Baltic Cruise - St Petersburg

4-5 August - St Petersburg, Russia: We've only overnighted in port once before on a multi-port itinerary; in Montevideo during our Around-The-Horn cruise, so "spending the night in Russia" was pretty wild. Unless you had a Russian Travel Visa (which most of us did not) you were restricted to ship-led excursions. Given the differences in language and culture we were fine with that restriction, as planning anything on our own would have been daunting.

Waking up the morning of our arrival and just looking out at a once forbidden country (which is again all but forbidden for anyone even remotely risk-averse) was exhilarating. Growing up they had always been "the enemy" and their unfamiliar language and stern visage only helped perpetuate the stereotypes we were fed when we were younger. The excitement of finally seeing even a small part of Russia first-hand was exhilarating.

Our Russian adventure began with immigration. If you've seen the Clint Eastwood movie "Firefox" and recall his transit through the airport on his way in to the country then you've got a reasonable impression of what we experienced. A series of queues align with a row of booths. Each booth has a raised desk for the immigration officer, and a narrow enclosure for the visitor, sealed on each end by glass doors. The door in front of you opens, you walk in, and it closes behind you. You turn 90 degrees to face the officer, and present your passport via a small opening at the bottom of the window. There are slits to "facilitate" communication, but when the officer is speaking with a THICK accent they can still be difficult to understand. The officers' uniforms are several shades of green and completely militaristic in style. All things that hardly say "welcome to our country." After being grilled for a few minutes my passport was stamped and slid back to me, then the exit door opened and I officially stepped in to Russia. Lourie followed behind me, apparently with less interrogation, and we were off!

About 20 miles from the cruise pier is Catherine Palace, a gift to her from her husband, Peter the Great, in 1710. Over the centuries it existed in several incarnations before being destroyed by the Germans when they fled Leningrad at the end of World War II. Fortunately, a fair amount of the interior was documented prior to the war, and that information was used during the reconstruction, which began in 1957.

The current iteration of the palace is a stunning sight, with large porcelain fireplaces, ornately carved cornices and mouldings, inlaid floors, and spectacular painted ceilings. Unfortunately we were only able to spend a couple of hours at the Palace, you could easily spend an entire day and still not see everything.

St Petersburg is a massive city with a seemingly endless list of museums and historical sites, not to mention cultural and culinary opportunities. I hope that one day we can return for at least a week, preferably more, but with the current state of world affairs the likelihood of that is remote at this point.

After a quick shopping trip for scarves, and an authentic Russian lunch consisting of pelmini for me (at the insistence of a lifelong friend whose wife is Russian) and a salmon coulibeac for Lourie, we made our way to the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, named as such because it was built on the site where Alexander II was mortally wounded in an assassination attempt. 

The church was commissioned by his son, Alexander III, and construction began in 1883, was completed in 1907, and became a cathedral in 1923. It was looted, and closed, in 1932 during the revolution. Like many other magnificent structures, it was utilized for a purpose other than religious observances or memorials. While it was used to warehouse various items, and was once on the verge of being demolished, only to be spared after a significant amount of destruction had already been done. A smattering of the ornate mosaics remained when renovation was begun in 1970. It finally opened in 1997 and visitors can now enjoy the full splendor of the cathedral. The mosaics are absolutely stunning. On the inside there are 7,500 sq ft of mosaics (the largest or second largest collection in the world) and the outside boasts mosaics that tell the story of the Russian Empire.

Due to our time constraints we were unable to tour Saint Isaacs Cathedral, but we did manage a quick "drive-by" to snap photos and revel on the massive scale of the building. As previously mentioned, it, like most religious institutions during the reign of the Bolsheviks, was relegated to other, more mundane uses and suffered from significant neglect.

Baltic Cruise: Amsterdam to Talinn

30 July - After a seamless embarkation we dropped our bags in our cabin and headed to the Windjammer for lunch, as is our tradition, for Honey-Stung chicken. It was only offered on the first day and Lourie absolutely loved it. For reasons currently unknown, it's no longer on the menu - leaving Lourie and many others disappointed.

After lunch we checked-in at our muster station for the lifeboat drill before going to the Schooner Bar for a libation while we waited for departure, another of our embarkation traditions. The first couple of hours after tossing the lines we navigated through waterways to reach the North Sea, en route to our fist port of call, Skagen, Denmark. We spent the afternoon exploring the ship, since this was our first experience on a Radiance class vessel. 

"Vintages" on the Radiance ships falls well short of what you may be accustomed to on Voyager and larger class ships, due to space limitations, but the staff and service were up to par. The Solarium is sized as you would expect for the vessel, and offers several seating options. The bar is staffed from morning to early evening and you will almost always find the same bartender on duty, which makes things quite nice as they quickly pick up on your ordering habits, and a little extra on the gratuity line will insure that you're never the victim of a short pour. 😉 Our bartender was absolutely delightful and didn't miss a beat the entire trip. By day two she anticipated what we wanted in our soda cups, and by day four she knew which libation we were going to order by the time of day we approached the bar.

Dinner the first night was a bit hectic, which is no great surprise as people request seating adjustments and dining room management scurries to accommodate special requests and resolve conflicts. If you've never found yourself at the dining room podium on the first evening of a cruise consider yourself lucky, but gird your loins for a future encounter, because it's simply a matter of time. These folks can work magic, but sometimes it takes them 24 hours to pull everything together as the dominoes fall. If ever there was a real-world example of a cat-herder, this is where they ply their trade on humans.

