Sigo Journeys-- Where to Next?

E declared 2008 the Heritage Tour Year, as we went to Vietnam in February and we planned to go to Sweden in the summer. We initially wanted to do Scandinavia on our own, to include Bergen, Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm, but decided that such an aggressive itinerary would require us staying in a different hotel every night, or sleeping on a train or overnight ferry. Not my idea of a relaxing vacation! We also wanted to visit St. Petersburg anyway, and liked the idea of seeing it with a knowledgeable guide instead of worrying about getting the required visas. The cruise would give us a taste of seven countries, and we could return to spend some more time in Western Norway and Stockholm on a future trip.

Wed, 7/09- 70 degrees, sunny
Copehagen, Denmark

We landed in Copenhagen at approximately 3PM and headed straight to the cruise terminal. Our cruise departed at 8PM.

Thurs, 7/10- 75 degrees, sunny
Sea Day.
We were fortunate to be able to catch up on some sleep, since we didn’t have time to acclimate to the time change. We attended a lecture on Stockholm, given by John Lawrence, and then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon on the deck enjoying the sun. The weather was unseasonably warm as we cruised the Baltic. We went to the gym, getting ready for all the food that we would be consuming this week! At 6pm, we went to the Crown Grill, an alternative restaurant on the ship that specializes in Seafood and Steak. We were seated right by the window overlooking the Baltic Sea. We shared a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. What a wonderful way to start our journey and experience sailing.

Fri, 7/11- 66, sunny, then partly cloudy
Stockholm, Sweden

If I had to call one European city home, it could be Stockholm.
~Rick Steves

I tell ya, I could have got some more jobs if I'd tried, but I went to Sweden instead.
~Lee Hazlewood

One-third water, one-third parks, one-third city, on the sea, surrounded by woods, bubbling with energy and history, Sweden's stunning capital is green, clean, and underrated. Stockholm is a city of 14 islands linked by boats and graceful bridges. Its history stretches seven centuries, and it is Sweden's center of art and culture. It is also as famous for being the home of the Nobel Prize.
We entered the Archipelago in the early morning hours. It is approximately 55 nautical miles to traverse through the intricate islands leading to Stockholm.

We docked at 10 AM. We boarded the Hop-On Hop-Off boat that would conveniently take us around the city via the waterways.

Our first stop was the Vasa Museum. The museum showcases a ship that was salvaged in 1961 almost completely intact (the Baltic's brackish waters kept parasites at bay). This glamorous but un-seaworthy ship sank 20 minutes into her 1628 maiden voyage when a breeze caught the sails and blew her over in the Stockholm harbor. 333 years later, with the help of marine archaeologists, it took about 2 years to actually raise and re-float her and though she is now on display it is not yet finished. She was in such pristine condition, she looked almost fake.

We then headed to Gamla Stan, the Old Town, which once held the entire of Stockholm. We walked along the water and headed to Melanders Fisk, a restaurant over looking the water.

We had a taste of real Swedish meatballs, which was accompanied with mashed potatoes, a cucumber salad, and lingonberry sauce (similar to whole cranberry sauce). It would not have been complete without some Swedish beer.

We strolled the cobblestone streets and then stopped for coffee and truffles at a local praline shoppe.

Sat, 7/12- 66, partly cloudy, then sunny
Helsinki, Finland

Time change- one hour ahead

A city of the sea, Helsinki was built along a series of odd-shape peninsulas and islands jutting into the Baltic coast along the Gulf of Finland. It was actually build to rival Tallinn (where we will visit later) as a Port in the gulf of Finland. Helsinki is a very maritime city and is popularly called the daughter of the Baltic.
We awoke at around 10am. That’s what happens when you don’t have a window in your stateroom… The ship docked at around 10:30am, and we filed in line to disembark. We took the shuttle bus that dropped us off at the Swedish theater (interesting that it was in Finland). We headed toward the Temppeliaukio Church. Also called the Rock Church, it was blasted and carved from solid granite and topped with a huge copper dome.

We walked back to the main area of Helsinki, the Esplanade. We stopped by the train station which was rumored to have inspired the set designers who created Gotham for the first Batman movie. We passed by an outdoor summer bar (terrassit as the locals call them). It turned out to be Café Koppeli (Rick Steves claims this as his favorite café in all of Northern Europe) and enjoyed a Finnish beer while we listened to a band.

Sun, 7/13- 79, partly cloudy, then sunny
St. Petersburg, Russia

Time change- one hour ahead

The start of our 2 day tour began today at 6:45am. We had to have a copy of our passport to get a visitor’s visa. We knew that this was going to be an aggressive two days, but we were prepared and excited.

