jpalbny

There used to be a 5000 post limit before the database couldn't handle it, but that limit seemed to go away with one of the updates. After 8AM here in Finland and the sun has been up for 4 hours. Time to rise and shine!

Thanks so much for the information about this building! We are really enjoying this trip, and learning a lot about the history here. Our guide also mentioned the "misery" roads. We walked along the side, on the smooth parts. 😀 Those cobblestones were rough. We have more than 20,000 steps today.

Evening aboard! We went to the briefing at 18:15. An amusing talk about Finnish mythological creatures. None that we've met so far, but the voyage is still young. We made a quick exit from the briefing and were first at the MDR. So we scored a prime table for two at the window. We'd previewed the menu online and didn't need to go further than the daily specials. The wines were a South African Semillon Blanc and a Chilean Carmeñere. Odd choices for a French menu. Paul was our waiter tonight and offered some sweet wine with the foie gras. Nicely done! The soup was tasty too. Fichyssoisse? I thought that the Carmeñere was a bit light bodied for the veal dish (which was delicious). Chris said I was being too picky and the match was just fine. I gave it 8/10. And the tarte. The cinnamon ice cream was really good. And the dessert went well with the rest of my red wine. (Because it was a light red) No late night for us. We have an 8:15 tour departure tomorrow in Rauma. Fortunately we are docking so we can wake up at 8AM or so...

Örö Island, conclusion. We had wandered off the main track, following the blue markers. After a detour through a cow pasture we were guided to yet another rocky beach. And a double set of bunkers. Back inland. The southern part of the island is narrow and the trail zigged and zagged between both coasts. We found ourselves at yet another gun installation. This one had its own barracks. There was a little exhibit inside. We zipped through. And pushed onward to the southernmost point. Google had marked a "suspension bridge" here but we saw nothing of the sort. Well that was a waste of time! And an uphill climb too! There were more bunkers to explore. We wandered among them and saw more blue markers... And this. Is that a bridge? We found it! The way seemed blocked off at first but we followed the blue markers and we crossed that bridge when we got to it. The weather kept improving too. Lots of sun, and beautiful temperatures. Layers were shed. Now we had to get back to the marina. We had a long walk ahead of us. So we took the blue trail to the main road and made haste. Tall trees, flat topography, and a straight path ahead of us. If only we hadn't worn ourselves out with getting here. We dragged ourselves to the dock just after 15:00. Coffee and cinnamon rolls for our efforts, as Rachel posted previously. That was a welcome treat! Zodiac back to the ship about 15:20. A swan and cygnets made an appearance. The weather for the ride back was gorgeous. Smooth sailing! Flat seas. As we approached Silver Wind, a military helicopter buzzed the ship. Back on board in time for a shower and change before trivia. We did very well! Then we had plenty of time to relax before briefing and dinner.

Örö Island, continued. We turned south and made haste to the lunch spot. We walked through more beautiful forest. Here and there, traces of the island's former history. Remains of a gun mount. A military ship went by. Keeping an eye on us? This building was constructed in the early 1900s during the Russian occupation era, as a soldier's hospital. The Finnish armed forces used it as an officer's quarters. The officer would keep tabs on who went by so the building was called "The Eye." The big gun means that we're almost back to our lunch stop! Lunch was rather small. A "tapas plate" with some nice items - salmon, lamb, potatoes, pickles, etc. Tasty bites. And a rhubarb crumble for dessert. After lunch we decided to tackle the southern half of the island. We had lots of time before the last zodiac at 17:00. We set off through a dense old forest with a carpet of reindeer moss. It's actually a lichen! Go figure. Reindeer eat it regardless of what we call it. More obvious lichens also. Even covering some of the trees! Another viewpoint, with another swan. We would have to circle this bay to get to the south part of the island. Onward. I don't remember what this building was. Around every corner, there seems to be a bunker of some sort. They're open to explore. And probably full of creepy crawlies too. The red campion was less ubiquitous and harder to find. Maybe because it looks purple? We finally circled the bay and turned south. This is turning into a real expedition!

