So I made the reservations a year ago, never giving it a second thought and then suddenly, out of the blue, the Palace calls to let me know that “Charlie” (he loves it when I call him that; he always says, “Mr. Klazura, I love it when you call me that, it makes me feel so unroyal), has scheduled his coronation the very week I shall be in London. Of course, I know why he did that and it was nice (I mean he wanted me to have a good time), but I insisted that I could not join him in the Royal Coach as really, it was his special day.
OK, maybe it did not happen exactly that way, but somehow my favorite wife and I landed in London a couple of days before the coronation and it was wonderful to see the streets alive with the Union Jack, flowers, etc. We dared not try to get close to the route (folks were camping out two nights in advance) but watching it on TV surrounded by Brits was a lot of fun. And, while so many Brits were sleeping along the route, it made roaming through Harrods much easier.
London is always special and the five nights we were there went by very quickly. What did we do? The first AM I always have an appointment at Trumper in Mayfair for an old fashioned shave. Then onto Fortnum & Mason for a typical British breakfast. It lets us know we are really in London. Actually, we spent time as if we lived there as we felt quite comfortable with the city. No need to hurry to certain exhibits, and we ate at some of our favorite haunts (the caviar and champage bar in Harrods is great for food and people watching and the Polish restaurant Ognisko is as great as ever). The cigar bar at the Connaught was nice (although as is the case in the U.K., the measures are a wee-bit small). See my review of the cigar room at the blog (www.andontheotherhand.com, dated 5/19/2023).
Leaving London is a sweet sorrow but we had to catch our ride to the port where we embarked on our sixteen-night cruise on the Cunard Queen Victoria.
Factoids
* In some parts of the U.K., there is only one doctor per 100,000 people
* Appox. 48% of pregnant women receive inadequate or no pr-natal care
But hey, their health care is free.
THE BALTIC CRUISE
16 Nights
After an initial day at sea, we landed in Gothenberg Sweden which is the second largest city in Sweden. As expected of Sweden, the city was clean, orderly and not terribly interesting. Sorry. Haga, which is the celebrated old city is sleepy with many shops not opening until noon, and one can only stop at so many shops for coffee and a roll. This is a prime example of the advantage of a cruise; I have been there, seen it and can quickly cross it off my list of places to go back too.
From Gothenberg, one more day of cruising (lots of reading, quiet, figuring out where to have lunch, etc.) we landed in Helsinki for an overnight stay. Helsiski is spotless, not a bit of graffiti, litter, etc. The locals speak excellent English, are bright and welcoming while they (at the seaside market), have very nice local crafts and small booths featuring reindeer sausage, moose meatballs, etc. It is a nice town to walk around and we were fortunate as we had two wonderful sunny days with perfect weather. The locals laughed every time I said it was a typical Helsinki day. Being so far north, it did not get dark until about 10PM and the sun rose early, so the time for exploring is wonderful. Overall, Helsinki makes one want to explore more of the country as it is welcoming and so civilized. It shows what a homogenous nation with a strong work ethic and a strong sense of national identity (Finnish flags are everywhere and they appreciate their Russian neighbor for what it really is) can create. Very enjoyable!
Misc Tips for Helsinki
* If you want an excellent lunch with great service, try Bardot at Kluuvikatu 1
* For cigars, try the oldest cigar shop in Finland, Havanna Atta at Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu 6 (say that quickly 6 times)
From Helsinki we sailed to Tallinn which has a wonderful old city surrounded by a wall that dates back to the 1400s. They have preserved the old city quite nicely and there are several shops where you can purchase Soviet and German WWII helmets, medals, magazines, etc. It makes you realize that the country was occupied from 1939 until 1989 under two brutal regimes and that is one reason why the populace is so strongly committed to being the left flank guard of NATO. As you would expect, the streets can be narrow and winding and being of cobblestone, comfortable walking can be a challenge. The city has some beautiful churches, including an Orthodox church which is quite pretty. English is widely spoken and it would be a great base to explore more of the country, which is quite nice during the summer. During the winter, ah no thank you!
Sailing overnight at a slow seventeen-knots, we arrived in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. One thing that hits you as you drive into the center of the city is the wonderful architecture; the government buildings are stately, reflecting the wealth and historical culture of the nation. A major power player in much of European history, Sweden decided after the Napeonic age to become neutral and it has benefited quite handsomely from that move.
Located by the King’s palace, the old city is a great warren of cobbled streets with smaller side streets that take you between buildings going back hundreds of years. There are numerous coffee shops offering wonderful pastries and on a rainy cold day we were there, it was a joy to step into a shop and feel a warm welcome by the friendly staff. The winters are cold, the springs are rainy and, as a local said, when the sun comes out, one feels guilty being indoors. I would visit the city again in any of the seasons (even winter), but only if I was prepared psychologically for the protracted hours of darkness (during the winter) or sunlight (during the summer). Just become a local!
One of the best parts about a visit to Stockholm via ship is when you are leaving, you travel for 3-4 hours through a huge number of islands, small and large where the locals have built wonderful summer homes. Some are inhabited all year long, but given the cold and ice of a typical winter, I wonder how those individuals survive what must be a very isolated existence. Many of the islands are as close as fifty years off the ship and many fellow travelers are all but glued to the windows, watching the wonderful scenery and the beautiful inviting homes.
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Founded in the 13th century by the Livonian Knights, Memel as it was known by its German name was expanded by the Teutonic Knights into a major fortress stronghold. It’s German majority was the premise for Hitler’s demand that pre-WWII Lithuania hand it over to Nazi Germany and it was mostly destroyed during the Soviet advance later in the war. With the German population expelled by Stalin, Memel reverted to its Lithuanian name of Klaipeda.
