Category Archives: Travel

How we planned our Baltic trip

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When Dan and I talk about our recent (June, 2018) trip to the Baltic region, mentioning all the cities we visited, invariably someone asks, “Were you on a cruise?”

No. We were not on a cruise. Let me dispel that idea here and now, once and for all. We are not cruise people. We might become cruise people one day, when we can’t get around by ourselves very well any more or suddenly transform into extroverts–but not now. Nor were we planning, originally, to make our trip look like a cruise trip. It just sort of . . . happened.

It all started as a trip to Helsinki, a city Dan wanted to visit because of its reputation as a center of clean, modern design and the home of the famous architect Alvar Aalto. We thought we might go there over midsummer, knowing that there are fun celebrations in Finland at that time. And besides, Helsinki isn’t that far from St. Petersburg, a city I’ve long wanted to visit. That simply, we had the beginning of a plan: Helsinki and St. Petersburg over midsummer.

First, we investigated airfare to and from the region. We like nonstop flights, but it wasn’t a surprise to discover that there are no nonstop flights from San Francisco to Helsinki–much less to St. Petersburg. The closest we could get nonstop was Copenhagen, another city we’d hoped one day to visit. So, we added Copenhagen to our list of vacation destinations.

At this point, with three cities in the plan and an estimated timeframe of about two weeks in late June, we encountered our first problem: the World Cup in soccer was to be held in Russia at that time, starting on June 15th. And a friend had a horror story of being bumped from his confirmed and prepaid stay in a St. Petersburg hotel when there was some tourist event in town and the hotels could get more money. So–sorry, they “lost” his reservation. They found him a place to stay miles outside of the city–the best they said they could do. To avoid a similar problem during the World Cup, we decided to stay in an American chain hotel where Dan had a preferred traveler relationship. And, to be safe, we also decided to move our trip earlier than we’d thought–timing it to be leaving St. Petersburg just before the World Cup began. This decision anchored the start date of the trip. The end date was anchored by our desire to be in Helsinki for midsummer, and then spend a few days in Copenhagen.

Getting directly to St. Petersburg, it turned out, involved many hours of travel, and considerable expense–at least on the dates we had narrowed down to. We found that we could travel more easily–and with less stress–by breaking the outbound part of the trip up in Helsinki, spending an overnight in a real bed at a hotel airport, and then flying to St. Petersburg the next morning on a different airline. Thus, the plane reservation: outbound to Helsinki on June 7, 2018 via SAS Airlines, return from Copenhagen on June 26th. With an arrival in Helsinki on June 8th, we were able to reserve a hotel room at the airport, allowing time to decompress from the long flight, and fly to St. Petersburg the next day on Finnair, with a flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen on Finnair toward the end of the trip.

We now had a trip framework in place. It was time to figure out where we were going between June 9th and June 23rd (and how we were going to get there). And, of course, to make the necessary hotel reservations.

Four days in St. Petersburg seemed about right, and it would get us out of Russia two days before the World Cup started. Between that and the now-fixed departure to Copenhagen on the 23rd, we had ten days to spend in the Baltic. We knew we had to be in Helsinki last, but how many days would we want to spend there?

Research into “what to do in Helsinki” suggested that four days would be plenty, assuming we didn’t want to travel north into the Finnish countryside. But, interestingly, a side trip to the city of Tallinn, Estonia, via a relatively short two-hour ferry ride, was widely, and highly, recommended. It took only a few photos of the World Heritage medieval old city, and I was on board. But no need for an afternoon excursion: we had the luxury of spending a couple of days.

Given the frequent ferry connection between the two cities, we could potentially do them in either order. I decided to let the ease and cost of getting there from St. Petersburg enter into the decision process — and discovered almost by accident that the easiest and least expensive flight out of St. Petersburg was to . . . Riga, Latvia.

Well, why not! It seemed we had the time, and it wasn’t like we were likely ever to get another chance to visit. And besides, Riga, it turns out, also has a World Heritage medieval city center. And it’s fairly easy to get from Riga to Tallinn by land, giving us a chance to see some of the Baltic countryside.

