Q-Tips Reviews

Gothenburg, Sweden – Tour offered from the Norwegian ship “The city of Gothenburg.” Q-tips say: Nice informative tour. Large port for industry/shipping/ trading.

Drove across Alvborg Bridge and Masthuggs Church for vista views of the city and port. Then drove past and photos to Botanical Gardens and visit the rock garden, then off to the center of the city. Pass the Museum of fine arts, Concert Hall,  Theater and Library. The square is dominated by Carl Milles sculpture “The Poseidon Fountain.” We came on “graduation day.” They had celebrations in the middle of the plaza. We were not able to park our bus and go there.  Our tour guide said later the kids will be drunk and having a good time. At first, Mrs. Q thought it must be “college graduation, ” but it was “high school.” There were fire works going off  in the middle of the crowds and of course most of us stayed closer to the bus.

Many Muslims wearing all white garb for “graduation.”  The Muslims have a tradition that the family carries a large portrait of the graduate when they were a child with them during celebration to show that now how the child has grown.

Alvsborg Fortress

Mosque in Gothenburg Sweden- built by Saudi Arabia

In town Graduation in Gothenburg, Sweden -with fireworks going off in the middle of the crowd……

Poseidon Statue

Masthuggskyrkan Church

 

Back to Chicago – Home sweet home!

Day at Sea – For us, it was more of a rest day.

Helsinki, Finland – We took the ‘Discover Helsinki’ tour. Included were the Embassy Park, Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral with gold onion domes,  on to Senate Square pass by the 1952 Olympic Games were held, the Opera House and stop to see the Temppeliaukio Rock Church.

Q-tips says:  Mrs. Q says:  This was more of a bus tour, a welcome change from the 2 busy, but two great days in St. Petersburg, Russia.  While nice to see Helsinki Finland, it was very cold and windy more than other country so far. Want to say Hi and Bye in their language? Hi – Moy.   Bye – Moy, Moy.

The sea and large lakes slow down the progress of winter. Winter is the longest season in Finland, lasting for about 100 days in southwestern Finland and 200 days in Lapland.

North of the Arctic Circle, part of winter is the period known as the “polar night”, when the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. In the northernmost corner of Finland, the polar night lasts for 51 days. In southern Finland, the shortest day is about 6 hours long.

Mrs. Q says: No thank you.  Even our tour guide said it is depressing. Unless you LOVE winter and Winter Sports….. Not I.

In port, outside our ship was a small open doors building selling mementos and “FREE WI FI.” So many took advantage of the Free Wi Fi, as not to use up their WiFi that you had to pay for on the ship. It was freezing and windy in the building. Froze our butts off even tho we had winter outfits and gloves, mind you this is the end of May.  At least it was sunny.  Finland might now have taken the honor of the “happiest people” because they are taken care of from birth to grave. But their taxes are extremely very high, as in Denmark.   (Hello? Someone has to pay for all those “free,  free,  free from birth to grave). 

Happiest people? IT CAN’T BE BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER! 

1952 Olympic Games were held here.

Uspenski Russian Orthodox Cathedral 

Opera House

Temppeliaukio Rock Church

Temppeliauko Rock Church –

Sibelius Park

Monument is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

St. Petersburg, Russia – We decided to take the 2 day tour with lunch each day  (at a local off-the-way restaurant included foods that are famous in Russia and a shot of Russian Vodka) –  since we will probably never coming back again and wanted to see as most as we could in the 2 days. It is said an offense if you do not drink the Vodka – Mrs. Q couldn’t – too harsh for me.

2 day tour Was not cheap, but worth it.  This two full day tour combination lets you enjoy the best of St. Petersburg: Catherine’s Palace, Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Grand Palace and a city tour. In the Castles they have to put on disposable paper shoes over your own shoes to keep the floors from scratching, ruining the floors. Always ask if you can take photos where ever you go into a museum, castle, etc.