St Petersburg was so beautiful and with such a European influence; it reminded me of Venice or Amsterdam. According to our tour guide, Anna, its architectural style differs significantly than in Moscow. I read somewhere that “St. Petersburg is almost too European to be Russian. And yet it's too Russian to be European.”
The city’s 50 plus islands interconnected by over 500 bridges. We first went to Peterhof palace, the summer residence of the royal family, located about one hour outside of the the city. Built to rival Versailles, the palace sits atop a hill overlooking the Gulf of Finland. Peter the Great drafted the layout for the 300 acre park and supervised the design of the palace fountains.

We returned to the city to visit Yusupov Palace. The palace was the site of the assassination of the monk Rasputin, whom Prince Felix Yusupov and other nobles feared as a baneful influence on Tsar Nicholas II. We saw the actual cellar room where Rasputin was poisoned then shot.
We had lunch at the Last Palace. Our meal included items such as smoked salmon and red caviar, potatoes and leek soup (I think), and chicken in a cream sauce with carrots and rice. It was all washed down with Russian vodka and champagne. A harpist played music on the stage. I could do this every day!
Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, built on the site of the 1881 assassin of Tsar Alexander II, who enacted many reforms, including the abolishment of serfdom. This was a gorgeous church and one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.

Outside the church we walked around a local market and found some traditional nesting dolls, or matryoshkas. The name "Matryoshka" is said to have been adopted from the name Matryona or Matriosha. Both of these names were very popular among Russian peasants. So matryoshka has come to mean "little mother" based on the idea that the outer or largest doll holds her babies inside like an expectant mother and that each daughter in turn becomes a mother. They are symbols of fertility and motherhood and have a modified egg shape. The first of these dolls was made in 1890. This is a picture of the original matryoshka set.

A heated poker is used in some designs to burn in details of the doll including facial features and costume details and "painted" with pigmented wax. Mine is a set of 5 dolls. We also found a set for E—Purdue matryoshkas! Each of them have a player’s name on its jersey. So cute!

We went back to the ship and lounged by the pool. We had dinner at Sabatini’s that night, feasting on antipasti, lobster and wine…

Mon, 7/14- 79, sunny then cloudy
St. Petersburg, Russia

We were quite lucky these past 2 days. Anna says that St Petersburg experiences 40-50 days of sunshine a year. We took an early morning harbour cruise along the canals. We had champagne and Bajltika 7 beer—8am nightcap? We saw a lot of the major landmarks from the water including the Hermitage (which we were visiting later) and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood.

This is how close the boat was to the bottom of the bridge!

We received special access to the Hermitage, which is usually closed on Mondays. It opened especially for the cruise tours, so it was not as crowded as it normally would be. The Hermitage collection was started by Catherine the Great. She started her famed art collection in 1764. Very few people were allowed within to see its riches—in one of her letters she lamented that "only the mice and I can admire all this." Today, the vast Hermitage collections are displayed in six buildings, the main one being the Winter Palace which used to be the official residence of the Russian Tsars.

We were served lunch at a restaurant that looked like a cave, similar to the cellar where Rasputin was killed. Again our meal was accompanied with Russian vodka and champagne. Russian folklore dancers and singers walked around playing music at every table.
After lunch, we went to Peter & Paul’s Fortress. Originally built to protect the city from Swedish attack, the fortress soon became Russia’s Tower of London, a place for imprisoning political prisoners - including Peter the Great’s own son.
Our last stop was St. Isaac’s Cathedral. This is Anna’s favorite church. We could see why. The cathedral’s massive central gold dome - one of the largest in the world - is covered with 220 pounds of pure gold and dominates the city skyline. The Cathedral was commissioned by Alexander I in 1818 and took more than three decades to complete.

We were sad to leave St. Petersburg. It delivered more than we ever expected in terms of history, architectural beauty, art and culture, and its peaceful waterways. Along with the sunny weather and Anna as our guide, we had the perfect two days here.

Tues, 7/15- 70, cloudy then sunny
Tallin, Estonia

The beautiful capital city of Tallinn is one of the Baltic's great surprises, a fairyland jewel of medieval architecture perched dramatically above the sea. In 1991, Estonia won its independence from the Soviet Union without bloodshed, and since then, Tallinn has succeeded in restoring its beauty and charm. A member of the famed Hanseatic League that dominated trade in the Baltic during the Middle Ages, Tallinn has preserved its medieval Old City with its high church spires and red-tiled roofs.

