Mainau, Germany

Robert's back from Arizona (hooray!) so we took a quick trip to Lake Constance to visit the island of Mainau. Mainau has lots of great gardens, beautiful views of the lake and a great butterfly pavilion. The island is actually owned by the Duke of Sweden (we've decided to come back as royalty next time around - they get all the cool perks). We enjoyed a relaxing time just walking around enjoying the beautiful weather. See the photos here.

Hellesylt/Geiranger, Norway

We experienced STUNNING scenery in Hellesylt and Geiranger. The cruise ship, MSC Lirica stopped to let us and 100 of our cruise buddies off in Hellesylt to drive through the Norwegian farmland between towering mountains and mountain lakes - words cannot describe the beautiful waterfalls and glacier lakes - look at the pictures. We learned a little about the significance of trolls in Norwegian culture as we continued along Olden Lake, with its amazing greenish color, until reaching Biksdal Mountain Lodge and from there walked up to the Briksdalsbreen which is an arm of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier, the largest glacier in continental Europe. After walking back to the lodge for lunch we proceeded to Dalsnibba Mountain, to experience one of the most magnificent views on the trip - it was stunning. On the way back to the ship we drove through through a kaleidoscope of mountain farms, waterfalls and lakes. Everyone must experience the Norwegian fjords (to see the northern lights you'll have to visit in the winter). As we were leaving, the ship provided a narration of several waterfalls and distinctive features (seven sisters was the best) of the fjord.

Flaam, Norway

Another beautiful, sunny, warm day! At the port of Flåm we boarded the Flaamsbana train through the breathtaking Flaam valley and stopped at the Kjosfossen waterfall. After changing trains at Myrdal to the world famous Flåm Line we continued our trip through a kaleidoscope of natural scenery and stopped for a nice lunch in Voss by the Vangsvatnet Lake. Afterwards we took a bus drive through the Gudvangen tunnel and ascended the steep and narrow Stalheim valley. On a road with sharp hair-pin bends we were able to see more stunning scenery and the Sivlefossen Waterfalls and Tvindefossen waterfalls. We had the tour guide explain the difference between Nordic countries and Scandinavia and determined that there are bears in Norway, but wolverines are more plentiful. Before leaving we enjoyed a beer in Flaam's only brewery designed like a traditional stave church. Leaving the Sognefjord (the second largest fjord in the world) Robert took lots of pictures from the deck while Nancy took in the scenery inside where it was less windy.

Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger, Norway is home to the Stavanger archipelago. We took a sight seeing boat for a pleasant and relaxing tour through the splendid Lysefjord until reaching the impressive cliff named Pulpit Rock, one of Norway's wonders. We had a cloudless, warm day to move freely about the sightseeing boat and were able to see everything from different points of view. We also got some typical Norwegian waffles as a snack - yummy! More great photos.

Olso, Norway

Our sixth new country on the trip is Norway, another country with ties to the Vikings. We started a panoramic tour passing by the main streets and squares of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. We saw the Town Hall (where they award the Nobel Peace Prize), the Parliament, the National Theatre and the Royal Residence where Norway's royalty hangs out, but what they were most proud of was Vigeland Park and its sulptures by their 'famous' sculptor Gustav Vigeland. In the park there are more than 150 sculptures symbolizing the different stages in life. We also learned a little about the Noregian painter Edvard Munch famous for 'The Scream'. Then it was up to the Holmenkollen ski jump for a fantastic view over the city and the fjord far below. A delightful trip - see the pictures.

Lubeck, Germany

We enjoyed ANOTHER beautiful day starting in Kiel with a pleasant drive to the Hanseatic city of Lubeck across the German landscape. Our guide showed us the charming old town declared world cultural heritage by the UNESCO which is actually situated on an island. We discovered the historic alleyways and courtyards which are remnants of late XIX century when the trade of the Hanseatic League was in full bloom. Admired the world-famous Holsten Gate, the seven spires, the Hospital of the Holy Ghost dating back to 1280 and St. Mary's Church – home to the world's largest mechanical organ. It was really a treat since the city was mostly untouched during the war. We enjoyed a typical German lunch (sausage, sauerkraut and beer) followed by a stop a the world famous Neideregger marzipan store and topped it off with some ice-cream to provide some relief from the heat. Lots of great pictures too!

