks as though every detail was thought out - except if it was sea worthy.  Live and learn.

Our second stop was at the quintessential Skansen open air museum.  Founded in the late 1800's, buildings representing regions of the country (school houses, farms, barns) are placed in the park in more or less in their geographic locations in the country.  Mixed in are native animals such as goats, pigs, seals, bears and moose.  It was a very pleasant way to enjoy a sunny day with the Swedes, taking in a little of their culture and enjoying some incredible views of the city.

Day three brought us to the old town of Gamla Stan.  The main attraction is the Royal Palace and its related museums.  There's the Royal Apartments, Armory, Stables, Coin Bank and Treasury.  At 12:15 all gather at the entrance for a military procession complete with a band on horseback.  There was much marching, prancing (horses and soldiers) and march playing.  An award was presented to who we guessed was the Equestrian that medaled in London.  All very royal and patriotic.

It's hard to make the accomplishments of Nobel Prize winners accessible to those of us who barely made it out of Freshman Physics, but they managed it quite well at the Nobel Museum.  A photographer was tasked with taking portraits of recipients with a large, white paper that they were asked to draw on with colored pencils.  Most tried to explain their accomplishments with simple drawings that included formulas or figures.  The photographer briefly described the session with each of them, usually quite humorous.  What a marvelous way to make them more human while still recognizing their accomplishments.

After a brief shopping excursion and a sidewalk cafe dinner, we took a cab 20 miles north of the city to spend the night at the hotel in the airport.  We all loved Stockholm and are looking forward to returning to explore more of this Swedish domain.

Tallinn, Estonia - Free At Last

Our last port of call was a place I knew little about before this trip.  Tallinn is the capital of this charming little country that has spent quite a bit of it's history controlled by others.  Most recently it was part of the Soviet Eastern Block until they gained their freedom in the 'Singing Revolution'.  That's right, this peace loving nation gathered in the venue where they  hold their song festival and showed the Soviets they would be controlled no more.

The old town dates to the medivel times with a walled city that was very reminiscent of castles we saw in France.  There are beautiful views of the sea from the top of the wall and the streets are lined with quaint shops and sidewalk cafes. Our historic walking tour included a Lutheran Church( of course) and various government buildings.

While we barely heard about the Soviets while in Russia, our tour guide mentioned almost constantly how much better off they were once the Soviets were gone.  Their buildings were nicer, education better and they could finally speak their minds.  The national pride was refreshing.  Oh, and did I mention that their very popular President hails from New Jwrsey!

While only a short stop, I was totally charmed by this jewel on the Baltic,

These Russians Knew How to Live!

For our final day in Russia, I (David was exhausted from our Moscow trip and got some much needed rest) took a short trip to The Versailles of the North - Peterhof.  This lux palace served as the summer home home for generations of czars and czarinas and is the only Palace in Europe to actually sit on the ocean. Peter the Great, obsessed by anything European, was inspired by Versailles and may have actually upstaged it.  We're talking gold, crystal, wood inlay, gardens and fountains.  Perhaps the most impressive feat is the fountain system that is powered by gravity fed holding pools that use no pumps.  They still run every day in the summer (did I mention it gets a tad cold in the winter) at 11:00 am.

However, even this opulent lifestyle had it's drawbacks (not to mention the masses deciding to end their lives a little early) which actually made my skin crawl.  You see, all the heavy curtains and bedding served as a perfect home for.....FLEAS!!!   That's right, the flea bomb hadn't been invented, so brushes with sticky paper helped the women rid themselves of the little pests.  Yuck.

For our last look at Russia, we toured the places used everyday by the people- subways, malls, food markets - all not so different from what we have at home.  Gone are the shortages and food lines the Soviets were known for, replaced by indoor malls with H&M's and grocery store chains.  At the food market, some of the booth vendors offered samples of their wares and I took them up on their offer.  I liked it all except for a little red berry that the vendor was either telling me would calm my stomach or make me violently ill.  Without a full explanation I popped it in my mouth and boy was it sour!

Our last stop was at a restaurant for a homemade vodka tasting.  The three flavors for today were berry, horseradish and garlic.  They were fine, but I thought it was a little early to get blitzed and opted to just take a few sips.  Some friends at another table didn't have these same reservations, slamming down shot after shot, building a glass pyramid with the empties.  When it all came crashing down, the manager just walked away with his head in his hands.  I guess the Russians can handle their liquor a little better than the Americans.

Our final analysis of Russia: lovely country with lovely citizens (although they still aren't big smilers) and beautiful places to visit.  It should definitely be added to any travel bucket list.

