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rosheendubh · 4 years ago

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Three swords there were, forged from elemental divinity--

Mimung, the weapon of the Waelsungs, split Brynhilde's heart and sped her to the embrace of her One Eyed God, wielded after, by Vortimer, Vortigern's son, of Sinfjotli's line, now Uter's (Ohthere's) blade, grim Ohthere, of two fathers sired upon unwilling Ygerna, Vortimer (Embreis Wledig), or perhaps of Egil-Ongentheow's seed, he vies with Onela (Aelle Bretwalda) for the soul of a nation, and a woman's heart...

Tyrfing, the doom of Arngrim's brood, that brave Hervor dared the barrows of her dead father's host, scorning sulfur and brimstone to retrieve metal cast to the Host of the Dead, shaming the fallen, seeking vengeance for slain brothers, sword recovered to living light, forever cursed to take life at price of unsheathing, whose hilt Onela's (Aelle Bretwalda's) strong hands now grip upon the Plains of Eboracum (York)...

The Sword of Ares, Sarmatian iron, born of stars, a virgin priestess's flesh mated in sacrament to the Stallion, King of Heaven, both sacrificed upon the alter of flame and blood, hammer and anvil, brought to the shores of Albion in the days of Empire's might, but as centuries passed, the Eagle decayed, raising Wolf and Raven and Mare, Venaura (Gwenhwyfar), gazes upon mighty Tyr's gift of blood-gold justice, bride of death, Raven Queen and Horse Goddess, daughter of blessed Saranyu who settled her nation upon the Isle of Mists centuries gone, and centuries gone, where this child of Peteova, Lady of the Cawnur, and her Beltane lover, Palomydez (Pabo Pillar of Prydain), Alani war-lord, once commanded fire from heaven, ripping through her mother's flesh, melting sinew with lightening-struck oak, petrified water-fused stone, blade clutched in her mother's hand, symbol of defiance against Egil-Ongentheow's invading host, salvaging a tormented island, where now his sons war, Onela (Aelle Bretwalda) and Uter (Ohthere), for supremacy over Albion's clashing tribes, and in one desperate hour, does Uter send harrowing word for aid of the North, and Venaura at long-last, asks grieving Palomydez, her true-father unknown, enjoin the war and sway the battle-tide, but bitter Palomydez, stubborn yet, refuses in contempt of the southern lords he blames for Petoeva's death, sword cleaved to oak-fired stone, petrified flesh, cold memory of his bright queen's sacrifice, until this moment when her daughter, whose spirit blazes like a thousand suns from gray eyes, stands proud before his hall, voice strong above the storm lashing through the vaulted chamber, she summons Aesir and Don, bearing in her clenched fingers the ghost-banner of Old Brigantia, insignia of Iazyge, Roman, and Briton, calling the God's fire once more from heaven in a blast that blinds his court, and bades men take shelter beneath table or bench, freeing star-iron from stone, so that Venaura, Peteova's proud daughter, frees the Sword of Ares born aloft once more, into the world of men--

"In the name of the Women of Albion, and Valentia between the Walls, I summon your One-Eyed god out of Shadow, and your queen, Palomydez, summons your horse-lords to war..."

Graphic, a result of me goofing around with PhotoLayers App, and ToonyTools online editing.

Verbosity, me droning in stream of conscience with highlights of how I see Uther's tale (and later, Arthur's) evolving with Gwenhwyfar's. Here, she’s based off a combo of Gwen, the daughter of Cunedda Wledig, and Gwenabwy (in my poor reverse linguistics, that’s actually Uindavia/Uendabhia), who’s the daughter of *Cawnur*, the sister of Gildas, Cywyllog, and Huail (from the delusional pedigrees of the Lives of the British Saints). Indeed, here Uther is actually adapted from the character of Ohthere (and in some bit, Amlwedd/Amlothi/Hamlet), who exists in some convoluted way, referenced as Vendel nobility, Ylfingas and Ynglingas (basically, Odin-Tyr progeny and Freyr progeny; Hamlet, and it’s predecessor Danish tale of Amothi/Ambhla-Odr, is basically another version, where Orwandil and Feng are representations of Odin/Tyr and Ingvi-Freyr. Somehow, Orwandil is also Egil-Ongentheow, which is also Angantyr. He shows up in various Anglo-Saxon genealogies as Angentheow/Angengeot). Amlothi marries both a northern British princess, and then a Scottish queen who was infamous for killing all her male suitors until she falls in love with Amlothi. Later, in Amlothi’s lay, the Scottish queen marries Wigleck, the adversary and new Danish king, and founds the line of East Anglians via Offa Anglian. Anyone whose ever read Widsith, and Beowulf, and any of the Swedish/Danish/Norwegian/Geat dynastic sagas knows how very convoluted are the pseudo-histories and personages. At the end of the day, I love the take of Aelle Bretwalda, something of a misplaced Teutonic invader, without any lineage, and 3 sons whose names supply locations in Sussex (Cymen, Cissa, Wlencing—my Lancelot/Gwallawg ap Lleenog, of the next generation with Arthur...who’s Vortiporius in my take), as Ale (Norse version of Onela’s name), as the 1/2 brother of Uther. My whole justification here is that Uther’s name shares a parallel meaning as Ohthere—terrible/fearsome warrior. Archaeology over the last few decades suggests something of a Swedish/possibly Geatish influx into East Anglia, from an earlier era (tentatively) based on the dating of certain artifacts, than traditionally believed. And possibly, the migration west of Mercian lines as East Anglian/Geatish pressure increased, reflecting a parallel migration of dynastic rivalries which followed them across the NorthSea board. The Sutton Hoo burial, and grave sites of mid-late 6th century/7th century East Anglia/The Norfolk-Suffolk areas allegedly have more features in common with the Swedish Vendel graves in southern Sweden than Anglian/continental Germanic burial sites of the same era. SOMETHING happened in Sweden/Denmark as well as Jutland that I believe involved late-Roman/Post-Roman Britain as well. Which leads me to wonder if the situation of the entire northern Seaboard all the way to the Baltic coast, isn’t a whole lot more complex than what our established theories reflect. Also, per poetic license, this circumstantial evidence allows me a bridge into fictional invite, proposing it’s Uther/Ohthere who becomes something of a prototype King Cnut/Canute, in my vision of his ambition, not of a Post-Roman Britain joined back with a dying Western Roman Empire which Constantinople refuses to concede, but a Britain united with the Nordic houses of Sweden/Daneland/Jutland, and reaching out to Theoderic the Great/Sexy Amalung to form some sort of Successor State confederacy, acting as a bulwark against Constantinople’s grasping influence, as well as the rising Frankish power of Clovis and the Merovingians. There’s reports Theoderic’s court of Ravenna hosted a Swedish king who’d sworn off his countrymen (Radulph—some scholars think he may actually be the personage upon whom Hrolfr Kraki was based), as well as Theoderic harboring, like his 18th century presidential doppelgänger, Thomas Jefferson (who was forever fascinated by the Western mystique of the American frontier and her indigenous peoples), something of an enlightened interest in collecting whatever history or knowledge related to northern tribal peoples, like the (mistaken, but heavily advertised) notion of Geats and Goths sharing a common root heritage.

This, This warped version finds inspiration from not just from the classic Brithish manuscripts or epics of Arthur, but combines Nordic legend/saga sources with late Roman figures synthesized with British/Germanic/Nordic figures. Story of Ongentheow and his sons, for starters. I have 2 notebook pages full up in finest logic tree form, like a jungle of neurons, detailing my convoluted interpretations and parallels of historic personages, and legendary/literary.

Lastly, Something about Vortigern's geneology always bothered me, especially in his kinship with The Jutes, Hengist and Horsa. A piece submerged or missing, that made me wonder if he wasn't only British, but as with so many high-ranking military officers in the early 5/mid-th century, perhaps also shared some Germanic/Teutonic lineage, which would explain his partiality to the Jutes, and their willingness to serve him in Britain at his invite. It’s recorded (in not very reliable sources), Vortigern’s father is a Vitalinus or Vitalis. A solidly Latin name, which shares a wonderful synchrony with Fitelis, the modified version of Sinfjotli, the son of Sigmund and Signy Waelsung, which relates back to the whole Brynhilde/Sigfrid/death of the Burgundians/ doom of Attila thread. I’m actually just partial to Wotan and his symbolism with changing eras of history—war/rebellion/evolution/revolution/enlightenment. I also seem inclined to a symbolism of male characters as something like representations of that iconography, while my female characters act as mediums of inspiration for social/political reform, and logic/temperance/challenging the notion change only comes through violent upheaval. In lieu here, is a young Gwen, educated in Rome, as physician (of course...she does tie to Caroline Eleanor Graham later in preRev Paris), as ruler-philosopher, and yes, as a warrior in the style of nomadic horsewomen (how I bring in the character, Alardin as her tutor in these studies through her formative years exiled from Alba/Caledonia after her mother’s death). I hate the warrior queen motif. Not that my perspective alleviates gross anachronism, but I’d rather suggest she’s a queen, or at least, per the tradition of Caledonian tribes around the Walls, it’s through marriage she conveys the right of rulership to the man she eventually selects as her husband. Until then, she rules/advises her father and older brother when her father invites her back from Rome finally. And later, when Uther’s wars require the companies of the Votadini (her tribe), she’s left ruling in her father/brother’s stead, until Uther asks for her intervention, to summon the Pictish tribes of the far north, and Pabo Post Prydein’s Alani heavy cavalry, who occupy the area of Rheged, I place in NW Cumbria and SW Scotland/Galloway-Dumfries. Rerigonium looks an awful lot like an inspiration for Rheged, IMHO. Also, oddly, according to the Lives of the British saints, Pabo shares some sort of weird root with Palomides (?.). So, I’d rather suggest, Gwen is a woman who becomes a queen, from a family of Romanized-buffer state Caledonians, and as any woman in a position of influence, raised in a volatile era, and volatile province, essentially defined as *frontier zone*, I’d rather think she was raised to be competent, and strong-willed, and perhaps, more talented/unconventional/resourceful than what might be expected in a more pacific time. As I would expect of other women, and their men as well—British/Roman/or Germanic-Nordic...

Anyway, as the whole tragedy of Waelsungs, the Burgundians, and later Britain ties back, according to the Eddic poems, and Wagner, to that tale of Andarvi’s gold, Otter, and a neck-ring from that cursed were-gild which comes into Gudrun’s hands, I have Gudrun as a grieving Abbess residing in Rome, the patron to whom Gwen is sent to be educated as a girl. They don’t have a good relationship at first—Gwen, a rebellious girl who hardly knew her mother, and resents her father for sending to a college of widowed and bitter women, and Gudrun, who mourns her daughter, Swanhilde, slaughtered in an act of betrayal, and now, lives lay to see her son, ERP/Hyrp, take the throne of Caesar. Don’t ask how, but legends say, Gudrun does have a son named ERP/Hyrp. Somehow, Erp/Hyrp relates to Eadowacer, and that name is a version of the eponymous Odovaver/Adavacrius who deposed the last emperor in 476. He ties in with the story of Gwen, and Theoderic the Great as well. Anyhow, that cursed treasure with it’s cursed neck-ring sits in a convent in a quite, genteely decaying corner of the old Capital. No one wants to touch it b/c it’s cursed, and by this point of Gwen’s maturing to a young, precocious woman, she knows the legacy and taint it has upon the Abbess Gudrun she’s come to love as her mother. So, she decides to enlist the best street gangs of the convent’s local neighborhood, various carpenters/construction crews/artisans/as well as river merchants who want a cut of profit, and retain their own armed guards, to basically revive the convent’s local marketplace, founding their local agricultural coop/and vendor sites, as well as establishing a neighborhood hospital (based of St Galla’s, I think), and to add one more twist to Wotan’s cursed treasure, she takes the neck ring, and has it melted/redrafted into surgical implements which, to her delight, NEVER rust. And have amazing antibacterial properties...as some metal alloys are known to possess. Anyway, that’s the same woman who, rather than Uther or Arthur (her son, by Uther and Theoderic), who pulls the Sword from the Stone, the Sword which took her mother’s life, if that made any sense, up above, to mend a dynastic feud of Northern British houses, which has embroiled her biological father (Pabo) and her acknowledged father, Cunedda, since Gwen’s mother sacrificed her life to fend off an invasion of Swedes when Gwen was a child. It’s the moment Gwen realizes she has the aptitude and the attitude to sovereignty in interests of her people, and claims rule of Valentia, that troublesome province of Count Theodosius dating back to 370AD, which has confounded modern scholars as to where Valentia was located. I place it between the Wall of Antoninus and Hadrian, to include the regions north and south of each those boundaries as well. Thus, she is, rather like Amlothi’s Scottish queen (no Scotland in late 5th/early 6th c...), The Queen of the North (ah, GRRMartin and HBO, I’ll never forgive you for Season8), and rallies the discordant tribes of the Pretani/Picts, and the Caledonians (those Lowland and Scottish Border regions) to Uther’s aid, outside of Eboracum. Which is my draw from GeoffreyofMonmouth, and the HistoriaBrittonum, of Battle 8/The Battle Guinnion/TheWhiteFortress (don’t ask, but root words of Eboracum aside, either as *yew tree*, in the British, the Latin root of *eburos* is ivory. And if you’ve been to York, they have those lovely white-trunked trees everywhere, and its Walls, albeit dating from the MiddleAges, must have been at least as magnificent, indestructible, and...white, even by the later quarter of the 400s AD. One of my favorite cities, and hope to back when the world’s not so crazy...). How the dynasty of Eleutherius and York/Eboracum becomes occupied by Teutonic forces, you ask? Ties with Germanic/Teutonic royalty, of course, but resolving that takes up way too much precious Tumblr space already. Rambles done, other than to add, the description of Cath Goddeu/The Battle of the Trees, from Welsh poetic sources, makes for wonderful mythic depiction of the Men of the North, and their Queen, advancing with a rising storm we all know is the Wild Hunt. And in the case of Gwen bearing the Sword of the Sarmatians/Iayzyges that had once belonged to the company of the long dead Artorius Castus, and his Brigantian Queen, who herself, once united a warring island in its desperate hour, Venaura’s actions have roused the old Guardians of Albion, the ghosts of Sarmati and their horse-lords, riding with their Alani scions of Rheged, in the name of the Women of Albion. My nod to William Blake, as Nemiane (my late 2nd c Romano-Brigantian military surgeon/Artorius’s lover), Gwen, and Caroline—the Scottish lady physician who becomes Jefferson’s lover in 18th c Paris, all find some reflection in the themes of Blake’s monumental mythicism. Thus, I believe we start this work with Blake, writing Vision of the Women of Albion...

