Viking Sun Homelands departing Stockholm today

It's OK fairbourne. Dauntless really doesn't 'get' me! Thanks anyway.

Oh, Dauntless "gets you" all right. There have been some "interesting" interactions with you and another person from your "neck of the woods" on this forum

We did not get off the ship on Russian soil for reasons previously discussed on other threads. I don't propose to go over our reasons again.

We have left Russia now and the sun is out. Onwards!

I remember the reason. It was a good one.

A 10 mph wind from the north can make it seem a rather chilly 60 F. It has been mentioned about the crowd in Tallinn in the morning. Though it seems to go against nature, Tallinn in this direction is best to do on the last included excursion. The later departure makes this easy to do. We made your choice and left as soon as we could for outer Tallinn and by the time we got back around 3:00, the main square was cleared and had a great time.

 

Hope things go better for you in Gdansk and enjoy your sea day.

Thanks to some of your helpful earlier posts about Tallinn we took your advice and enjoyed Tallinn later in the day. Thanks for all your helpful advice. You saved us many times.

Dauntless - have you googled the definition of "Nippy Sweetie"? I did laugh when I first saw her handle and read subsequent posts as it doesn't always mean a sour sweet! ;)

I did, thinking there might be a meaning to that phrase. It's a Scottish usage: "Sharp tongued, ill tempered, usually a woman, that annoys people by just talking". That's owning it. How could she have thought I didn't get her? It's the type of person that people in the South US reference with "Bless her heart."

Obviously as a proud 'sharp tongued woman' I'd never bless anyone's heart as it would be just too patronising.

Gdansk was lovely today. Just a pity it was such a short visit. We'd like to have made more of a day of it just wandering in the beautiful streets marvelling at the buildings.

Rostock today in 30° temps. Amazing that Stockholm, Helsinki and now this part of Germany are all reporting highest temps since their records began (according to a guide). So much for us packing our warm clothes! Still, we're coping and just glad I remembered to pack my sunglasses.

Most of the passengers are off on a 12 hour trip to Berlin. Couldn't face that in these temps. Ship lovely and quiet!

Rostock today in 30° temps. Amazing that Stockholm, Helsinki and now this part of Germany are all reporting highest temps since their records began (according to a guide). So much for us packing our warm clothes! Still, we're coping and just glad I remembered to pack my sunglasses.

Most of the passengers are off on a 12 hour trip to Berlin. Couldn't face that in these temps. Ship lovely and quiet!

Was wondering what, if any, Viking tour you did in Gdansk? I, too, do not plan to do Berlin trip, but considering the included Rostock walking tour. Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Rostock today in 30° temps. Amazing that Stockholm, Helsinki and now this part of Germany are all reporting highest temps since their records began (according to a guide). So much for us packing our warm clothes! Still, we're coping and just glad I remembered to pack my sunglasses.

Most of the passengers are off on a 12 hour trip to Berlin. Couldn't face that in these temps. Ship lovely and quiet!

Lucky you! You could walk the beach. We had cool rain in Rostock in the second half of last July!! :( plus it was Sunday and everything was closed.

Please let us know if you ship crew did anything special for the “Berliners” on their way back to the ship.

It isn't that they are particularly grumpy but that they are not expected or even encouraged to smile while working. Smiling is not part of the work ethic and is actually viewed as un-workman-like behavior. We learned this while on our visit to St. P over 10 years ago and then again on our visit to Ukraine. We also learned that Russians have trouble with foreigners who smile all the time; they find it disingenuous. The tour guides have had to develop the smile and the sense of humor.

Exactly! On a sailing cruise across the Atlantic, I took a celestial navigation course with the second mate, who happened to be Russian (as were several of the officers). He said they could always tell American sailors because they were always waving, smiling, and friendly, which the Russians found odd. It's just a difference in cultures. Those Russian sailors were wonderful once you got talking to them. I don't hold their country's politics against them just as I hope they don't hold my country's politics against me. One of the most interesting things we did on our recent Homelands stop in SP (also our second time there) was go to the Political History Museum. An absolutely fantastic tour.

