Best of the Baltic
July 2 - 15, 2013
Wednesday & Thursday, July 3 & 4, 2013
Stockholm, Sweden / Embark Island Sky
Today we arrived in Stockholm from all corners of the globe to begin
our journey together. A brief introduction to the majority of the expedition staff was provided before dinner at the hotel, and guests soon
sought the welcome comfort of their beds.
Our city tour of elegant Stockholm commenced at City Hall with its
impressive Blue Room, where the Noble Prize ceremony takes place,
and its sumptuous Gold Room, the walls of which are covered with
monumental mosaics celebrating the city and its history. We explored
the picturesque Old Town (Gamla Stan), full of narrow, winding cobbled
streets with shops. After lunch we visited the Vasa, a massive 17thcentury Swedish warship which sank suddenly on its maiden voyage,
only raised from the seabed in 1961. Afterwards, we made our way to
the Island Sky, our home for the next two weeks.
Friday, July 5
Helsinki, Finland
Our day began with Dr. Colleen Batey setting
the scene for the Vikings in the region with
Sweden, the Baltic, and the Eastern River
Routes. Our second lecture of the morning was
given by Professor Roberta Frank of Yale
University, who provided an introduction to
the linguistic background of the region with
The Languages Spoken Around the Baltic.
We sailed into downtown Helsinki in brilliant
sunshine, through myriad small islands that
form the Finnish archipelago, in great anticipation of our afternoon excursions.
A city walk encompassed Senate Square with
the main Lutheran church and university
buildings, as well as major landmarks such as
the National Theater, Finlandia Hall, National
Museum, and Parliament House. The impressive rock-cut church was also memorable,
before some of us wandered along the large
market within sight of the ship.
Alternatively, we had the chance to cruise by
small boat to one of the defended islands in
the archipelago, the fort of Suomenlinna. The
largest fortification in Finland, this impressive
UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded
in 1748 by the Swedes as a bastion spanning
six separate small islands which formed a
coastal protection for Helsinki.
Once back on board and sailing away, we
enjoyed cocktails hosted by the Master of the
Vessel, Captain Henrik Karlsson, followed by
the welcome dinner.
Saturday & Sunday, July 6 & 7
St. Petersburg, Russia
Saturday morning began early as we sailed towards our berth on
the English Embankment in St. Petersburg, with a reflection of
life in the Soviet Union by Elena Myasoedova, entitled My Soviet
Union: A Very Personal Perspective. After great opportunities to
photograph the Aurora and the outside of St. Isaac’s Cathedral,
we made our way to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first structure
in the marshlands of St. Petersburg. At its heart is the Peter and
Paul Cathedral which houses the burial monuments of the Russian
Emperors since the time of Peter I, including Nicholas II and much
of his family.
Lunch was at the Russian Vodka House, with delicious highlights
of borscht and beef stroganoff, before a drive through the city out
to the wonderfully restored Peterhof Palace, created initially by
Peter the Great as a summer palace. Room upon room of gilded
woodwork, fine paintings, and luxurious furnishings, including
several Chinese dressers, chandeliers of Sevres porcelain, Wedgewood dinner services, and exotic silks were a feast for the eyes.
The next day, we had an early visit to the Hermitage Museum, its
thousands of rooms filled with unbelievable collections of porcelain and paintings by Rembrandt and da Vinci. The awe-inspiring
Gold Room held treasures of Scythian gold, from the collections of
Peter the Great, and Fabergé eggs.
We enjoyed lunch on the water by canal boat, and observed a
unique perspective of the city’s layout with magnificent and imposing stucco frontages embellished with noble columns. Our next
stop was the Church of the Resurrection; unbelievably elaborate,
we marveled at the mosaic surfaces, intense colors, and the newly
re-installed gates of the Icon screen. We visited the magnificent St.
Isaac’s Cathedral, with its vibrant mosaics and icons, before heading back to the ship. As we sailed away to the strains of Russian
music and vodka shots, we passed the decayed docklands, the old
sign of Leningrad, and the newly completed flood barrage system,
protecting St. Petersburg from flooding of the Baltic.
Monday, July 8
Tallinn, Estonia
A beautiful blue sky highlighted the colors
of this spectacular city, with its limestone
walls and red-tile roofs. We embarked for
our morning tour to Kadriorg Palace; built
by Peter the Great for his mistress Catherine,
this diminutive pastel-colored palace echoed
many of the magnificent regal buildings of
St. Petersburg. Housing the national painting collection, the palace is surrounded by
flower-filled gardens, a small pavilion, and
swan house amidst a decorative pool.
