Ahmet Erkun | FindPenguins

2019 Nautical Explorations
Welcome to Hero City Murmansk
13 июля 2019 г., Россия ⋅ 🌧 43 °F
Our sixth port of call ... Murmansk ... in the Russian Arctic.

Not only was Nautica docked at Murmansk’s marine terminal and cleared in record time, but our small group was first off the ship for the private tour Sonia had arranged for us.

By the way, why “Hero City?” This is apparently an honorary title that was awarded to 12 cities during the Soviet era for outstanding heroism during WWII.Читать далее
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Cruising Kola Bay to Murmansk (Russia)
13 июля 2019 г., Россия ⋅ 🌧 43 °F
The last time we were in Murmansk was in July 2014 to embark 50 Let Pobedy, a Russian nuclear icebreaker for our voyage to the North Pole. (The story of that amazing expedition is at this link:http://2totravel.blogspot.com/2014/06/our-goal-….)

On that occasion, we flew in from Helsinki, Finland on a bright, blue-sky day and was given a sightseeing tour on our way to Rosatomflot, where Russia’s nuclear-powered vessels are based. By the time we were ready to sail up Kola Bay to reach the Barents Sea, the sky was overcast ... and we were shrouded in fog before we reached the mouth of the long bay.

Today, we sailed down Kola Bay to Murmansk under a thick overcast with occasional drizzle that pretty much was the weather-of-the-day. Not as welcoming without the sunshine and blue skies.Читать далее
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Hammerfest Photo Gallery
12 июля 2019 г., Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Images from today’s visit to Hammerfest, Norway are at this link:
https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Cruises/NoGlow/NoGlo…
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Cupcake Tea @ Sea
12 июля 2019 г., Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Most days, afternoon tea is held in the Horizons Lounge on deck 10 forward. Today the theme was “cupcakes.” Yes, we went and sampled a few 😄😋. But not so many that it would ruin our appetite for dinner in the Grand Dining Room with the Gelmans and the Sweets.

Next Port: Murmansk, Russia ... 296 NM away.Читать далее
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Путешественник So sweet, it almost makes my teeth hurt!
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Sailaway from Hammerfest
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
A short day ... an early sail away ... a relaxing afternoon at sea! Perfect after a delightful time sightseeing in Hammerfest.

Going up on the top deck as Nautica left its berth, we got a glimpse of the Meridian Column which marks the northernmost measure point of the Struve Geodetic Arc ... the first technical and scientific object to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

We also caught glimpses of some of the places we visited ... which was fun to see from a different perspective.Читать далее
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Hammerfest Church
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
Although Hammerfest did not receive its charter as a market town until 1789, its first church was built in 1620. The five churches that followed were all destroyed by fire. The sixth one, which we checked out today, was built in 1961. It was part of the post-war building effort, with a triangular shape that makes it rather unique. The shape is said to represent the traditional fish-drying racks.

In fact, it was the shape of the church, which we saw from a distance when we were at the Salen Viewpoint, that caught our attention. It reminded us of the beautiful chapel on the grounds of the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and the very modern church we checked out in Tromsø, Norway several years ago.

Two things inside the rather simply decorated church struck me ... the beautiful stained glass window and the 1782-pipe organ, the latter designed to mimic the steeply-pitched roofline of the church.Читать далее
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Путешественник What a lovely church!
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Hammerfest: Meet Hvaldimir!
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
After the museum, we hurried over to one of the piers in the harbor to meet Hvaldimir, who the volunteer at the visitor center said would likely show up for his noon meal and training to hunt for his own food.

Hvaldimir is a male beluga whale that is a fairly new “part-time resident” of Hammerfest. He apparently showed up nearby a little earlier this year. He was wearing a camera harness that supposedly had a reference to St Petersburg, Russia. His behavior indicated that he was used to human interaction. Even though the harness was removed, he remained in the area, making frequent visits to the harbor.

The story goes that he was a “Russian spy whale.” Thus, he was named “Hvaldimir” ... a play on words consisting of hval = whale in Norwegian; and dimir = Vla”dimir” Putin 😉.

(I later read that he left the area sometime later in July, showing up in Hammerfest infrequently after that. More info at this link if interested ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvaldimir).Читать далее
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ПутешественникI think I do remember reading about this. Nice that you got to meet him.
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Two to TravelReal lucky. He left the area later that month.
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Two to TravelI’m actually glad he did leave. Too many accidents with propeller injuries.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
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Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
On our way to the harbor area, we took a peek inside a one-room museum with a grand name ... the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society.

