Helsinki....few people can speak Finnish

The program at the Coral Theater last night, Tango in Buenos Aires was excellent with a troupe of
Argentinians on deck.

Today we toured Helsinki, a small country with very cold winters and pleasant the rest of the year.
Population 5.4 mil.
Our guide, Cynika, struggled with her English but was diligent in getting people back on the bus
when it was time to leave for the next venue.  She kept on advising us that it was dark and gloomy
in the winter so Finns always celebrated too much when the warm summer months arrived.

Two famous Finns, Paavo Nurmi, the flying Finn of Olympic fame years ago and Sibelius their
famous composer.  I remembered Nurmi from my youth and Sibelius from his Finlandia Symphony.

The Finns have a long history of being overrun by their neighbors, Swedes and Russians.  Both
of these countries have left some cultural vestiges of their occupations.

As for the economics in 2012, the Finns have a type of socialistic system with a tinge of capitalism.

They have a long tradition of shipbuilding and manufacture many of the world's cruise liners.

To show the complexity of their language check out Annabelle below a hair emporium sign.

The memorial to Sibelius is constructed of stainless steel pipes to portray an organ.

Tomorrow, at last, St. Petersburg and the object of our long journey.

Monday, It must be Sweden

We arrived early in Stockholm and the good weather is still with us.  The temp. is a cool 65F.
Took a panoramic tour of the city with a tall Swedish gal, Amanda as our guide.  The walk to
the terminal was quite long but fortunately, a cart pulled along side and we hopped aboard for
ride to our bus.

I'm impressed with Stockholm.  It is a beautiful city. many flowers in bloom, trees everywhere.
The city is situated on 14 islands and everyone here seems to have some type of boat.  We were
told that there are more than 600,000 boats in the country that has a population of about 9 1/2
million population.  City was founded in 1252 and is famous for Alfred Nobel, he of the Peace
Prize, etc. and Greta Garbo, she of "I want to be alone" fame.  Annabelle also informs me that
she had tea with the great Garbo while in Vermont where Garbo was visiting the author,
John Gunther.
By the way the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway while the other prizes are given in
Stockholm.  Taxes average about 31% but all Swedes are entitled to free education as well as
universal health care for all under 18.

Onward to Copenhagen

To the tooting of a brass band and beating of drums, the graceful Jewel of the Sea left its berth at Harwich.  It was 5PM and after the passengers' muster in the Schooner Bar on deck 7, we gazed
from our balcony, enthralled once again at our good fortune in beginning another sea voyage.

This vessel is not as ample as QM2 but the service is good.  Most of the waiting staff appears to
be Indian which is the case among Cruising personnel.  The Manager is Indian and probably brings
his group with him.  Our waiter, Mishela hails from Mumbai.

We spotted the tower of our hotel off to starboard as we left and although we had a pleasant respite
at Harwich, it was good to be leaving.
Annabelle as usual, is scanning the horizon with her binocs as we plow Northeast.  "I can actually see the window of our room at the Tower Hotel, she bellowed."  I responded with a grunt, "check out
the bar."  We then passed The Pier where we gorged on fish and chips a few times.  The sky is clear
and the temperature, a comfortable 68 degrees F.

The dress code for the evening is casual, not even elegant casual as per QM2.  Back at our stateroom,
Katcha, our gal attendant from Trinidad was busy getting things set for our first night at sea but no
chocolates on our pillow this trip.

Saw the movie, My Fair Lady and thought that Aubrey and Walter would find it better to understand
since they had their first experience in England.  A great musical based on a GB Shaw story.
Also attended The Capt'.s welcome on board party.  Captain Stig Nielson is a Norwegian with many
year's experience in the Baltic.  There were a few Scotsmen in kilts which also added more color
to the celebration as well as caviar goodies and champaign to wash them down.

Saturday, our first city tour and we started in the Windjammer Restaurant early in the morning.
The Windjammer is a food court with different stations where you run about to locate the items you
want.
Elizabeth, our tour guide, a Danish gal with a perfect command of American English spouted off
a string of statistics about Copenhagen...1.2 mil people out of a total Danish population of 5.4 mil.

Of course, Hans Christian Anderson of fairy tales fame is their famous son and we stopped to see
where he grew up.  Remember the story of the Little Mermaid well her statue is sitting on a rock
offshore.  Just a bit of trivia, Harold Bluetooth was an early Danish king.

Meearsk Lines is one of their largest employers along with Carlsberg, our favorite brew.