A brief stop at the Singing Fields, with its
impressive 30,000 capacity stage, and a
drive along the scenic promenade of the
Bay of Tallinn, brought us back into the
walled town, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Our walking tour began in the Upper
Town with the Orthodox Nevsky Cathedral
and Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary’s. The
look-out point afforded spectacular views
across the city and back to the harbor, and
the winding cobbled streets leading down
into the Lower Town provided insight into
the town defenses, with small niches providing refuge for shopkeepers and artists. The
Main Square and adjacent Town Hall were
picture-postcard perfect!
An afternoon with free time to explore was
much enjoyed. We rejoined the Island Sky
and Olga Eggert gave a presentation entitled,
A Giant Awakes: Millennium of Russian
History, which provided a valuable framework for the information supplied by our
guides in St. Petersburg.
Tuesday, July 9
Riga, Latvia
An early morning sail from the open sea
via the River Daugava brought us to Riga.
Straddling both sides of the mighty river, a
new and vibrant city emerged. Futurist highrise structures contrasted with the old castle,
Hanseatic buildings, and spectacular Art
Nouveau edifices. Our morning tour brought
us first to the extensive district which focused
on stucco frontages, colored tiles, and distinctive but varied window forms—this was
truly an exhilarating experience and for most,
totally unexpected.
In bright sunshine our tour continued to
the Old Town, through the narrow cobbled
streets and flower-filled squares. The large
Guild houses, 15th-century Three Brothers
merchant houses, the Swedish Gate, and
the Hanseatic Blackheads house formed the
framework of our tour in the city. A period of
quiet contemplation was enjoyed in the massive brick-built Cathedral, where we enjoyed
a short organ recital by Aivars Kalējs.
A few hours of free time enabled some to visit
the impressive indoor food market nearby,
housed within modified Zeppelin balloon
hangers. Flowers, fruits, sausages, fish, and
bread crowded the stalls and provided a brief
insight into normal everyday life in the city.
Once back onboard we enjoyed a lecture by
Professor Walter Goffart of Yale University,
entitled The Baltic Germans and Their
Disappearance, as we sailed towards our
next port of call.
Wednesday, July 10
Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden
We began our morning with two lectures, the first by Ron Wixman entitled
Religion and Cultures in the Baltic, followed by Ann Wilson’s presentation on
Art, Design, and Nationalism.
We eased into the central harbor in Visby under pale blue skies, bolstered by
the hope of some sunshine, as we disembarked for our afternoon in this most
picturesque of walled cities. Ringed by virtually complete high limestone
walls from the 12th century, St. Mary’s Church dominated the skyline of the
red roofs and tall Hanseatic gables; the tall white spires can be seen rising
majestically above the medieval town buildings.
The Gotland Fornsal Museum held the display of the world’s largest Viking
silver hoard from Spillings on Gotland. Brought together in 870AD, it showed
that Gotland once had contacts throughout the known world, from North Africa
and Spain to Iraq.
The town of “Roses and Ruins” lived up to its name; roses of reds and pinks
snuggled up against the walls of the old houses and framed their doorways.
The narrow alleys, once home to poor fishermen, are now prime real estate!
Strolling through the calming and fragrant Botanical Gardens, the peace and
tranquility of this beautiful island lived up to all expectations.
Thursday, July 11
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Warm sunshine and local musicians in colorful costumes greeted our arrival
in Klaipeda, Lithuania’s only coastal port. Three options for the afternoon
were available, including a trip into the Lithuanian countryside and a visit
to the former home of a British military attaché; a visit to the amber museum
and coastal resort at Palanga; or for the more athletically-inclined of the
group, a bicycle ride on the nearby Coronian Spit.
The ride out into the Lithuanian countryside revealed rolling agricultural
lands, and storks on the tops of poles was a common sight. The first stop
was to the village of Gargždai where a local women’s choir provided a
beautiful welcome. The museum there housed details and images of the
period of Soviet deportations, when villagers were sent to Siberia and
family groups were decimated. The next call was to the remote home of former British Defense Attaché David Holliday, who regaled us with stories
of the Cold War. The location was delightful and the local brew memorable!!
The bus ride to nearby Palanga introduced us to the rolling farmlands
around Klaipeda. Once we had reached the designated national parkland
around the historic building housing the National Amber Museum, we
were able to stroll through the peaceful French-designed parkland and
gardens, punctuated with lakes and fountains as well as bronze sculptures.