#Arthuriana #Guinevere #Uther Pendragon #King Arthur #Sub-Roman Britain

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scandinaviacroatiaengbergs · 6 years ago

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Sunday: Moomin World and Then a Sail on the Baltic Princess!

[There are some photos from this day, of Moomin World and the Baltic Princess adventure, if you scroll a few posts below.]

We’d planned to be out of Soile’s apartment (she is the woman who owned the apartment – a nice woman indeed and a great email correspondent, which is important to me, haha) by 9:30 or so, but when everyone woke up, it was quite a bit later than planned. I think we slept until 9, though I think everyone woke up some overnight. We had a nice breakfast of our remaining fruit and some scrambled eggs and then we did all of the tidying up we needed to do, including a visit to the excellent garbage and recycling shed in the back of the apartment building (with bins for every variant of recycling and garbage and compost—awesome). We got in the car at around 11:30 and started on our way towards Turku. I just love Helsinki and could’ve happily stayed for many more days. Alas, hopefully we’ll come again before too long! On our drive to Turku, we listened to some tunes (no podcasts this time) and we thought we were going to try to eat at a restaurant just outside of Turku that we ate at last time (when Eric drank beer thinking it was apple juice--such a funny memory). The kids were so very excited to get to Moomin World that Rowan did not even want to stop for lunch. It turns out that’s what happened because that “ravintola” was not open, as it was Sunday (or there’s a remote chance it’s closed now; I couldn’t tell peeking in the window). It was in a shopping mall called “Manhattan,” interestingly enough. So, we parked in Naantali, which is about ten minutes’ drive from Turku, and manage to struggle a bit to get the car *right* in the spot, so we left it with one tire on the low curb ;) We walked through a pretty park where their philharmonic was setting up and the sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and I was worried a bit about the latter, hoping we wouldn’t find that unpleasant when we were on the little Island that Moomin World is on. We walked over a little bridge connecting Naantali to that island and it was suuuuuper windy on that little stretch. But, once we were among the trees on the island, it was nice. The weather was actually perfect for a few-hour jaunt with some Moominvalley creatures. I won’t give a play-by-play of all the characters we saw and all that we did on the island, but it was so fun. The kids were super jazzed and excited the whole time and really (relatively?) well behaved. I just want to say, if you have an interest in a book series for your kids or any kids you know, a series that might not be as well known in the U.S. but is totally a classic, the Moominvalley series by Tove Jansson is really interesting, with such a unique Finnish history and is reflective of some values that we really espouse, in so many ways. Such fun, funny, quirky, and loving tales. That is all reflected at Moomin World. The kids had their pictures taken with every character they saw and went on all of the little exhibits, through all of the buildings, on every trail, and really worked up an appetite doing so, so we had a really odd-timed late-lunch (at like 3:30 p.m.) at “Moominmamma’s” restaurant, and it was delicious, but Moominmamma does *not* like food waste and there were signs saying you could have as many trips to the buffet as you wanted, but to only take what you could surely eat on the plate you took. This seems to have really stuck with the kids, because since then, they’ve made some remarks about how Moominmamma does not like food waste ;) Moomin World closed at 6 p.m. and we pretty much shut the place down, staying until the end of the day. We really had lots of fun there and I hope this visit to Moomin World is one Cece will remember; she was too young two years ago to remember that visit. Now, after we finished up there, we walked back across the windy bring –-and it was still SO windy—and got to our car with little to-do. Out next destination was the Turku Ferry Terminal, where we were to board our Silja Line Baltic Princess ferry, which we’d take overnight to Stockholm, leaving at 8:15 p.m. and arriving Stockholm at 6:10 a.m. on Monday. We got to the port with no trouble at all, but the first thing we noticed was the in the car queue there was an insane amount of Harleys with all kinds of Euro Harley dudes and their wives/girlfriends. I mean, it was like an army of Harley dudes, and you can only *imagine* the noise that comes along with that. We were like, oh man, what is this going to be like. But, since we were boarding without a vehicle (Eric popped over to the Sixt car rental in the port and returned our Skoda), we got our tickets and then waited the hour before boarding inside the terminal. The kids ran totally amuck in the kids’ play corral while we waited. Our kids were wiped out, but, if you know them, you know that when they’re tired, the go totally insane. They were acting like wild hyenas in that play area, but it seemed par for the course with the other kids, so I didn’t feel too embarrassed ;) I told Eric that if this happens every day before boarding, I am shocked that that play area has lasted more than one day. Upon boarding, we went to our “family cabin.” We were surprised to find a little room, with a couch that folded down into a bed, with two sets of fold-down bunks on either wall, and then a door open to an adjoining room, configured just the same way, each with its own tiny bathroom and a lovely round window looking out on the sea. I thought I’d just booked the one “family cabin,” so Rowan and I sought out an employee to ask what was up with the open door, and she said *both* rooms were ours – and we were like, “hot dog! These digs are spacious!” After getting ourselves in gear – it now being like 8:30—we went to one of the restaurants (there were like 7!) on board, the Grand Buffet. It was pretty pricey, but, dang, it had such variety! It was crazy! I’d only seen its equal once, at the Beau Rivage Casino with Eric in 2005. So, the kids and Eric and I dined as heartily as we could, trying whatever sparked our interest (but heeding Moominmamma’s guidance). We closed the dining room down as the lights went out at 10:00; yes, the kids have stayed up *so* late on this trip, but everything seems to take a long time and we’ve had so much to see! We got the kids dressed for bed and even got part of a story in, and then their heads hit the pillow and they were out. We had to get up pretty early to be sure we were cleared out of our room by 6:10 a.m. I was really nervous about missing that time, so I didn’t sleep very well, though it was only the fault of my nerves, not the comfort of the accommodations. They were totally great! I think everyone else slept super well, though not as long as they would’ve like. 5:40 came earlier that we all would’ve preferred. Oooo, I forgot to mention that before we got the kids to bed, they had to take a spin in the play area that was right down the hall from our room. Rowan bopped around in the ball pit, but then got sucked into watching a Moomin episode on the TV in there, and Cece played “kitchen” and “washed” and put away every dish in the whole little area. They were so exhausted, but really also wanted to play. Such a conflict ;) Anyway, the next post will be about out amazing day and a half in Stockholm. What a great time it was there, such an amazing city!

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its-abroad-world · 5 years ago

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Adventure #5: June 7, Tallinn, Estonia: Fortresses, cobbled streets, and herring???? June 8: Sea Day #3 June 9: Warnemunde, Germany: Sausages and Clocks

This stop on the cruise was one of the shortest ones (we had to be back on the ship by 4 pm), so we woke up early to have breakfast so that we could be off the ship as soon as the gangway was open for disembarkment. After purchasing shuttle bus tickets into the city we headed out to see the fortress “Kiek en de Kӧk” that the city was best known for. We got a little turned around for a bit which my dad was upset about for a bit, but eventually, we were able to locate Old Town. It was amazing to see a medieval city so well preserved in the center of a modern city; it was like a small pocket of the past amidst the present. All of sudden the streets were cobblestone instead of cement and we were surrounded by towering walls with watchtowers and old stone buildings.

Tallinn, a trading city on the Baltic Sea dates back to the 13th century and is a registered UNESCO World Heritage site. While Old Town is a historic landmark and a popular place for tourists to visit, it still functions much as it did back in the day with people living and working there as well as having commercial and religious functions.

As we wandered around Lower Old Town, we stumbled upon the entrance to the famed Town Wall. My parents didn’t want to join my sister and I, so we climbed to the top of the wall while they watched for us from down below. The steps were really steep and slightly slippery from years of being worn down by constant foot traffic. While we were up there, we were able to see this gorgeous view overlooking Old Town. We visited the Stout Margaret Tower (Paks Margareeta), a cannon tower that is best known as “Fat Margaret”. They say that the tower got its name from a large cannon that it housed or from a cook named Margaret who used to work there. It was funny going up there with my sister because she is deathly afraid of height. Every time that she thought I got too close to the railing or leaned over too much, she would start freaking out. I definitely got some butterflies in my stomach from how high up we were, but being the younger sister, of course, I had to mess with her a little bit. It’s safe to say that by the time we climbed down, she was stressed and sweaty.

After spending some time on the wall, we walked around for a bit longer, looking at the various highlights on the map before grabbing lunch at this pub. There were so many drinks that we wanted to, and since we were only going to be there for the afternoon, of course, we ordered everything we wanted: juniper beer, a le coq beer, a local pale ale, passion fruit cider, and rhubarb lemonade. We also ordered some herring, something that my dad and I had been wanting to try for a while after seeing it on various travel shows. Herring is a popular dish in Scandanavia and is served many ways, and the one that we wanted to try was raw cured herring. I was not a fan. It was served with fried potato balls and a garlic cream sauce. The flavor was salty and very fishy and a little bit slimy. The funniest bit was watching my sister try it, who is not a fan of fish to begin with. She dunked the smallest piece of fish in the sauce and was writhing as she put it in her mouth; she refused to chew it and then swallowed it whole. In comparison, the savory chicken mushroom cheese pancakes that we ordered were very yummy. They were more like crepes rather than American style pancakes.

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After lunch, we walked around some more, without anything particular in mind. Most of the buildings or landmarks worthy of note were on Toompea Hill, which was actually a bit of a steep walk. In Palace Square, there was Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox church built in 1900. It looked so much like the churches that we saw in St. Petersburg.

The highlight of my day was really freaking my sister out while looking out over one of the oldest medieval towns. Next to one of the lower parts of the fortress, my family and I were looking at the Toompea Park down below and I asked my mom to take a picture of me laying on the wall, but my sister got scared and tried to pull me down. My mom got the picture mid-pull. I couldn’t breathe from laughing so hard.

After walking around a hilly, cobbled city, we were pretty tired so we headed to the shuttle so we could go back to the ship. Because we went back to the ship early, we were back in time to make it to tea-time. Princess Cruises has tea time from 3 pm to 4 pm every day. They serve finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, small pastries, and English tea with sugar and cream. On previous cruises, we always looked forward to going to tea time for the scones with clotted cream and jam. After tea time with my parents, I headed up to the pool deck to read outside, then later moved to the piazza in the center of the ship to listen to the string quartet perform.

Our night ended much like it did the other nights. At dinner, we ordered everything new (of course) and then listened to the performers in the piazza before heading to the karaoke lounge.

June 8 - Sea Day #3

Having a sea day after 3 days of non-stop touring, it was nice to be able to sleep in and get some rest. I slept into the afternoon and then grabbed some lunch with my parents. On sea days, there is usually a lot of activities to do on board but I usually like to spend my time reading or watching whatever is on the jumbotron on the pool deck. That evening, they would be hosting the formal night and everyone would dress up in tuxedos and evening gowns. Because we were grabbing dinner with the Flores’, we got ready earlier so we had enough time to take pictures before dinner.

Dinner with them was a riot and we were stuffed full of escargot and lobster. After our usual time at the karaoke lounge, we joined the dance party in the piazza and stayed there until we all headed to bed.

June 9: Warnemunde and Rostock, Germany

Our 9th day on the cruise, we docked in Warnemunde, Germany. Because the ship would be docked until 9 pm that night, we weren’t too fussed about waking up early to head into town. This port was where cruises docked so that passengers could take a bus to Berlin about 2-3 hours away. We already planned on going to Berlin after the cruise so we instead spent our time going around Warnemunde and Rostock, a 15-minute train ride from the port city.

We started our day off going to Rostock. Rostock is a Hanseatic City that is considered often referred to as the “Gateway to the North”. True to its description of being a quaint town, many of the buildings were in an older style and just overall, very European-looking. We didn’t really know too much about the city before coming here, so we spent most of our time wandering around. There were a bunch of clothing and shoe stores lined along the way, however, because it was Sunday, almost everything was closed and the city seemed a little deserted.