Our table initially consisted of the two of us, a couple from England, and a couple from The Netherlands. After our appetizers were served we were joined by two Persian couples who now reside in Los Angeles. Generally speaking all of our table mates were delightful and there was very little drama aside from a few mixups with dietary preferences. We were introduced to an addictive, yet simple, salad consisting of diced tomato, cucumber, and onion dressed with olive oil, vinegar, and spices. (Keep in mind that I am NOT considered a fan of tomatoes if they're not in salsa or sauce. I may have a slice on a sandwich or a burger occasionally, but no one has ever heard me say "oh, I want a tomato!") This salad is an exception. Simple, clean, tasty, and nutritious. We went months with a fresh batch in the refrigerator, then it fell out of the rotation during COVID grocery irregularities, and has only made spotty appearances since. However, I do have the ingredients on my shopping list and intend to restore it to the menu.

After dinner we enjoyed cocktails in the Centrum with live music, which was quite good the entire week.

31 July - As I tend to do, I woke early and headed to the Solarium for a cup (or three) of coffee. RCCL coffee is a bit stronger than my usual breakfast roast, so I'm inclined to add a touch of sweetener. But it is tasty, hot, and plentiful - so I tend to drink a considerable amount. I stake out a seat, grab a nibble, and read a bit while I wait for others to begin their day. The North Sea was a bit sporty, but well within my comfort zone, and the temperatures were absolutely wonderful. If you ventured on to an exposed deck it was quite chilly, but in more protected areas it was brisk and refreshing. A lazy day was punctuated by lunch in the main dining room, and sprinkled with an assortment of reading, libations, naps, and people-watching.

1 August - Skagen, Denmark: The northernmost town in Denmark, and not one you've likely heard of unless you've been there. The population peaked at just over 14,000 in 1980, and now ranges in the ballpark of 7.500 inhabitants.

It's a delightful town, easy to navigate, with most everything an easy walk from the pier. I found some interesting architecture and we enjoyed a bit of ice cream. I made lots of Dad Jokes about the stacks of "sewing kits" that stores were selling filled with cookies, and we thoroughly browsed a Lego store. We did make a couple of small purchases, just so we could actually buy Lego in Denmark. While I can't vouch for Skagen as a primary destination, it's certainly a nice stop on a cruise itinerary.

2 August - Another relaxing day at sea. While our sea days may all consist of similar activities, they're almost never the same. Random conversations with other passengers or crew always add variety to the day, and usually in a good way. Sometimes people will reveal their lack of refinement, but generally they maintain a degree of decorum and the exchanged are pleasant enough. On the days we lay claim to an area for the duration we usually have an opportunity to interact with members of the crew a bit more. It's in my nature to clear dirty dishes from the table, and that doesn't disappear just because I'm on vacation. While it would be odd to do that in the dining room, I find it completely normal if I'm sitting in the Solarium - and this behavior tends to be endearing to the crew. When they see guests being thoughtful and considerate they'll go to great lengths to do whatever they can to make them happy. The rude and inconsiderate in the crowd will still receive good service with a smile, but nowhere else have I ever witnessed such a clear manifestation of "do unto others" as when people treat others well on a cruise ship.

3 August - Talinn, Estonia: Growing up as a child of the Cold War, then watching the Iron Curtain crumble, I can't say that I ever gave any thought to visiting any of the Baltic States of the Former Soviet Union. Other than the fictional Captain Marko Ramius of "The Hunt for Red October" fame, few among us could name a single person from the region when we were growing up. When we booked the cruise I saw Talinn as an "OK, we'll see what we think" destination, ranked only above Skagen for the itinerary.

While I haven't determined if I could make Talinn/Estonia a destination for a stand-alone trip, it is now on my list of "would be cool to go back and experience in more detail if it should work out." Lourie wasn't up to a winding walk up the hill, so I did a whirlwind self-guided tour. I found the city intriguing. Old architecture, cobblestone streets, battlement walls, towers, churches; all the things that make me want to know more.

There was a marathon going on the day of our visit, so all traffic (foot and vehicle) was channeled and manipulated to maintain the race course. This didn't have a drastic impact on my activities, but it didn't add to the aesthetic of the city. In a couple of hours of walking I was able to cover most of the center of the Old City, climbing the Pikk Jalg (Long Boot - the steepest street in Talinn)  to the top of Toompea Hill, spotting the Black Monk statues, surveying the outside of the Navalny Cathedral and  the Town Wall.

There was a market in the Old Town Square surrounding the Gothic Town hall, and everyone was polite and cordial. In such environments (regardless of geography) it's common to encounter someone obviously up to no good, but I didn't witness any such behavior. Perhaps it's dealt with so harshly that people choose to behave? Or perhaps as a single male of decent size I wasn't an attractive mark? By any measure, I found the city to be comfortable. As I've said before in other posts, I tend to put a lot of stock on the "vibe" that a city gives me, and Talinn had a rather comfortable feel. I was fortunate to have a day of gorgeous weather, which certainly enhanced my experience, but that alone cannot account for the intrigue I took with me when I departed.