One Last Goodbye to Harwich

We took our final walk to Harwich Town and on our way sat down on a bench to rest when a man
with two dogs sat down beside us and said, "Welcome foreigners, what brings you to Harwich."
I replied, "Your fine city, my good man".  He countered with, "No one ever comes to visit our town".
He went on, "I've lived here all my life and have been trying to leave".  All the while his pooches were
growling at all the passersby.  He did visit the USA once and visited the Grand Canyon and he thought,
New Mexico, but wasn't sure where it was.  We conversed for almost a half hour when he finally
arose and reached in his pocket and handed me a pointed bit of black plastic, I thought.  He said it
was a shark's tooth that was a million years old.  People in this area roam over the seafront for these
relics and sell them to collectors.  He gave it to us as a gift and remembrance of our visit to Harwich.
Before I could express my thanks, he dashed off and yelled, "Goodbye foreigners" as he dragged
his dogs along.

We then headed to the Seafront opposite The Pier, where we ate our final meal and took a taxi back

to our hotel.  I'm back at the hotel bar this morning, July 26, where I've been doing my blog since
this place is where WiFi connects and where all the locals can be found from early morn to late at
night.  Fortunately, I can also keep my eye on the stock market in case something comes up that
I might fancy.

Annabelle is back in the room putting our gear together for checkout in a couple of hours.  We are
able to see The Jewel Of The Sea from our window and she looks majestic.  The weather is still
sunny and it looks perfect for tomorrow's Olympic Games opening session.

Harwich.....The Cliff Road

Today we had an English breakfast at The Muppets, a small breakfast nook not far from the Tower.
It gave us a different view of the town, sitting alongside the locals having their morning coffee.
Since it was early Monday morning, the streets were alive with people either going to work or
women doing their daily chores.  Today was also trash day and the trucks were banging and clanging
as the garbage boys were doing their thing, all the while stopping to chat with their friends along
the route.  Another nice day in Harwich and after our rubbery English bacon and strange tasting
sausage, we headed to Cliff Road to the seacoast walk.  Both of us are still foot sore from yesterday's
long hike so we sought out the nearest bench , unhooked the binoculars and scanned the horizon.
We also strolled to the park at the end of the road a came across a few enormous oak trees for which
this isle is noted.  The photos show your's truly nestled in one of the largest.  The house is on the

corner of Cliff Road and is typical of structures in this part of Harwich. Tomorrow is our final day here
and I'm getting ready to put our boarding papers in order and tagging the luggage.  So far, I haven't
screwed up on the paper work or connections.  Here's hoping the good weather holds out for sailing.
The first stop is Copenhagen and a morning tour.

Wednesday, July, 25 and the weather is still looking good.  This is our last day in Harwich and we
had an early breakfast in the bar which is covered with photos of the Beatles.

Harwich and still going strong

Another bright sunny day on the east coast, of England that is.  We had our breakfast in the bar this
morning.  A bright and cheerful place until a family arrived with a 3 year old who was bent on
crawling over and under tables while his parents were busy chomping on their Wheatabix.  After
he nearly tripped up a scowling waitress, the little one was brought up short, screaming aloud while
Mum, dragged him to her side and lectured him on proper manners which he couldn't understand.

Although our room service is quite good, the restaurant staff needs some concentrated training.
Today, the mid-point of our stay in Harwich we plan to take another stroll along the seacoast
and, if possible, stop for fish and chips at the hotel where we had our Carlsberg yesterday.
The Tower is beginning to fill up with guests probably joining the Baltic cruise.  The bar was getting
a little lively last night but fortunately, we are out of range.

The weather is still excellent, not a cloud in sight for July 23 and we hiked the seacoast trail to Harwich
Town.  This time we strolled in the old section of town and checked out some of the historic structures
such as Sam Pepyes house as well as the place where the Capt. of The Mayflower spent his youth
and finally sailed to Plymouth, England for the voyage across the Atlantic.

Then we had our fish and chips at The Pier overlooking the waterfront.  This time instead of getting a
taxi ride back to the Tower, we hoofed it.  Boy were we pooped.  Today's walk was more than 5 miles
a bit too much for us.  Getting old is no fun but according to Somerset Maughn, "Don't complain about
getting old, many folks don't get the privilege".

The Electric Company was the first building that was used exclusively to show movies in England
and probably, the world.

The Harwich Lifeboat Festival

Sunday morning and we headed to Harwich Town along the seacoast.  The weather was good and the
sea, calm.  There is a long winding walking and biking path a short distance from the hotel that winds
it way northeast by the beaches where the locals and their dogs romp in the surf.  Nearby ocean going
ships and passenger ferries leave for the continent, Netherlands and Germany.  Today, there were
crowds of people going to Harwich for the annual festival that raises money for the lifeboat crews
which patrol the ocean areas to keep the sailors safe.