The town, the third largest in the country is a relatively new addition to be added by cruise lines so it is still relatively unspoiled. For example, a heartly traditional lunch for two (two different soups, two different entries, bread and a half bottle of local wine) costs about $40 at Etno Dvaras which has been certified by the Culinary Heritage Fund. But before you have that lunch, a hot chocolate and a couple of excellent chocolates at The Chocolate House ( Turgaus g. 2, near Theater Square) might be just the thing. The hot chocolate is enough for two and you get to pick the special chocolates to enjoy with the drink. Wait for the prices to catch up to Tallinn! Unlike Tallinn I did not find any WWII/occupation antique shops but then unlike Estonia, Lithuania does not have a large majority Russian population.
This is a pleasant stop which will take you back a few years to the period just after the fall of the Soviet Union. It will make you want to visit more of the country.
Gdansk & Gdynia, Poland
Between 1919-1939, Gdansk was known as Danzig, an old trading city on the Baltic. A protectorate of Poland, its mostly German citizens longed to be united with Germany. With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, the city became a hot bed of political intrigue and, in response to the troubles, Poland started to build up Gdynia, about 20 km. away, as a rival ship construction port and shipping port. It quickly surpassed Danzig in revenue, which infuriated the Germans even more. At the start of WWII, after the fall of Poland, Gdynia took second place to Danzig but both cities were destroyed in the final year of the war.
Today, Gdansk is part of Poland, the German population being expelled under orders of Stalin. It has been beautifully rebuilt and the old Hanastic architecture is the gem of the city. Gdynia was the home of the Solidarity movement which was a key element in the fall of, Communism in Poland.
Gdansk is the more charming city, full of restaurants, and home of the museum of World War II, one of the best in the world. Most museums on the war, such as the Imperial War Museum in London, deal more with the military aspect, while Gdansk deals with the human suffering of the war. There are numerous exhibits of those who lived through the war, mostly as children or young adults. It is a moving museum and well worth the visit.
No visit to any Polish town or city is complete without a meal, but don’t let your eyes get you in trouble, for the servings are large and the food can be quite heavy. We stopped at Pierogarnia u Dzika at Piwas 59/60 just off the water front. We had four shots of vodka (outstanding), a serving of eight pirogi (four different fillings), grilled salmon, a glass of wine, then for dessert, and eight sweet pirogi (two different fruit fillings), all for $46.88! Now that is a deal! Forget dinner!
My wife and I agree that Gdansk is worth a two-day visit and we shall begin to plan our trip to the Baltic area soon! Nice people, plenty of history, great food and not as many tourists. Enjoy!
Copenhagen
Each visit to that beautiful city reveals new treasures! Walking around the opera house, one finds a mosaic on the ceiling of the port which welcomes autos to the theater. The mosaic ceiling is made up of small tiles of gold, lapus, silver, etc. that show the detail the Danes have to create beautiful mouments to their culture. Walking around the city on a sunny day one cannot help but feel uplifted; the city is orderly and clean. Everyone obeys the rules, even the cyclists who stop at traffic lights and make way for those who walk (amazing!!). It is easy to understand why Denmark was very tough on deporting immigrants who ran afoul of Danish law, but one feels that they will not allow those who migrate to upset the harmony of their society. In some ways, Copenhagen seems too good to be true but I have yet to find a fatal flaw in their system. A visit to Copenhagen will make you wonder why your home town can’t (seem) to operate so smoothly.
General Thoughts on the Trip
The trip consisted of five nights in London and a sixteen night cruise on the Cunard’s Queen Victoria. As previously mentioned, we are very comfortable in London, it can feel like home. Enough said.
One does need to be careful regarding a cruise to make sure it matches your goals, finances, family needs, etc.
1) This particular cruise had mostly Brits who were in the late 70s and older, so definately not a cruise for someone with young children, teens, those who seek constant entertainment, etc. Keep that in mind when looking for a cruise. Another thing to consider is your trying to understand what Brits are saying; more than once I would hear one Brit ask what another Brit was saying and they only lived about 40 miles apart! It is true, we are two nations separated by a common language.
2) The food was very good, not as good as Oceania, but then Oceania charges a premium and advertises themselves as the finest food on the ocean. Yet, I never had a bad meal and always had a great selection.
3) The first time you go on a three week vacation you realize that two weeks simply ends just when you are going to really enjoy yourself. I believe it is the same with a cruise. Seven nights? OK. Ten or longer, now you will really get into cruising. On this trip, many Brits I met had taken three around the world cruises and were booking other shorter cruises. It is definately a way to leave the world behind (they were able to afford it as they are under the old UK pension plan which was more of a private retirement plan as opposed to the current plan which is much like our Social Security system).
4) As usual, I found the most interesting individuals in the Churchill Cigar lounge; one author of two books who has interviewed numerous interesting historical figures and their families to bring to light little known historial facts, another a high manager in the British gas industry who shared some stories when he was working on a project founded by (then) Prince Charles and some of their conversations, etc. Each evening after dinner, we headed up to the cigar lounge (I have the most accomdating and lovely wife) to talk with other passengers in a relaxed atmosphere. Excellent!
OK, I am sure I have bored you enough but I hope you will have picked up some ideas on cruising, places to visit, etc. I hope you have a great summer and if you have any questions on cruising or even financial or insurance matters please feel free to reach out to me. Thank you for your patience!
Leave a Comment