Dianehalloway

Geo: 59.3217, 18.1253The captain said the view coming into Stockholm would be stunning, so we got up early and headed for the fore of the ship for this awesome scene. It did not disappoint. Check out the videos as we are entering this beautiful country. After what will be our last breakfast on the ship (we splurged and had a Belgian waffle) our shore excursion began at the VASA Museum. My world traveler friend, LaWann Tull, told me not to miss this, so we changed our itinerary to include this amazing museum. Please check out my pictures and stories. We had lunch in a beautiful restaurant by the canal. Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes, cucumber salad and a chocolate truffle cake that was heavenly. Everything was delicious. After lunch we took a scenic boat cruise through ... read more

Geo: 59.9461, 30.1901... read more

Geo: 59.4392, 24.7586Traveling from Gdansk, Poland to Tallin, Estonia... read more

Geo: 54.1751, 12.0923Once an infamous border city between the former East and West Germanys, Berlin today is one of Europe's Most cosmopolitan and cultural capitals. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, an architectural and cultural transformation took hold. This is symbolized in the Reichstag, Germany's Parliament Building. It's glass cupola symbolizes a new era of transparency and openness. (Where have we heard that before?) Monuments of wartime are everywhere here from remnants of the Wall to Checkpoint Charlie. Prewar treasures include Baroque Charlottenburg Palace and the 13th-century St. Nicholas Church. Located on the Spree River with more than 170 museums, today's Berlin is a major cultural center.We traveled by train from our port town of Waranawabe, a pleasant seaside resort on the Warnow river to Berlin, about 2 1/2 hours. Once in Berlin, we transferre ... read more

Geo: 57.0492, 9.92666Today we pulled into a city founded by Vikings in the late 900s, historic Aalborg, the best-preserved Renaissance architecture in all of Denmark. This is the fourth largest city in Denmark, founded as a trading post. The wealth that poured into merchants accounts helped build many half-timbered mansions that still stand today.This morning I attended a lecture by Resident Expert, Alexander Fyrk on the Matryoshka Nesting Dolls and how they became a Russian cultural icon. It was very interesting. The idea first originated in Japan and then was brought to Russia and became much more artistic and intricate. The ships gift shop has some beautiful sets. They are hand carved from Lemon wood and each one is hand painted. It can take an artist up to two years to paint a set. The sets ... read more