There’s really nothing royal or ancient about the museum, which is free to visitors. Its significance lies in the fact that the polar bear is the town mascot and is also featured on the heraldic crest.

It took us all of 15 minutes to check out the few artifacts and historic photographs from the early days of Hammerfest, and take a quick peek at the stuffed animals ... from birds, to seals, to — of course — a polar bear.Читать далее
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ПутешественникYour mascot as well I would say, or maybe penguins...
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Two to TravelHow about we say both 😄
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Путешественник I bet the seal-skin furniture is soft and comfy.
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Hammerfest: SikkSakkveien & Reindeer
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
Though this was a short day in port, we squeezed quite a bit into our allotted time, starting with a hike up to the Salen Viewpoint and Mikkegammen.

SikkSakkveien — which translates as the Zig-Zag Way — is an unpaved and rocky trail that is relatively steep. It apparently follows paths that goats made for themselves as they grazed on the hillside. Deeming these paths dangerous for the townspeople who used them to get up and down the hill themselves, the local council voted in 1893 to make improvements. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction with beautiful views along the way and at the Salen Viewpoint.

Once we had our fill of the views, we continued on a bit further inland. I’d read that one might see reindeer up here. We were not disappointed. A bit of trivia ... while in the US reindeer is used for domesticated caribou, in Europe, the word is applied to both domesticated and wild animals.

We also saw a few of the buildings at Mikkelgammen, which is billed as a Sami camp. I believe it is actually a restaurant where one can taste Sami delicacies and learn about the culture and religion of the natives of the North. It’s only open to groups, however, and there was a large number of passengers from Nautica wandering around, so we did not dally.Читать далее
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ПутешественникThe photos of Hammerfest are making me think I might really enjoy Norway. Never had much of a thirst to explore that part of the world, but that is shifting.
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Two to TravelIt really is a beautiful country.
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Путешественник Love this photo!
26.02.2021Ответить
Two to TravelOne of my favorites.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Welcome to Hammerfest (Norway)
12 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
Our fifth port of call ... Hammerfest ... a new-to-us port in Norway ... greets us with clear blue skies.

This town, claims to be the northernmost city in the world, but that is disputed by another Norwegian town ... Honningsvåg.Читать далее
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Day @ Sea
11 июля 2019 г., Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F
We had a quiet day sailing the Norwegian Sea today as we head north to our next port of call.

As far north as we are now, it doesn’t get dark at night anymore. In fact, the Currents does not list the sunrise and sunset times. That means keeping the drapes shut at night. Which, in turn, means that we slept in until 7:30a this morning

Massage appointments; lunch at the Terrace Café ... the Toscana team served an excellent fresh pasta Bolognese; a presentation on Murmansk, Russia ... one of our upcoming ports; afternoon tea @ Horizons; and dinner in the Grand Dining Room with the Gelmans and the Sweets. All this, combined with quiet time reading and writing, made the day fly.Читать далее
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ПутешественникI hope one day we can all do this again.
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Two to TravelAmen to that!
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ПутешественникAh yes....cruising and days at sea. Like Nickie, I do hope the day will eventually come when we can once again feel that wondrous feeling on a beautiful ship on a great ocean.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Trondheim Photo Gallery
10 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
Images from today’s visit to Trondheim, Norway are at this link:
https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Cruises/NoGlow/Trond…
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Trondheim: Bakklandet & More
10 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Before and after our visits to Nidarosdomen and the Archbishop’s Palace Museum, we wandered around Trondheim.

As this was our first time here, we found plenty of sites of interest, especially in Bakklandet, a neighborhood on the east side of the Nidelva River. That the sun eventually came out and blue skies replaced the dreary cloud cover was a bonus that added more pleasure to our day.

With a scheduled departure from Trondheim at 4:00p, we were back on the ship @ 3:00p.

Next Port: Hammerfest, Norway ... 586 NM away. But first, a day at sea tomorrow.Читать далее
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ПутешественникI enjoyed your photos.
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Trondheim: Archbishop's Palace Museum
10 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Dating back to 1153, the Archbishop’s Palace now serves as a museum. Situated across the street from Nidarosdomen, it was easily accessed once we completed the tower climb at the Cathedral.

