Rasheeda's Travel and Food Blog

Rasheeda's travel and food blog

Category: Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, Finland

Cruising to Helsinki

Our cruise ship left Saint Petersburg on the evening of June 29th, 2019, for our next port of call, which was Helsinki, Finland. We arrived on Schedule at 7:00am on June 30, 19. Here we were in Helsinki! Here I am keeping my promise to see you in Helsinki.

Helsinki, Finnland

As we came in at 7:am and the All Aboard time was 3:30pm, we had barely 7 hours to do all the exploring in Helsinki. Not enough, I would say, but that is how the cruise timing worked. All the commotion started with announcements by the cruise director telling passengers what lies ahead for them with the disembarkation and shore excursion etc. We were not taking an excursion and knew most of the information because it was listed in the Onboard ‘When and Where” program.

We got ready and went for breakfast to the dining room. A sumptuous breakfast, which always is a treat on a cruise ship, was the best way to start the day. Since we did not book any excursion organized by the ship, we decided to avail of the shuttle service provided by the city of Helsinki. This shuttle service operated from the pier to the town beginning at 8:30 is and left every 20 minutes. A ticket was available from the operators on the pier. Return ticket per person was $12/- which we purchased and hopped on the next shuttle available to us. Downtown Helsinki was close to where the ship was docked. The harbor, where many of the visiting cruise ships docked, was right in the heart of Helsinki, where many of the main tourist attractions were also located. Our Helsinki adventure began with a visit to the old historic building, which turned out to be Oldest Food Market Hall.

Old Market Hall, Helsinki

Located next to Helsinki Market Square, It was like Quincy Market with specialty food stalls with ready-made food. Some market hall areas also had an uncanny resemblance to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Lowell, MA, our hometown. It also houses various restaurants, cafés, and souvenir stores. Our first and only purchase was mixed nuts for our snacks. Ready-to-buy food showcased the Finnish food culture. The food presentation was so impressive that the passion and devotion behind its creation simply could not be missed. Here are some examples of the food displayed.

Salmon display in Old Market Hall
A variety of sandwiches
Shrimp in tomato sauce
Cold smoked reindeer

After meandering through the Old Market Hall and eating with our eyes, we made our exit and walked over to the Market square, which had yet another display of Helsinki’s food scene. Fresh from the farms, fruits, brilliant berries, and vegetables was the sight to behold.

Crates of Berries

This was all in the area which was called Senate Square. Senate Square and its surroundings luckily offered us a chance to see many important buildings because of their proximity to each other, though only from outside. The Presidential Palace, Alexandria’s Monument, Water fountain, Helsinki Cathedral, and a statue of Alexander 11 were some of the ones we saw and photographed.

Senate Square, Helsinki
Senate Square, Helsinki downtown
Alexandria’s Monument
Helsinki Cathedral making a backdrop to Statue of Alexander 11

Our shuttle-stop for going back to the cruise ship was across from the Helsinki Cathedral, where we hung out for a bit to look at it and were able to photograph the Statue of Alexander 11 with Helsinki Cathedral its backdrop. Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland’s most photographed building. And its famous, dauntingly ornate interior was highly recommended as a must-see tourist experience. We could not comply because it was beyond our reach due to the time constraint.

Our shuttle was on time and we made it back to the ship ready to sail away to Stockholm, Sweden, our next port of call. In our only few hours in Helsinki, we did as much as we possibly could and were filled with joy and warmth thinking about the similarities in food culture between Boston and Lowell, MA with Helsinki, Finland. 

 

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Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / St.Petersburg

Day 2 in St. Petersburg

Day 2 in St. petersburg

Our first day in Saint Petersburg was magnificent with visits to Peterhof Palace and St. Nicholas Cathedral. Since we were there for two days, our day 2 would start with an excursion through the rivers, canals, and waterways surrounding the city’s numerous squares. And then we would continue by coach to the Church on the Spilled Blood.

waiting to board the cruise boat

The coach brought us to the river, where our cruise boat was docked. We had to wait to board. It was not long before we were all aboard.

Boat cruise on River Neva, Petersburg

It was a beautiful sunny day, but with high winds and rough water. What with the noise of the roaring boat traffic thrashing through fast-moving waters, and of all going on, it was quite a thrill to be part of it all. These waterways and rivers host a plethora of amazing tours. We sailed away and started drifting down the river taking in the city from the deck. Apparently, there are 500 bridges in the city, and 21 of them are draw bridges. Many people were lined up on the bridges to watch the boats pass by underneath and were waving excitedly. One young man kept running from the bridge to the bridge and got there before our boat and waved to us. He did this until our boat speeded up and the bridges got too far apart for him to catch up. It was fascinating. We missed him when we couldn’t see him anymore.

St. Peter and Paul’s Fort

One of the historic landmarks we saw was Saint Peter and Pauls’s fortress on the River Neva. It was built by Peter the Great to protect the capital from feared Swedish attacks. It had also been used as a prison by the Bolshevik government. But now it is a State Museum of Saint Petersburg History.

Beautiful Summer Palace on the Banks of River Neva

We cruised thrashing through the swollen and choppy river, which seemed to have more water than normal, and passed the Summer Palace, one of the first palaces to be built in St. Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia. It is located on the embankment of River Neva, right across from Peter and Paul’s Fortress.