Tuesday, June 6th. Örö Island. Another former military base recently designated as a park. We had an easy morning and slept in until 7:30 then had breakfast. The first zodiac headed out at 8:45. The weather had been fine earlier but suddenly a dark cloud drifted over us. The temperature felt much colder. And there was a brief intense rain shower! Right on cue they called our group. Luckily the rain stopped as we loaded into our zodiac, and the ride over was dry. We met our guide for the nature hike and started off. She took us to a few nice viewpoints where we could see the rocky coast. A big contrast between the coast and the inland forest. Tons of blueberry bushes everywhere. And pretty flowers. The tiny Arctic star was all over. Back to the coast. Islands all over! We crossed over to the west side of the island and went to another beach. Our ship was there to greet us. You can see some bands of rain coming down near Silver Wind. The beach, like all of them here, is fairly rocky. This rock had a very interesting vein of mineral running through it. The pattern was very pretty. We need a geologist to explain this one. It was still chilly! We had 3 layers on. When the wind wasn't blowing and the sun was shining, we could shed a layer. But not too often. We had come a decent way north so now we turned back towards the center of the island, to get some lunch. Our guide set a brisk pace. Maybe she was hungry too!

Not enough time in the day!

George hasn't been tossed overboard yet so we'll let him slide. Expedition cruises are a different animal. Jeans are fine. 11PM and still light. Just got back from Paranormal where the dancing was getting wild. 8:45 zodiac call tomorrow so time for sleep. Tonight's dinner in LT. Chris's filet. It was huge. And cooked to @drron29's specifications! Chris was very happy. My osso bucco was delicious as well. Good night all!

Meeting Rachel and George for dinner in LT tonight! I finally remembered to use the website that only works onboard, to check reservations, excursions, and restaurant menus! Here's tonight's LT menu, to whet all of our appetites. Can I hold off another 45 minutes? I hope the post works. It's a series of screenshots from one big screenshot.

Or just take a SS cruise. So far 2 out of 3 and I've only been on board for a day!

Monday, June 5th. "Ulko" island (Ulko-Tammio). We slept soundly... Until 3:30! Then I was awake for a few hours. Napped again and woke up around 8:00. A coffee and a pastry in Panorama. Looks cold and cloudy! Zodiacs have been going for a while for the guided hikes, but we're heading out later to just have a wander on our own We grabbed a zodiac around 9:00. Choppy ride over, directly into the wind. Cool, about 48 degrees F. Some spray. Brr! Welcome to summer in the Nordics. Glad for those SS parkas! But the welcome on the island was warm. Someone playing accordion on the pier. Fresh blueberry juice with ginger. We wandered off to look at a big gun... We saw a map with a 3km hiking trail. So, off we went. Rachel and George joined us. Beautiful coastline! Silver Wind made an occasional appearance. The bright orange lichens reminded me of the Bay of Fire. From here you might be able to rock-hop to the offshore islet. George thought about it. We watched. We bushwhacked from the coast back towards the trail. On the way we saw this circular bunker which had been blasted out of the bedrock. Now nature is reclaiming the space. So many rocks. The "rapakivi" granite here crumbles easily. At least that's how Google tranlated the sign written in Finnish. There is a birding tower that you can climb. Not this one...this is a military tower. Climb it and you won't leave the island any time soon. The weather had been improving all morning. Nice sunshine, and inland there was a bit of a wind break so it started to feel warm. We followed signs to a tunnel and walked through. One of the tour guides was walking through in the other direction. He growled at us like a bear. Chris wasn't fooled! Fairly large. And a railing to guide you, if your flashlight goes out. Back to the dock where they had some snacks waiting for us. Grilled Finnish sausage, and salmon cooked on a plank. Delicious! The zodiac ride back was beautiful. Riding with the wind was much smoother. The sun, Wind, and clouds made a nice picture. Lunch in LT then a rest before our informal CC M&G at 16:00.