One building houses artifacts from excavations at the palace and at Nidarosdomen; a second building exhibits armaments; a third building displays the Crown Jewels. While I found the Royal Regalia Museum the most interesting, the crowns of the king and queen were in a very dark, dungeon-like room ... far in the back ... with a heavy iron gate keeping visitors well away.Читать далее
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Trondheim: Nidarosdomen
10 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
We got off the ship’s courtesy shuttle at the second stop ... near Nidarosdomen, billed as the northernmost Medieval Cathedral in the world ... named after the former name of Trondheim ... Nidaros. Construction of the cathedral began in 1070 to provide a final resting place for King Olaf, a Viking King who was canonized and later became the national saint of Norway.

The moniker “dark cathedral” was especially appropriate today as the interior was only dimly lit. I later learned that will change once the lighting upgrade is completed. Restoration work, which began in 1869, continues to this day.

As well as wandering around the interior of the church, we did the Nidarosdomen Spire Climb ... 172 steps up a narrow, curving staircase. Not that difficult, except for the pace which felt like a forced march because there was nowhere to step aside to let those in a hurry go ahead of us. In the end, it was worth it for the aerial views we enjoyed from the viewing terrace.Читать далее
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Путешественник Love those Nordic faces
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Путешественник amazing photo considering the lower light
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Two to TravelYear ISO bumped up quite a bit.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Welcome to Trondheim (Norway)
10 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
Our fourth port of call ... Trondheim ... new-to-us port in Norway.

When we disembark in a new port, seldom do I look down in search of a manhole cover. After all, there’s usually nothing very interesting about these covers. Well, that’s not the case in Trondheim.

I’ll explain the symbolism inherent in the design on the covers here since I won’t be able to do so in the caption.

Trondheim is where the Kings of Norway have been crowned through the ages. This connection between church and state is thus depicted by the figure of a bishop blessing a king, the latter represented with a crown and the scales of justice. The three heads below the bishop and king represent the previous kings of Norway and their blessing of the new monarch.Читать далее
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Путешественникwhat a gorgeous sunny day and so great you got to visit with your friends.
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Two to TravelYup ... great day in Denver, even though the comment posted to Trondheim 😉
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ПутешественникOops. I do much better when I view on the computer rather than respond to a phone notification.
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Two to Travel😄
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Ålesund Photo Gallery
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F
Images from today’s visit to Ålesund, Norway are at this link:
https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Cruises/NoGlow/0709A…
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Sailaway Dinner from Ålesund
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
Tonight was a special “Chef’s Market Dinner.” The menu at the Terrace Café featured Norwegian salmon, shrimp, reindeer, whale, and other delicacies that the Executive Chef had picked up from a local market.

That this special dinner was on a warm-enough-to-sit-outdoors evening made for an excellent al fresco dinner opportunity. That the timing coincided with Nautica’s 7:00p sailaway from Ålesund made for a dinner-with-views. That no one in our group had alternate dining plans was a bonus, giving us a chance to regale each other with how we all took advantage of a great day in port.

Next port: Trondheim, Norway ... 86 NM away.Читать далее
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ПутешественникSalmon, shrimp, etc., YUM YUM!
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Ålesund: Afternoon Tea
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
Returning to Nautica around 4:00p, Mui and I headed up to the Horizons Lounge on deck 10 forward for afternoon tea. This time we could not resist adding a couple of tasty accompaniments to our “cuppa with a view.”Читать далее
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Ålesund Kyrkje
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
After lunch, we took a meandering walk back to the pier where Nautica was docked.

Having wandered these streets in 2017, I was happy enough to keep the camera in my bag. Until, that is, we walked up to the Ålesund Church. Never one to miss an opportunity to photograph stained glass windows, murals, and frescoes, I suggested a quick stop.

The beautiful frescoes in the chancel looked vaguely familiar, but I did not recollect previously checking out the stone church, which was built after the 1904 fire. Turns out that we had ... and I later found proof in the form of the photos I took in 2017.

No matter, the beautiful stained glass windows and murals were worth photographing a second time. Especially since the attendant did not charge us admission ... perhaps because he was getting ready to lock up when we popped in for a quick look-see.Читать далее
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ПутешественникBeautiful bluilding.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
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Ålesund: Lunch Time!
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
Last time we were in Ålesund (in 2017) we discovered a restaurant called Anno ... overlooking a small square along Ålesundet ... the inner harbor, if you will. We so enjoyed our meal then that there was no question where we would be having lunch this time.