A little research into travel methods, even more research into hotels, and the framework of the trip now looked like this:

A few notes of importance for anyone planning a trip such as this:

St. Petersburg
  • Traveling from the USA, as of this writing, you need a visa to get into Russia (and, even more important, to get out again). Allow plenty of time for this, as it’s a real process. The website  https://waytorussia.net/RussianVisa/ contains a good step-by-step guide.
  • The Renaissance Hotel is expensive; however, we were able to use Marriott points.
  • Buy your Hermitage tickets in advance, and avoid the lines! See https://www.hermitageshop.org/tickets/.
Riga
  • We did not like the Redstone Boutique Hotel, and do not recommend it. The two really good features were that the rooms were spacious and nicely furnished; and the staff was as helpful and friendly as you might wish. However, it was very hot in Riga when we were there, and the air conditioning did not work in some of the rooms, was marginal in others, and in any case was shut off centrally around midnight. The hotel was in a very loud location. And, to make matters worse, the management allowed parties on the roof until after midnight, with concommitant noise of loud party-goers coming and going, easily audible in the hallways and rooms. A word to the wise: Try someplace else.
  • We found the World Heritage medieval city center a bit touristy, with a lot of bars and restaurants and souvenir shops. And the building stock had a lot of infill of later eras. But it was nice enough.
  • We were completely surprised by a huge Art Nouveau district with some totally amazing buildings. For this alone, Riga is worth a visit. If I were to go back, I would try to stay in this area.
  • There’s also a lovely park ringing the old medieval city.
Tallinn
  • The Three Sisters Boutique Hotel is fabulous, and very well located just inside the city walls of the medieval city. It comprises three centuries-old buildings, totally renovated.
  • The medieval city center is very well preserved and full of interesting shops and other sights.
  • There is an up-and-coming artsy district called Kalamaja just a short walk from the old city that is definitely worth a visit.
Helsinki
  • Hotel F6 also turned out to be a good choice; the location was excellent, as was the hotel itself.
  • The so-called “Design District” was disappointing. There weren’t a lot of design-oriented shops or ateliers compared to just regular cityscape.
  • The just-regular cityscape is quite nice.
  • It turns out I don’t care much for Alvar Aalto’s architecture, though his bent-wood chairs are kind of cool.
  • There’s a great underground church in Helsinki, worth a visit. They charge you to get in, but don’t provide bathrooms for the public. Plan ahead!
  • Oh–and most important–in Finland, they do not necessarily celebrate midsummer at, well, midsummer. They celebrate it on the first Saturday afterwards. We left that afternoon, and missed the bonfires there. But another word of advice: They also do not necessarily celebrate midsummer in Helsinki. Everyone closes up early and heads to the north, to the woods. So we would probably have missed the bonfires in any case. Who knew!
Copenhagen
  • It turns out that in Denmark, they also celebrate midsummer on the first Saturday after midsummer, and they’re not shy about doing it in the city. So we arrived just in time!
  • We’d reserved a (relatively) inexpensive room on the back side of the hotel, but a room was available facing the harbor, and since (by chance) the Copenhagen midsummer celebration was to be held right there, we splurged and upgraded. And it was worth it.
  • A word about money: Copenhagen is expensive. Plan on it. Capuccino and a croissant for breakfast in a simple neighborhood bakery/cafe can run you $8 to $10.
  • The design scene in Copenhagen is wonderful. I still wish we’d bought the sheets and duvets. And the furniture is simple and beautiful.
  • There’s a neighborhood called Nørrebro that’s a little off the beaten track and worth a visit. It has edgy, unusual shops; a beautiful park-like cemetery; the old Jewish cemetery; and a vibrant, interesting Moslem immigrant neighborhood. I mention this, because your guide book might not.

That’s about it for trip planning. I’ll also be posting some pictures and commentary on various sights from time to time. If you’re thinking of planning your own trip, I hope you find this information useful — and feel free to contact me, should you have further questions. And have a great trip!

Cefalu, in the rain and after

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We arrived in Cefalu in a rainstorm. Parking is not available in the historic center for non-residents, so we had to park at the train station (EU7 per day) and walk (10 minutes) to our rented apartment through the delightfully pedestrian historic area, the attractive stone paving slippery under the soles of my shoes worn smooth from so much walking.

