Stockholm, Sweden

Our last stop on the cruise was Stockholm. I'm pretty sure at this point Rhett was over cruising. If he was able, he would have thrown his chubby appendages around one of the built-ins and refused to get off the ship. However, that type of strength and dexterity isn't quite there yet so he had no choice and for 80% of the trip it was okay...

We chose to visit the Ericsson SkyView and the Vasa Museum for this excursion. We lucked out at the SkyView because it was a relatively clear day in Sweden and we could see a good distance. The SkyView is actually a little gondola ride that takes visitors to the top of the Ericsson Globe, which is the official stadium of Sweden. It's the largest spherical (hemispherical) building in the world and hosts a variety of events. I have no idea why we chose this but we did and it was fun.

After the SkyView, we stopped to see Stockholm City Hall and then to the Vasa Museum. The lines to this thing were incredible... it's one of the most visited sites in Sweden so you can imagine. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long and we were able to spend more time in the museum.

The Vasa ship has a very interesting history. It was built by King Gustov II Adolf in 1626. It took two years to build and was supposed to be THEE ship. It was built as a warship- 64 cannons, 300+ soldiers, etc.

On Sunday, August 10, 1628, the ferocious beast (loaded with families of the crew) set sail. After 1300 meters, it leaned to one side (bad proportions) allowing water to fill into the open gunports and that was the end of the Vasa (don't worry, the King was in Prussia).

On April 24, 1961, the Vasa was brought back to the surface, restored (sprayed with chemicals for 17 years to preserve it), and now rests peacefully in the museum.

It really is an amazing sight to see.

Anyways, I'm going to skip over the part where Rhett has a total meltdown (so out of character for him and this trip that people were HAPPY to see him upset because it meant that he was, indeed, "normal"... of course these people weren't on the hour long bus ride from Stockholm, either) due to third degree diaper rash and teething issues. You know you're helpless and pathetic when a young couple (with baby) sitting behind you throw a tube at you and tell you to put it on his gums. It could have been cyanide but at that moment I was willing to try anything.

It helped momentarily but he perked up and started wailing as soon as we exited the tender and were on the boat. Then my fellow cruise goers took the ultimate sympathy- parted like the Red Sea and let me and Rhett go up to our stateroom immediately.

I guess I won't skip over it.

So, Stockholm was lovely. They love them some Ikea. And the Vasa.

And French hotdogs. (But who doesn't?)

Below is Julia (of Jeff & Julia) who played UK Grandparents to Rhett on our cruise. They were the two sweetest people we've ever met and they helped immensely.

Only about 30 people died when the Vasa sank. Thank goodness for shallow waters.

At first glance, the Vasa looks disproportionate. I wouldn't get on that thing.

After some desitin, Rhett returned to his agreeable self.

Chocolate ice cream also helped.

Vasa info and stories here.

I ♥ Helsinki, Finland

My favorite stop on the cruise was Finland. I just thought the country was absolutely beautiful. I have no desire to go in the winter... especially when our guide pointed out the 'Ice breakers' parked in the bay. Knowing that a large body of water becomes a solid ice cube in the winter is a bit of a turn off for me. The only time I may consider visiting is for Christmas... only because the Finns know best that Finland = The North Pole. Christmas in the North Pole? Awesome. Just don't tell the other Baltic countries because they call Santa theirs.

Anyways, although our tour was good, you could easily just walk off the ship and walk around downtown Helsinki. They had a great market going on and a few other tourist destinations within walking distance of each other.

Our first stop off the ship was Helsinki Cathedral in Senate Square. It's quite different from the other cathedrals we visited on this trip simply because it is more modest and monochromatic. I found it to be very beautiful.

After the Cathedral, we saw the olympic stadium and some significant architecture in Helsinki. We drove outside of the city to an outdoor museum (quite popular in all the countries we visited) where they have recreated or preserved original homesteads, churches, etc. of the early Finns. We were supposed to visit one in Tallinn but decided against it and I'm kind of glad we did. There are so many similarities between all the Baltic countries that it would have been a lot of the same. It was interesting to see how they stored their food and lived day in and day out in rugged weather in earlier times.