We lucked out with a table on the patio ... sunshine, blue skies, comfy temperatures, excellent food. Sounds like an ideal al fresco lunch to me.

The tagliatelle in a creamy mushroom sauce was still on the menu ... no brainer for me ... with Geiranger Beer to wash it all down. The chorizo salad Mui ordered last time was not on the menu, so he ordered the beef and lamb burger, which he said was excellent.Читать далее
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Путешественник Yes on the pasta with creamy mushroom sauce!!
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Ålesund: Stiftinga Sunnmøre Museum
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
On our first visit to Ålesund — in 2017 — we climbed the 418 steps to the top of Mt Aksla and then explored the Art Deco architecture that sprung up after much of the town was devastated by a fire in 1904. This time, we decided to head out of town.

A short bus ride took us to the Stiftinga Sunnmøre Museum. Sunnmøre refers to the southernmost traditional district of which Ålesund is the main city. The open air museum pays tribute to the coastal folk culture.

There are some 50+ buildings situated in a delightful setting with a path meandering around a lake and through heavily wooded areas. Unlike the Old Bergen Museum, the buildings here were moved from all around the Sunnmøre region. In addition to the structures, there is a boat collection in the båthallen [boat hall]; a Medieval Museum, which was closed today; and a collection of interesting exhibits in the reception hall. In other words, plenty to keep us occupied for about four hours.

One of the highlights of our visit was a hidden trail that the woman at the ticket counter encouraged us to check out. The trail led to a viewpoint from which we enjoyed spectacular views as we ate a light snack to tide us over until lunch time.

That we arrived before any tour busses did gave us a head start and allowed us to explore the museum without encountering anyone else. Perfect.Читать далее
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Путешественник Lovely
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Two to TravelOne of my favorites from the entire cruise.
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Путешественник Nice. Very nice.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
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Welcome to Ålesund (Norway)
9 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
Our third port of call ... Ålesund ... a Norwegian town that today welcomed us with blue skies and sunshine ... considerably different weather than what we had when we called here for the first time in 2017.Читать далее
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Путешественник Whew!
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Two to TravelPays to start up early before the crowds so you can take your time and enjoy the views.
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Bergen Photo Gallery
8 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ 🌙 54 °F
Images from today’s visit to Bergen, Norway are at this link:
https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Cruises/NoGlow/0708B…
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2019 Nautical Explorations
Sailaway from Bergen
8 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
Following our outing to Gamle Bergen, we opted to take it easy to give Mui some rest time. The decision to do so was made easier because we’d explored Bryggen — the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bergen — and the neighboring areas on a previous visit to the city. So, we returned to the ship.

Lunch ... a load of laundry ... a nap (for Mui) ... reading and writing (for me). At 4:00p, we went up to the Horizons Lounge for afternoon tea. This was followed by a couple of laps around the deck 5 promenade. Wouldn’t you know it? The sun was breaking through the clouds and patches of blue were appearing in the sky. C’est la vie!

Dinner was with the Sweets. This time in Toscana ... one of the specialty venues on the ship ... excellent Italian menu. We were seated at one of the tables overlooking the aft wall of glass, which gave us excellent views as Nautica set sail from Bergen at 7:00p.

Next port: Ålesund, Norway ... 139 NM away.Читать далее
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2019 Nautical Explorations
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Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen Museum)
8 июля 2019 г., Норвегия ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Any other time we would have walked the 1 mile between the port and Gamle Bergen [Old Bergen] Museum. Since Mui was feeling poorly, however, we hopped on a public bus instead. The museum was just a short walk from where we got off the bus.

The outdoor museum, which opened in 1946, is set up like a small town with 50+ houses dating from the period between the 18th through the 20th centuries. Many of the houses were moved here from the Bergen city center.

Norway is an expensive country. The museum admission was no exception — Nkr 120 pp ($13 each). I’m not sure the admission was worth it. What was most disappointing was the interior of the buildings, which were clearly lacking TLC [tender loving care] ... a lot of dust; furnishings showing a lot of wear and tear. It didn’t help that docents were available only in one of the houses.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed our experience ... especially wandering the grounds and finding nooks and crannies where we could soak in the atmosphere of “Old Bergen.”Читать далее
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Путешественник Yes.
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