There are many good reasons to visit Cefalu, a promontory on the north coast of Sicily, and our one stop on this coast as we made our way around the island. Primary among these is the astonishing rock, about nine hundred feet high, that dominates the town. (The picture below is taken from the visitsicily website, as I was unable to take a photo myself because of the rain.)

Skyline of Cefalù, touristic village in northern Sicily

And then, of course, there are the beaches, beautiful even in the rain and just after.

Even in waterfront areas where there are rocks instead of beaches, the town is impressive.

In addition, the historic district is charming; somehow there are outdoor cafes even on the narrow streets.

It might well have a nightlife, too, though not in the pouring rain. In the rain’s aftermath, however, the cafes of the piazza in front of the Duomo were open for business.

And it is of the Duomo itself that I wish to speak, seen here fronting the piazza. The cathedral was built beginning in 1131 by Roger the Norman, who was then king of Sicily. Yes, there was a Norman (as in, from Normandy) Kingdom in Sicily from the end of the eleventh and throughout much of the twelfth century. And, once the previous rulers of more than two centuries, Muslim Moors or Arabs, were defeated, they were allowed to continue living in Sicily in peace. There followed a period of what UNESCO describes as “the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins and religions (Muslim, Byzantine, Latin, Jewish, Lombard and French),” which blossomed into a unique architectural style exemplified by the cathedral in Cefalu, along with the cathedral in Monreale and several structures in Palermo. These structures, collectively, have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and are described by UNESCO as follows: “The innovative re-elaboration of architectural forms, structures, and materials and their artistic, decorative, and iconographic treatments – most conspicuously the rich and extensive tesserae mosaics, pavements in opus sectile, marquetry, sculptural elements, paintings, and fittings – celebrate the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins.”

Outside, the cathedral is built mostly in the Romanesque style. A closer examination of a column that appears damaged revealed a rather imaginative capital.

Inside, it’s quite magnificent.

Its most wonderful feature is the mosaics that decorate the apse. Two euros turn on the lights for a brief period, so that the tourist (me) can hope to take a few photos. A small price for a moment of glittering gold and glory.

 

 

Wine Relais Feudi del Pisciotto Niscemi, Sicily

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Knowing that Sicily produces some excellent and unique wines, we booked a night at the Wine Relais Feudi del Pisciotto Niscemi to break up the trip from Siracusa to Agrigento. We were hoping for a visit to a local winery, and this stay completely exceeded our expectations.

The original feudo (Italian for ‘estate’) was built in 1700 and produced fine Sicilian wines for centuries, using the traditional methods of wine production that were used since Roman times.

Here we see the room where the grapes were loaded from wagons (outside, on both sides) into large stone rectangular areas. In these stone “boxes,” the grapes were pressed by foot, and the juice ran off through channels into vats waiting in the room below, where it was made into wine. Today, glass openings in the floor provide a view into the lower level.

The winery, its estate villa, and the outbuildings fell into neglect and disrepair in the first part of the twentieth century (perhaps during one of the world wars), and the old vines died off. But the ruined estate was purchased about ten years ago or so and is in the process of being artfully restored. The vineyards have been largely replanted, and, with the old winery still on display, they are now making wines using the most modern techniques.

The location is stunning.

    

The grounds of the winery are spare, appropriate to the region, and beautiful.

  

And they have added a beautiful pool!

   

Finally, I have to mention that the dining room is as elegant as the dinner was delicious. And the breakfast buffet was the best we had in Sicily.

  

Restaurant Cola Pasta, Ortigia

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Dan was pretty effective at shepherding me away from the computer to go to dinner tonight. “Where are we going?” I asked as we walked along our street. I use the term “street” loosely here; it is the element of the circulation network that passes along the front of where we are staying, but our neighbor “across the street” is the sea, and the whole thing is barely wide enough for a couple of pedestrians to pass each other next to the tables that the restaurants put outside.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but I do know where we are not going.”

“Well, that’s a start. There are only about a thousand restaurants in Ortigia. Where are we not going?”

“Here,” he said.

The young man at the front of the seaside tourist restaurant smiled broadly at us. “Buon sera! Menu?”