June 4th. Dinner. At the safety drill, we met LAexNY. Then we had the briefing, where the EL introduced some crew. Daddyo recognized us and introduced himself. Slowly meeting the CC contingent on board. After the briefing we got ready for dinner and went about 19:45. We had a table for two in the back of the MDR. Menu looked good. The first and last pages will change every night. The 2nd and 3rd will change every few days. Chris had mushroom soup which was delicious. I had foie gras. Mercifully small portion. Mains were Wiener Schnitzel and Lemongrass Beef. Both very flavorful. Chris had churros for dessert and I had the "around the world" cheeses. All very young. Included wines were a Grüner Veltliner and a Douro red blend. Both tasty. I got some Port wine with my cheeses. A G&T for a nightcap in the bar. Then, we tried to fall asleep before sunset. Sailaway at 21:30.

Wasn't it Bill Murray in Groundhog Day?

Helsinki. Boarding! We walked to the train station and just missed one train to Helsinki so we had to wait five minutes. Soon we were at Central Station and grabbed the 3 tram from there. We rode to the last stop and walked to Kaivopuisto Park. We found the "ravine" which was just a set of stairs to climb up to the observatory. A tight squeeze. Good thing it was before the cruise. After 2 weeks of the SS diet, we might not have fit. From the observatory we got a glimpse of Silver Wind (picture from a previous post). We then walked downhill to a glacial erratic. And a random monument. That was all from Chris's list, so we set course back to the hotel. On the way we passed the observatory again. A beautiful walk through Kaivopuisto Park. We could see Suomenlinna from here. Lots of geese. My app said they were Barnacle Geese. More cute statuary along the way. We dallied too long on the way back to the tram so we missed it by less a minute. So we had to walk to the hotel. We needed the steps I guess! We arrived about 11:15 and packed up. Down to the lobby at noon to check out and catch the bus to the ship. A nice easy transfer, on a bus that was much better than the picture I posted earlier. When we arrived there was a short wait until we could alight, to avoid overcrowding. But we were on board shortly. Once on board we were directed to the bar and then the theater to complete the process. We met Rachel and George for a nice relaxed lunch in LT. It was great to catch up! As we finished, the suites were ready just after 14:00. So we sat out on our veranda and enjoyed the scenery. With champagne. And chocolate. Life is good. Watched the safety video and unpacked. So glad to be on board! Safety drill at 16:30 then a briefing at 18:15 before dinner.

We also visited the Haaga Rhododendron Park this morning. This is the time for it! So many beautiful blooms! We wandered the boardwalks and enjoyed the flowers. Nearby, a huge grove of azaleas. Loved how they grew under and among the trees. After a few more pics we went back to the train station to get back to town. We wanted to try to find a "ravine" in Kaivopuisto Park, in the south of the city.

Silver Wind from Kaivopuisto Observatory!

Sunday June 4th. Morning in Helsinki. Slept well and awake by 7:30 for breakfast. Tasty buffet at the hotel, included with the SS package. After breakfast, my tour guide had big plans for the morning. There were a few parks a bit out of town that we'd missed in November. And they would probably be better in the summer anyway. So we walked to the train station and caught a bus to Strömberginkoski. Yes. Chris had found another waterfall to chase! A few different permutations. You could climb to the top, so of course we did. Looks like the devil's bathtub? Upstream, another little falls. Back to the bus stop for our next destination! The weather is mostly sunny and quite pleasant. Weather app says 56F but in the bright sun it feels warmer.

Yes! We saw it yesterday as well.

Saturday June 3, Helsinki We got to the hotel just after 6PM and cleaned up for dinner. We were ready by 7 so went out for a wander. First the harbor area but no sign of Silver Wind. Near the harbor, we saw the SS transfer bus. Just kidding! (I hope) We went to dinner 15 minutes early and started right in. We had made a reservation at Kapelli, an elegant old building on the Esplanade. The menu was interesting. Prosecco for an aperitif, and wine to go with our mains. Starting to look like a SS cruise! We had a cold roast beef appetizer to start. Chris had Arctic char and I had reindeer. Hopefully not one of Santa's. A circuitous stroll home in the twilight. So different from our last visit. We were in bed asleep by 9:30.

Nah, 55 minutes at CDG is a walk in the park. Some day I'll tell you about the 15 minute connection in Belgrade when we had to fly Air Serbia! We arrived in Helsinki at 16:55 and went straight for the train station. I bought tickets on my phone app as we walked. Arrived at the station and caught the 17:15 train with a minute to spare. A relaxing ride to the Helsinki Central Station then a pleasant slow walk to Hotel Kämp. We arrived and were checking in just after 6PM. Dinner at 20:00 so hopefully we'll have time for a wander first.