After leaving (but not before coffee and a cinnamon roll), we headed to the 'Rock Church.' This church was excavated and built into a giant rock (hence the name). It's one of the most popular destinations in Helsinki, welcoming half a million people a year. It was pretty amazing. And their bathrooms were awesome. Just sayin'.

My biggest regret is not ditching the tour here. We had our opportunity but we didn't realize how close the boat was so we thought it best to stay with the bus. I could have EASILY wandered the streets of Helsinki for a couple more hours but it wasn't meant to be.

If the opportunity presented itself, I would love to return to Finland.

Preferably from May to August.

Or December to visit Santa Claus.

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Until next time...

St. Petersburg, Russia

Sometimes I still can't believe that I've been to Russia. The concept itself seems so foreign. I never in my life said 'I want to go to Russia one day' but we did and even though we enjoyed our time there it's not a country I would necessary need to visit again.

If you cruise here, you must book an excursion. You can't get off the boat without having a plan. Their customs are very strict and they will scrutinize your passport each time you get off and on the boat.

No offense, but trust me when I say Russia is not a place I would want to 1) lose my passport

or 2) miss my ship.

It's still a little intimidating of a country.

Private. Reserved. Guarded.

Then I met our tour guide, Nina. She often referred to herself as 'Auntie Nina' when she talked to Rhett.

She was a hoot.

But don't talk when she's talking because she'll ask your name and then demand you listen.

It was an intense yet fun tour.

Mostly fun.

Day 1 was a half day tour spent walking in the footsteps of the Russian people.

We went to their mall... their markets... their metro (Stalin's 'Palace for the People').

We sampled their vodka... tasted their food.

And then I (Chad and baby stayed on the boat) went to see Swan Lake in the city.

Going down into the underground... longest escalator ride ever.

Their metro stations were quite impressive. You were surrounded by marble and chandeliers.

And their vodka was strong. So. Very. Strong.

Day 2 was very busy.

We boarded our bus with Auntie Nina and saw St. Isaac's Cathedral, The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood and Catherine's Palace.

It was really hot.

It's bad when Russia is having warmer weather than Germany.

Anyways...

St. Isaac's Cathedral was the main church in the city - now turned museum.

It's gold dome is quite well known and remains an important landmark in St. Petersburg's skyline.

Oh and the inside is pretty remarkable.

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (although you can pick which name your prefer because there are a couple) was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

It was paid for by the imperial family and through private donors and even though it was closed for 30 years (!) it has been restored to it's former glory.

I know it's hard to tell in the pictures but there are hundreds of beautiful mosaics that decorate the facade of the church. I wish it had been sunny this morning because I can imagine it in the sunlight and it's even more spectacular.

A more recent tradition for the Russian youth is to put a lock (often decorated with initials or your wedding date) on the bridge across from the church. It's supposed to symbolize your commitment to each other and bring good luck in your union.

Catherine's Palace is one of the most popular tourist destinations around St. Petersburg.

It's named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great.

It use to be a modest building but now it's a grandiose Palace thanks to Empress Elizabeth who made it her summer home.

The most popular room in the palace among visitors is the Amber Room (no pictures allowed) where 450 kg of amber adorn nearly every inch of the room.

It was completely restored in 2003 and took over 20 years.

If you research the Amber Room online it's quite interesting as there is a bit of a mystery surrounding the original 'room.'

Much of Catherine's Palace was destroyed during an air raid during WWII so there are quite a few speculations about whether the room survived, the amber was stolen by SS, etc. etc.

Either way, the restored room is beautiful and gives a clear idea of how the original room looked.

After a little souvenir shopping we happily left Auntie Nina and Russia behind.

Okay, maybe I would go back....

why not?