Coming to You from the Kremlin

If you grew up like I did during the cold war, Moscow holds a certain fascination which is why we opted for the all day trip via high speed train (the national airline seemed like a poor choice). We boarded our train at 6:40 a.m. for our 3 hour 50 minute ride which included a slightly unusual breakfast of sausages and grilled veggies.

Our local guide led us on a bus tour of this city with 10 million inhabitants.  Like any modern metro area there's apartments, shopping centers, hotels, fast food (no Starbucks in sight) and lots and lots of cars.  The landscape is also dotted with those famous guilded onion domes atop of the Russian Orthodox Churches that we often associate with Russia.  What's strikingly missing is any symbol of the Soviet era, no Lenin statutes and only a few leftover sickles and hammers.  The Czars are the only history they want to tell.

We stopped at a working convent to tour the grounds and also learn of the many famous people burried near by.  They are very proud of the writers and artists hailing from here.  There were several chapels located within the walls of the convent, all topped by the signature domes and crosses.  One cross would never do if 5 or 10 can fit on a roof.  All the money they would have spent on the absent pews (standing only during the service) and organ (accapela music only) is spent on the gold adornments inside and outside the church.

We also had a chance to ride the metro and more importantly see two metro stations.  With churches discouraged during Soviet rule, metro stations were used to depict daily life in both paintings and mosaics.  With the heavy traffic on the streets, the metro is a very popular mode of transportation which seems to run on time and is very modern.

The Kremlin is nothing like I expected.  A central focus in this ancient walled fortress is a beautiful church.  This is also home to a museum housing many artifacts from czarist Russia such as crowns, church vestments, coranation clothing (they were always crowned here), carriages and state gifts.  But probably the most viewed items are the 10 royal Fabrege Eggs, the only ones on display in the country.  These eggs sure beat the ones my kids decorated at Easter!

Our last stop before heading back on the train was Red Square and Miscow's most famous cathedral, Saunt Basels. I'm sure you've seen pictures of both, one with tanks parading on May Day and the other with it's candy like domes.  We couldn't actually go in either, but I have a much better perspective of what and where they are.

We both loved this day trip and I would highly recommend it if you get the chance. 

St. Petersburg - Home of the Czars

Pulling into the port at sunrise (or I assume the sun was rising behind the clouds) I was a little surprised to find us in the middle of a very industrial port.  We seemed to cruise for miles past cranes and factories before pulling dockside in the heart of the city.  However, we did glimpse the famed onion domes in the distance, a tantalizing look into what the day would had in store for us.

Russian immigration we were warned would be painfully slow our first time into the city.  While not speedy, I didn't find it any worse than JFK or DFW.  We opted not to obtain a Visa which meant we were only allowed to leave via a guided tour. The busses awaited us on the street, for our first adventure into the city.  This driving tour took us by all the landmarks - The Hermitage, St. Issac's Square and the magnificent Church of the Spilled Blood.  Since this is the Venice of the north, to truly experience it you must view it from the canals that connect the islands of the city. We were determined not to let the rain dampen our spirits and tollerated a few drops to capture the beauty of the city.

A brief history lesson.  Peter the Great ( as opposed to Ivan the ok) founded this city with the intent of bringing Europe to Russia.  Architects from all over western Europe were brought in to build this relatively young city and it shows.  One is reminded of Paris and Rome with imposing, guided facades.  The only nod to Russia was the onion doomed cathedrals.  At night, the buildings are lit much like Paris with bridges lined with sparking lights.  It is all quite breathtaking.

An afternoon tour took us into the restricted gold and diamond rooms of The Hermitage.  The winter palace of the Czars, it now serves as a five building complex of museums which includes art, archeology and educational exhibits. If you spent one minute looking at every item in the collection you would be there for 10 years! The gold and diamond collection is housed in two separate areas in the museum and can only be viewed with a museum guide.  Lots of gold, lots of jewels, not many people.

A brief nap on the ship helped prepare us for our evening at The Hermitage.  Our group had the run of the museum (well, not really since we had to stay with our guide to keep from getting lost) to explore this Czar domain.  You can understand why the people rebelled (much like in France) when you see the ornately decorated rooms with wood inlaid floors and vaulted ceilings.  The collection includes an impressive European art collection and artifacts from ancient civilizations.  

Our evening concluded with an orchestra performance staged just for us.  The acoutics were amazing, whisking you back into the world of Catherine the Great who once roamed these halls.  Simply magical.

Helsinki, Part West, Part East, All Fun

Our first stop on the cruise was the Finnish capital of Helsinki.  Just slightly larger than Tulsa, it was easy to become familiar with the core of this capital city.  Our first introduction was via the obligatory bus tour where we drove by churches (Russian Orthodox and Lutheran) memorials to famous composers (Sibelius memorial with it 600 steel tubes) and a church carved into the rocks.  All quite lovely.  At the end we were treated to a local snack of reindeer and egg salad.