“No,” we assured him. “Grazie.”

“That’s one down,” I said. “Nine hundred ninety-eight to go.”

“Well, I don’t know all of the places where we’re not going. If I did, then I’d know where we are going.”

That made sense. “Okay, we’re not going to the tourist places like that one.”

“Right. And we’re not going to any more pizza places.”

I remembered yesterday’s pizza. The cheese. My stomach protested even at the memory. “No more pizza.”

“And no fancy expensive restaurants. I’ll know where we’re going when I see it.”

We turned into a side street, on our way to see a shop Dan wanted to go back to. We were about to turn again, but there was an attractive-looking little piazza just ahead, so we decided to check it out. There, we were greeted by a friendly woman. “Would you like some pasta?” she said. “Normally, we use these tables in the piazza, but it was too windy.” She gestured at the dozen or so tables, with their folded umbrellas, in the darkened piazza. “So tonight, for the first time, we have just set up two tables inside the restaurant.”

It looked inviting enough. She showed us a menu, which featured, unsurprisingly, fresh pasta of various kinds. She explained that we could pick a pasta (each of which had a price) and a sauce (priced separately) and create our own dish. Some of the sauces were traditional (such as Bolognese); others looked modern and creative (wild fennel with anchovies, swordfish with lemon peel). It all looked delicious, and reasonably priced. It was close to 8 p.m., early by Sicilian standards. The restaurant–all two tables of it–was still empty. We promised to come back.

And we were as good as our word. Yes, there were other tempting restaurants along the way, but we were, as Dan said, “trothed.” At least, one bottle of Nero d’Avolo later, I think that’s what he said.

We did return.

And we had our choice of (all two) tables inside.

This was definitely an informal restaurant. No tablecloths here. Paper plates. But.

Pasta and sauces that were out of this world good. A huge salad that couldn’t be fresher, with greens and tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers (um, “cetrioli”). And a staff that couldn’t be more friendly. Even the cook came out to say hello, and the others insisted it was his first time ever. They all spoke English (unusual, in our experience, so far in Sicily). They graciously posed for this picture.

(That’s Dan, in the dark, in the foreground, so you know where our table was!)

The restaurant was only big enough for the two tables. The other was occupied by a friendly young couple from Germany and the Netherlands. The kitchen was about the same size as the restaurant.

Was everything delicious? You bet!

Would we go back here again, if we were staying? Without a doubt!

Did I mention that the inexpensive bottle of Nero d’Avola was good, and the panna cotta for dessert even better? Well, I have now.

ColaPasta
Via San Martino, 2
Ortigio, Siracusa

Thank you for a perfect dinner our last evening in Ortigia!

 

Ortigia, Siricusa

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When I was researching this trip to Sicily, I knew I wanted to go to Syracuse. Of course, Syracuse was the home of Archimedes, one of the world’s more preeminent ancient scientists. Even more so, though, is that the city, which is some 2,700 years old, was a force to be reckoned with in the Mediterranean for centuries. Originally a Greek colony, it was allied with the Peloponnesian powers of Sparta and Corinth. By the fifth century B.C., it rivaled (and some say surpassed) Athens in importance. Even in Roman times it was preeminent, and famous for its beauty. Briefly, it even became capital of the Roman Empire.

Ortigia, the island-peninsula on the eastern side of the modern city of Siricusa is the site of ancient Syracuse, and so of course that’s where we stayed. We have a great room overlooking the city’s harbor and bay, on this street:

Here are some sights in this charming ancient city. First, the Piazza Duomo. This half-moon-shaped piazza is paved with beautiful tiles of what might be marble, and ringed with magnificent buildings, including the exquisite Duomo.

Here are some details from the Duomo’s facade.

Running from this piazza to Via Roma, a lively pedestrian shopping street, is the pleasant Piazza Minerva.

There’s also a lively plaza surrounding the stunning Fontana di Diana.

But Ortigia isn’t all piazzas–and neither would we want it to be. It’s full of interesting narrow streets, too, some of them commercial and others of no particular significance except for their charm.

We loved the rhythm of the balconies.

And we enjoyed occasionally finding something completely unexpected, such as this art exhibit inside a former church.

