June 2022 – Barbara Schnell, author

June 25, 2022June 25, 2022

Gdansk, Berlin, Copenhagen

There was a monument next to where our ship docked in Gdansk the next morning. Gordon and I had time before our afternoon tour, so we wandered over to look at it. It was a monument to those who lost their lives in World War II. And there was a bombed-out building down the road from it. We learned that this is where the Nazis first attacked Poland (the Germans called the city Danzig, not Gdansk). We were on the spot where World War II officially started. We watched a group of young people practice marching around for some program or other–we never found out what. And we never found out if they were young soldiers, high school kids, or what. We just saw that they were young and in uniform. They marched solemnly to music on a portable record-player (hadn’t seen one of those in years) to the monument and back to a bunch of chairs. Maybe they were preparing for Poland’s version of Memorial Day. We eventually got bored and went back to the ship for milk and a cookie. Then we took our tour of Old Town Gdansk. Gdansk was leveled during the war, but it was re-built in the 50s to look like it had in the late 1700s. There were fountains in the cobblestoned streets only two blocks from the river. The church was dedicated to Saint Barbara so I approved of that, of course. Amber jewelry is a big seller there. I found some beautiful pieces but I’d already gotten an amber bracelet earlier at a sale on the ship. Maybe I’ll get more some other time. Anyway, I thought the street was charming. And the residents got the feel of an historic city but with new plumbing. The best of both worlds! We were shown the dock where the Solidarity Movement started. Who knew Gdansk was the beginning of so much–World War II, Solidarity…The people were worried about the war in Ukraine. Poland is right next door and they’ve lived under the Russians before. No one I talked to was eager to do it again. Our guide was very proud that Poland had taken in over 4 million refugees. I hope the best for all of them and thank God I don’t live in that part of the world.

We had a short stop the next day at a tiny island called Bornholm, or Ronne, still in Denmark. There wasn’t much to see except for an old castle where apparently terrible things happened. None of the stores were open so there wasn’t much to do. Even the bathroom down by the dock was closed. And when you’ve got a bunch of ageing tourists with iffy bladders, that can be a problem. The guide pointed out the Russian embassy which was fenced off. Lots of Ukrainian flags were flying opposite so I suspect the Russians stayed to themselves. They’re not real popular in that part of the world.

Our trip to Berlin started the next morning at 7:30. We had a 2-hour train trip before catching a bus to downtown Berlin. I was glad we got to ride so much. I’d tripped over Gordon’s feet (not his fault, it was a small cabin, and I wasn’t watching where I was going) and messed up my little toe. I thought I’d just bruised it badly but it’s still painful weeks later so it’s possible I broke it. Fortunately, our traveling buddies handled it. Bill is a surgeon and Dawn is a nurse, so they acted as my medical team. Bill stabilized the toe, but walking was painful. And when we left the bus there was a lot of walking. We went to the Brandenburg Gate and learned about the history of Berlin. We saw the Reichstag, some concert halls, churches, other official buildings, and Checkpoint Charlie. We had sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, and beer at a local restaurant. The one-man band played German folk tunes. Gordon knew the lyrics to some of the songs, but I chimed in with the “Ja, Ja, Ja, Ja” chorus and waved my stein around. That was my kind of place. I had enough euros for the toilet frau, who happened to be a Herr in this case, and we left for a short cruise down the Spree. There were a lot of pro-Ukraine signs and flags in Berlin, too. Nobody who’s lived under the Russians wants them back. But it was a lovely day except for the broken toe (how can something that small cause so much trouble?). The one thing that sticks in my head was how clean Berlin is. It’s the Disneyland of European cities. I was literally shocked when I saw a small piece of graffiti on the way back to the ship. I’ll have to go back to Berlin and check it out more carefully.