The festival is like an American County Fair.  Lots of food stalls, music groups and boating activities.
We had to fight our way through the bustling crowds including little children on bicycles, dogs of all
sizes and breeds.  We finally sat down at a local eatery and downed a Carlsberg and thought of having
a fish and chips lunch but the service wasn't ready so we just roamed about looking at the sights.
A few Scotsmen in full regalia strolled by and then a fellow with bagpipes followed.  Unlike London
there aren't many ethnic groups in Harwich, mostly Brits and white.

We happened to pass a life boat group who were booking a cruise around the harbor and we signed
up for the 1PM cruise.  It was somewhat difficult for us to wend our way down boarding ladders to
board the old lifeboat that was used for the tour, however, the crew was helpful and managed to
help Annabelle on board.  Not like the old days when we jumped on board the Amber or Marandi, raised sail and headed out to sea.  It's hard to get used to the impediments of old age when you want
to do things that were simple in earlier years.

The Festival included a great display of old Rolls Royces and some kind soul offered to take a picture

of us together among some of these treasures.

Walking to Town

After this morning's continental breakfast, we walked to the small shopping area not far from the hotel.
Since this community is very close to the water, I expect that the locals here make their living from
the seagoing travelers who leave for foreign ports.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to rest at a bench nearby and get some exposure to the sun
which so far has been fleeting during our trip to England.  Not long after we sat down, a middle aged
chap and his wife came over to talk.  He sat down and began telling us about his recent trip to the US.
He went on nonstop for at least 1/2 hour covering a variety of topics about America, including WW2,
the prevalence of guns in the States and how friendly people were to them while visiting New York
and California.  His poor wife remained standing throughout the conversation and when she complained that the sun was getting too hot on her face, he replied, "Just turn about and get suntan
on the other side."  I finally had to cut through the one man conversation and let him know that we
had to leave for a meeting.  I was afraid that he might follow us back to renew his talk so we slowly
diverted our journey to  cover our tracks.

Tomorrow, we plan to attend some type of sea festival in Harwich Town, that is if we can get a ride.

The Grand Staircase & Garden

AA

The Tower Hotel..... Harwich

We said are final goodbyes to the Trapps early this morning as they left Nell Gwynn for Heathrow and the long flight back to Austin. We grabbed a taxi for Liverpool Station and the rail trip to Harwich.

It was a long ride through London, made even more difficult by the new lane set aside for the Olympic

participants that were beginning to invade London.  We managed to find our way through the mob at Liverpool, dragging our luggage behind us.  We must have made a funny pair, a 90 year old following

an 87 year old with a baseball style cap huffing and puffing until we reached the train about a mile from the gate.  Nowhere was a porter to be found.  Glad we have been walking up the mountain all these years.  The ride was pleasant enough and quite short until we got off at Harwich International Station.

We did have to make a change at Mannington and, fortunately, a couple of friendly chaps helped us with the bags while we trudged down, then up long flights of concrete stairs to board the train on the opposite platform.  A final taxi ride brought us to The Tower Hotel, a structure from the 19th century that once was the residence of a former stalwart of the community.  It has been kept in its former elegance and is beautifully furnished.  We had a brief lunch in the restaurant and quickly headed to our room which is bright and cheerful, overlooking a flower garden.  Glad we arrived, tired, but happy to collapse on the bed, where Annabelle is now watching to British Open while I'm studiously punching out this blog.  

The photos above will give you some idea of the style of this place.

The Birthday Gal at the Swan

Today, January 19, the actual date for the Birthday Gal, we headed back to Billy's for another go at their fish and chips.  We even had 2 Carlsberg beers to wash it down.  The weather was quite good.
Tomorrow, we leave London for Harwich and see the Trapps off to Heathrow, that maze of turmoil.

We plan on taking a train from Liverpool Station and an hour + ride to our destination.  Hopefully,
the crowds at the station won't be too challenging.  This will be our first opportunity to venture on
Brit public transportation this trip.

Tower Hotel is our destination.  It's an old fashioned hotel, built about 1895 and has an Italian
flavor.  They have a restaurant and large gardens surrounding the building.  There are also extensive
walking areas along the shore front.  Since we are staying there for 6 days until embarkation, we
may do some kind of touring about the area.

Tonight we're having dinner at Barri's flat.  Aubrey and Walter have been walking around the Chelsea
main streets.  They have taken to London in a big way and seem comfortable in this milieu.  Where
so many young folks, dressed in bright youthful fashion abound.  They visited the Tower today as
a final goodbye to London.