 

St. Petersburg: The Hermitage

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On June 10th, we visited the Hermitage, the world-famous art museum that was once the winter palace of the czars of Russia. We went to see the art, of course, but it was the building itself that captivated me. Nothing wrong with the art, mind you; some of it is among the most famous works of art in the world. I’m sure that books could be–and in fact have been–written about the artwork in this great collection. But in the interest of keeping up with my travels, more or less, I am limiting myself to just one blog post on the Hermitage, and for me at least, it was all about the rooms themselves. There were often crowds jostling about, but it really didn’t matter.

The Hermitage was amazing. I spent half my time happily gazing at the ceilings and walls. And now, dear Reader, you can, too. Let’s start with the staircase at the entrance (just above). Watch your step, but look around. Look up, too!

    

And this is just the beginning. Room after room, the building is as beautiful as the artwork housed within. I present below a number of rooms–walls or ceilings, together with a detail or so, because the joy of them is in both the broad view and the details.

  

The detail above is over the throne/chair.

    

Every detail is breathtaking.

  

Every room is different.

  

So . . .

  

. . . many . . .

  

. . . rooms!

  

So many more rooms to go!

  

Remember, this is a really big palace we’re talking about here!

And now back to the rooms . . .

  

Walls, ceilings, columns of precious stones; even the chandeliers are gorgeous!

    

Here’s a coffered ceiling.

  

We went through a long arcaded walkway with painted detailing . . .

        

. . . in order to get to this room . . .

. . . and then went out into a similar, but of course different, long arcaded room, this one with sculpture.

        

I leave you with one more room with a coffered ceiling, where every coffer was itself a work of art.

  

 

St. Petersburg: The city

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St. Petersburg has been styled “the Venice of the north,” and it is easy to see the analogy. The city is built on a number of islands connected by riverways and canals, with bustling boat and pedestrian traffic, impressive palaces, and amazing churches. If I had to describe it in one word, I’d say, “Beautiful.” If given a second word-choice, I’d have to go with, “Crowded.”

Yes, I know it’s June. I know the soccer World Cup begins here (and in several other cities in Russia) in just two days (I wrote this on June 13th). I know it’s a necessary stop on every Baltic cruise. But, really, there are *five* cruise ships in the port today, plus a river-cruise ship in the city. And at least one of those five ships is big enough to house an entire city all by itself. And even so, this is not enough to explain how every block is too crowded to walk on; every tourist sight has its long line; the Hermitage is too full of people to see the pictures; and even first thing in the morning on a cool, cloudy day, Peterhof has crowds around every fountain.

I prefer my photographs uncluttered with strangers, but that’s just not always possible here. Please look at them with understanding, and enjoy the sights behind all the people!

Many people have posted wonderful pictures of St. Petersburg’s monuments–and the monuments are certainly amazing. But I’d like just to focus on the street scenes (some of which, of course, involve monuments), so that you can see something of the fabric of this beautiful city. And the fabric of the city is woven around its many canals and its great riverway. The views from the Neva River are expansive.

Crossing the Neva River, looking back at the Hermitage

Crossing the Neva River, looking forward to the Peter and Paul Fortress

One of many bridges, decorated for the upcoming World Cup

Views from the canals are more intimate–and lovely.

Here are a few other street scenes, including some lively markets.

Finally, no survey of the streets of St. Petersburg would be complete without some views of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

 

Beware of Greeks offering dinner

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Today we arrived in Chania, Crete, a delightful town with a great harbor and a old city. We are staying in the waterfront Porto Venezia Hotel. Having arrived at around noon, we asked for restaurant recommendations for lunch and dinner, and the friendly people at the front desk were happy to oblige. They helped us make a reservation at Ta Neoria restaurant for dinner, and recommended several less formal places for lunch.

By the time we unpacked and started out, exploring as we went, we ended up at the recommended Throubi restaurant for a late lunch at around 2 p.m. This, it turned out, was a meat restaurant; and we do not eat mammals. This limited the menu for us, but there were still plenty of choices. And, as usual, we ordered too much. Somehow, it took forever for the waiter to come take our order. More forever for the food to arrive. (And it was very good!) We each ordered a serving of wine (white for Dan, retsina for me), which turned out to be about a pint each; and after we finished eating, it took a while to find the waiter to ask for the check. And when we finally did–

Out came the gratis dessert. And a small but ice cold bottle of raki.