We had another long day of walking in Copenhagen the next day. I was swearing at my toe. Why couldn’t I have messed it up when we had short tours? But I gimped around. This was my chance to see Copenhagen and no toe was going to stop me. We saw the Little Mermaid statue. The guide said she kept getting vandalized and I can see why; she’s easy to get to. The statue is on a rock that’s only about 8 feet from shore. On the way to the Citadel we passed another statue of a local goddess who legend says carved out Denmark by turning her four sons into bulls and plowing as much land as they could in one day. We toured an Episcopal church, the first I’d seen in Europe outside the UK. We walked past the official residences of the royal family that surround a public square. After lunch we toured the official palace. It’s impressive. I’m glad it wasn’t flattened in the war. All the guides in the cities we visited really stressed the war. It’s like history started then. I guess what’s happened in the various countries stemmed from that time. Anyway, the guide stated that the Danes loved their royal family and believe that the royals earn their money. Really nice palace. I recommend visiting it. They put us on the bus and took us to Tivoli Gardens where they say Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland. It had rides, attractions, and lovely gardens all on a two-block area. We thought about taking some of the rides but it was a holiday in Copenhagen and the lines were long–just like Disneyland! We enjoyed the gardens and had a cup of coffee so we could rest our feet (and my blasted toe). Nice amusement park.

We went back to the ship for another fabulous dinner and evening of entertainment. I was glad we didn’t have a big day of walking planned for the next day. My toe needed a break.

Me and the World War II monument in Gdansk. This is the site of the start of WWII.

Modern art fountain in front of museum. I thought it looked like a bathtub. But I had to check.

Gordon and the goddess who turned her sons into bulls

June 15, 2022

Sailing

We had a day of sailing on the Baltic so we took the time to get comfortable with the ship and get used to our new routines. The first thing we did every morning was spit 2 ml of saliva into a test tube for COVID testing. I had no idea it took so long to collect that much spit. And it’s hard to spit when you’ve just waked up and your mouth is dry. I learned to drink extra water during my Limitless viewings. Had to pee like a racehorse a few hours later but I had some spit. I got rather zen about the testing. We’d been tested before boarding the ship and if I was going to get COVID, there was probably nothing I could do to stop it. Might as well relax and enjoy the ride. And check out the ship.

There was a small pool/hot tub in the center/top deck of the ship. There was also an infinity pool and hot tub in the back. I would’ve gone swimming but I forgot my suit. Suits were for sale at the spa but when I was free the weather was usually too cold. I thought it would be warmer when we booked the trip. I’d googled weather and learned that it’s usually around 70 degrees in that part of the world in spring. Mother Nature obviously didn’t get the memo because it was usually 65 degrees or lower. And it rained every other day. I should have packed more sweaters and a thicker coat but I made do. Back to ship ammenities; there was a putting course, a shuffleboard court and a running track. Gordon ran every day but I took advantage of none of it. I spent my time recovering from our tours.

The food on the ship was great. The first Viking trip I took was a Danube River cruise. German food was mainly served and I found it fatty and uninspired. Except for the strudels. I really like those strudels. Anyway, on the Baltic cruise there were three main restaurants: Manfredi’s (Italian), The Chef’s Table, and The Restaurant (guess they ran out of names and went with the basics). Manfredi’s is self-explanatory. The Restaurant had a diverse menu. But The Chef’s Table had a set 4-course meal with complementary wines. We had the lamb menu the first night, Chinese food another, and seafood the last time. Each meal was excellent as were the wines. We had steaks at The Restaurant and pasta at Manfredi’s. The wine was always excellent and plentiful which didn’t do Gordon much good since he doesn’t drink but I had a good time. We usually had dinner with Bill and Dawn and compared tours. We always had lots to talk about since we only shared one tour. Oh, and the guys had the Good Old Days to remember and discuss. I’m glad we all took the same cruise. They were fun. Anyway, there were other cafe type places for less formal meals. The World Cafe was open most of the day. The Pool Snack bar served hamburgers and hotdogs (I had one with shrimp and mayo; only in Scandinavia but it was good). There were at least three other areas where you could get pastries and breakfast foods. We over-indulged the first two days then simplified things by having milk and a cookie for lunch. I was afraid we wouldn’t have enough TUMS to last the trip otherwise.