Goodbye to all until we get to our next destination.  They have WiFi there so I can keep you informed.

Richard 3rd........The cad

Onward we drove to the Globe through the intricate traffic of London, over the Tower Bridge.
We had a 12NOON reservation at the Swan and just made it on time.  They placed all six of us
at a good table overlooking the Thames.  The lunch was excellent.  Walter ordered salted beef which
turned out to be corned beef.  We had a variety of courses and traded the items, from one to the
other until dessert.  Then, it arrived, a beautiful chocolate layer cake served to the strains of Happy
Birthday, Annabelle.  The surrounding luncheonites who were in hearing range clapped in joyous
delight. The chef cut the cake in six healthy slices and we chomped in unison, small succulent
pieces falling gracefully to the immaculate table below.  I detected a small tear of happiness in
Annabelle's right eye as she gazed fondly at me.  I reciprocated with a large tear dripping from my somewhat bloodshot left eye.  Oh, the mushiness of it all! Two old people in merry ole England
sharing this moment of happiness.

The performance of Richard 3rd was superb.  An almost 3 hour performance of high powered
acting.  Barri, John and the kids were entranced with the language.  Barri, of course saw Richard
as someone who was bullied in his youth because of his deformities and responded to the world
as a murderous character.  I suggested that she incorporate this Shakespearian epic as an early
example of bullying.  This suggestion, I believe fell on deaf ears since I received dull stares for
this suggestion.

Back at the Nell Gwynn, we joined the Trapps for a round of tea and discussed the day's events.
Tomorrow, The Trapps head for home while we wend our way to Harwich and a 6 day respite

                                  Oh,London

I've seen you, dirty and clean. I've seen you friendly and mean, But most of all, raucous and never serene

until we join the Jewel of the Sea for our Baltic sojourn.

Nell Gwynn House

Thought you'd like to see our pad in Chelsea.  It's close to Kensington Station and near to many

of the museums, etc. Yesterday we finally had our fish & chips at a pub near Kensington Station
to the strains of Kenny Rogers' The Gambler.  How about that.  In the evening, we enjoyed a
Thai dinner the Trapps.  Aubrey and Walter are having a great time mixing with so many ethnic
groups in London, especially here for the games.

Today we are scheduled to see Richard 3 at the Globe and a luncheon in the Swan Restaurant.
Don't tell Annabelle but they're going to surprise her with a 90th birthday cake.  I hope they get
it right since I made these arrangements on-line.

We leave on Friday AM for Harwich while the Trapps head for home and back to the grind.

The Birthday Gal & Her Escort

I hope you are tuned in to my blog and will receive these photos.  I'm not sure that my computer is
doing what it should.
Annabelle received this bouquet from her offspring yesterday and we will be enjoying it until we
head out to Harwich on Friday morn.  My picture was taken in Stateroom 8049, our former home
when we sailed on previous voyages.
London is tres hectic, many people crowded into this little isle, especially this year for the Olympics.
Quite a few of them sailed on the QM2.
Today, we went to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and had to struggle our way
through the mob to get a peek through the outer railing.  Just when we made it, some little old lady
pushed us out of the way to steal our place.  Can't trust these little old ladies.  We've given up taking
the Underground and are using the ubiquitous taxis.  Easy on the body but murder on the pocketbook.

Barri, John and the kids are having a wonderful time and are leaving the Nell Gwynne early in the
morning.  Just the way we used to do, many years ago.  Last night we supped at a delightful Lebannese
Restaurant and had authentic dinners.  The couple opposite me here in a London Starbucks is from
Uganda, wearing their native outfits.  They are here for the Olympics, a bit early to see the sights.

I hope you are tuning into Aubrey's blog since she is alot quicker on the technology than I.  She is
excited about London and claims that she wants to live here with all of it's foreign flavor.  Ah! youth.

In case you want to contact me, I plan to conjure up my e-mail occasionally.  See you again soon, I hope.

Monday July 16, and we hailed a taxi to the Churchill Museum in the War Rooms.  The town is
beginning to hum, lots of new visitors.  The main highways now have special lanes for the
Olympic participants so they won't get delayed in the traffic while going to their events.  Occasional
rains and somewhat chilly.  Doesn't feel like july.
The Churchill Museum is excellent.  Not many oldsters like us in there who were familiar with the
great man's long career.

