Another Polar Bear Day!

Ok…the fog, rough seas and changing ice conditions has again changed our itinerary, so I am going to say we spent the morning motoring in the Hinlopen Straight and eventually disembarked on the zodiacs near Von Otteroya but I’m not 100% positive. This was our first time off the ship in nearly two days!

Of course we enjoyed seeing all the polar bears from the bow, but at the same time we were happy to have an opportunity to cruise the bay…or at least I think. After about an hour of cruising around in miserable conditions, a deep fog and mist in the air, my hands and feet were frozen and I was less than enamored with the kittiwakes, guillemots, and icy coastline. I don’t think I was the only one silently wishing we could go back to the ship.

DISCOVER
polar bear mama and cub checking out its reflection

Polar Bear Mama with a Cub Visited Our Ship!

Our day started early…just after midnight. The message in Australian accent sounded over the PA system, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but a polar bear is visible to the naked eye around 11 o’clock to the ship.” I don’t think either of us had really gone to sleep. We had only returned to the room in the last hour after watching the bears in the distance. After the announcement, David, told me he wasn’t getting up, however, I got dressed in lightning speed. I was going to see that polar bear!

POLAR BEAR PARADISE
cliffs and birds at Allkefjellet

First Walrus Sighting in the Arctic!

Today on our Arctic Expedition with Quark, we started slightly earlier. Breakfast call was 7:30am. The 23 knot wind precluded us from kayaking, so we joined the zodiacs as we toured the shore of towering dolomite and limestone spires with ledges cut out for countless bird colonies at Allkefjellet.

The contrast of the white and black rock, along with the green tundra, dirty snow, and low clouds added to the dramatic setting where over 60,000 pairs of Brunnich’s guillemot breed. It’s amazing to know in September no birds will be present. It’s also amazing to think that of 10,000 species of birds around the world, only 30 species of birds breed in the Arctic and only about 100 species have been recorded.

WATCH FOR WALRUS
kayaker group at Monacobreen

Reflections in the Arctic at Bockfjorden and Monacobreen

This morning on our Quark Arctic Expedition, we were called to breakfast at 8am. Along with the regular options, we could also order French toast. The weather was absolutely magnificent. The breezeless morning let us stand outside on the deck comfortably and snap photos of the surrounding peaks reflecting in the placid bay at Bockfjorden, a portion of Woodfjord, which is part of the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. The area is home to an old, snow covered volcano and at least today, fantastic kayaking conditions!

GO FOR A PADDLE
puffin in the sea

Duck, Duck, Goose in the Arctic!

First Day on the Sea Adventurer Operated by Quark Expeditions

The loudspeaker wake up call came at 7:30 for breakfast starting at 8. I opted for an omelet and fruit. David added some lox to the mix. There was no shortage of food at the morning buffet. The rest of the morning was filled with preparation…a kayak fitting to adjust our foot pegs, a boot fitting for our landings, and of course a briefing on all the does and dont’s in the Arctic. We now know the correct way to enter and exit the zodiac, how to clean our boots at the gangway, and the importance of staying close to one another and near the guide with the rifle in case a polar bear comes near!

EXPLORE!

Sightseeing in Stockholm

Top Places to Visit in Stockholm

Stadhuset

This morning we arrived at Stadhuset’s tower ticket office by 9am. We were one of the firsts to buy our ticket for the 9:15 entry. Our group was allowed 35 minutes in the tower…ten minutes to climb 348 feet, 15 minutes to look around, and ten minutes to go down. Our climb included a variety of stairs, some appeared newer than others, and then a ramp of bricks that seemed to spiral up and around the tower in straight, narrow passage ways with a slight jog every now and then. After the fifth time around, we wondered when it would end! The top of the tower offered lovely panoramic views of Stockholm. In the middle of the tower, several models which were entered in a competition for statues around the city hall were displayed. It was quite interesting. Continue reading “Sightseeing in Stockholm” →

Super City: Stockholm

Arriving in Stockholm

We arrived in Stockholm around 7 or 8 in the morning. It took a while before we could disembark, but soon enough we grabbed our bags and walked to the Sheraton in hopes for an early check in. As we approached, Suman noticed the American flag was upside down! That was a first for me. With Brian’s status, we were able to get one room where we dumped our luggage and headed out. Suman had a travel book, “Top 10 Stockholm”, so we figured we try checking the major sites off the list.

Top Places to Visit in Stockholm

Gamla Stan

After an indecisive start we opted for lunch in Old Town or Gamla Stan, the site of Stockholm’s 13th Century origins. This island town was established in 1252 for trade. The buildings, including the fortress built by ruler Birger Jarl, were made of logs. Stock (meaning logs) and Holme (meaning islet) is the origin of the name. The log buildings were subject to many fires and buildings were replaced.