As we walked around, we spotted a food stand selling sausages and currywurst, both of which I am a big fan of. My aunt married a German, so growing up, I ate a lot of German food because I was always spending time with my cousins, so of course, when I saw the sign of currywurst I had to get some. Currywurst is basically sliced sausage topped with curry powder that you dip in curry ketchup; we also ordered a Rostocker, the local sausage. We were shocked when the man handed us the Rostocker because the sausage was ginormous but the bread it was served in was the size of a dinner roll. I didn’t end up liking the Rostocker because it was so porky, but the currywurst was quite tasty.

We wandered into one of the older, larger churches, Saint Marien-Kirche, where we stumbled upon my favorite thing that day: The Astronomic Clock of 1472. The clock was built by Hans Düringer, a master clocksmith from Nuremberg. The clock shows, hours, days, months, years, phases of the sun and moon, and the Zodiac. The clock had computation of the dates of Easter up until 2017 but was updated in 2018 to add on more years. This is the oldest and last working astronomical clock from the Middle Ages that still tell the time, date, and more. The highlight of the clock is at noon when there is a procession by the Apostles. The Apostles circle Christ, then file through a door that is supposed to represent heaven, and just before Judas enters, the doors close and he is left outside. It was so cool that we were actually there at noon when the procession occurred.

After our time at the church, we headed back to Warnemunde to wander around there as well. It was a cute coastal town with restaurants and cafes up and down the marina. We wandered in and out of some of the shops that were open and tried fried fish sandwiches at one of the boats docked there.

By 4 pm we were done walking around and headed back to the ship to get a little bit of rest before dinner, which was, as usual, very filling and entertaining.

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citybreaktours · 5 years ago

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Visa-Free Travel to St. Petersburg

Do I need visa to travel to St. Petersburg, Russia?

No – if you are from the following countries: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and some others.

No – if you are a cruise ship passenger and book a shore excursion to St Petersburg from a licensed local tour operator (as City Break Tours). You are allowed to stay in St. Petersburg Visa-Free up to 72 hours.

St Petersburg is included in the route of all the major cruise ships serving the Baltic Sea: AIDAaura, AIDAbella, AIDAcara, AIDAdiva, AIDAmar, Arcadia, Artania, Astoria, Aurora, Azura, Balmoral, Brilliance of the Seas, Britannia, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette, Columbus, Costa Magica, Costa Pacifica, Crystal Serenity, Disney Magic, Europa 2, Koningsdam, Magellan, Marco Polo, Marella Discovery, Marina, Mein Schiff, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Preziosa, Navigator of the Seas, Norwegian Breakaway, Ocean Dream, Pacific Princess, Prinsendam, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, Regal Princess, Rotterdam, Saga Sapphire, Sapphire Princess, Sea Cloud, Seabourn Ovation, Serenade of the Seas, Seven Seas Explorer, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Star, Viking Sun, Zenith, Zuiderdam and others. The cruise ships stay in the port of St Petersburg from 1 to 3 days, during which you can participate in tours without a touristic visa. Our company is authorized to organize shore excursions in St Petersburg and Moscow, including activities and visa-free arrangements. Every traveler will be asked to provide his passport data to issue a tour ticket, which allows disembarking without a Russian visa.

Note: shore excursions in St Petersburg are to be booked at least 1-2 weeks before the arrival of the cruise ship, so we advise to plan carefully and reserve all activities you want beforehand.

#stpetersburg #russia #europe #travel #traveltips #visa-free #travelvisafree #cruisetravel #cruise #citybreaktours

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timdodds · 5 years ago

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That there are seven bridges over the River Tyne within two kilometres is the magnificence, not the individual magnificence of each bridge.

On Saturday in last weekend we spent the day in Newcastle upon Tyne. I’ve long wanted to visit each of the bridges over the River Tyne, either walking or driving over them. Two are railway bridges with no pedestrian access. Of the remaining five we walked over three and drove over two.

I’ll write a little about each bridge, plus a photo of ours, and present a short video of the opening and closing of the tilting Millenium Bridge. Before this here’s a map of the bridges, courtesy of travelsinorbit [click to expand].

1 – Gateshead Millenium Bridge

Opened in June 2001, the tilting foot and cycle bridge is much admired for its elegance and engineering solution to allow ships to pass under it. Each opening and closing takes 4 and half minutes. Bridge lighting is white on weekdays, and in colour at weekends. It is self cleaning in that on each opening litter is collected in traps at each end of the bridge. We walked across to visit the Baltic Centre from its viewing deck to this photo.

2 – Tyne Bridge

Grade II* listed Tyne Bridge is the dominant symbol of Newcastle. It’s striking steel arch design is the largest single-span steel arch bridge on the British Isles. The supporting Art Deco towers are as impressive as the arch. Designer Sir Ralph Freeman used a similar design for Sydney Harbour Bridge. While we drove over the bridge, it’s popular with pedestrians.

3 – Swing Bridge

This Grade II* bridge is my favourite of the seven bridges. Opened in 1876, at the time of construction it was the largest swing bridge ever built. Built to improve navigation and expand trade to the upper reaches of the river for larger vessels, it was designed and constructed by the Sir W.G. Armstrong company to allow ships to access its works and shipyard.

The original hydraulic mechanisms are still used to move the bridge today, although the pumps are now electrically powered rather than the original steam power. Once in frequent use, the bridge now opens around four times a week. Available for road and pedestrian traffic we walked across its twice.

4 – High Level Bridge

The Grade 1 listed High Level Bridge was constructed between 1846 to 49. It is a double deck structure of arch and suspension design. The upper railway deck is carried on 6 ribbed arches supported by stone piers; the road suspended from the arches by wrought iron rods.

Following a restoration in 2008 the roadway on the lower deck is now open for southbound (Newcastle to Gateshead) buses and taxis only, reducing the loads on the bridge. Pedestrians and cyclists still use the original footpaths at each side of the roadway. We walked over the bridge from one side to the other, and enjoyed the views over the river. The photo above of the Swing Bridge was taken from the High Level Bridge

5 – Metro Bridge

Opened in 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II the steel truss Metro Bridge carries the Tyne and Wear Metro over the River Tyne. Either side of the river the Metro emerges from a tunnel. My photo, below, doesn’t show the the strong blue colour of the paint [see it in all it’s glory in the photo of the King Edward VII bridge below]. While not as attractive as the other bridges, its pleasing functional design provides variety in bridge design.

6 – King Edward VII Railway Bridge

Yet another of the listed bridges over the Tyne. The King Edward VII railway bridge is Grade II listed. It is a handsome bridge, with the bridge deck consisting of steel lattice girders of the double Warren truss type. Opened in 1906 by the then King, it carries four railway tracks of the East Coast main railway line over the river. This is not one of my photos. It’s from Wikipedia Commons.

7 – Redheugh Bridge

This is the bridge, carrying the A189 that we used to arrive in Newcastle upon Tyne. Opened in 1983 by the Princess of Wales it is of pre-stressed concrete design. Notably with no structure above the deck it is vulnerable to high winds, and also gives the illusion of being the highest of the seven bridges. To my mind it’s the least attractive of the seven bridges, and not in keeping with the wonders of the other bridges. I guess likely money was the main issue. Again this photo is not mine. It’s from Wikipedia Commons.

Conclusion. Were I to rank the bridges, I would have the Swing Bridge as number 1, then the Tyne Bridge at 2, followed by the High Level Bridge at 3, Millenium Bridge at 4, Metro Bridge at 5, King Edward VII Bridge at 6, and lastly Redheugh Bridge at 7.

The magnificent 7 bridges over the River Tyne in Newcastle and Gateshead That there are seven bridges over the River Tyne within two kilometres is the magnificence, not the individual magnificence of each bridge.

#Bridges #Gateshead Millenium Bridge #King Edward VII Bridge #Newcastle upon Tyne #Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge #Redheugh Bridge #Tyne Bridge #Tyne High Level Bridge #Tyne Swing Bridge

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noplanwithavan · 8 years ago

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BRAVE NEW WORLD

We arrived in the land of the Midnight Sun shortly after the summer solstice. An 18 hour ferry delivered us across a heavy, toiling Baltic Sea from Gdansk in Poland to Nynnershamn near Stockholm. We’ve been here just over a week, and are still having to pinch ourselves. It’s hard not to believe you’ve been transported into a kind of Utopic vision of the future. A land where thoughtful, contemplative touches subtly reveal themselves. A society which appears to have been planned and built by people who’ve pondered deeply through the dark winter nights what would make for a pleasant living experience.

There are countries which leap out and press themselves upon your senses the moment you set foot. Morocco is one - its foreignness crowding into the pores. Not all are like that. Eastern Europe was more of an indistinct blur, punctuated only by variations in bland food and levels of indifference. But Sweden. Oh, Sweden is like waking up to the smell of fresh coffee made for you by a cool, older cousin on an outward bounds weekend. Healthy, rich, and life affirming. A wise Beowulf who’s figured out life. Taking you by the hand, and by the light of a camp fire, whispering gently into your ear that they trust and respect you enough to see for yourself if there might be a better way of doing things.

It started with the rubbish. You hardly see a general waste bin. So, we began making even more of a conscientious effort to separate all our gunk into the right recycling bins. You can’t help it - this country just makes you want to join in and be better, rather than hurling scalding hot coffee right back at its face. Then came the houses, the cycle lanes, the museums, the cities, even the wilderness. All somehow transformative.

Driving off the ferry was like stepping onto the film set of every Scandi drama I’ve ever seen. Endless spruce, and birch forests flashing past, with glimpses of the occasional deer. The classic rust coloured wooden houses hugging the coast, banks of lupins standing to attention like purple flames, tapering towards their pale ends. Stopping by a small marina, we would wander through the springy turf woodland and find ourselves brought before the waters edge, a long wooden jetty stretching ahead, the soft swish of reeds alongside. It’s hard to fathom how there is enough detective work for the likes of Wallander, Sara Lund and that Saga woman from “The Bridge”. It seems the most incongruous place to warrant such a high murder rate. It’s unlike any landscape we’ve seen so far. And the novelty adds an exotic twist. When in truth, perhaps if we stayed longer, it would soon fade. You can drive for hundreds of kilometres and the vistas, though pretty, never really change.

We spent 3 days in Stockholm. A city that flaws you with its effortless beauty and order. The vikings were not great empire builders, and the city can’t compete with the likes of Rome for sheer mind-boggling wonder. But as a place to live, it’s hard to beat. Criss-crossing its myriad bridges connecting a network of islands, we parked our van with unanticipated ease in Östermalm, smack bang in the centre. We later discovered our parking spot was the Stockholm equivalent of Belgravia in London. Yet we could stay for free at weekends, basking in the glory of the smart, stylish buildings behind us, and a bustling marina with house boats and restaurants in front. Hell even the baroque architecture seemed a testament to vitality - a wash of cinnamon, saffron, and burnt ochre, verdigris rooves mottled like lichen. We were content to just wander the city, listening out for the long sing-song vowels bubbling out around us. I tested my 4 words of Swedish on a shop keeper (Hey=hello, Ya=yes, Ney=No, and Tak=thanks). “Did I say it right?” I broke in with an immediate apology.

“Yes,” he answered with a slow sideways grin. “But it’s not ya! You British always say it so hard.” And with an emphatic digging deep motion of his arm, he continued, “You have to really live it. It’s more like YAAAAAARRRR….”

We stumbled into a street performance festival taking place, and even here the city embraced it’s ambition to go 100% cash-free. Instead of putting money into a hat, the audience was encouraged to “Swish” a monetary donation via their phones. The crowd is noticeably more ethnically diverse than any we’ve seen for months. One little boy is picked to be a volunteer. When the performers ask where he is from, he tells them Syria, and the crowd cheers in applause. The girls insist we must sit up front and sure enough Marcus is also selected - twice - to be part of some human scaffolding. Must be his strong, muscly physique I guess! The girls find it hilarious to watch their dad being dressed up and climbed all over by ladies wearing big frilly knickers.

The city is easy to negotiate on foot and by bike. At first the cycle paths strike me as alien, futuristic somehow. And then I realise it is because I’ve never seen routes so well integrated into a city before. There is an odd epiphany, a gradual dawning which is to repeat itself. The realisation that we’ve found a place that’s not just different from home. It’s better. A Brave New World. One island, Djurgården, houses most of Stockholm’s museums. It’s crowning glory is the Vasa, a wry reminder that Swedish design wasn’t always so flawless. In the 17th century the Vasa warship sunk on her maiden voyage, just 1 kilometre out of the harbour. As an 11 year-old I remember a school trip to Portsmouth to see conservation work on the Tudor equivalent, the Mary Rose. The Vasa would have made Henry VIII apoplectic with envy. Towering five storey’s high, the museum is constructed around her many levels - the tops of her masts even poking out through the building’s roof. Journeying through the different parts of her structure you are treated to a smorgasbord of historical insight. The presentation and forensic detail is astounding. It’s like a brainstorming session that actually got gloriously realised, rather than chewed up, compromised and ultimately bodged. There were brightly coloured copies of a select few of the 700 adorning wooden sculptures, intricate models, replica parts of the ship for you to enter, visual displays and films showing how the ship was built. But best of all, were the reconstructed faces of the skeletons found on board. So life-like you could even see the sweat glistening on their skin. Elsie and Lulu were transfixed, asking again and again about one young woman in particular. Analysis of her teeth showed not only that she had been malnourished as a child, but that she was probably a seamstress. The tell-tale clue was a groove in her right incisor tooth, consistent with having bitten off thread over and over again. God I just love that! And so did they, you could practically hear their brain cells popping as the puzzle slid into place like a true Scandi-detective!