During the day there were lectures that educated and music that soothed. I liked the piano player and guitar player but avoided the piano/violin duo. The violinist was slightly pitchy and it was like chalk on a blackboard–although I was probably the only person it bothered. We played (and lost) trivia contests. There were some smart people on board. The first evening show was a medley with four kids and the back-up band. The songs and choreography were professional and enjoyable. But the show I especially enjoyed featured the cruise director, Heather (wish I could remember her last name). The first show I saw her in, she asked if everybody liked opera. Crickets. I figured we’d be forced to listen to a soprano that was the equivalent of the violinist in the atrium. Just as pitchy but much louder. Well, Heather sang the mezzo aria from Carmen and she was great! She claimed to have sung Carmen in 30 productions all over the world. I believe her. She had it down. Then she sang show tunes with the band. She was good. The second show she starred in was even better. She sang jazz and more show tunes. She claimed to have found her niche. I think she did. She got to design her own cabaret show like a Vegas revue and she didn’t have to screw anybody to do it–like in Vegas. She also didn’t have men pinching her –although I don’t think the men on the cruise could have moved fast enough to grab her if they’d wanted to (the demographics on these cruises skews old). Nice gig. A nice well-paying gig. I asked her how they scheduled her time. Did she work two weeks on, two weeks off or what. She laughed–howled really–and said she worked the entire season with minimal breaks. In the Baltic I guess that means four months on, eight months off but I don’t know. She earned her money.

A pianist called Harry the Piano entertained us with two shows. He did mash-ups of music and told stories about playing for the Queen. The stories about celebrities he’s worked with and for were good but his ability to play a Beatles song as if Mozart had written it was amazing. I’ve never run into anyone else who could do that as well.

There was also a magician who did two shows. I love magicians; I can never figure out how they do the tricks so when he had a seminar about doing basic magic tricks I was in the front row with Dawn. Gordon and Bill giggled at us but I was fascinated. And I felt really stupid when I learned how simple some of the tricks were. The magic is in hiding the effort. I forgot the magician’s name but he was a really nice. We talked about his son learning the business. He was even on the Penn & Teller show. I asked if he fooled them and he said ‘no’ but you have to be really good to even get on. They only take the best.

There was always something to do on the ship. And if you just wanted to read a book and listen to classical music (which I did) there was always the 8th deck reading room with the comfortable chairs, wolf skin furniture covers (probably faux), and great views. I enjoyed my time on the ship.

Dawn, Bill, Me and Gordon–after-dinner coffee at 10 at night. I was only dark about 3 hours a night. Had to get used to that.

June 9, 2022

Stockholm

Gordon and I bought a Viking Baltic cruise three years ago. We were excited to see Northern Europe, land of our ancestors. Unfortunately, COVID hit, and the cruise was postponed. When COVID finally abated a bit Putin attacked Ukraine. St. Petersburg was taken off the list–too dangerous of Americans and other living things. Viking finalized a new tour that included Gdansk, Berlin, and Oslo in place of three days in St. Petersburg. Most people I talked to were disappointed but I’d never seen Gdansk, Berlin or Oslo so I was fine with the change. On the morning of May 19 our Uber driver picked us up at 5:45. We tried to say ‘goodbye’ to Gracie, but she wasn’t having it. She knows what suitcase means and she refused to let us touch her. What’s the difference between Grace and a vulture? A vulture waits until you’re dead to rip your heart out. I really did feel bad about leaving her. She’d never been alone; she’d always had George before. We thought about putting her in ‘jail’ but figured she’d just be lonely in a cage. Home alone seemed the best option. I just hoped a raccoon named Joe Pechi didn’t invade.