The amber collection was extensive and varied, including raw amber
blocks from the nearby Baltic shores, some with spectacular inclusions
of creatures and leaves, and archaeological finds from the region. A brief
walk to the shore nearby ended this stage of the excursion, which then
adjourned briefly to visit a large brick-built Neo-Gothic Catholic church in
the centre of Palanga.
Once back in Klaipeda, we sampled locally brewed beer at a hostelry
before our city walk along cobbled streets between half-timbered buildings.
The third group embarked on a bicycle excursion onto the famous nearby
Coronian Spit, a place of exceptional natural beauty. After the short crossing, the ride was through hilly terrain, along paved bike lanes and forest
paths, among Scots pines and downy birches. We emerged from the forest
on the outside of the spit, facing the wide-open Baltic. The broad white
beaches extended as far as we could see in either direction.
Friday, July 12
Gdansk, Poland
Berthed adjacent to Westerplatte, where the first shots of World War
II were fired on September 1, 1939, our visit was destined to be
dominated by both modern historical events and more ancient ones.
We visited the emotive and fascinating Roads to Freedom Exhibition and the impressive Solidarity Monument before our walking
tour of the Hanseatic Old Town, largely rebuilt following massive
destruction in the last war. Commencing at the misnamed Green
Gate, our walk took us through the wonderful main street lined with
buildings of Hanseatic stepped-gables and the magnificent Neptune
fountain, and on to the Golden Gate. The smaller side streets, paved
with cobbles and lined with shops stocked with amber of all hues
and designs, led us to St. Mary’s Church, a majestic and prominent
brick-built structure so clearly defined from its neighborhood buildings. A demonstration on amber identification rounded out the tour.
The day’s events ended with the last of the lecture series, given by
Ron entitled Hansa, the Protestant Reformation and the Industrial
Revolution.
Saturday, July 13
Bornholm Island, Denmark
As we pulled into the protected harbor of Ronne on the west coast of Bornholm
this morning, we were delighted to see the sun had returned and Bornholm
was able to live up to its epithet, “Sunny Island!” Our tour encompassed much
of the northern coast of the island; we stopped at one of the largest Norse
runestones in Denmark, near the village of Svalhøj, and further north we spent
an enjoyable time at Hammershus, the largest medieval castle ruins in Northern
Europe. The massive brick castle was built from the 1200s onwards and occupied
as a garrison into the 1700s.
Our next stop was Østerlars near Gudhjem, the largest and most famous of the
four round churches on the island, dating from the 12th century. The thickwalled, white-washed drum was complemented by the adjacent bell tower and
the beautifully tended graveyard. We enjoyed lunch, a typical smorgasbord, at
Gudhjem, before a gentle guided stroll among the picturesque houses in welcome
sunshine. We boarded Zodiacs for the first time this voyage and returned to our
vessel which had repositioned from Ronne.
The captain’s farewell cocktails and dinner followed by the slideshow of our
voyage, created by Jim Wilson, was much enjoyed. Soon it was time to pack,
as we would be disembarking for our final day.
Sunday & Monday, July 14 & 15
Copenhagen, Denmark / Disembark
Formalities executed, we departed the ship for our full-day excursion of
the highlights of Copenhagen. We began at the Christiansborg Palace, with
Rooms of State and magnificent tapestries executed in Danish design by
French workers. These portrayed in vivid color the history of Denmark and
graced a splendid dining room. We stopped at the Little Mermaid statue for
photographs and drove past the National Museum, barracks of King Christian
IV, and the Glyptotek art gallery. After a typical Scandinavian lunch and a
brief walk around Nyhavn, the tour ended at Rosenborg Palace. A beautiful
pocket-sized palace, with wonderful rose gardens, it was also the home to
the crown jewels of Denmark.
Our odyssey across the Baltic had come to an end, but the information
gained and the friends made, will form a great backdrop if we can get someone to look at all the pictures taken!
Nadia Eckhardt
Jannie Cloete
Colleen Batey
Olga Eggert
Roberta Frank
Walter Goffart
Elena Myasoedova
Ann Wilson
Jim Wilson
Ron Wixman
Photo log text by: Colleen Batey
Photography by: Jim Wilson, Colleen Batey, Elena Myasoedova, and Ann Wilson
Produced by: Sara Mulnix
This photo log has been produced by Zegrahm Expeditions and is the property of Zegrahm Expeditions. Any unauthorized use of images included is
hereby prohibited.