• Tui Snider
  • Tui Snider

July 2022

Baltic Sea: Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia & more! Läs mer
  • Busy port

    6 juli 2022, Estland ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Tallinn is the busiest port we’ve seen! Not only were several cruise ships in the harbor, but several short haul ferries were in operation.

    Finns and Swedes enjoy shopping in Tallinn because the prices are lower here. Estonia uses the Euro, so it’s especially convenient for the Finns. (By the way, the Euro and the Dollar are nearly equal right now, so it’s a good time for us to shop, as well.)

    The Swedes still use their own Kroner, so there’s an exchange rate to deal with, but they still come here in droves.

    We met a sweet couple from Stockholm who were spending the day in Tallinn. They peppered us with questions about what it’s like to take an ocean cruise.
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  • First Rainy Port

    6 juli 2022, Estland ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    After taking the entire Hop On Hop Off loop in Tallinn, we decided it was time to hop off.

    Just as we were about to step off the bus, however, the skies opened up. “Good idea,” chuckled the bus driver as we clambered back aboard.

    Heavy rain ensued for the next hour! We lost our wonderful front row seats and I pouted hard for ten minutes, but finally got over it.

    After another loop around town, we hopped off and had a wonderful time exploring the Tallinn’s medieval walled city.

    This was the first rainy shore day we’ve had! We fared fine, but at dinner, we heard tale after tale of other passengers getting soaked to the bone during the deluge.

    I bet the ship’s laundry room is extra busy tonight.
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  • 56 Shades of Slate

    6 juli 2022, Estland ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    I didn’t expect to learn so much about slate on this trip, but the topic keeps coming up. In Tallinn, our guide told us there are 56 layers of slate here and that each one has a name.

    The best stone masons not only know the name of each layer, but the best uses for it. Some are better for interiors, while others are better for siding, and so forth.Läs mer

  • Pottering Around the Bay of Finland

    6 juli 2022, Baltic Sea ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Every day at noon, and again before we set sail, either the captain or the officer of the watch speaks over the intercom to the entire ship.

    They fill us in on pertinent info, such as when we will embark pilots, what speed the ship will go, any route changes, what the weather will be at the next port, etc. Sometimes they add a bit of nautical trivia, or share an anecdote about the upcoming port.

    As we left Helsinki, the captain told us that since Estonia was so close, “We will spend much of the night pottering around the Bay of Finland.”

    As you can see from the FindPenguins route detector, that’s exactly what our ship did last night.
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  • Forest Parks

    6 juli 2022, Estland ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    The cemetery in Tallinn is kept forested and lacks fancy monuments. Three times a year, candles are placed on all the headstones. Our guide said it’s a beautiful sight.

    Tallinn is full of forest parks. These parks have streetlights for wintertime when sunlight is limited. I love how wooded it is here!Läs mer

  • A Wander-ful Time!

    6 juli 2022, Estland ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Tallinn, Estonia has the oldest intact medieval city center in Northern Europe.

    The labyrinthine streets are filled with cafes, taverns, shops and delightful nooks and crannies.

    It’s the perfect place to wander aimlessly, which is exactly what we did.Läs mer

  • 4 Countries in 4 Days

    6 juli 2022, Gulf of Finland ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    In a perfect world, we would have a sea day after every port. This would give us time to digest all the sights and sounds from our shore time.

    In reality, it rarely works out this way. On this leg of our journey, we’ve had 4 countries in 4 days.

    That’s a lot of travel to take in!

    I don’t want the ports to blur together, so I leaf through my paper travel journal again each night.
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  • Classroom at Sea

    7 juli 2022, Baltic Sea ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Travel is my favorite classroom, but not everyone agrees. The other day I saw a couple of women emerge from the spa clad in fluffy robes and slippers.

    As they leisurely strode to the buffet, I overheard one tell the other, “He’s always Googling stuff and going on about history. I keep telling him, ‘all that history stuff is in the past,’ y’know?”

    “Yeah,” the other replied, “Who travels to learn, anyway? I’m on vacay!”
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  • Stockholm Cemetery

    8 juli 2022, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    It smelled of roses and fresh rain as we explored this lush historic cemetery in Stockholm, although the sound of children screaming as they rode amusement rides at a nearby amusement park added an amusing touch to the scene.

    I found a tree with little gnomes and a cherub tucked into it beside what looked to be a caretaker’s cottage. I hoped to meet them because I have many questions, but no luck.

    Larry saw a rabbit the size of a cocker spaniel hop by while I prowled around, but I missed it. Dang!

    As with other seaside towns, many graves were for sailors. Some of them featured actual anchors and other nautical gear.

    Once again, (just as in Iceland, Norway, and elsewhere on this trip)I encountered thin-but-sturdy slate as cemetery monuments.
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  • Propaganda carvings

    8 juli 2022, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    At the Vasa Museum in Stockholm: “The man under the bench is a caricature of a humiliated Polish nobleman. According to a Polish tradition, a slanderer was forced to crawl under a bench, bark like a dog three times, and beg for mercy. The sculpture was meant to remind the crew [of the Vasa warship] how they should think of the enemy.”Läs mer

  • Whats in a name?

    8 juli 2022, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Why was King Gustav Adolph’s massive warship named Vasa? According to our guide, “vasa” means “wheat” and is referenced in the ship’s masthead and elsewhere as a bundle of wheat.

    In addition to symbolizing abundance, this bundled wheat is also meant to be similar to the ancient Roman symbol for power, which is a bundle of rods with an axe jutting out of it.

    This Roman symbol is called a fasces, and gives the word “fascism” its root.
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  • Vasa Museum

    8 juli 2022, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    In 1628, Sweden’s Vasa warship had such a top heavy design that it sank 20 minutes into its maiden voyage. After it was raised and restored, they built a museum around it. Really fascinating!

    The entire ship is covered in intricate carvings including lots and lots of lions. That’s because King Gustav Adolph wanted to fulfill a prophecy about “the lion of the north conquering all.”

    Researchers were able to find the names of several who drowned on the ill-fated ship’s maiden voyage, and even did facial reconstructions of them from their skeletal remains.
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