The indoor food hall was my kind of place - stall after stall of meat counters, bakers, cheese shops and little restaurants.  Locals were buying foodstuffs for their dinner and socializing with friends.  After a brief look around we headed to The Ciry Hall with the promise of free WiFi (David had been looking longingly at his once usefull device) and free restrooms.  After a brief connection to the homeland, we wondered down to the bathrooms.  What a surprise.  Besides the very Danish clean design there were video monitors running a continuous film loop.  Mine was of a baby trying to pry open the mouth of a boy while giggling.  The mens, however, was much more exciting.  A man wearing a white tutu was peeing designs in the snow.  I kid you not.

We hiked up the hill to take a look inside the orthodox church we glimpsed earlier for a peek inside.  However, a wedding was just getting underway which limited our access to the interior.  The nervous groom paced outside while holding a red bouquet.  Rain started to fall so we cut short our walking tour in favor of a quick walk around the outdoor market selling food and decorative items.  David headed back to the ship, but I had to try something from an outdoor food vendor. I opted for a veggie filled paella with grilled salmon on top and garlic mayo on the side.  When asked if I wanted jalepeno's I was almost giddy.  Alas, the Finns must think any pepper is a jalepeno because the ones I were given we're mild imitators of the real deal.

With the rain falling harder I bid adieu to this Baltic capital on the sea.

The Food Capital of the World

Paris is a 'has been' as far the foodie world goes.  Copenhagen is the new king of the dish pile.  Noma has been the number one restaurant for the last two years.  Of course, this meant I had to try to experience this culinary capital during our stay.

The first night we dined at the new kid on the block, Louise, in the Nimb Hotel overlooking Tivoli Gardens.  This is one of those places where you are served over the course of the evening twenty courses of bite sized delights.  They made sweetbreads delicious, burnt hay intriguing, and onions seem normal for dessert.  Each presentation was a work of art, almost too beautiful to touch.  The optional wine pairings included mostly French offerings we could never find back home.  This adventure took a little over two hours with one offering immediately following another.  This is not to say we were rushed, we were encouraged to take our time and enjoy each morsel.  What a great start to a culinary tour.

Lunch the next day was at the classic open face sandwich Mecca of Schonnemans.  This off the beaten path, below the street, lunch only diner has been serving up their classic Danish foods for decades.  I have a confession: while I profess to eat almost anything, herring has always scared me.  Well that has changed since the soulfull curry herring I had as a starter.  It was a meaty and not fishy delight.  Next up for me was the classic tartar with raw egg yolk and capers.  The boys had more of the traditional open faced sandwich, the chicken salad looking particularly yummy. Washing it all down was pints of house made ale and aquavit (their version of vodka).  Another not to be missed meal.

Tonight found us in the ultra hip meat packing district.  Kødbyens Fisekebar is a happening  bar and fish restaurant with both small and large plate offerings.  My scallops (3 to an order) were sweet and tasty while David's salad was fresh with local greens.  My second course of langoustine bisque had an ingredient( fish sauce?) that I was unfamiliar with, leaving a not altogether good taste in my mouth.  David's fish and chips using smoked cod was much more to my liking.

We actually broke my rule of not having Mexican in regular restaurant, wanting to see what the Danes take would be.  Their nachos were on a bed of nacho flavored Doritos type chips, surrounded by sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.  Salsa is usually what makes or breaks a great Mexican meal and this one was more tomato sauce than salsa.  My wrap was filled with a chicken fajita mix with similar accompaniments.  For a place so far from the mexican border, they did a pretty decent job.

Our final dinner was up an alleyway at a local bar called Tight.  I believe the name came from the seating arrangements where the maximum numbers of dinners are shoehorned into at least four rooms in this multilevel place.  The food was pub fare, with mussels, smoked salmon, hamburgers(a specialty David enjoyed) and my cod in papillote.  This place was just plain fun.  The wait staff was warm and friendly and fellow dinners shared touring tips.

One last food item I would be remiss in not mentioning - the Danish.  Bakeries abound with each corner offering more baked delights.  I felt more like I was in France with coissant offerings bidding from the store front bins.  Our sampling left us questioning why Tulsa doesn't have some kind of upscale bakery options.  Waking up was easier knowing that a little pain au chocolate awaited me.

In the end, our culinary tour was deemed a success, eating in places where we were the only English speaking diners and dining on a variety of Danish delights.  