Since we had a busy two days, it was nice to have a slower day. We took the shuttle to Old Town. The city was quaint with cobblestone streets lined with old stone buildings that appear to be unchanged for centuries.

We sat at an outdoor café and had an Estonian beer while writing our postcards.

Wed, 7/16- 70, partly cloudy
Gdynia (Gdank), Poland
Time change, One hour back

May God permit us both to return to a free and independent Poland.
~Wladyslaw Anders

We docked in Gdynia and headed on a bus that would take us to Gdansk, about one hour away. Lying on the southern coast of the Gdansk Bay of the Baltic Sea, Gdansk is a beautiful city, and Poland's principal seaport. The city holds a special place in many Polish hearts, as it is here that the Solidarity movement was born, their opposition to the government became a serious thorn in the Kremlins side and in 1989 eventually led to the end of communist party rule in Poland. The Solidarity movement placed Gdansk firmly on the world map. 90% of the city was destroyed during World War II, but has since been restored.
We took a tour of the Old Town, which is so beautiful. This is what I used to imagine when reading fairytales.

As Poland is one the amber centers of the world, one of the tour stops was a Baltic Amber boutique, which provided a presentation on the history and importance of amber to the region. The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber, with about 80% of the world's known amber found here. Most of the world's amber is in the range of 30–90 million years old. Amber has served as a form of currency for centuries.
Amber is fossil tree resin. A common misconception is that amber is made of tree sap. Amber occurs in a range of different colors. As well as the usual yellow-orange that is associated with the color "amber.” Other more uncommon colors include red amber (or "cherry amber"), green amber, and even blue amber, which is rare and highly sought after.
The demand for amber has increased in recent years, and today, there is a significant amount if phony amber in the marketplace. Fake amber can be made from heating colored plastic, using copal (not 'mature' amber) or other modern polymers. They showed us how to distinguish real amber from the fake stuff. One of the methods is to destroy it! Unfortunately, none of the methods are conclusive. You just have to buy from a reputable dealer.
I purchased a beautiful green amber necklace from them that came with a certificate of authenticity. I wore it for the rest of the day. We stopped at a local outdoor café and enjoyed the weather. Another gorgeous day! We had some Polish beer with a magherita pizza and some perogis.

Thurs, 7/17- Day at Sea
We just relaxed!

Fri, 7/18- 70, partly cloudy
Oslo, Norway

Time change, One hour back

When I was young, the capital of Norway was not called Oslo. It was called Kristiania. But somewhere along the line, the Norwegians decided to do away with that pretty name and call it Oslo instead.
~Roald Dahl

Consistently listed as one of the most expensive cities in the world, Oslo is also one of the most beautiful places that we have ever traveled to. It is the oldest and least populous of the Scandinavian capital cities with a varied collection of cultural attractions and natural wonders. Situated at the head of a 60-mile fjord on the southern coast, Oslo is beautifully framed by a vast expense of woods, moors and lakes.

We took the Maritime tour, which allowed us to take a short bus ride to a bird’s eye view overlooking the city. We passed the Hollmenkollen Ski Tower. Ski jumping originated here in 1892 but the present facility was built in 1952 for the Winter Olympics of that year. In order to host the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (and meet the requisite standards), the ski jump will be demolished in September 2008. We were so happy to be able see it before it was destroyed.

We visited two maritime museums.

We then boarded an old sailing vessel that was totally restored.

We cruised Oslofjord passing the most breathtaking scenery and islands.

We passed a little seafood restaurant that you can only get to by boat. We are planning to go there on our next visit!

Sailaway was even more beautiful!

Sat, 7/19- 70, partly cloudy
Copenhagen, Denmark

I'm really looking forward to playing in Copenhagen again. Last time I stayed as long as I could, took pictures, signed autographs, and hung out until they through me out of the place!
~George Duke

I am flying back to New York as I write this. I will never forget these wonderful 35 days and I would go back to Copenhagen in a heartbeat to work there again.
~Tony Visconte

Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, is situated on the east coast of the Danish island of Zealand, the largest of Denmark’s approximately 500 islands. The entire country is in size, one half the area of Maine! The name Copenhagen or København, means ‘Merchant Harbor’ and it is believed that the City was founded in 1167 by Bishop Absalon, at the spot where fishermen and merchants gathered to market their goods.