Exactly! On a sailing cruise across the Atlantic, I took a celestial navigation course with the second mate, who happened to be Russian (as were several of the officers). He said they could always tell American sailors because they were always waving, smiling, and friendly, which the Russians found odd. It's just a difference in cultures. Those Russian sailors were wonderful once you got talking to them. I don't hold their country's politics against them just as I hope they don't hold my country's politics against me. One of the most interesting things we did on our recent Homelands stop in SP (also our second time there) was go to the Political History Museum. An absolutely fantastic tour.

Loved your post.

Re Rostock tour: we were a bit surprised that it was included at all. It was a walk up the main street of a rebuilt previously eastern block main street. It was OK but nothing special. Nice guide though.

We wished we'd stayed in Warnemunde and had gone to the beach!

Re Gdansk: it was our favourite place so far. We just took the shuttle bus and wandered around the streets of the old town. The buildings are beautiful and then some. We stopped for great coffees and, later, a necessary cooling lager.

Copenhagen today and we plan to do the same. Really not enjoying the walking tours due to prolonged standing around.

Re Berlin return: there was a huge champagne bar set up on the quayside for tired returners.

Side note: if the queues for the main restaurant are long, champagne is handed out. Good solution.

Went mad in Royal Copenhagen shop yesterday. Fabulous foodie lunch in Michelin starred cafe and jazz cruise in the evening ended a great time in Copenhagen. Note to self: Copenhagen minibreak sometime?

The Scandinavian Rythm Boys were great. Played and sang their hearts out as we cruised round the waterways.

Stavanger today. Spectacular harbour. Had a lovely morning wandering the little streets. Very attractive houses.

Well that's us home again. Hard to believe that this time yesterday we were in Bergen. It was a wonderful trip. Best thing about it? The sheer variety. Every day we'd open the curtains to another vista: sometimes an interesting townscape or harbour view, best time was Eiddfjord. Wow! The mountains running in sheer slopes to the jade coloured water. The quality of the air there really underlined how used we've all become to polluted air in cities.

All in all a great trip. Good food. Good environment and good company. Viking looked after us all very well.

I'll do a review when I have time.

Well that's us home again. Hard to believe that this time yesterday we were in Bergen. It was a wonderful trip. Best thing about it? The sheer variety. Every day we'd open the curtains to another vista: sometimes an interesting townscape or harbour view, best time was Eiddfjord. Wow! The mountains running in sheer slopes to the jade coloured water. The quality of the air there really underlined how used we've all become to polluted air in cities.

All in all a great trip. Good food. Good environment and good company. Viking looked after us all very well.

I'll do a review when I have time.

Weclome home!

Looking forward to reading your review of your first Viking cruise.

. Every day we'd open the curtains to another vista: sometimes an interesting townscape or harbour view, best time was Eiddfjord. Wow! The mountains running in sheer slopes to the jade coloured water. The quality of the air there really underlined how used we've all become to polluted air in cities.

.

I thought I was the only one that chose Eidfjord as my favorite. I have even looked into a land trip back there.

Well that's us home again. Hard to believe that this time yesterday we were in Bergen. It was a wonderful trip. Best thing about it? The sheer variety. Every day we'd open the curtains to another vista: sometimes an interesting townscape or harbour view, best time was Eiddfjord. Wow! The mountains running in sheer slopes to the jade coloured water. The quality of the air there really underlined how used we've all become to polluted air in cities.

All in all a great trip. Good food. Good environment and good company. Viking looked after us all very well.

I'll do a review when I have time.

Yes we’re just coming down to earth after returning on Saturday. I agree that Eidfjord was lovely and the air like nothing you have ever breathed. As first time cruisers we didn’t really now what to expect, but the Viking experience was fantastic in every way, beautiful ship, exceptional staff, great destinations. We particularly enjoyed after dinner drinks in the Explorer’s Bar with some great people and spectacular sunsets, one of which involved a Russian submarine as we sailed out of St Petersburg.

Oh, and nice to meet you Nippie Sweetie and your DH!

Well that's us home again. Hard to believe that this time yesterday we were in Bergen. It was a wonderful trip. Best thing about it? The sheer variety. Every day we'd open the curtains to another vista: sometimes an interesting townscape or harbour view, best time was Eiddfjord. Wow! The mountains running in sheer slopes to the jade coloured water. The quality of the air there really underlined how used we've all become to polluted air in cities.

All in all a great trip. Good food. Good environment and good company. Viking looked after us all very well.

I'll do a review when I have time.

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise and the visited destinations. I look forward to reading your review of Viking.