paper boots to protect their floors – one size fits all

Q-tips say: Day 1 & 2 – The best tours.We went outside of the city to the town of Pushkin (former Tsar’s Village) where we visited Catherine II Palace. Peter the Great presented this estate to his wife Catherine in 1710. It was used as the summer residence of the Royal Family. Its grandiose, white-and-gold facade stretches 978 feet. Walked  through a series of magnificent rooms, including the famous the Great Hall and the Amber Room. The town of Pushkin is famous for the man it was named after – Alexander Pushkin, the most celebrated poet in the country.  Then drove to the Hermitage Museum, the largest art museum in Russia and the most prestigious museum in the world. The Hermitage Museum occupies the Winter Palace, the winter residence of the Russian Tsars, and four more buildings.  Mrs. Q says: If you have been to The Palace of Versailles, Château de Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal chateau in Versailles, many of the Palaces of Russia were similar- Ornate and gold filled. Know one really knows what happened to the original amber during the Nazi Germany occupation, so it was rebuilt.  Catherine II always had to have the best.  Catherine’s Palace: Amber Room, The Ballroom, Chapel.    

AMBER ROOM- no photos allowed –  An internet photo.

Ballroom

Chapel

Outside view of Palace

The Hermitage Museum encompasses any buildings on the Palace Embankment and its neighborhoods. Apart from the Small Hermitage, the museum now also includes the ‘Old Hermitage’ (also called ‘Large Hermitage’), the ‘New Hermitage’, the “Hermitage Theater’,  and the ‘Winter Palace, the former main residence of the Russian tsars. In recent years, the Hermitage has expanded to the General Staff Building on the Palace Square facing the Winter Palace, and the Menshikov Palace.  There is no way you could see this massive Museum in a day – you need a week.

The Pavilion Hall

The Ruebens Room

The Raphael Loggias-This ceiling shows the entire painting of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City Rome – panel by panel.  Mrs. Q says: Yes, it does with precise detail.

Interior of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg , Russia

A room in the Winter Palace

Three grand apartment houses in a row in Russia.

Peter & Paul Cathedral – 

Inside the cathedral are the extravagant tombs of almost all the Russian rulers since Peter the Great. People still leave fresh flowers on Peter’s grave. The last to be buried here was Nicholas II and his family, who were re-interred here on July 17, 1998.

PETERHOF PALACE:  Palace of Peter the Great

Peterhof Palace –

There are 64 fountains. and 37 gold gilded statues.  Their waters flow into a semicircular pool, the terminus of the fountain-lined Sea Channel.

French Style interior

Catherine II had to have the best of everything, but Mrs. Q thinks that Peter the Great beats her by a mile.  What do you think?

The Samson Fountain and Sea Channel

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood –

This church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.

Tallinn, Estonia – Tour from the Norwegian Ship tours- ” Tallinn & Old Town Walking Tour.”  Tallinn is the capital of Estonia. A walking tour that took us into Tallinn’s past, visit Rocca-al-Mare Open Air Museum’s typical rural Estonian taverns, windmills and watermills, the onion-domed 1900 cathedral or join the bustle in historic Town Hall Square. St. Olav’s spire was once the tallest in the world, but not any more.

Supposedly some of the best chocolate around.

Q-tips say:  The capital of Estonia impresses with its mix of medieval houses and very modern boutiques and café culture. Journey inside the ancient walls of Old Town to explore stunning Medieval landmarks like Toompea Castle and a 15th Century apothecary shop. Move up a couple centuries to experience Tsar Peter I’s Kadriorg Palace, filled with art and surrounded by sculpted gardens and peaceful woodlands. UNEVEN Cobble Streets.

Tallinn Estonia

St. Olav’s Cathedral

At Sea – 

We decided to get a drink at our favorite watering hole – Atrium bar where they were playing 60’s & 70’s music.  Decided to dance when the “Twist song” was playing. It turned to be a “Twist Dance Contest.”  A member of the band came up to Mrs. Q and said, “he had his money on us.”  The organizer took 3 couples aside and ask questions: Names, where are you from and how long have we been “Twisting.”  Well, the music began and the audience were the judges.  Well, we won the “Twist Contest.”  We won “T shirts” that said,  “Feel free to call me a Champion.”   A bottle of Champagne, a pen.  The other couples got “T” shirts.”

After that people would stop us and say, “you are the ones who won the “twist contest.”  Our one moment of celebrity.

Yes, we did enjoy the Champagne. I was glad we won and did NOT break any body parts while doing this!