At LAX we were supposed to leave from the American terminal, Building A, but the Uber driver explained that really meant Building B. He showed us on the app that that was true. He was trying to save us steps. Well, we did take off from Building B, but we had to check our luggage in Building A, so we had to shlep anyway. He meant well. When we checked our luggage, we found out that our SAS flight to Stockholm had been cancelled (God know why) and we’d be catching a FinnAir flight that went to Helsinki when we changed in Chicago. Ooookay. That added 5 hours of travel time; an hour of flight time to Helsinki, a 3-hour layover, and a puddle-jumper to Stockholm. What could we do? We got on our American flight and changed at O’Hare which is a zoo. I almost got busted for drugs because I’d forgotten to empty my water bottle. “Do have anything you don’t want me to know about?” asked the suspicious TSA agent. I said ‘no’ and she pulled out my water bottle. I explained that I’d forgotten about the water but that I wanted to keep the bottle. Bless her heart, she offered to empty the bottle and give it back. And, of course, I expressed my sincere thanks. We took the tram to the international terminal and got through customs. The flight was nine hours long, but we had the extra-large seats and the row entirely to ourselves. We were given good, basic food. We got blueberry juice for breakfast. Blueberries grow in Scandanavia, so they’re used in everything. The juice was a little sweet for me, but the color was great. I have no complaints about FinnAir. Everything was new, clean, and as comfortable as a flight can be. We couldn’t go anywhere in Helsinki, not enough time, but the puddle-jumper was on time. It was packed but only took 45 minutes. When we got to Stockholm, Viking hired a Mercedes taxi to take us directly to the ship. That was their way of smoothing feathers due to the botched flights. Not their fault, I suppose, but we didn’t get to see anything of Stockholm that day due to all the delays. We met up with an old high school/band buddy of Gordon’s, Bill, and his wife, Dawn. for dinner that night. I think. I’d been traveling for over 24 hours and was exhausted. I went to bed early but was up at 2:30 a.m. Stockholm time. I discovered an old TV series called Limitless. I really liked it–for a while anyway. It put me back to sleep. So every time I couldn’t sleep I’d turn on Limitless. Worked like a charm. I’d fall asleep in different places so I had to repeat episodes. It took me the entire two weeks to get through the series but I made it. It’s on Paramount+ now. Check it out.

The next day we toured the palace and a theater that was built for the royals in the 1700s. Sweden didn’t have much money back then, so the palace is concrete painted to look like marble. It was a nice enough palace. The gardens looked like a small Versailles, but the theater was particularly interesting to me. The stage was deep and steeply raked. The flats were wooden and painted. They still had a lightning machine, a rain machine, and a thunder machine in the pit. Historic costumes from various productions were on display. I thought it was a great tour. We took a boat from the palace back to the ship. We met Pat and Linda, a couple from San Diego. Pat was a retired percussionist and he told us about playing in the pit for touring shows and for the San Diego Symphony. They were fun. We had a quiet afternoon, and a pleasant dinner with Bill and Dawn. Then we went to a show in the Star Theater. If I remember correctly the talent was two boys and two girls doing a medley of something or other. It was a pleasant day, but I resented missing seeing any of Old Town Stockholm. Everybody told us it was wonderful. We went to bed, and I watched another episode of Limitless. I was starting to get seriously tired.

The next day we went to a small town on a small island called Mariehamn which means Marie’s harbor. Marie was queen of something or other. All the royals were starting to run together in my mind. We got a tour of the island. It reminded me of parts of the Midwest–with water. It was Sunday so all the shops were closed. The historic church we stopped at didn’t want us inside. They were getting ready for the service so you can’t really blame them. I peeked in anyway. Old, old, old. Think it was built in the 1100s. Electricity had been included (a silo sort of thing attached to the exterior) so there were chandeliers instead of candles. I was puzzled by a ship hanging in between the chandeliers but couldn’t ask anybody about it. Then we were taken to the top of a hill to enjoy the views. We got the scrambled history of the place. I think that’s where the spoken language is Swedish, but the island was given to Finland after World War II. God knows why. It was lovely but Viking could have skipped Mariehamn for all I cared but

I think Gordon and I had a hot dog as a late lunch and skipped dinner, but my memory is hazy. I still wasn’t sleeping well and running around a lot is hard on an old lady. At breakfast I explained to Dawn about my sleeping difficulties (she’s a retired nurse) and she gave me magnesium pills. I tried them that night and they worked like a charm. I slept for 6 1/2 straight hours. I only got to watch one episode of Limitless but I was refreshed and looking forward to the next day at sea. No tour!