Expecting a dissertation on the marvels of the modern Russia, we were surprised that the entire stay focused on the state of the nation before the Revolution of 1917. IN the minds of the Russians we spoke with, the two heroes of that period were Peter the Great and Catherine the Great who set the nation on a different track from their predecessors. Our visit took us to Catherine’s Palace, the Yusebo…
One may think of Oslo as the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. It is, and for that reason holds the world’s attention once a year. But the most memorable aspects of my visit were the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Viking Ship Museum. We stopped by a ski jump area, but the fog was so heavy on the day we were there that we could not see beyond the…
Helsinki is the capital city of Finland, but until 1812 the tiny hamlet of Porvoo claimed that honor. Today Porvoo is a tourist attraction representing what architecture and structures looked like in the 1700s, although the square in front of the old city hall dates back to the 1350s. What this means is that Porvoo was the center of civilization in Finland 150 years before Columbus set sail to find the passage…
Who would have thought that tiny Denmark would have castles that rival France and Germany? An 82 room hunting lodge? No problem. Frederikborg Castle was constructed beginning in the early 1600s and since the late 1800s has housed the Museum of National History to include some of the most remarkable original period artwork and portraits. Surprising? Yes. I was not expecting to see an elevator to bring the King into the audience…
Borwin Hafenrestaurant sits next to the river that runs through Rostock on its way to the North Sea. Prior to departing on our cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette and arriving in Warnemunde, the nearest port-of-calI, I reviewed the seafood restaurants in Rostock. Borwin came to the top of the list. Deciding to put it to the test, we were not disappointed. We arrived shortly after noon on a Wednesday. The service was…