We returned to Nell Gwynn for lunch since we had a few items still in the fridge from Sainsburys.
I no longer keep track of my English pounds, I just shovel them out when required.  Just glad
that we are able to get about in this city.  Barri and family are up and at em early in the AM while
our pace is slow and easy.  The flowers are bright and cheery and make the day pleasant to start.
Tonight for dinner, we plan to try an Indian restaurant near Kensington Station just a 7 minute walk
from our flat.  I'm still thinking about the easy life aboard the QM2 where all our meals were
served so well and the stateroom steward took care of the housekeeping.  At Nell Gwynn, the
housekeeping seems rather sketchy.  They're getting busy with the demands of the swelling crowd,
I guess.

We're fortunate to have this Starbuck's across the street from the NG which makes their WiFi
available to all, free of charge without the requirement to buy coffee, etc.

London....We're Here

I'm having a hard time getting on to my blog so if you get the chance read Aubrey's Put The Kettle On.
We had a great trip on the QM2 and after a lengthy disembarkation we made contact with our driver
who drove us pronto the Chelsea.  Rainy on and off but we're doing OK.  If you get the chance you
can get e-mail to us.  Hopefully, I'll try to make contact with you before long.

Three Days and Counting

The sailing is rather calm since the sea is slight, waves no higher than 2 feet.  Listened to a lecture on
spies in WW2.  The topic was interesting but the speaker was dull.  There was a heavy fog on our
way past Newfoundland and the ship's horn sounded every 15 minutes. Today we're guests for lunch
at The Todd English restaurant courtesy of our Diamond membership.

We've lost track of the Trapps, who are roaming all over the ship.  Aubrey and Walter are rooming
together and seem to be comfortable doing their thing.  We usually meet in the dining room for
breakfast and at dinner. Our cabin steward Jake, is efficient and pleasant.  Tonight, we're sailing
near the spot where the Titanic struck the iceberg 100 years ago in 1912.  No icebergs here in
July.

From The Marriott to the QM2

We stayed at the Marriott La Guardia on July5, then left with Barri, John and the kids for the QM2
Our limousine was right on time and Labac, the driver, wound his way through Queens to the
Brooklyn Port Terminal .  There she stood, large and proud, the QM2, our home for the next week.

Fortunately, our Diamond Club membership kicked in and we scooted to the head of the lines to
expedite the boarding process including our whole entourage.  The British system of classes holds
sway on their ships and we took advantage of our exalted status of top class thanks to the 180 days
we sailed with Cunard.  I'm not in favor of their system but at this stage, I don't plan to change it.

The ocean is calm with cool breezes and no bumpiness.  All six of us have a table at the lower level
in the Britannia Dining Room.  Our head waiter is Chandra,  from Mauritius who is very
competent and cheerful, but since Dario, our former waiter is now working the Princess Grill we
will have to break in this new chap.

So far, we have attended a lecture on early voyages to the new world, attended a musical last
night and listened to a classical concert by Gordona Kostic, Soprano who sang beautifully,
especially the aria, "Mi chiamono Mimi" from La Boheme, a favorite of mine.

It's wonderful to have Barri, John, and the children with us at this time of our waning years.  The
planning was worth every minute.  To see Aubrey and Walter's eyes light up at every new sight
on this great ship is a joy to behold.  I know that Barri and John are now hooked on cruising
with Cunard and will take many voyages in future years.  They will always remember their first
Transatlantic trip on the QM2.

Lilies of the Field

Remember that movie, if not, try to get it. Our flowers have blossomed out in all their glory.  However, tomorrow, we leave for the big Apple and the journey on the Queen Mary to Southampton, UK. It will be great to see the Statue of Liberty
from the deck on our starboard side and even more exciting to see that Lady in the company of grandkids, Aubrey and Walter.  We're very fortunate to be around
for this event since not too many old timers are frisky enough to make this journey with their children and grandchildren.  Twelve years back we did travel
on the QE2 to England with Jenny, Peter and Anna but we were mere youngsters in
our 70s.  Hopefully, we'll be able to keep up with our companions this trip.

Everything seems to be in order this July 4th.  We have been eating all the leftovers for several days in order to empty out the fridge.  I don't know why
we follow this routine, habit, I guess.  Annabelle has been receiving birthday
greetings from all points of the compass, family and friends.  Also, our Iphone
has been jumping with bon voyages.  We saw Pam and Rob take off on Sunday for a two month's vacation jaunt to Alaska.  After Pam's long struggle writing her
dissertation and graduating, they both were eager to  head for the hills.

We're planning to leave for the airport at 7AM tomorrow.  Roy, is on duty for
getting us there.  I'll try to haul the bags to the 4Runner this evening after
the sun goes down in order to expedite the departure but I'm almost sure that
we will have forgotten to take some necessary object or toss something out.
That reminds me, I need to dump the kitchen container into the compost bin.
Now to print the boarding passes.