We disembarked at around 6 am, and asked the taxi cab driver to take us to the Little Mermaid. She was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen and sculpted by Edvard Eriksen in 1913. The statue was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, after he had been fascinated by a ballet about the fairytale. His wife Eline Eriksen was the model.
A statue of the Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the Copenhagen harbor in Churchill Park. It is one of the most photographed statues in the world, and Rick Steves wrote that the Little Mermaid might just be the most overrated tourist attraction. But we still had to see it. She was gorgeous and set on the backdrop of the rising sun, even more beautiful.

We walked to the ‘burbs to visit Carlsberg brewery, continuing our international beer quest.

The brewery was outside of the city and hard to find, but it was worth it! It was a self guided tour with stops along the way including the largest beer bottle collection and two pubs. Our tickets included two regular sized beers (not tastings).

Some of the company's original logos include an elephant (after which some of its lagers are named) and the swastika. The symbol itself is an ancient Indian symbol meaning health and prosperity. Its confusion with the ‘crooked cross’ of Nazi Germany led to the company dropping the logo in the 1930’s. However, the symbol is embellished on the two elephants that serve as gate entrances to the brewery.

We walked back to the city. We stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant that we saw on the way to the brewery. The place was very modern and very expensive, compared the restaurants in Houston. A bowl of soup that is normally around $5 in our hometown was $25 in Copenhagen. And based on our perusal of the restaurants in the city, this was deemed rather reasonable. The food was wonderful and the service was top notch. We headed to the Tivoli. It is one of the city's most celebrated sights, a unique combination of picture-perfect gardens, lakes and more than 100,000 colored lights. It is basically an amusement park with some upscale restaurants and carnival rides. The weather was turning nasty and it began to rain. The Tivoli did not look as magical during the rainstorm. This is the first day during the entire trip that we experienced less than perfect weather. We took cover in the train station and wrote out our postcards. After the rain subsided, we walked along the canals of the city, and relished in the last day of our vacation. We were heading home the next day, and by golly, we were going to enjoy it, despite the fact that we were tired and woke up at 4 am!
We walked all around the city looking for a place to have our last meal, and we could not find anything that appealed to us. We went back to the Vietnamese restaurant, which at night turned in to a trendy bar. Again, the food was delicious, especially with another international beer, this time a Japanese one!

Overall, this was such a wonderful experience, and I dont think that we would have changed anything about the entire trip. We cannot wait to return!

San Diego is too wonderful to keep to ourselves. We invited our friends Marc and Kristy (who is 7 months pregnant!) to join us.

Sat, 5/24- We headed straight to LaJolla, for brunch at Brockton Villas, one of our favorite spots. Then we went to the famed San Diego zoo. It was an amazing place. One of the most interesting animals was the okapi. The okapi has white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, and looks like it must be related to the zebra. But in fact, it is related to the giraffe. Scientists did not know of the animal until 1900.

The weather was perfect. We lounged at the pool and did some shopping...
For dinner, we headed to Donovan's Steakhouse. Donovan's has been named one of America's Top Prime Steakhouses, and recommended by a friend who is a local. It definitely was one of the largest and best steaks we have ever had!

Sun, 5/25
In keeping with our ballpark tours, our first one of the season is PetcoPark. We stayed in the GasLamp district, so it was an easy 1 mile walk to the park. The weather was perfect. PetcoPark is a beautiful ballpark, it was designed to create "neighborhoods" within the park. A great feature is the "park within a park". This area in the outfield features a small playing field and a grassy hill for fans to lounge on. Fans are permitted into the park area 2 1/2 hours before game time. There is also the incorporation of an old brick building, the Western Metal Supply Co. building, which has been restored and provides a nice back drop in left field. We left before the game was over; it turned out to be an 18 inning game! The Padres eventually won!

Torrey Pines is such an amazing, gorgeous place. It is one of the gems of San Diego.

Mon, 5/26
Breakfast at HashHouse a Go Go was an adventure! Everything is Fred Flinstone sized portions. E got the pancake-- which was humongous. I got the Indiana fried chicken and poached eggs. I washed it down with an orange champagne cocktail. Yummy!

We ended the morning by walking along the coast at Torrey Pines.

We headed out to Hollywood Beach for a quick weekend to enjoy some beach time. The weather was perfect. We spent the weekend strolling on the beach and enjoying crab claws.

Located in the White River National Forest just an hour from Denver, Keystone is home to three magnificent mountain playgrounds—Dercum Mountain, North Peak, and The Outback. When Max Dercum founded Keystone back in 1970, along with his wife Edna, he knew how much fun it was to slide down snowy mountains on a pair of skis. Along with the Dercums, Bill and Jane Bergman helped shape the Keystone we know and love today.