The only things not so appealing about Sweden are the cost, and the noticeable dip in air temperature. In Croatia we were baking beside azure mediterranean waters, feeling like we were on summer holiday. We spent a week in the fishing village of Pučišća on the island of Brac, which I’d visited with girlfriends a few years before. Despite numerous fans Marcus had rigged up, the heat of the van became unbearable. Sticky, sweaty seats, and nights where everyone bar me was eaten alive by mosquitos. I am the envy of my entire family, the only one seemingly immune to the blood suckers. We bought inflatables and sought shade in an apartment for a few days, gorging on nectarines and flip-flopping in and out of the water. It was a chance to bide our time and energy before taking the girl’s to see their first ever experience of live rock in the capital Zagreb. The “InMusic Festival” website said it was kid-friendly, but I think they must have been counting the swarms of fresh-faced teenagers in that description. We spotted about 5 other small kids, but in the end rarity worked to our advantage. Elsie and Lulu attracted plenty of attention in their bright yellow ear defenders. Sweet-natured 19 year-old girls would stop, and gasp. Allowing sticky little paws to stroke their fairy wings as they crouched low to boogie along, before leaving a swipe of face glitter as a departing gift. Elsie couldn’t quite believe that grown-ups got to dress like that. All her fairy/princess/frozen ambitions seemingly crystallised to perfection. They stayed up till midnight to watch ‘Arcade Fire’, whose music Marcus had been steadily indoctrinating into them weeks before. The band were amazing, but I know they’d have sounded even better if I didn’t have one person digging into my shoulders and another trying to yell an inane, frankly not very interesting question, into my ear. Though fun, I couldn’t escape the feeling that Croatia felt like one giant tourist attraction. We never quite got a sense of the people or the place. It glittered, but left us cold, despite the 30-degree heat.

Our summer spending spree continued north into Hungary. Moving so quickly now, there was barely time to learn the currencies and please/thank you before passing from one border to the next. Across the flat European plain we travelled, through villages whose modest one-storey houses would draw the eye. Not the buildings themselves, but to what lay beyond - chickens and dust and glimpses of an older, subsistence life. The traditional style barns, set back, giving on to wide open fields of corn. There was the odd nodding donkey in the flat terrain too - an oil gathering relic seemingly from another age. We spent so little time in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Poland we were gripped by a kind of frenzy. Eating out all the time - trying to cram in goulash, strudel and dumplings. Casting around for places to stop, we lost our way, and were falling back into old habits, hitting the big tourist sites which leave you feeling as hollow as your wallet. It was a kind of desperation I think, an attempt to distract ourselves from the creeping awareness that we had almost gone full cycle. The olives and almonds we had first picked in Spain were now ripening again on the trees. Fields of sunflowers which had been slumped before the French sun last September, were now rising up in worship once more. Thoughts of home preyed on our minds. How were we going to get used to going back to a sedentary life filled with routine? Freedom is addictive, and however much we miss friends and family, we’re not relishing that sacrifice.

In Slovakia we visited beautiful Bratislava, and then stopped for a couple of nights in the Tatras mountains. I’d read rave reviews about the compact Carpathian mountain range, but either we were missing a trick, or it just wasn’t that great. Compared to the wilderness of the Accursed Mountains in Albania, it felt tame and commercialised. In the ski-town of Strebske Pleso we took a chair lift and then hiked up to Solsiko at just over 2,200 m. A revised version of Spartacus spurred Elsie and Lulu up the steep, rocky summit, where we passed scores of other neon-clad Slovakian day trippers. It was the mountaineering equivalent of painting by numbers. You go through the motions, but the end result is uninspiring. Poland was even less so, perhaps because here it actually felt like we HAD arrived back in Britain. Tesco stores sprouting up alongside motorways under cold, grey skies.The familiar miserliness of toilet stops where you are charged to use the loo. The mediterranean, with its soft warmth, never felt so far away.

We stopped at Poland’s premier tourist attraction, the Weilizcka Salt Mine. A vertical shaft with a staircase that plunges you 110m underground, where tunnels open onto caverns shiny and solid with rock salt. We couldn’t resist licking the walls to test if they really are salty. They are. It’s actually pretty interesting, huge chambers, even an underground cathedral carved from salt. Our guide’s sense of humour is as dry as the atmosphere inside the mine, but it can’t disguise the fact it’s still one big tourist rip off. Afterwards we make a vow: no more big tourist attractions where you’re herded and cosseted. Stripped of your dignity along with your cash.

Krakow was a delightful exception, with its curiosity shops and old world charm. I’m not one to water down history lessons for the girls, and I rarely shy away from telling them the truth - in all its grizzly detail. But the haunting sight of those dilapidated buildings in the old Jewish Quarter proved too much even for me. We skirted awkwardly around the subject of Poland’s tragic past. The enormity of the Holocaust is not a story I can bear to tell them just yet.

Long days of driving followed, sometimes 600 km a day, to get to the port at Gdansk. The girls coped well, entertaining themselves by DJ’ing from their seats in the back. Elsie loves the song “Pusher Man” by Curtis Mayfield. We can’t help grinning as she delightfully misinterprets the lyrics.

“I can’t believe he’s saying “Want some coke, have some wee!” she crows. “Who would want wee?”

The coast west of Gdansk is an unwelcome sight. It puts me in the mind of Barry Island. Thronging with the bucket and spade brigade, and lined with fish and chip joints. For the first we are officially further north than when we left Wales 10 months ago. Roughly on a par with the Lake District. It was tempting just to hot foot it back to Southern climes. But I’m glad we pushed further North now into Scandinavia.

The wilderness begins right outside Stockholm. Hugging the coast northwards, we’ve seen the sunset shift ever onwards until finally it now just hovers above the horizon. I didn’t think their bedtime could get any later, but it’s gone beyond now. By blacking out the van we try and sleep. But it still amazes me to see the world softly lit, as if by gas light, every time I wake in the middle of the night and step outside to wee. We’re making friends along the way. One evening we got chatting to a father and his daughter, Elsa, who taught us the card game “Go Fish” in Swedish. But Elsie and Lulu’s favourite word is undeniably “exit”. Which is the superbly satisfying “utfart”.

Wrapping our tastebuds around salted liquorice, crackers, and cinnamon buns, we are driving north, trying to muster up the courage to sample possibly the world’s most challenging food: Surstromming, an explosive Swedish delicacy of fermented herring. There’s a stop along the way, at the Skuleskogen National Park. A magical landscape, where it’s easy to believe trolls and fairies dwell. Finally we get to see the wood for the trees, for this is the High Coast, where you can climb above the forest and gaze down upon islands mushrooming out of the Baltic Sea below. The land here has been rising by 8mm every year since the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Geological signs of this shift are all around. We take a 8km hike past prehistoric beaches and bronze age burial mounds through enchanted woodland, brimming with bearded lichen. At least here we never have to worry about setting off by a certain time. It doesn’t much matter how long you take, with 24 hour sunlight there’s never the need for a torch to find your way home. Our walk brings us out into a sheltered bay with a camping spot at Kälsviken beach. There are composting toilets and shelters with seasoned wood, the odd fire roasting pit, even neat piles of logs stacked around the beach. We watch a teenage boy splitting logs, and I assume he must have brought his own equipment. But he finishes up, hammering the axe into a chopping block, and gesturing for us to go ahead. It slowly dawns on us that all these thoughtfully placed touches are for general use. “God, it just seems so advanced here!” Marcus exclaims.

In the last few days we’ve delved even deeper into the wilderness, and are now sleeping so little I am beginning to wonder if we shall soon go full circle and gain an extra day. Crossing into Lapland we tracked down another long lost friend of Marcus’s, Lisa Angberg. He’s well supplied with mates out in the sticks! Lisa, Pablo and their 6 year old son Theo run a tourism business, Stora Björnstugan, up in Laisvallby in northern Sweden, renting out wooden cabins. They have welcomed us with such warmth and wonder I hardly know where to begin. We’ve eaten Reindeer, Elk, fished for Coregon on the river, had a sauna, and learned from Lisa all about the many uses spruce pine and birch can be put to. There I was thinking all this woodland was purely for flatpack furniture, but she’s shown us another world of forest shampoos, conditioners, syrups, sap you can drink. I wish we could stay, the endless light adds a kind of mania. It’s become normal for the kids to stay up till midnight, going out in the boat, or playing amongst the wildflowers in the garden. It’s wonderful, magical. We love you Sweden. You’re everything I dreamed and more. And we haven’t even seen you dressed in your winter finest yet. We will be back.

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accidental-rambler · 8 years ago

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Tag Games

Tagged by @modernbookfae. Thanks for the tag ;)

1. What’s your favorite quote of all time?

See, I suck at questions like this because I’m never able to choose JUST one! So here it goes:

1 ) “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” (Samuel Beckett, ‘Worstward Ho’)

2) “And that heart which was a wild garden was given to him who only loved trim lawns. And the imbecile carried the princess into slavery.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’)

3) “It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world.” (J.K. Rowling, ‘Half-Blood Prince’)

4) “We learned our lesson. There is no conscience.

buried by fear, we live in pits;

in terror we carve out our dark loves,

statues of ourselves - evil troglodytes.”

(K.K. Baczyński, ‘Generation’)

5) “Rozkoszy stawmy ołtarze;

Pijacką miejmy bezczelność,

A może znajdziemy w czarze

I nieśmiertelność.”

(Adam Asnyk, ‘Pijąc Falerno’)

2. What was the first book that made you get into reading?

Hmm, that’s a tough one. Mainly because I grew up in a house where we just, you know, love reading. So I was encouraged to do so from a fairly young age. But I think the first book that I connected with was Astrid Lindgren’s ‘The Six Children of Bullerby’ series. I wanted to live in that village. Be friends with these kinds. Go on adventures together. After that one, there was also “Anne of Green Gables” - my mom recommended me this book (I was like, 9) and the series gradually hooked me in. Even now I love getting back to Anne and her adventures and it’s like re-connecting with a very good friend :)

3. If you could live in one fantasy book setting where would you go?

Actually, The Court of Dreams and Velaris seems like a great place to live. Minus the burgeoning war, of course, but you know - details!

4. Have you ever named a pet after a fictional character?

I have not.

5. What was the last TV show you watched AND enjoyed?

Lucifer. It’s refreshing, it’s funny, it’s emotional. Well-written and dynamic. Not to mention, it doesn’t hurt to look at Tom Ellis (and then there’s his accent!) or the gorgeous Lesley-Ann Brandt ;)

6. Have you ever met an author or celebrity?

I haven’t :( Oh wait, I did meet the president one time when he visited my university!

7. Which countries would you like to explore if given the chance?

Australia. USA. Scotland. Thailand, China and Japan. New Zealand. Argentina. Russia. France. Italy (more than I have). Iceland. The whole Baltics region. Pakistan.

8. Do you believe in soul mates?

I don’t. Which is funny because in fiction, I do love the concept of mates/soul mates. However, in real life, I’m much more cynical. I believe some people fit together better than with others. With some people, you just ‘click’ and forge a connection really quickly - like you’ve known them all your life - while with others, you may know them for a really long time and not know them at all. I believe there are certain things that keep people together - whether it’s passion, friendship, compatibility or just joint mortgage. But just one person destined for you? No.

9. Would you rather live in the Throne of Glass world or ACOTAR world? Any specific reason why you chose one over the other?

ACOTAR. For one, because I just grew to care for characters of this series a lot while I can’t really get into ToG apart from Manon’s, Elide’s and Dorian’s stories. And secondly, because the magic in acotar world seems to have no bounds, unlike in ToG.

10. What is the book you are looking forward to reading this year? (Other than ACOWAR! *wink wink*)

Well...Providing that I do in fact survive ACOWAR, I am psyched to read (FINALLY) “Six of Crows”! Lots of people recommended this series to me and even from a few quotes and edits I’ve seen, I know Kaz Brekker will rule my trashy heart, haha!

11. What is one item on your bucket list you want to do?

Living and working abroad for some time, perhaps permanently. Oh, and parachuting!

These were awesome questions! So much fun ;)

Tagging (and hijacking these questions because they good and I AM STILL LAZY, SORRY) : @coolchaosqueen, @theassassinsbooks, @klarolinedrabbles, @hummingbirds-and-champagne, @radientwings, @purestheartslove and @hurricanesandheartbreak ;)

#tag games #personal #about me #long post #long post for ts #can you tell how much I love books #I'm so extra talking about them lol

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emblemaniacs-blog · 7 years ago

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Kaliningrad Oblast

This coat of arms represents a chunk of Russia that is not at all connected to Russia because someone forgot to draw Lithuania all the way. It’s a small triangle of land on the Baltic Sea. Over time, the Baltic Sea has become Kaliningrad’s only friend. That’s how the water got on there.