Now that we've actually boarded for the second leg, I'm comfortable posting that we made the connection. A 4h50 connection should be no problem, right? Well.. We were scheduled to leave BOS at 6:55PM. That got pushed to 8:30 because the incoming plane was late, so we boarded around 7:30. And then we sat at the gate for about 3 hours, while the storms delayed baggage loading and refueling. Finally we pushed back at 10:30, and were airborne at 10:58. ETA was now 11:30, and the flight to Helsinki was scheduled for 12:45. Doable, but more stressful than needed! The flight was uneventful and we touched down at 11:28. Boarding in 40 minutes... Ten minutes to taxi to the gate. We were #3/4 off the plane, one advantage of being in the last row of business. We didn't run, but walked briskly. Of course we'd landed way out in 2E, Terminal M... So a good long walk to the train, then 2 stops to 2E, Terminal K. Then security, minimal wait. Immigration was quick too. Another walk to cross over to 2F and we were at the gate two minutes before boarding time! A new record for CDG, 30 minutes from gate to gate! And none of the priority lines had been open. And again, I'm really glad that we didn't have to check bags. These tight connections are pesky. Of course, this flight is now a little delayed but hopefully not another 3h saga! We ended up waiting about 15 minutes to board, and we haven't pushed back yet for the 12:45 departure, but the door just closed (12:53). Let's hope we leave soon, so we can have a minute to relax before our 8PM dinner reservation!

They have on one of our two cruises.

It is a bit of a cluster here at Logan. The DL app still insists that we're leaving at 8:00. So we got up and started walking out of the lounge at 7... Only to see that the monitors said ETD 8:50! Back to our seats. The Delta app stubbornly remained at 8:00... Finally at about 7:25 we got a notification that the flight was boarding. We walked to the gate to hear an announcement... "We've closed the jet way because of lightning strikes." A brief delay and we were on board sipping sparkling wine by 7:35. The new DL One suites are pretty nice. Since we had to change flights just a few weeks ago, we're in the last row (7) but we have seats together. So all is good.

So glad to hear from everyone that you're enroute! We are at the AF lounge at Logan. The DL "skyclub" is a temporary pit on the other side of Terminal E, and the VA clubhouse (which we really like) is closed for renovation today! We went to the DL club and it was icky. So we walked all the way here to the AF lounge to find out that they weren't accepting Priority Pass, but they were happy to let us in with our DL One boarding passes. Much nicer than the SkyClub. We got everything done around the house this morning by 11:30, and met my cousin for lunch in Framingham at 2:00. Since I knew that our inbound plane was running 90 minutes late, we took our time and didn't rush. After lunch she drove us right to Terminal E where the person ahead of us was checking in about $1000 of extra baggage! It took forever so they called another agent over to check us in. No fuss for us...no baggage to check! Just a swipe of the passport. No line at TSA PreCheck so we were lounge hunting shortly thereafter. Our inbound plane arrived at 6:01 and departure is rescheduled for 8:00 instead of 6:55. No worries, as we had a 5h layover in CDG so 4 is better. Hope everyone's flights are smooth and we'll see you tomorrow!

Thanks for the preview of the hotel, LAexNY! We are also looking at a 5h connection, but in CDG. Let's hope that it passes by quickly. We were on the Kiel Canal almost 5 years ago - and we were on Silver Wind, but pre-conversion. A nice sunny day with beautiful scenery. Glasses were indeed raised but I can't vouch for how many... Now time to get some last-minute stuff done around the house. I have to do a water change in the fish tank, then grab some extra fish food from the pet store. Would be nice to take a walk before we sit in the plane for hours. And we might jump in the pool for a minute since it's warmed up to over 80 degrees. Sounds like I'd better get moving! We should leave between 10:30 and 11:00 for the Massport garage in Framingham. We have a lunch reservation at 1:00 (my cousin lives nearby and is meeting us) but if we're running later we'll just push that back an hour. Then she'll drop us at Logan and we're off!