Today, Keystone stretches seven miles along the Snake River, over three mountains, 3,128 vertical feet, 3,148 acres of terrain, and three vibrant villages. There’s something special for every skier and rider of any level at each mountain. There are more than 3,000 vertical feet and over 3,000 acres of bowls, bumps, glades, steeps and groomers to be experienced. Colorado’s biggest night skiing operation is here...
keystone.snow.com

We thought Keystone would be a great place to go with our friends Kristin and Troy.

Fri, 1/18/08- We arrived in Denver at 8:00 PM. What a better way to experience Colorado than with some bison? Ted's Montana Grill serves up a wide array of specialty burgers (you can choose between 100-percent natural premium Harris Ranch beef or National Bison Association-certified bison). Ted's motto is "Eat Great. Do Good." referring to its deep commitment to the environment. Their goal is to be 99% plastic-free, using recyclable paper menus, paper straws and reusable glass. Their bison chili hit spot, covered in onions, cheese and raw jalapenos!

Sat, 1/19/08- We headed out to Keystone. Traffic was horrendous! It took almost two hours to get there-- I am assuming everyone thought it was a great day to ski! We were able to check into the River Run condos and the boys headed for the slopes. Kristin and I had lunch reservations at Alpenglow Stube. At at 11,444 feet, it is the highest AAA Four-Diamond dining experience in North America. We enjoyed amazing views on the two gondolas, arriving at the restaurant at the top of the North Peak. Our boots were exchanged for cozy slippers and we enjoyed delicious bloody Marys in a beautiful setting. The Stube offered a huge appetizer buffet complete with proscuitto and cheeses, salads, and smoked mussels and salmon. We were practically stuffed. But we also got a choice of soup and an entree! We stayed there for over two hours at our window seat...

Sun, 1/20/08- The boys headed out to ski again this morning, while the girls went to Keysone Lodge in an adjacent village. We spent the day getting pampered. Afterwards, we took an afternoon scenic sleigh ride. It was very cold, but we were able to get warm under cozy blankets that were provided. The apple cider helped too! The scenery was truly picturesque!

Bighorn Steakhouse was a perfect place for dinner-- occupying one of the finest locations in Summit County, with a spectacular view of Keystone Lake and the Continental Divide. We watched the last part of the playoff game at the table on the Slingbox via E's 8125. The NY Giants defeated Green Bay, meaning they would be playing the Patriots at the Superbowl! The girls had steaks and the boys had scallops and fish! Go figure... Everything was yummy.

Mon, 1/21/08- We headed back to Denver. Saw The Bucket List, which was quite entertaining. Just a quiet Monday, winding down from the weekend's events. We had such a great time with some wonderful friends.

Vail boasts three distinct areas of the mountain, each with their own features and fortes, including four terrain parks, seven bowls and 5,289 acres of freeride terrain. At seven miles wide, finding fresh tracks is as easy as finding elbow room. In fact, on an average day, there are only two skiers per acre, and on a busy day, only four!
vail.snow.com

Fri, 12/14- We arrived in Denver at 11:00 PM. A couple of weeks ago, staying in Steamboat that night sounded like a good idea. Not such a wonderful idea now. The drive ended up taking longer than we thought and we arrived at the Sheraton at 2AM. The temperature was 20 below.

Sat, 12/15- The hotel was in a great location-- at the bottom of the lift—IF we had decided to ski. But it was still about 10 below. So we decided to warm up with Winona’s famous cinnamon buns.

After breakfast, we headed to Edwards (about 20 min from Vail), to the exclusive gated community of Cordillera. The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is set high atop a privately owned mountain with sweeping views of the Vail Valley. We got to enjoy the view from our balcony adorned with icicles.

We went to dinner at Dine, an innovative restaurant serving its dishes in tapas-style portions— perfect for sharing. My favorite tapas was the original: Serrano ham and with a sliver of manchego draped over a shot glass that contained a splash of Spanish fino sherry. It was a great starter to a wonderful meal.

Sun, 12/16- It was still rather brisk in the morning. E decided to go skiing in Vail, but I opted for the spa and lounging in front of the fireplace. We went to dinner at Junipers--we ordered the balsamic glazed rib eye and the Colorado lamb chops.

Mon, 12/17- We walked around Vail Village and decided to have lunch at Sweet Basil. It was named “Colorado’s Most Popular Restaurant” by the Zagat survey. The white truffle parmesan fries were decadent.

Vail steals the hearts of everyone who visits. Currently Vail Resort is in the midst of a billion dollar renewal which is said will improve the overall experience. It is a wonder how the experience could get any better…but I think that I can be persuaded to return to find out.