Oblast is of course an Irish word that’s short for “on blast” because that’s what Russia is for leaving Kaliningrad all alone with the Baltic Sea. You see, the Baltic Sea drinks. The five waves in the water represent the five times the Baltic Sea failed to come home at night and didn’t even call or text.

The rest of the emblem is pretty self-explanatory, given that it has 1) a crude castle, 2) a dragon-y tail wrapped around, 3) a basic bitch wand, 4) against a red background, 5) above five coins floating there for no reason. So obviously the emblem is a reference to the fact that Kaliningrad is Bowser’s native country.

School children in Kaliningrad still study the Mario Wars, although they’re little known outside the oblast. When American children hear about them at all, they learn it as though Mario is a liberating hero instead of a fascist foreign conqueror. All of Kaliningrad’s castles were reduced to rubble in the wars. The Italians (or “Marios” in Kaliningradic Russian) notoriously plundered the country of its wealth, its agriculture (primarily mushrooms and flowers), its women, and even its stars.

Although Kaliningrad’s residents officially pay taxes to Russia’s government, locals still feel loyal and true to the Bowser Royal Family, and rumors persist that one small Bowser escaped the bloody executions that marked the end of the Mario Wars. Some say she lives in exile. A popular local song is often sung about it at Kaliningrad’s many taverns, "Nasha Tsarina na Otrovosk Doma,” a title that loosely translates to “Our Princess is in Another Castle.”

The whole thing is topped by the Royal Bowser Crown and encircled by the ribbons that once proudly flew on tremendously tall flagpoles outside each stately castle. (These were humiliatingly lowered by the Marios, who often compounded the insult by wrapping their legs and buttocks around the ribbons as they fell.)

TRUE GEOGRAPHY FACT ABOUT KALININGRAD OBLAST

One out of every three television sets in Russia is made in Kaliningrad Oblast. Consoles sold separately.

#russia #kaliningrad #kaliningrad oblast #mario #bowser #princesses #baltic sea #water #floating coins #television

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chocolateheal · 6 years ago

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Ten Reliable Sources To Learn About Chocolate And Dessert Calendar | chocolate and dessert calendar

When Bent Barley Brewing opens November 16 at 6200 South Main Street in Aurora, it will accompany the newest bearing of beer makers in the United States — the chic of 7,000. That’s right, about in October, the cardinal of breweries civic surged accomplished the 7,000 mark, landing at absolutely 7,082 on Halloween and now branch against 7,100, according to the Boulder-based Brewers Association.

11 best Calendar Printables images on Pinterest | Print … – chocolate and dessert calendar | chocolate and dessert calendar

It’s a crazy number, but alike added agrarian is the actuality that 1,100 of those breweries opened in the accomplished twelve months — which indicates that there is still interest, there is still desire, and there are still bodies accommodating to accommodate money to ambitious brewers who appetite to accompany the industry. Colorado, for its part, is additionally on clip for a almanac cardinal of brewery openings in 2018 — a advance that could see the cardinal of breweries access 440 or 450.

But things don’t end there. The Brewers Association says there are added than 2,000 ability breweries in the planning stages above the country, which would bound advance numbers above 9,000.

Keep account for all of this week’s craft-beer contest in the busline area.

This beer is Nobody’s Darlin’.

Ratio Beerworks

Wednesday, November 14Ratio Beerworks will tap Nobody’s Darlin’ Blended Barrel-Aged Whiskey Ale at noon. “One of Ratio’s greatest strengths is accumulating amazing alone talents and accolade a way to arrange them against a greater atypical force,” the brewery maintains. Such is the case with Nobody’s Darlin’, which blends bourbon-barrel-aged versions of Hold Steady Amber Rye Scotch Ale, Reservoir Old Ale, and a atramentous IPA that Ratio brewed with Stone Brewing. “The aftereffect is a beautifully balanced, barrel-forward” beer.

Gingerbread Man Amber Ale makes its ceremony acknowledgment to Strange Ability Beer Aggregation at 3 p.m. It will “warm your abdomen and get you on clue for the ceremony season,” the brewery says. “Medium bodied and accessible aroma addendum accompany this cooler abounding circle. Indulge in your close cookie monster and drove this cooler afterwards remorse.”

Strange Craft, Chain Reaction Brewing, Atramentous Sky Brewery and the Cooler on Broadway will all pay admiration to the appearance “Stranger Things” by borer Mouthbreather Belgian Dubbel. “Rich, malty, and spicy, with Belgian bonbon abstract and 72 Eggo waffles,” Strange says, this beer is allotment of the Traveling One Butt Wednesday collaborations amid the four beer makers.

The Colorado Bind and Beer Society is aback at Spangalang Brewery from 6 to 9 p.m. so that bind and beer lovers can “rekindle your band with your adolescent Society associates and assurance up for addition amazing year of adorable pickles and life-changing ability beer,” the organizers says. “This abutting year is affirmed to be at atomic 80 percent bigger than aftermost year. Stick about afterwards signing up for alive applesauce at 7. Rumor has it there may be some pickles there.” Not to acknowledgment beer.

Liberati curtains two new beers.

Jonathan Shikes

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Thursday, November 15Join Goldspot Brewing at 3 p.m. for its best contempo accord with Bruz Beers. Fig Belgian Amber has addendum of cherry, plum, fig, amber and spice. (Bruz will tap its adaptation on December 1.)

Call to Arms Brewing taps Beer Drinks You Baltic Porter. Brewed accurate to style, and featuring lager aggrandize and affluence of cold-conditioning time, this 6 percent ABV “deep chocolate, ruby-hued adorableness boasts addendum of atramentous currant and aphotic chocolate-covered blooming with a hazelnut finish,” the brewery says.

Liberati Osteria and Oenobeers, which aloof opened in October, will tap two new wine-beer hybrids. The aboriginal is India-Cube Pale Oenobeer IIIPA (I-3PO for short). Brewed with 25 percent Gewürztraminer from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and a “gargantuan quantity” of Wakatu, Kohatu, Waiamea and Amarillo hops, “the antithesis of this oenobeer is striking,” Liberati says. “Unusual wine yeasts harvested from the banknote of NZ grapes added augment the aromas, and it’s in a access of mangos that some chardonnay aggrandize addendum sometimes surface.” I-3PO is 13.8 percent ABV and will be served in Chardonnay glasses. The additional beer is Recioto Denveris, a candied ambrosia beer brewed with 22.6 percent Petit Verdot grapes from Asset Ridge Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, forth with Magnum, Challenger and East Kent Golding hops and broiled malts. Though it is a beer, it added resembles “in alcohol, acidity and anatomy a candied wine one would about acknowledge at the end of a meal,” Liberati says. “Absolutely to be enjoyed flat, we feel it would be a abomination to add bubbles to it. The aromas accompany you to a backwoods attic abounding with agrarian berries coated with chocolate, while the aftertaste cautiously mirrors the nose.”

Dos Luces, a brewery specializing in blah and maguey-based gluten-free beers aggressive by pre-Columbian traditions, will tap its newest beer, Chile Adhesive Pulque. Made with maguey sap, malted dejected corn, cinnamon, clove, authentic adhesive abstract and ancho chiles, “it’s a affluent and circuitous alloy of sweet, acerb and ambrosial flavors advised accurately to accompaniment and enhance the flavors of foods,” Dos Luces says. Denver comedians Sammy Anzer and Elliot Broder will additionally be at the brewery to bang off a account ball showcase.

Friday, November 16Snowed In Mocha acreage at Copper Kettle Brewing at noon. This 12.7 percent ABV beer is a “velvety candied administrative biscuit stout age-old in Breckenridge bourbon barrels with coffee and chocolate,” the brewery says. It is the aforementioned beer from antecedent years, “but renamed with mocha to analyze it from the attic (fall) and maple (spring) editions we added to the lineup.” It will be on tap and accessible to go in 19.2-ounce cans.

National Yeti Day allotment to Great Divide Brewing’s Butt Bar, which will “honor the bewitched beasts we adulation so much,” the brewery says. There will be at atomic ten varieties of Yeti Administrative Stout on tap, including Yeti Administrative Stout, Butt Age-old Yeti, Velvet Yeti, Chai Yeti, Amber Oak Age-old Yeti, Biscuit Yeti, Macadamia Attic Yeti, Maple Pecan Yeti, S’mores Yeti, Amber Blooming Yeti and Mexican Hot Amber Yeti, additional two specialty firkins. There will additionally be Yeti floats fabricated with Candied Cow’s Yeti-infused ice cream. At 2 p.m. you can assurance up to be entered into a cartoon for several giveaways, which activate at 3 p.m. They include beer, allowance certificates, Yeti merchandise, a Yeti adventurous and a Yeti Timbuk2 Backpack. At 5:30 p.m., Great Divide will accessible its Yeti Cavern & Patio — which is absolutely its barrel-aging room; the Yeti cavern will accept appropriate tappings, giveaways, treats, new merch, a photo berth and more. The Clamato Time aliment barter will be on hand, too.

Banded Oak Brewing curtains its seasonal Hirakata Farms Crenshaw Melon IPA, a West Coast-style IPA fabricated with Rocky Ford Crenshaw melons — a accessory of the cantaloupe.

Little Machine Beer Aggregation hosts a mini-beer ceremony and fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. to abutment victims of Blow Michael, via the Tapper Foundation Disaster Abatement Fund. For $25, attendees get pours from nine breweries: Little Machine, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Comrade, Cannonball Creek, TRVE, Call to Arms, Hogshead, Joyride, and Westbound & Down. There will additionally be beam tattoos actuality done on armpit for $40, and a raffle – all benefiting blow abatement efforts.

Denver Beer Co. will host two Crowler releases — one at its Platte Street breadth and one in Arvada. The Platte Street absolution is Salted Caramel Pecan Tart; “inspired by the acceptable Turtle candy, this kettle acerb was fabricated with Munich, caramel and amber malts, and brewed with alkali and caramel and age-old on pecans, it brings calm a altered alloy of flavors,” the brewery says. There will be alone 100 Crowlers available. The Arvada absolution is Cranberry Princess Yum Yum. A appropriate ceremony copy of this DBC staple, the beer “features our acceptable German Kolsch brewed with both raspberries and cranberries. The aftereffect is a drupe bout fabricated on Grandma’s banquet table that will allay your appetite and accept you extensive for that additional allowance of turkey.” This one will additionally be bound to 100 Crowlers.

Meanwhile, Cerveceria Colorado, which is additionally endemic by Denver Beer Co., will absolution one hundred Crowlers of El Grito Albino Ale. A collaboration of Cerveceria Colorado and bristles Mexican breweries, the beer “mimics the acceptable bowl of chiles en nogada, which is served to bless Mexican ability every fall,” the brewery says. “The bowl appearance chiles, walnut chrism sauce, and pomegranates to advertise the three colors of the Mexican flag.” El Grito is a albino ale fabricated with lactose amoroso for buttery sweetness; pomegranates were added during fermentation, and the beer was age-old on broiled walnuts and poblano chiles.

Cerebral Brewing celebrates its fourth ceremony with a alternation of appropriate releases this weekend. At noon, it will activate affairs cans of Attenuate Treat (a appropriate adaptation of Attenuate Trait IPA), Aftermost Night in Sweden (a acerb accord with Sweden’s Brewski, fabricated with yumberry and coffee), Plate Tectonics, DDH Attenuate Trait, and Time Crystal. The VX-3 Mobile Aliment Unit will be on duke from 2 to 10 p.m.

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Platt Park Brewing curtains a new Brut IPA fabricated with apricot for its Ski Waxing Party, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m. For $15, you get a pint and a ski/snowboard wax from Rocky Mountain Ski and Board Tunes.

Bent Barley Brewing, at 6200 South Main Street in Aurora, will accessible its doors for the aboriginal time during a admirable aperture ceremony alpha at noon.

Peak to Peak Tap & Cooler in Aurora is “thrilled to advertise we will ample all of our thirty curtains with Peak to Peak beer for our four-year anniversary.” The brewpub hosts a weekend-long ceremony affair that will accommodate the absolution of some bottled beers, some bequest beers and music ceremony night.

Saturday, November 17Westbound & Down Brewing, in Idaho Springs, and Amalgam Brewing, which doesn’t yet accept a taproom, will bare their new collective tasting allowance from apex to 7 p.m. in its aggregate butt cellar. The Cultural Center, at 6381 Beach Street in arctic Denver, will specialize in barrel-aged sours. El Taco Veloz will be on duke with food.

Fiction Beer Aggregation is absolution two beers in four-packs of 16-ounce cans starting at 1 p.m. The aboriginal is On Cloud Wine Brut IPA. A accord with Platt Park Brewing, the beer was fabricated with Sauvignon Blanc grapes and will be accessible at both breweries. The additional beer is Fiction’s GABF bronze-medal-winning Madame Psychosis New England Appearance Pale Ale; this was the alone Colorado beer to win an accolade in one of the new Juicy/Hazy GABF categories. This is its aboriginal time in cans. Ninja Ramen will be alfresco with food.

Take a airing on the aphotic ancillary with Wynkoop Brewing’s ceremony Day of Darks, a ceremony highlighting aphotic beers from added than thirty breweries from abreast and far. Tickets, $30, get you a commemorative canteen for absolute tastings and chocolate. Some gain benefit Beer for Boobs, the Colorado Cancer Institute and Movember.

