STILL CRUISIN'

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STILL CRUISIN'

TALLINN, ESTONIA July 21, 2019

I am feeling better today. Aylin and I finally found our guide for the tour of Tallinn, an old city in Estonia. I looked forward to learning more about the people and their customs. Our guide led us to a hill that looked over the harbor. We wandered the streets of old town looking at souvenirs and taking pictures. It seemed like we walked for hours. We had a little time to explore on our own. Then we sat at a small table in the sun, ate French fries with our tea, and watched people.

Back on board, I went to the pool to relax. I soaked my feet and visited with some other women. I swam a little. Then I found Aylin. We had a snacky dinner, swam, and sat in the hot tub.

Back-to-back excursions left us a little ragged.

We welcomed being at Sea the next day. I decided to spend more time outdoors. I found a quiet place to do Tai Chi. I swam and used the hot tub. I ate a lot of the wrong foods.

I watched an extravaganza, Born to Dance. I practiced solving my Rubiks Cube.

Tomorrow is an excursion to Berlin. I went with Aylin to sign up for it. I traveled to Berlin a couple of years ago, so I planned to explore the coastal city here. Aylin went back later and purchased a ticket to Berlin on her own. Good for her.

ROSTOCK, GERMANY JULY 23, 2019

Aylin left early. The Berlin excursion is a twelve-hour trip.

I ate a very filling breakfast. When I got off the ship, I took a school bus to Warne Munde and Rostock. It was a walking tour. Our guide showcased several churches. He started to explain the complicated antique clock in St Mary's Church when a guard asked us to leave. It was time for church services. We returned later for photographs. During the interim, we went to two of the medieval gates in the old city walls. The Kuhtor or Cow Gate is the oldest surviving city Gate in Northern Germany.

I took an elevator to an observation platform in the bell tower of St. Peters' church. The deck is 147 feet above the ground and has a great view of the city. St Peter, the oldest church in Rostock, is dedicated to seafarers and merchants.

After the tour, I confined myself to the Neuer Market. I was afraid to go too far afield. I wanted to get back to the ship on time. I took photos of the Fountain for the Joy of Life. An apt name, as it is a playground for kids in summer. It has twenty bronze sculptures of animals and people, plus eighteen water jets.

I saw a small cafe that served elaborate, decorated ice cream concoctions. I ordered one. It tasted even better than it looked. But for the life of me, I could not get the waiter to bring me the bill. I finally cornered a waiter and paid for my tab. On the way back to the port, I saw the public beach. I thought about taking a quick stroll on the sand. Then I realized there was not enough time.

I went back to the ship and watched a couple of movies on our television. Aylin returned. She was weary from the long day, but she had a good time with some other single ladies.

It was late, and we grabbed a snack at the bar. We watched the young people dancing to a D.J. At the theater, we watched John Nations, a juggler, and finally went to bed.

Wednesday was an At Sea day. I slept in and went to the dining room for a sit-down breakfast. Then I found deck 17, adults-only; I swam in the pool and sat in the hot tub. I lay in the sun. I tried to take Aylin to deck 17 but could not find it again. Was it the Twilight Zone?

We dressed up and went to a fancy restaurant for dinner.

Aylin wanted to buy an excursion to Oslo for the next day. I spent a month in Norway in 2000, so I knew where I wanted to go. She found a ship tour of Oslo she liked and purchased it. She was happy.

The theater presented Doug Funk, a comedian. Some of his jokes fell flat, but he did a cute bit of improv with a guest. It was hilarious.

OSLO, NORWAY July 25, 2019

On the pier near the cruise ship was a large tent. Inside were booths with craftsmen and artisans selling souvenirs. I went in and asked a salesperson where I could get a bus ticket. A day pass was available right there. And it was half price for seniors. Finding the bus was another matter. It took me about an hour to find the shuttle to Vigeland. Remember, I was walking. I was looking for Vigeland Sculpture Park.

I'm a tourist. Oslo natives know it by the name Frogner Park.

Frogner Park is the largest public park in Oslo. It never closes, and it is free.

The sculpture collection in Frogner Park is the largest by one artist, Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. When I first saw it in 2000, I was astonished and a little disturbed. All the statues are naked. The enormous monolith, rising 46 feet high, was especially confounding. One hundred twenty-one men, women, and children climb over each other, reaching for the sky.

There are 212 statues on 80 acres of grass, concrete, bridges, and fountains. As I wandered around, I tried to decide which were my favorites. I began to realize that the statues depict everyman precisely because they are not clothed. They represent human life in all its diversity, in seasons, and ages from birth to death. The people work, play, fight, and tend the children. Their faces display human emotions: love, friendship, anger, and joy.

I made a joke about the nudity. Now I am angered by other tourists who just don't get it.

I spent some time in a tiny secluded garden with granite babies on the railings, swans in the pond, and a mouse eating seeds left for the birds.

I caught the bus to the Viking Ship Museum. I am glad I got to see the museum. I now read that it is closed until 2025. It will reopen as the new Museum of the Viking Age.

Then I walked to the Kon Tiki Museum. When I bought the ticket to the museum, I learned there was a ferry back to the cruise ship. I bought a ferry ticket, too.

I knew the Kon Tiki was the raft that Thor Heyerdahl sailed across oceans. I didn't know how, why, or where?

Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian scientist-adventurer. He believed that people from South America were the first to populate Polynesia. To prove that a boat could travel that far, he and five friends built a balsa wood raft without steering called the Kon Tiki. They left Callao, Peru, in April 1947. After 101 days drifting in the open ocean, they ran aground on Raroia atoll in Polynesia. The museum follows more of his adventures in the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, and Peru.

I lost track of time and missed the first ferry. I had plenty of time to purchase souvenirs before taking the next ferry back to the port.

I boarded the ship for the final sailing, back to Copenhagen.

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Photos

SAINT PETERS CHURCH - ROSTOCK, GERMANY
Dedicated to seafarers and merchants.

BRONZE BABY - VIGELAND SCULPTURE - OSLO, NORWAY
The sculpture park is located in Frogner Park.

THE KON TIKI - OSLO, NORWAY
Made of balsa wood in Peru. The journey took 101 days and traveled 4300 miles.

TALLINN, ESTONIA
One of the city gates.

STAINED GLASS WINDOW
One of the highlights of our visit to St Peter's Church, Rostock.

VIEW FROM THE OBSERVATION PLATFORM.
You can climb the 196 steps, or take an elevator.

SAILING SHIP
One of the models on display in St Peter's Church.

PUBLIC BATHROOM - ROSTOCK
Whimsical painting, near St Peter's Church.

SAINT MARYS CHURCH
One of the churches we visited in Rostock.

PIPE ORGAN - ST. MARY'S CHURCH

ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
In St. Mary's Church, Rostock, Germany. The only one of its kind still working with its original clockworks.

MY SUNDAE - ROSTOCK
Some tourists enjoy German beer. I enjoyed the ice cream.

STATUE IN VIGELAND
One of the few statues in Vigeland that wears clothing.

VIKING SHIP MUSEUM
One of the old Viking ships that was recovered from a gravesite in Norway.