By about 5 p.m., we’d managed to finish lunch and pay the bill.

Back at the hotel, completely full from lunch, it seemed clear that our 7 p.m. reservation for dinner was too early, and we changed it to 8 p.m. We are beginning to understand why Greeks have late dinners.

We went to the excellent Ta Neoria for dinner, a seafood restaurant right on the harbor. Service was attentive, and the menu, extensive. Once again, we ordered too much food (octopus, Cretan salad, which is kind of like Greek salad, only more so–and more of it, and swordfish). We did the best we could with it, considering the huge lunch, and were considering asking for the check, when they came with the gratis dessert. All three complimentary desserts. And a complimentary bottle of raki.

Which was excellent.

Naturally, we had to drink it.

And we managed to make it back to the hotel just before 11 p.m.

In summary, then, kind readers, I pretty much have to say that today in Crete, what we did was: we had lunch and dinner. And it took all day.

And it was very, very good.

Pilgrimage

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Sitting in the Bar de Mon, about three kilometers from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Dan and I watch the passers-by. Mostly they are pilgrims, with their hiking sticks and ponchos pulled over their heads and backpacks for protection against the light rain. Even in this weather, they arrive in the city in a steady stream. By the time they get here–many from quite far away, and always by foot–the very existence of the city must seem a little miraculous.

The streets of the old city are attractive, even in the rain.

A little weather won’t deter the pilgrims.

The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Santiago has been a major European pilgrimage destination for about a thousand years. And the flow of pilgrims is increasing. In 2010–the last year for which I have seen a statistic–some 270,000 pilgrims came to the city.

Pilgimage routes lead to Santiago from all over Spain, and Europe beyond.

We saw these pilgrims in Logrono, Rioja, more than 600 km away. The scallop shell on their backs marks them as pilgrims.

On this drizzly day, the pilgrims pick their way carefully on the less-flooded paving stones. Every so often, there is a brass scallop shell—the symbol of the city–embedded in the sidewalk to mark the pilgrimage route and help them on their way.

We have seen a few places where the scallop shells along the pilgrimage path have been pried out of their mortar and stolen. “Those people,” I tell Dan mock-seriously, “will burn in Hell for eternity for taking those shells.” “No,” he replies, “they were already going to do that. The city should install shell-cameras. Then the city could come and arrest the thieves. They’ll spend three years in a Spanish jail.”

A worse punishment indeed!

But the truth is that those people who steal the shells are probably going to get away with it. They’ll pay a price, though, and it’s a steep one. They’ve traded the grace and enlightenment that others hope for, who follow this path, for a material souvenir.

In the cathedral plaza, at the spot where the five main pilgrimage routes come together, pilgrims raise their walking sticks jubilantly and cheer. They take each other’s pictures. Or they just stand and look around. They rest, weary and happy, and seem a little dazed by the miraculous fact of arrival.

In the background is the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, built in at the end of the 15th century as a hospital for pilgrims, and now a marvelous Spanish parador.

As for Dan and me, our journey has been decades in the desire to come here and months in the planning. But the walking part has been short. We are staying in the parador next to the cathedral, and we walked outbound as far as the Pilgrim’s Gate, maybe three and a half kilometers. Then we turned and joined the flow of pilgrims inbound to the cathedral, our spirits light and our hearts full of admiration for the walkers and the deep significance of this journey.

Viñales, the town

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We spent some time in the colorful town of Viñales as well as in the surrounding countryside. In declaring the Viñales valley to be of “Outstanding Universal Value,” UNESCO had this to say about the town:

The village of Viñales, strung out along its main street, has retained its original layout and many interesting examples of colonial architecture, mostly one-storey wooden houses with porches.

And indeed, it is exactly as UNESCO described it–but they forgot to mention the vivid colors!

The people, too, are colorful and interesting.

The revolution, too, is still present in this part of Cuba–from a picture of the much-loved Che, to a touching sign: “I Am Cuba.”