Fermaentra Brewing celebrates its fourth ceremony with a array of appropriate tappings and can releases. The specifics are TBA, but the aboriginal 100 bodies will accept a commemorative, exclusive, full-color-wrap Rastal Harmony aerialist with their aboriginal pour. One of the beers is a collab with Alpine Dog and Locavore alleged Apricot & Blood Orange Milkshake IPA; it’s loaded with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado hops forth with lactose and vanilla, ans there will be about thirty cases accessible to go in cans. It will additionally be on draft.

TRVE Brewing is bottomward Burning Arrow, a 5.7 percent ABV mixed-culture saison, which was brewed and age-old in one of the brewery’s foeders and again dry-hopped with Citra. It was absolutely refermented in the can “for absolute bubbles,” the brewery says. It will be accessible on abstract and in cans to go.

Barrel Age-old Mr. Sandman, River Arctic Brewery’s award-winning American administrative stout age-old for a year in a alloy of whiskey barrels, is aback at the brewery starting at noon. There will additionally be a beginning accumulation of archetypal Mr. Sandman, both on tap and in bottles to go.

Locavore Beer Works in Littleton marks its fourth ceremony with absolute beer tappings, alive music, aliment and giveaways. Beer releases will accommodate 2018 Atramentous Pearl BBA Administrative Porter; BAT Orange Bitters Butt Age-old Trippel; 2017 Quadricorn BBA Quadruppel; Apricot & Blood Orange Accord Milkshake IPA with Fermaentra and Alpine Dog Brewing (which are additionally adulatory their anniversaries this month); and more. The Dollhouse Thieves will accomplish from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and A.J. Fullerton will be there from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The Eric Dorn Trio will blanket things up from 6 to 9 p.m. There will additionally be limited-edition beer glasses available.

Oskar Blues celebrates its sixteenth “Caniversary” with a concert, pig roast, affluence of Oskar Blues beers and a affair in the Oak Room, amid at the brewery’s address in Longmont. Who’s playing? That would be the Lonesome Days at 6 p.m., Bonnie and the Clydes afterwards that, and finally, the acclaimed Gasoline Lollipops. Doors accessible at 5 p.m., and tickets are $17.50 online.

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Monday, November 19Join the Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery for the absolution of its newest beer. Administrative Gingerbread Stout, at 8.4 percent ABV, was brewed with beginning ginger, vanilla, biscuit and lactose.

Wednesday, November 21Renegade Brewing will absolution its latest barrel-aged beer aloof in time for Thanksgiving. Barrel-Aged Berbere Administrative Amber Stout is an administrative amber biscuit stout with built-in Ethiopian berbere aroma age-old in Laws Whiskey barrels. The 12.5 percent ABV will be accessible on abstract and in sixteen-ounce cans to go.

Banded Oak Brewing brings aback Drunkard’s Cloak at 4 p.m. This barrel-aged English-style old ale took acceptable at the Great American Beer Ceremony this year. It appearance Madagascar boilerplate beans, “big malt and oak, which amalgamate calm with the Pinot Noir butt to actualize an affectable beer,” the brewery says.

As we access the ceremony season, Ratio Beerworks has lined up a bifold absolution to get bodies in the affection for Thanksgiving. The aboriginal beer is Roots Radical Citrus Beet Saison, a “beautiful, artlessly ablaze ruby-hued saison featuring a slight alloy of tartness, acquiescent to acidity from the citrus and coriander,” Ratio says. The additional beer is Reservoir English Strong Ale, a winter warmer that “imparts bold, toffee, nutty, malt-forward flavors from the use of Maris Otter English malts and muscovado sugar.”

Friday, November 23Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project got a agglomeration of its accompany calm beforehand this abatement for a “megabrew” collaboration; the after-effects will be broke at noon. The accommodating breweries were: 18th Street Brewery, American Solera, Beachwood Brewing, Casey Brewing and Blending, Jackie O’s Brewery, Monkish Brewing, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, and WeldWerks. The beer, alleged Megacollab Double-Double Dry Hopped Administrative Juicy India Pale Ale, weighs in at 8.5 percent ABV and will be accessible on abstract and in cans to go.

It’s Atramentous Friday 2018 at Station 26 Brewing, and that agency the ceremony absolution of the brewery’s barrel-aged administrative stout, Aphotic Star Nightfall of Diamonds. The beer, aforetime alleged Aphotic Star, has become a Atramentous Friday tradition, and although Station 26 won’t be absolution bottles this time, it will tap ten altered acidity variations, alongside a abject adaptation and best batches from years past. All ten versions will go on at 11 a.m. The Order 26 Aliment Barter will be confined appropriate pairings aggressive by Nightfall of Diamonds.

Hops & Pie turns to the aphotic ancillary at 11:30 a.m. for a Atramentous Friday stout fest. The tap account includes: Westbound & Down Butt Age-old Posse Riot, Bell’s Brewery Blooming Stout, Odell Whiskey Butt Age-old Lugene, Prairie Artisan Ales Deconstructed Bomb! Vanilla, Mikerphone Brewing & Untitled Art Barrel-Aged Hazelnut Administrative Stout, Untitled Art and Angry Chair Brewing Amber Boilerplate Maple Administrative Stout, Fremont Brewing Bourbon Barrel-Aged Aphotic Star, Hubbard’s Cavern Boilerplate Administrative Stout and Amber & Raspberry Pot De Créme, WeldWerks Coffee Maple Achromatic and Mocha Milk Stout, Station 26 Nightfall of Diamonds, Comrade Quit Stalin with Vanilla/Marshmallows, and Copper Kettle Brewing Aggregation Snowed In: Coconut.

WestFax Brewing hosts its ceremony Atramentous Friday Day of Aphotic Beers, absolution seven new aphotic beers at 11 a.m. They accommodate a Atramentous Brut IPA, Administrative Attic Coffee Stout, Administrative Atramentous IPA, Administrative Atramentous IPA Nitro, Eclair Pastry Stout, Coffee Stout on Nitro, and Bourbon Butt Age-old Administrative Stout. That aftermost one, alleged Silently Judging, was age-old for six months in Laws Whiskey barrels and will be accessible in bound canteen quantities for acquirement and in ten-ounce pours. Then, at dusk, Westfax will catechumen its alehouse into a Cosmic Beer Affair with atramentous lights, afterglow sticks and alive music by DJ RC3. Guests can adore all these aphotic brews (while food last) and don neon or glow-in-the-dark apparel “to booty Atramentous Friday to a new dimension.”

4 Noses Brewing brings aback Biscuit Stout Crunch, a 9.4 percent ABV Russian Administrative Stout served on nitro. “Brewed with 50 percent added Biscuit Toast Crunch this round, you’ll acquaintance a able-bodied biscuit acidity with an overwhelmingly bland mouthfeel,” the brewery says. The beer isn’t accessible to go, but 4 Noses will be alms two-for-one Summer Whimsy packs. The Little Big Sandwich Barter will be on duke as well.

All Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar locations in the busline breadth (except for the Parker location) will tap attenuate aphotic beers in account of Atramentous Friday — “offering a abatement for agog shoppers or a ambush for those alienated the malls,” the aggregation says. Check ceremony location’s Facebook folio for a tap list.

Thursday, November 29Don your finest animal sweater and accompany Boulder’s Uplsope Brewing (at the Lee Hill location) at 5 p.m. for the absolution of Agrarian Christmas Ale with Balaton Cherries, allotment of the brewery’s Lee Hill Series. Upslope makes a new agrarian adaptation of its Christmas ale every year, ceremony time with a altered fruit. This year, the 9.1 percent ABV beer was aged in oak barrels for twelve months with the brewery’s abode acerb ability afore actuality racked assimilate 1,000 pounds of Balaton cherries and accustomed to re-ferment for eight weeks. “Aromas of pie cherries, leather, clover honey, and almond are followed by answer spices, and a blow of orange peel,” Uplsope says. The beer will be accessible on abstract and in 19.2 ounce cans to go.

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charmainvoss33-blog · 6 years ago

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Articles & Tips On Creating A Resume, Readying For Interviews, Searching For A Work, Being.

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years ago

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Visiting Russia Without a Visa on the St. Peter Line Ferry

Visiting Russia usually requires going through a grueling visa process — but did you know you can visit visa-free if you go by ferry? You can visit Russia free as long as you arrive in St. Petersburg by ferry and stay for less than 72 hours.

I’ve wanted to visit Russia for a long time, but the hassle of getting a visa deterred me. But a short visa-free journey to St. Petersburg? That definitely interested me. I could go on this trip and plan a longer trip to Russia if I liked it.

This month, I bought myself a ticket and took the ferry from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and back.

I was shocked at how little information is out there about this ferry, even after you book your ticket!

The information on the web about the St. Peter Line ferry is scant at best. I avoid TripAdvisor as much as possible, but TripAdvisor reviews were literally the only place where I could read information about what this journey was like.

I couldn’t find out through the St. Peter Line website, for example, whether I was supposed to stay on the boat overnight or in a hotel in St. Petersburg, or whether I had to book one of their official hotels, or whether I could book a different hotel that they didn’t mention, or whether I had to be on a group tour the whole time. That’s kind of basic information, and it took a million TripAdvisor reviews to figure out what the answers were.

It didn’t get better on board, –there was no information! We weren’t given schedules or any other papers upon arrival. Even upon booking, our tickets had next-to-no information on them. The only information came from rare announcements on the ship.

Because of this, most of the passengers were walking around, trying to figure out where we debarked (hint: it was on Deck 4), what time the restaurants opened (7:00 PM), even where we got our keys (our boarding cards doubled as keys). It was the complete opposite of the Carnival cruise I took earlier this year, where they were constantly giving you schedules and falling over backwards to over-inform you.

I’m glad I took this journey, but it was confusing from start to finish. And I travel for a living! I can only imagine how confusing it was for less experienced travelers. That’s why I wrote this post — to help you with your trip.

How do you book the St. Peter Line ferry?

You book it through the Moby/St. Peter Line website here.

Be forewarned — even after you book your ticket, there is hardly any information. That image above is what I received in my email — and that was literally it. No information on where to go, when to get there, or any information about the boat itself. It didn’t even say where or when to embark.

This was literally the only confirmation I received prior to checking in at the terminal in Helsinki.

How much does the ferry cost?

I booked the three-night journey from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and back. I had the cheapest cabin class — B2V — which was a private, windowless, ensuite room with two twin-sized beds, one lofted on top of the other. The cost was 168.50 EUR ($200 USD).

Prices on the website are now higher. The cheapest B2V rooms now cost 189 EUR (224 USD) for one person and 204 EUR ($242) for two people; the most expensive rooms, the LX2, cost 531 EUR ($629 USD) for one person and 546 EUR ($647 USD) for two people and include a queen-sized bed, a window, a TV, and two armchairs. Breakfast is included in this luxury room.

Extra fees: All passengers must pay an extra 25 EUR ($30) per person for the mandatory City Bus Tour, which covers the shuttle service to St Isaac’s Square in St. Petersburg. There is an additional 15 EUR ($18) fee charged per person. These two fees are added on to your bill and are not negotiable.

St. Peter Line Ferry Schedule, Helsinki to St. Petersburg to Helsinki:

Wednesday, 3:00 PM: Check-in begins in Helsinki.

Wednesday, 7:00 PM: Ship departs Helsinki.

Thursday, 9:00 AM: Ship arrives in St. Petersburg. Passengers with young children may begin to debark at Deck 4 at 9:00 AM; all others begin at 9:30 AM.

Thursday, 9:15 AM-10:15 PM: Shuttles run to and from St. Isaac’s Square runs every 15-30 minutes.

Friday, 9:00 AM-5:45 PM: Shuttles run to and from St. Isaac’s Square ever 15-30 minutes.

Friday, 7:00 PM: Ship departs St. Petersburg.

Saturday, 8:00 AM: Ship arrives in Helsinki. Passengers with young children may begin to debark at Deck 4 at 8:00 AM; all others begin at 8:30 AM.

Where does the St. Peter Line ferry leave from in Helsinki?

There are multiple ferry terminals in Helsinki. The St. Peter Line Ferry Terminal is close to the West Terminal. The address is Tyynenmerenkatu 8, and if you look for “St. Peter Line” on Google Maps, it points you to the correct spot. There is a tram stop right in front of it, Länsiterminaali T1, which goes straight to downtown Helsinki.

If you’re interested, Helsinki’s infamous “Bad, Bad Boy” statue is right across from the terminal.

I got to the terminal early, and I was able to check in just before 3:00 PM for the 6:00 PM departure. I was given four small white cards, each the size of a credit card: my boarding card, my Russian arrival card, my Russian departure card, and a coupon for 10 EUR ($12 USD) off a 100 EUR ($118 USD) purchase at the ship’s duty free shop.

Upon arrival at my cabin, I had no idea how to get in; I expected that the key would be waiting in a cubby outside my door, like the Carnival cruise, but there was no cubby. An employee demonstrated that my boarding card also served as a key. Ah.

What are the rooms like on the St. Peter Line ferry?

The entire boat is dated, resembling something out of the early 90s. I found my B2V room, on the lowest price tier, to be empty and bland.

