• Bruce Hassold
  • Stacy Hassold
  • Bruce Hassold
  • Stacy Hassold

The Netherlands & The Baltic

Ein 21-Tage Abenteuer von Bruce & Stacy Weiterlesen
  • Helsinki

    13. Mai 2023 in Finnland ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Today, we visited Finland's capitol city, Helsinki. We've been blessed with such beautiful weather on this trip, and today was no exception! We toured the city with a guide in the morning visiting Sebelius Park, the Senate Square, the Rock Church, and Helsinki Cathedral. In the afternoon, we explored on our own, and after a quick lunch of reindeer sausage in the open market, we walked down the Esplanade, through city parks and to the Russian Orthodox Church. And of course we made time to find Finnish pastries, and a small shop that made specialty handmade chocolates. Yum! As we were leaving the Helsinki port, we saw dozens of small sail boats tethered together. It was a group of students out for their sailing lessons.Weiterlesen

  • Stockholm: 1st day

    14. Mai 2023 in Schweden ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Today, we visited Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden. Our tour took us to the City Hall where the Nobel Prizes are presented. In the Old Town, we stopped for lunch in the city square and were treated to a performance by a traditional folk dancing group. We toured the Royal Palace and ended the day at the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is a 64 gun Swedish battleship that sank in 1628 just 20 minutes into her maiden voyage. She was recovered in 1961 and in 1990 was moved to the current location where the museum was built around her. The ship is amazingly preserved and 98% original materials.Weiterlesen

  • Stockholm: 2nd day

    15. Mai 2023 in Schweden ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We spent our second day in Stockholm exploring on our own. We took the hop on hop off bus into town and stopped at the King's Garden to see the spring flowers. Then we were off to the main pedestrian shopping street for coffee and freshly made cinnamon donuts. We made our way into the Old Town and boarded a harbor tour cruise. After lunch, we did a bit more exploring in Old Town, walked to the Riddarholmen Church, and stopped for organic Swedish ice cream (yum!) before returning to the ship.Weiterlesen

  • Lübeck

    17. Mai 2023 in Deutschland ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Today, we visited Lübeck, another city that was a member of the Hanseatic League. At its peak, the city overshadowed Hamburg both in size and as the commercial center of the German salt trade. It's also well known for its delicious marzipan. We enjoyed our guided tour and had time to grab a bratwurst in the city square before afternoon coffee with marzipan torte at one of the city's most famous bakeries.Weiterlesen

  • Århus and Fyrkat Viking Museum

    18. Mai 2023 in Dänemark ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    We arrived in Århus this morning and took a tour to the Fyrkat Viking Museum, which depicts life in Denmark under the reign of King Harald Bluetooth around 980 AD. Because Bluetooth is known for uniting the disparate Danish tribes into a single kingdom, the name was given to the technology protocol to imply that it similarly united communication.

    The Fyrkat ring fortress is one of five fortresses constructed during Bluetooth's rule. The earthen ramparts would have been the foundation for wooden fortifications that guarded the fortress. 16 longhouses were situated inside the ring. They housed Viking soldiers stationed here to protect a key trade route. The Viking farmstead was a living museum that showed what everyday life would have been like for vikings at that time.

    On the way back to Århus, we stopped at Råsted Church. The church was built between 1125-1150, just after the end of the Viking age and the conversion of Denmark to Christianity.

    Tonight was the Orange party celebrating Holland America Line's Dutch heritage!
    Weiterlesen

  • Ende der Reise
    20. Mai 2023