Now cafés and stores line the narrow, cobblestone pedestrian streets where tourists stroll. We found a cafe on a corner with outside seating and ordered pizza for lunch. I ate reindeer which was lean and slightly gamey like Venison, but it was local and better than herring in my opinion. After lunch we strolled around Old Town. First we found its narrowest street, Marten Trotzigs Grand, only 35 inches wide. With its steps, it seemed more like a sidewalk. We followed it up to a few more streets, passed some more shops and a few statues to find Stortorget, Old Town’s main square.

Stortorget

Stortorget is Stockholm’s oldest square and the site of the bloodbath in 1520. Toward the end of Danish Rule, 80-90 people (mostly clergy and nobilty who supported the Sture party) were executed one by one at the square. Now a water fountain with drinkable water stands in the middle. Cute, old buildings with cafés surround three sides while the Nobel Museum housed in the old stock exchange stands on the other.

While we were standing in the square, music began playing, so we followed the tune where we found the changing of the guard at the palace. We only caught the very end, but as we were debating on what to see next after the tourists cleared out, a group came marching by and entered the palace, so we got a fantastic view.

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Kungsgatan

From the changing of the guard, and a short stop for Suman to check out a church, we meandered across the bridge to Kungsgatan in an area called Normmalm. Here we found an Olympic Day festival taking place in a giant esplanade. We sat in the shade and watched kids kayak in a small pond, try their hand at cricket and fencing, and play tennis and soccer.

Stadhuset

We kind of had a slow day, and all of us but Suman were “sight-seed out.” Suman took a short detour to NK, a fancy department store and upon her return, we trekked over to Stadhuset on the other side of our hotel by the docks on Kungsholmen, one of the many islands of Stockholm. The city hall was built in 1912, but still had a very old appearance. We really wanted to see the views from its tower so we checked into tickets. Since it was a sunny day, the tower tickets were sold out. None of us were really interested in the guided tour of the city hall, so after sitting on its steps a bit and enjoying the atmosphere we returned the hotel as it was late afternoon anyway. We planned on visiting the tower first thing tomorrow as we had another nice day in the forecast.

Pelikan

Our travel book suggested that we visit Pelikan, a historical beer hall that serves traditional Swedish food. This took us for a very long, yet interesting walk past the more local side of town. Those who know me, know that I am always naturally cold, so when I say this place was stifling hot, it was HOT. No A/C in Stockholm! The service was just as bad. The waiter seemed to have forgotten us and placed the wrong order. By the time we got our food, we all wanted to leave. My potato dumplings with chanterelles were not good. Brian left most of his “fried steak” on his plate. Suman liked her meatballs. While my three travel companions thought the herring was good, but this is not a place I would recommend. ETB

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Through the Eyes of the Russian People

After yesterday’s tour with the masses, I found myself thankful we didn’t go to the Hermitage. I recognize it is St. Petersburg #1 attraction, but I heard it was worse than the palace we visited in terms of mobs of people and it was difficult to even enjoy the art. Perhaps I will have to return in the off-season and suffer through the cold to enjoy a few of the attractions peacefully along with the ballet that we had to forego in order to go to the evening reception at Catherine’s Palace last night. Those that know me are probably saying, “yeah, right…she doesn’t even like Denver’s winter.” Yep, I may not ever make it back, especially with all the other places to see in the world, but who knows. At least I got a taste of tourism in Russia. Continue reading “Through the Eyes of the Russian People” →

Imperial St. Petersburg

Sightseeing in St. Petersburg

We arrived at St. Petersburg early Tuesday morning as we passed by industrial docks ladened in a dump yard of discarded metal as well as piers of churches adorned in gold. We signed up for a full day tour called “Imperial St. Petersburg”. Choosing a tour option provided by the cruise ship eliminated the need for us to personally apply for a Visa. This was handled for us. I suppose the negative to this choice was that we were limited to going on land unless we were with a tour, but at the same time I read in a travel book that tours are the best option as taxi driver’s don’t speak English. Continue reading “Imperial St. Petersburg” →

helsinki

Helsinki Hell!

We arrived in Helsinki, Finland at 7am and had to leave by 12:45pm. Before we set foot on land, we felt gypped by this schedule. We were really looking forward to touring this city of 590,000 people. Our original tour was cancelled, so we turned to the travel book. Suomenlinna, a sea fortress, was a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it required a 15 minute ferry to the 6 islands and four hours according to Fodor’s. As such, we opted for the other popular sites in Helsinki…Senate Square and its green domed cathedral which towers above the city, the Olympic Stadium constructed for the 1957 games, the Sibelius Monument, Temppeliaakio Church which is carved into the rocks, the Esplanade and its Havis Amanda statue, and finally the local market. Continue reading “Helsinki Hell!” →