My room was very small (as is standard for any ship) and had two single beds, one on top of the other. There was a tiny desk and chair next to an outlet, which was good for working. The ensuite bathroom had a surprisingly good shower with hot water and nice water pressure.

But the fact that the boat was so old really put a damper on things. I mean, when was the last time you saw one of these?

I usually sleep well on ships, but I slept terribly both nights. The mattress was uncomfortable — I could feel the springs poking into me all night. And my cabin was located on Deck Six, just beneath the nightclub. I couldn’t sleep because “YMCA” was reverberating through my room. Earplugs did not help. I fell asleep sometime around 2 AM.

What is there to do on the St. Peter Line ferry?

This ferry is not as decked out as a regular cruise ship, but they do have some things to do. While the ferries connecting the Baltic and Northern cities are notorious for their debauchery, this cruise is far more sedate. My Eckero Line ferry from Tallinn to Estonia felt luxurious by comparison, with multiple musical acts performing on the short two-hour crossing!

The ship, the Princess Anastasia, has several standard cruise ship offerings: a casino, several bars including a sports bar and a nightclub, a small children’s area. There is a spa area with an adult pool, a children’s pool, a Finnish sauna, and a jacuzzi. You need to pay to use the pools. There is a small fitness center as well.

A few musicians perform in and around the restaurants: think smooth jazz.

There are supposedly “creative classes,” but the only description I could find was, “Each workshop is structured so it transmits practical secrets for beginners and all enthusiastic participants.”

There is a duty free shop, an exchange office, and a medical center.

I spent most of my time in the bar drinking 5 EUR ($6 USD) glasses of prosecco and reading Al Franken, Giant of the Senate. When I came back after our time in St. Petersburg, the bartender greeted me while holding up a champagne glass. I loved that!

Is there wifi on the St. Peter Line ferry?

Yes, there is wifi on the ferry, but you have to pay for it. One hour costs 4.99 EUR ($6 USD); two hours costs $8.99 ($11 USD); six hours costs 13.99 EUR ($17 USD).

The wifi was frustratingly slow and would frequently stop altogether. After my initial six hours were up, I couldn’t get back online; I faced difficulties getting online on the entire journey back.

My advice? Don’t rely on being able to use wifi, and definitely don’t plan on using wifi to get work done. Bring enough books to entertain yourself in case the wifi doesn’t work.

What is the food like on the St. Peter Line ferry?

There are several restaurants on board, including the high-end New York restaurant and a buffet called the Mascalzone Latino. Both nights, I got pizza at Napoli Mia, the Italian restaurant. It was decent.

For breakfast, I recommend checking out the Bake and Coffee cafe, which has hot breakfasts, coffee, beverages, and pastries for sale.

See descriptions of all the restaurants and bars on board the Anastasia here.

What kind of people take the St. Peter Line ferry?

Most of my fellow passengers were 50+, from Europe and China. The Chinese passengers tended to be part of organized tours; the Europeans tended to be independent travelers. There were a few Americans and Canadians; I did not notice any other nationalities.

Is the St. Peter Line ferry good for kids?

There were some children on board. The ferry has a children’s play area and the restaurants have kids’ menus. You can definitely survive this trip with kids, but just keep in mind that this is not a traditional cruise ship that caters to families with events around the clock.

Children age seven and up require their own bed in the cabin.

How is the crossing from Helsinki to St. Petersburg?

Smooth as glass.

What is the debarkation and immigration process like in St. Petersburg?

Honestly, debarkation in St. Petersburg was rough — this was the worst part of the trip. First of all, nobody had any idea where we were supposed to get off — this was not announced or written anywhere. For the record, it’s Deck Four. Follow the crowds. Also, keep in mind that there are lots of stairs; don’t bring any luggage you can’t carry yourself.

After we debarked, it was absolute chaos at Russian immigration. While several windows were open, people did not form lines — people were just a giant blob, everyone jostling each other and trying to cut each other. Some passengers were polite, but others were quite rude and I thought a fight was going to break out.

Even so, the line moved much faster than I anticipated. It took about an hour for me to get to the desk; I heard horror stories of three-hour waits from some of the TripAdvisor reviews.

I noticed that Americans spent much longer at the counter than European and Chinese passengers; they had their passports closely scrutinized as well.

My questioning took about 20 minutes, much longer than anyone else. I was questioned about the state of my passport: I was in a shipwreck in Indonesia in 2011 and my passport spent time underwater, leading to several pages being a bit blurry. Since the shipwreck I’ve visited more than 60 countries on this passport and while some agents ask me how it got wet, nobody has ever used it as reason not to allow me in. Russia was the only country to ever be hostile over its state.

The agent called a supervisor and I was questioned several times about the state of my passport, about why I visited the UK so many times (Um, multiple boyfriends? I just said “tourism”), what I did for a living (“I run a travel website”). I don’t think the supervisor understood English well enough to know what “I run a travel website” meant. When he asked how long I was staying and I said, “Two days,” he was shocked. “The boat is here two days!” I told him and showed him my hotel confirmation.

After several agonizing minutes, he stamped me in and let me go.

How do you get into St. Petersburg from the ferry terminal?

As a condition of the visa, passengers on the St. Peter Line are required to purchase a tour. This tour, which is simply a shuttle from the ferry terminal to St. Isaac’s Square, is automatically included in your ferry ticket purchase as a separate 25 EUR ($30) charge. You don’t have to book anything else on your own.

After you finish going through immigration, walk outside. You’ll see several white vans with a sign in front of them that reads “MOBY — ST PETER LINE” or just “MOBY.” The drivers do not speak English, but just say, “St. Isaac’s Square?” and they’ll nod and point you inside the van. Some shuttles stop at the official hotels en route; others go direct to the square.

You have the freedom to spend your time in St. Petersburg however you’d like — you don’t even have to take the shuttle if you don’t want to. This isn’t like other cruise ships in Russia where you have to stick with your group. From the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, you can do whatever you feel like, whenever you feel like it.

If you’d rather book a guided excursion, you can book group tours or private tours (minimum of two people required) through the cruise. I did not take any excursions.

Do you stay on the ship or in a hotel in St. Petersburg?

You can come back to the boat and stay overnight or you can stay in a hotel in St. Petersburg. If you choose to stay in St. Petersburg, you can leave things in your cabin on the ship.

I highly recommend staying in a hotel in St. Petersburg. It will give you so much more time in the city if you don’t have to deal with the lengthy embarkation/debarkation/immigration process both days.

What’s a good hotel to stay in St. Petersburg?

The St. Peter Line Ferry recommends two hotels, Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge and Sokos Hotel Vasilyevskiy, which are stops on the shuttle’s route to St. Isaac’s Square.

My recommendation: choose a hotel walking distance from St. Isaac’s Square that is in your price range.

I stayed at the Art Avenue Hotel, pictured above, and highly recommend it. It was about an eight-minute walk from St. Isaac’s Square, which I found to be very easy while carrying a suitcase. You will see a sign for the hotel on the street; it points you into a courtyard where you find the hotel itself.

Art Avenue is a cozy, welcoming mid-range hotel. I had a private double room with ensuite bathroom. Wifi is free and excellent. There’s also access to a large kitchen where you can prepare meals if you’d like. I paid 3600 rubles, or $62.50, for one night’s stay.

It’s also centrally located and a 20-minute walk to either the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Ballet, or the Cathedral of Our Savior Upon Spilled Blood.

See more hotels in St. Petersburg here.

What are things to do in St. Petersburg?

I loved St. Petersburg. It is so grand and elegant and feels much more like Paris than any other European city.

I’ve visited every country in Europe except Cyprus, and I’ve enjoyed dozens of beautiful European cities. Many of these cities like to compare themselves to Paris — but St. Petersburg is the only city that measures up. It’s just that majestic. Plus, the locals dress really well, especially the local women.

I was in St. Petersburg for about 30 hours total, and it was nowhere near enough. My top five things to do in St. Petersburg are 1) visit the Hermitage 2) see a ballet or opera 3) check out the Cathedral of Our Savior of Spilled Blood 4) See St. Isaac’s Cathedral 5) just walk around and explore the city independently.

The Hermitage astonished me. Imagine if you took all the art from the Louvre and decided to put it in Versailles instead — that’s the Hermitage. Every room I visited impressed me, and I soaked it all in until I could barely catch my breath.

BUY YOUR TICKET ONLINE IN ADVANCE! The line at the Hermitage was the longest I’ve ever seen, even longer than at the Uffizi in Florence. But if you buy an online ticket in advance, you get to skip that line and go into a different entrance.

The Hermitage offers only 15 minutes of free wifi, just barely enough to download the apps and audioguides if you haven’t yet. There are audioguides for both one- and three-hour tours, among other themed tours. I really enjoyed the one-hour tour and supplemented with parts of the three-hour tour. Audioguides cost $1.99-2.99 and you pay via the iTunes Store.

2. If you enjoy the arts, be sure to take in an opera, ballet, or philharmonic performance. I went to see Cinderella at the Mariinsky Ballet and paid about $50 for my eighth row center ticket. Which is a bargain when I paid the same price for the cheapest seat at a discounted performance of Waitress on Broadway last month! I had a lovely time at this ballet.

Note: I almost went to the wrong theater! My ticket was actually for the modern theater, which is a huge, unmissable building just behind the traditional Mariinsky Theater.

3. The Cathedral of Our Savior of Spilled Blood is so Russian. The outside is perfect for photos and selfies; the inside is a technicolor madness that you would never expect.

4. St. Isaac’s Cathedral is worth a visit. It’s not just your shuttle drop-off point, it’s also an incredibly ornate church. You can also pay a bit more to visit the roof and have a panoramic view of the city; I wish I had time for this.

5. Just walk around and enjoy the city. There is so much grandeur and pride to St. Petersburg. Stroll along the canals, take photos, browse the shops, linger in a cute coffeeshop (pro tip: I LOVED a cafe near my hotel and the Hermitage called Bonch), and stop at anywhere that looks interesting.

How is the Russian language barrier? Do people speak English?

It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be! St. Petersburg is a cosmopolitan city and most people who work in tourism speak at least a little bit of English. In restaurants, there would often be one server who spoke English well, and they would send her to serve me.

I do recommend learning the Cyrillic alphabet, which is pretty easy to do. It will make your life infinitely easier when you can sound out what’s in front of you, as there are so many English language cognates in Russian. Cyrillic is also useful for trips to Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, and Macedonia, among other countries.

How do you get back to the ferry from St. Petersburg?

The shuttle picks you up in the same spot where it dropped you off in front of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It runs from 9:00 AM until 5:45 PM.

I arrived at 3:15 PM and got a seat on the 3:30 PM shuttle. That was earlier than necessary, but I wanted to give myself an extra cushion of time just in case anything went wrong. Everything went fine and I was back on the ship by 4:00 PM.

If I did it again, I would take the 4:30 or 5:00 PM shuttle.

How is Russian immigration on the way back to the ferry?

Much, much easier than arriving. The shuttle drops you off at the ferry terminal, you can buy last-minute souvenirs or coffee, and then you proceed to Russian immigration where you’re stamped out. Make sure you have your departure card and the piece of paper they gave you when you were stamped in.

Because of the staggered arrivals of people to the boat, there was only one person ahead of me in time.

I had a very hard time at immigration getting into Russia, but getting out only took a few minutes. They simply took a quick look at my passport and departure card and let me in.

Were there any problems being an American in Russia in the age of Trump?

I did not face any issues. I took this ferry in September 2017 — this was after the US passed sanctions against Russia as punishment for their involvement in the US election, after Putin ordered US staffers to leave Russia, after Trump did the same to Russian staffers in the US, and as Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation was taking place. None of this affected my ability to take this trip and see Russia.

Keep in mind that anything can change at anytime, and my personal experience may not necessarily reflect yours. However, based on what I experienced, I would not rule out visiting as an American.

If you’re an American who wants to take this trip, I do recommend keeping a low profile while in Russia. Don’t lie about who you are — Americans are easily identifiable based on their mannerisms and dress — but don’t scream it from rooftops either. Russians tend to keep to themselves; it won’t feel strange to be private.

The only time a Russian brought up Trump with me was a store employee as we laughed at Trump family nesting dolls. “I think he looks like Richie Rich,” he said, holding up a tiny Barron Trump doll.

Would you take the St. Peter Line ferry again?

I’m glad I experienced this trip, but I would not do it a second time. Between the short duration in St. Petersburg and the discomfort sleeping on the boat, I see no reason to do this trip again.

Do what I did: use this trip as a teaser to see whether you’d like to take a longer trip to Russia. Now I know that I want to come back with a visa, stay for longer, and see more of St. Petersburg but also Moscow, perhaps take a river cruise or even travel the Trans-Siberian Railway to Mongolia and China! Next time I’ll either fly into St. Petersburg or Russia or perhaps take the train to St. Petersburg from Helsinki.

I would not choose St. Peter Line for a longer cruise. They also offer a longer trip to Tallinn and Stockholm, but I would never do it. I could not handle living on that boat for several days. If you want to travel around the Baltic Sea, I encourage you to book ferries independently; if you want a cruise, I recommend going with a different cruise ship company.

Should you take the St. Peter Line ferry to Russia?

Only you can answer that — but I think you should! It was definitely a special journey and one I was glad to take. Exactly once.