Bikers Mean Business

We spent our first full day touring the old town of Copenhagen. There's a wonderful pedestrian mall that passes by many of the important squares. It is lined with both large chains (think Gucci on the high end and H&M on the lower side) and local stores and restaurants.  You'll find your typical fountains dedicated to long ago kings and your not so typical ones of a mother and son, water squirting from her breasts and also his penis.  Oh, those wild and crazy Danes.

Hans Christian Andersen is a big name around here as he's a native son that's made it big.  There's HC Anderson Boulevard, a displaced American tour guide that dresses like him and gives free tours, and several statutes of him.  The symbol of Copehagen, The Little Mermaid, is one of his most famous (and stolen, thanks to Disney) stories.

They are also into their royalty.  They currently are ruled by a Queen that is by all accounts well loved.  We took an hour to visit the castle of Rosenborg where the crown jewels are housed.  The castle offered a glimpse into royal life and the jewels were stunning. Many other castles are here for the viewing including the one from Hamlet, but one was enough for our very short stay.

Day two found us focusing on another ancient people - The Vikings.  We caught a morning train to Roskilde, home of the Viking Museum.  This very cute little Danish town was once the capital of Denmark.  The Cathedral, located in the town square, houses the remains of the Danish royalty.  They lived in luxury and died in luxury!  The crypts are made of marble, gold and silver.  We ran across a family making a pilgrimage to the Viking Bluetooth's grave in complete period garb.  The parents looked like they were having the time of their lives with tourists snapping pictures and the local press interviewing them.  The kids, however, looked like they wondered how they had been born into a family of crazy people, looking to make a quick escape if possible.

The Viking Museum is built around 5 Viking ships recovered from the floor of the local channel where they were sunk to prevent intruders from coming into port.  While none of the vessels were found intact, you can get a good idea of what they looked like.  They also had workshops scattered throughout the museum where craftsman recreated long gone trades ala Silver Dollar City.  All quite interesting on a beautiful, sunny day.

Our final stop after arriving back in Copenhagen was a visit to Tivoli Gardens.  This is one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe having been built in 1843.  During the day, it's a fantasyland type park with characters from Hans Christian Andersen filling in for Disney and at night, an adult entertainment venue.  What struck me was the low key way the Danes approach their leisure.  No long lines or harried families trying to ride every ride and eat every food on a stick.  Families lounged in the beautifully maintained gardens with not a care in the world.  Refreshing!

I know you've stuck with me through my boring vacation retelling just to find out if I had an encounter with the 'mean' bikers in the title.  The answer is no, but we were close to being run down several times.  These are Hell's Angels with pedals.  They are everywhere ( with a 180% tax on cars it's easy to see why) and they are serious about their bike lanes.  They also don't find a need to invest in bike clothing or helmets.  This is transportation not entertainment for them.  And yes, they have a problem with texting and driving.

Next: The Food Capital of the World

Welcome from the land of the Danes

Our travel to Denmark could not have been easier.  All flights were on time, we didn't have any long airport layovers and all our luggage arrived intact.  I know I'll pay for this somewhere down the road!

Our driver from the airport decided to use our travel time for a little Danish economics lesson.  While both he and his wife are Danish citizens, they have moved to the south of France to start a new company.  Apparently the tax rates are so high here that it was cheaper for him to move and commute back twice a month for his job than stay here to start his company.  If you make up to $60,000 your tax rate is about 50%.  The next $20,000 puts you up to 60% and over that it's 65%.  For that you do get a lot of social programs provided like health care and education.  Out of 5,000,000 people 1,000,000 still buy additional health insurance.  Kindergarten costs $500 a month but it's free for the later grades.  The Mercedes that we were riding in, an S400, costs $400,000!

The moral of the story is Denmark is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.

Next: our eating adventures begin 

Three days with a weeks worth of work

We leave in just a little over three days and I'm far from ready.  Between house purchases (another topic all together!), tax returns, kids going back to college, etc., this trip just hasn't been a top priority.  A little thought has gone into what might be thrown into a suitcase, but no full blown packing has occurred.

What did occur early on was restaurant reservations in Copenhagen, the new foodie capital of the world.  While not actually making a trip to the current number one, Noma, we are visiting a restaurant run by one of their former chefs.  We're also going to the up and comer, Louise, in the hotel Nimb.  I've been told that the Danes have a way with a sandwich, so a stop to the Schonnemann's is in order.

Fortunately, Copenhagen is a very manageable size, so we should be able to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time, assuming I don't get lost or there's isn't some international conference clogging the streets.  We tend to be a little "Forrest Gumpy" in that we seem to be at the right place at the right time (or wrong place if you have something else on your agenda).  It looks like a no fail destination with a plethora of sights to delight the eyes.