Copenhagen, Denmark

We were in Copenhagen 3 times: it was the start, middle and end of the cruise, but we were only able to get out and about one day. Denmark is famous for several things: Bang & Olufsen, Arne Jacobsen, LEGO and their yummy breakfast treat - danish. After leaving the port we started an enjoyable tour of the Danish capital passing by the main places; the Little Mermaid (inspired by Hans Christian Andersen) which is the symbol of Copenhagen and we also enjoyed Nyhavn, a colourful quarter on the canal, rich in cafés and restaurants. On to Amalienborg Palace for an external view of the Royal Family’s winter residence. Our excursion also included a stop at the “Absolut Ice Bar” where EVERYTHING is made of ice (including the chairs and the glasses) ...we had some vodka there too! The only thing we missed was Tivoli Gardens - perhaps we'll take it in next time we're there. Check out the great photos (includes cruise ship pictures too)!

St. Petersburg, Russia

Yep - we went to Russia! After arriving in the St. Petersburg port we began an interesting panoramic bus tour of this important Russian town passing by its main highlights (including some information about the siege of Leningrad). We made several stops, but it's just not possible to see everything - it's Russia's second largest city and were both surprised to see how much water it has. We saw the famous Hermitage gallery, the Holy Trinity Bridge to Peter and Paul Fortress, stopped at the Spilled Blood Cathedral and drove along the famous Nevsky Prospective to St. Isaac Cathedral too. A typical Russian lunch was served (complete with vodka) before heading to Petrodvorets, considered one of the loveliest tzars’ summer residences with its wide park, rich in fountains and gardens. It was a terrific visit AND we had beautiful weather...again =) We were able to resist the temptation to buy tons of souvenirs like: nesting dolls and Fabergé eggs, but we took lots of photos to make up for it!

Tallin, Estonia

Now we're in Estonia to visit another UNESCO city: Tallinn. A charming city with upper and lower disctricts. We started our walking tour in the upper town to visit the impressive Toompea Castle, presently the seat of the Parliament, the Russian Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky and the Gothic Dome Church. There were lots of great overlooks and views onto the port and lower city with its gabled roofs. We descended to the Lower town to visit the town hall, the XV century Pharmacy, the Great Guild, the Blackheads Brotherhood House and numerous medieval merchants' homes. After a typical Estonian lunch we continued to “Rocca al Mare”, the Open Air Museum to explore authentic examples of the local XVIII and XIX century rural architecture. Photos galore...

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is an absolute (no pun intended) gem! Our visit began with a visit to the City Hall. This magnificent fortress-like building has become the symbol of Stockholm and is where the Nobel Prize banquet takes place. We continued to the Royal Palace which is the King's present work place (I just put in my requisition for such an office last week). A massive testament to the Baroque, basically a huge compound of rock solid buildings on a hill in the old town, the Royal Palace comprises no fewer than 608 rooms. We walked through the old town to savour the bohemian atmosphere and had time to poke around in the shops and have lunch (we were looking forward to a smorgasbord with Swedish meatballs, but had sandwiches instead). Afterwards we went to the Vasa Museum (super, super cool!) built around the XVII century warship which sank in Stockholm's harbour on her maiden voyage in 1628. The vessel was discovered in 1956 and raised from the seabed in 1961. We loved Stockholm - arriving and leaving the port was a island-filled treat too - here are the pix.

Visby, Sweden

A new country to add to the list: Sweden (home of Absolut, IKEA, Volvo and Saab). Our first Swedish stop was to Gotland island where the town of Visby is located. We drove to Hoklint, a cliff from where you have a fantastic view of Visby and the coastline before venturing into the town. From there we drove back to the old city and started a walk through the old town listed as a UNECSO site for its advances in waste management in the 15th century. We visited the Almedalen (the valley of elm trees), Visby's first harbor and site of the Hanseatic port to get an overview of the city. Next, a small and beautiful Botanical Gardens to see the roses Visby is so famous for. We continued with the visit of St. Mary's Cathedral and then headed to the Gunpowder Tower dating back to the XI century and the old remaining structure in Visby, built to protect the old port. We toured the city wall, the big Market Square of Stora Torget, dominated by the ruins of St. Katarina, once a church of the Cistercian nuns (almost all of the churches are in ruins because of the reformation in the 16th century). A lovely town where they filmed Pippi Longstocking! Check out the photos.

Hamburg, Germany

Our first excursion took us to Germany’s second largest city, Hamburg. It was a 1.5 hr drive, but the guide gave us a lot of history along the way (i.e. the bride-groom tree). We saw most of the city from the bus because much of Hamburg was destroyed during the war and now it sprawls. We saw the beautiful City Hall, the impressive St. Michael’s Church and the narrow lane of Krameramtsgasse. The day we visited was a car-free day in the city after 12pm so we had limited access, but were still able to enjoy drive around Alster Lake and the “Speicherstadt” with its romantic canals. After a typical German lunch, we were able to see some great architecture (i.e. Chilehaus), and took a quick drive through the ''famous'' red-light district in the St. Pauli quarter (referenced in a beer named St. Pauli Girl). See the pictures here.