Essential Info

The complete rules for visiting Russia on this cruise without a visa are here. Please don’t violate them; you don’t want to get deported. Note that these rules are for people who have permission to visit the Schengen Area, so if you’re visiting the Schengen Area on a visa, you’ll need a double-entry visa in order to do this trip.

I also recommend that your passport is in pristine condition and that you have a printed confirmation of your hotel stay.

Book your trip on the St. Peter Line Ferry here. You can see schedules here. The cheapest B2V rooms now cost 189 EUR (224 USD) for one person and 204 EUR ($242) for two people; the most expensive rooms, the LX2, cost 531 EUR ($629 USD). You must also pay a 25 EUR ($30) City Bus Tour fee and a 15 EUR ($18) fee.

I stayed at the Art Avenue Hotel in St. Petersburg and highly recommend it. It’s a very comfortable, quiet mid-range hotel with excellent wifi, just an eight-minute walk from the shuttle drop-off at St. Isaac’s Square. Rates from 3600 rubles ($62.50). It is not necessary to stay at the cruise-recommended hotels (Sokos Hotel Palace Square and Sokos Hotel Vasilyevskiy); in fact, they’re located a bit far from the major sites of the city. I strongly encourage you to book a hotel near St. Isaac’s Square. Find more hotels in St. Petersburg here.

If you visit the Hermitage (and you should), book your tickets online ahead of time — if not, you’ll be waiting in a grotesque line for hours. Tickets are good for any one day within 180 days of purchase. Ignore the line and go to the internet tickets entrance when you arrive; it’s on the right of the building.

A schedule of performances at the Mariinsky Theater can be found here. Remember — if it’s not in the traditional theater, it may be in the modern theater behind it.

Visits to the Cathedral of Our Savior of Spilled Blood and St. Isaac’s Cathedral each cost 250 rubles ($4). Visiting the roof at St. Isaac’s costs an additional 150 rubles ($3).

Finally, be sure to have travel insurance when you visit Russia. If you fall and injure yourself at the Hermitage, if you get pickpocketed on the metro, or if you need to cancel all or part of your trip, travel insurance can save you from financial ruin should the worst happen. I used World Nomads for my trip to Russia and highly recommend them for your trip.

Have you taken the St. Peter Line ferry? Would you like to?

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passportandplates · 8 years ago

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Disclosure: I was a complimentary guest of Sigulda Tourism and the Investment and Development Agency during my time here. All opinions and recommendations are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

I’ve been on a roll with surprising destinations lately. I told myself I would make 2017 the year I explored lesser-visited destinations, and I took that promise particularly seriously in May. I started by traveling Estonia and Romania and ended my whirlwind adventure on a strong note in Latvia.

Rather than start my trip in Riga, Latvia’s capital, Chantell from Adoration 4 Adventure and I decided to head straight to the charming countryside town of Sigulda.

Although it’s located just an hour outside of Riga by train, Sigulda feels a world away, a charming town surrounded by gorgeous greenery and adventure activities. The scenery is seriously drool-worthy. So while many people choose to visit Sigulda as a day trip from Riga, I recommend spending a couple of days here instead. For nature and adventure lovers, this is the true way to experience all the wonderful things to do in Sigulda.

Best Things To Do in Sigulda:

Learn about Olympic history at the Bobsleigh and Luge Track

Fun fact: Latvians are excellent at the luge, bobsleigh, and skeleton, and Sigulda is home to the giant track where the Olympians train. The country has won a significant number of medals in these sports and Sigulda has hosted numerous championships over the years.

So, what’s so cool about this track anyway? Well, not only is it over 1200 meters long, but it’s also six floors high. It’s one of the only tracks in the world that’s open to the public, where visitors can either walk down the track…or do a little bobsleighing of their own. They offer both summer and winter bobsleighing here, with sleds reaching speeds of 80-85 km (~50 miles) per hour! How’s that for a dose of adrenaline?

Get in touch with your inner child at Adventure Park Tarzans

I’m not going to lie – I was a tad bit surprised when we arrived at Adventure Park Tarzans. Not only were there tons of children around, but the park was also HUGE – the largest outdoor adventure park in the Baltics, I later found out.

Despite being a bit of a fraidy cat, I’m also an adrenaline junkie (you can totally be both, right?) so I was super excited when our tour guide Lelde told us we could pick which adventure activity to do. We warmed up a bit with the 40 km (~24 miles) per hour toboggan, winding our way down the track, desperately pulling the brake when it got “too fast.” I should clarify that this was a one person ride, and I was just a tad too brake-happy. Oops.

Afterward, Chantell and I opted to do the Crazy Roller together. It’s essentially a large wheel that rolls up and down a hill. Let’s just say our vocal cords got a little bit of…ahem, exercise. We finished up our adventure excursion with a chairlift back up the hill, which offered beautiful views of the Gauja Valley. This is definitely a side of Sigulda that is not to be missed!

Channel your princess powers at the castles

Despite being on the smaller side, Sigulda has an impressive THREE castles: Turaida Castle, The Sigulda Castle Complex (including both the Castle of the Livonian Order in Sigulda and Sigulda New Castle) and the Krimulda Historical Centre.

I’ve made this the year I travel to lesser-visited destinations. Last month, @adoration4adventure and I were sponsored guests of @enjoylatvia, and our first stop was the nature and castle-filled town of #Sigulda. I’m a city girl through and through but it was nice to spend a couple of days being one(ish) with nature and pretending to be a princess peering over my balcony at Turaida Castle 👸🏽. Stay tuned for my blog post, coming this week! #enjoylatvia #atklajlatvijunojauna @enjoylatvia

A post shared by Sally • Food & Travel Writer (@passportandplates) on Jun 20, 2017 at 1:50pm PDT

Turaida Castle: To call Turaida a simple castle would be like calling Big Ben a clock. While there’s a beautiful stone castle on the Turaida grounds, it’s actually a museum reserve, containing both an estate and a castle, a large garden, a church and more. One of the most memorable parts of Turaida is easily the Rose of Turaida Memorial, in memory of a Latvian girl who sacrificed her life for love…think of it as the Latvian Romeo and Juliet story, with just as depressing of an ending. Anyway, you can easily spend half a day exploring the Turaida grounds – be sure not to miss the garden with the multi-faced statues.

Livonian Order

New Castle

The Castle of the Livonian Order and Sigulda New Castle are located within walking distance of each other, despite the fact that they look completely different. The Sigulda New Castle was built in 1878 with a distinct Neo-Gothic style whereas the Livonian Order was built in 1207 in a medieval style, initially built to be a fortress. They’re both in the same compound, and you can actually climb up the towers for beautiful views of the surrounding forest. The coolest thing about this area is the stage that was built in the open courtyard; here, they hold outdoor picnics, concerts, and cultural events when the weather is warm. How cool would it be to tell people you’re casually dancing the night away in a castle? #Goals.

Marvel at the sandstone of Gutman’s Cave

Traipse through the Gauja National Park to get to Gutman’s Cave, the widest and highest cave in the Baltics. It has a ton of cool inscriptions and carvings on the walls, and many claim that the spring water has healing powers. This cave also plays a central role in the tragic Rose of Turaida tale that I linked to above.

Hike to Krimulda Manor

Views!

This was before all the stairs, obviously!

The Manor

Krimulda is technically Sigulda’s fourth castle although all that remains are a pile of stones, due to its destruction in 1601. Now, the most notable part of the Krimulda grounds is the manor, which has since been transformed into a rehabilitation center. The surrounding complex still has various houses and cottages standing. Plus, the walk from the center to the edge of Krimulda is truly picturesque – we spotted some beautiful paths, river views, the main bridge and even ran into the Walking Stick Park. However, to get up to the Krimulda Manor, you have to “hike” aka climb a TON of stairs. Not only did I wear sandals (not the smartest decision) but I was definitely huffing and puffing my way up all those stairs. My two-week foodie binge while on vacation was definitely catching up to me #SLIGHTregrets.

Get outdoorsy with Makars

Hello from Latvia! Sponsored by @enjoylatvia: @adoration4adventure and I look like total kayaking pros in this shot but if you watch my Instagram story, you'll see some of the *ahem* detours we took to get to shore 😂. We traveled to Ligatne, a small city outside of #Sigulda, to kayak 6 km through the Gauja River…I'd say we both did well considering we thought we'd be on a sailboat until we arrived 🙊. Thanks to Makara camping for the adventurous day! #enjoylatvia #atklajlatvijunojauna

A post shared by Sally • Food & Travel Writer (@passportandplates) on May 19, 2017 at 3:08pm PDT

Just outside of Sigulda is Ligatne, a small town located on the Gauja River. This was also the location of one of my favorite Sigulda activities: a 6 km kayaking adventure with Makars. Chantell and I totally expected to be on a sailboat (I think we were channeling inner laziness or something) so we were a little surprised when we realized our option was to either canoe or kayak. Nonetheless, we totally enjoyed our kayaking tour…despite the fact that I led us directly into sand on the edges…twice. I’m really dangerous and clumsy with all activities, honestly. Anyway, one of the awesome things about Makars is all the cool outdoor activities they offer. Not only can you kayak and canoe, but you can also do stand-up paddle boarding, camping, safaris, and more.

Pose for photos at the Walking Stick Park

Walking sticks are a symbol of Sigulda, due to their popularity with hikers. Back in the day, paths were incredibly rough and rocky, so sticks were a necessity. Now, they’re more of a tourist gimmick. Fun fact: they’re symbolically painted in red and green ink because those used to be the only paint colors people had access to during Soviet Times. Anyway, these sticks are so important to the town that they’ve created an entire park around them. It reminds me of a real-life Candyland!

Other cool things to do (that we missed):

Hiking in Gauja National Park: There are SO many hiking trails in Gauja National Park. While we did a few short ones and leisurely walked through, there are plenty of longer trails for the more intense hikers out there. The park is huge with a variety of activities that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Mežakaķis amusement park: In case Tarzan isn’t enough for you, Mežakaķis offers an obstacle course of various degrees of difficulty that includes lots of physical activities that I would likely fail at. But hey, Sigulda is all about being an adventure destination!

Cable Car over Gauja River: This is an excellent way to see some beautiful views of Sigulda from the top. Romantic ride for 1, anyone?

“Fly” at the Aerodium: The Aerodium is a vertical wind tunnel that allows you to experience what it’s like to free-fall….without actually free falling. It actually looks SUPER fun and I would have 100% done this if I’d had more time in Sigulda!

Bungee jump from a cable car: Yeah, you didn’t misread that. You can bungee jump with an epic view of the Gauja River. They don’t operate every day so be sure to check the website when planning!

Where to Eat in Sigulda:

Doma

Appetizer at Hotel Sigulda

Main at Hotel Sigulda

Dessert at Hotel Sigulda

Mr. Biskvits

Doma: Doma is the café where farm to table ingredients meet a relaxed ambiance. While their menu is simple, the flavors certainly aren’t. Our dishes exploded with flavor and were perfectly portioned for us to leave full, but not stuffed. Chantell and I shared both the burrito and the home burger, both of which were delicious.

The Restaurant at Hotel Sigulda: I’m going to be honest…I almost never eat at hotel restaurants. In my experience, the food is often mediocre and overpriced. The opposite was true for the restaurant at Hotel Sigulda.The menu was quite extensive and showcased many local Latvian dishes. As guests of the restaurant, we were served an amazing and beautiful three-course meal: dried beef with edible flowers, chicken breast with a turnip puree, and a gingerbread dessert with ice cream. SO. GOOD. Not only was the service exceptional, but they took our dietary restrictions very seriously, which I appreciated. This was by far the best meal I had in Sigulda.

Mr. Biskvits: After several people recommend Mr. Biskvits as a good lunch spot, Chantell and I made it our mission to try it. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get lunch there because it was SO busy but we did stop by for an afternoon cake and caffeine boost before our train to Riga. Judging by our one slice of cheesecake and how busy it was for lunch, I’d say this is a solid bet as a good spot to eat.

Where to Stay in Sigulda:

Photo Credit: Chantell from Adoration 4 Adventure

Chantell and I were guests of the lovely Hotel Sigulda. We seriously couldn’t have asked for a better location. It was a 5-minute walk from the train station and had its own delicious restaurant, which I wrote about above. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff was incredibly friendly. Plus, there’s a buffet-style breakfast included as well. Win!

Otherwise, find some great deals below! Booking.com (function(d, sc, u) { var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = u + '?v=' + (+new Date()); p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); })(document, 'script', '//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js');

Getting Around:

We explored Sigulda both by car and by foot. If you have some extra time in the town, I definitely recommend walking or renting a bike, as both are great ways to see the various sites while enjoying the scenery. If you’re pressed for time (i.e. you’re on a day trip from Riga), then I recommend renting a car for the day or for a couple of days so you can explore without feeling rushed.

While many people opt to only visit Riga, Latvia’s capital, I suggest making time for Sigulda as well. This charming small town has more to offer than meets the eye and is a haven for nature lovers and adventurers. Come for a couple of days or more for a leisurely travel destination.

Tell me: Do you prefer visiting big cities or smaller towns? Share in the comments below!

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Best Things to Do in Sigulda, Latvia: Where Nature Meets Adventure Disclosure: I was a complimentary guest of Sigulda Tourism and the Investment and Development Agency…

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