As we headed towards the Bronze equestrian statue of Peter the Great, we saw an intriguing needle-shaped structure. We were told that it was an 87-story skyscraper in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Also that it is the tallest building in Russia and the tallest building in Europe. It was very slick and beautiful, and we really wished that we had seen the inside of the building. We could see the Bronze Horseman statue a little too far away for close-up photos as we proceeded.

Bronze Horseman is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great.

Bronze Horseman is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great. It was commissioned by Catherine the Great and has become a symbol of St. Petersburg. The end of the tour brought us back to the coach for our visit to the Church on Spilled Blood. The name sounded harrowing, and I didn’t know what to expect. But turned out to be a unique experience.

After river cruise sightseeing, we boarded the coach conveniently parked from where the drive to the Church on the Spilled Blood was not too far. We arrived to see that the exterior of the Church was simply spectacular. It is, apparently, a top-rated tourist destination in St. Petersburg. Its onion-shaped domes were exuberantly decorated with jeweler’s enamel in magnificent colors. It was built as a memorial on the site where Emperor Alexander 11 was assassinated in March 1881.

Church on the Spilled Blood

Once we entered the church, we realized that the meaning of the word ornate climaxed in the church’s interior. Nothing could surpass (in my opinion) the beauty of the monumental stone carvings, intricate mosaics, mural, and beautiful display of religious paintings adorning the domes in stunning colors and designs. The photos below will give you only a glimpse of an immense historic feat.

Main Altar
Mosaic of Important Saints
Red granite used in the Church
Mosaic of Mary and baby Jesus

The highlights of the Church were the huge mosaics of disciples and saints covering the entire interior, including the walls, arches, ceilings, and the altar from floor to ceiling. These masterful mosaics were a sight to behold. A close look at some of my interior photos above would reveal that thousands of tiny glass tiles were used to create these life-sized mosaics. Mosaics with their thousands of tiny glass pieces could be compared to megapixel images of modern digital photography in which thousands of pixels of varying colors make up an image. Although pixels are not seen in an image until that image is zoomed enough in an editing program to reveal these individual pixels of colors. Similarly, the last image above is a magnified version of one of the mosaics, showing how tiny glass pieces create a mosaic just like the digital pixels. It was an awe-inspiring visit.

At this point, we completed two parts excursion on day 2 in St. Petersburg. Our coach was ready to take us back to the Zuiderdam, our ship. We returned on time to set sail at 5:30pm to Helsinki, Finland, to arrive there the next morning at 7:00 am. See you in Helsinki, Finland.

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Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / Saint Petersburg, Russia

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Gulf of Finland

We were on our way to St. Petersburg sailing the Gulf of Finland as we were leaving Tallinn, Estonia behind. The Gulf of Finland is an arm of the Baltic sea, and St. Petersburg is located on the eastern end of the gulf which belongs to Russia and where the river Neva drains into it.

We docked at the port of St. Petersburg at 7:00 AM. We had two days in St. Petersburg. Immediately after the ship docked, intercom announcements started with full fury and with a kind of severity that going to Ashore in Petersburg would mean that immigration officials would be in the Marine Facade Terminal to thoroughly inspect the documents each time passengers exit or return to the ship. And the Passengers on a Holland America Line’s Shore Excursions were required to carry their passports, and the tickets were issued for their excursions with the same name as the passport. We had our tickets for 9.5 hours tour. Since the tour was to leave at 8:30 AM, we got down to the area from where the boarding was to be conducted. Everyone was asked to go when their group was called. And it turned out that each group was numbered by the number of the bus they were going to be on.. At first, we proceeded to the Maine Facade Terminal to clear our immigration. When I got there, a fierce-looking immigration officer took my documents and, intermittently, glared at me as she checked the details. I felt as though her glare was burning holes through me. Once she was done, she slammed my documents on the counter very rudely without a word. I was happy for her stamp of approval, regardless of how reluctantly it came and was on my way to where my husband was waiting for me.

We went out to find our bus, where a pleasant guide welcomed us and helped us with our seats etc. When everyone was aboard, the guide told us that the drive was about 75 minutes and the first part of our excursion was to Peterhof Palace, a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, St. Petersburg. We would visit the Grand Palace, which was the centerpiece of the entire complex. On arrival, we were greeted by a long line of tourists already waiting to enter the palace. We joined at the tail end of the line cringing at the thought of a long wait in freezing temperatures with blowing wind to boot.

line to get into Palace

We had no choice but to stand there in line, but the guide was kind enough to let us sit in the sun while she guarded our spot by standing there with her flag until we were ready to go in. My understanding of the protocol was that once you get in line, you just stayed there until your turn comes, if you leave you lose your place. But whatever rule the guide was following worked for us. Surprisingly, this massive crowd moved fairly quickly giving us a chance to enter the Palace. As I entered, I felt a sense of déjá vu, taking me back to the Palace Of Varsialles in France, in 1993. And was pleasantly surprised to find out that Peter the Great envisioned, and commissioned the building of the future palace as a better Russian version of the Palace Of Varsialles after his visit to French Royal Court in 1717. The Grand Palace is known as the most brilliant of all the summer residences of the Russian Czars.

Even before we entered, we were asked to put on overshoes which were stored in containers for the visitors to use in order to protect the immaculate parquet floors of the Palace.

Once you entered the Golden Hall, there was no doubt about it being golden. This ornate hall with intricate gold work all around was simply magnificent. The chairs with golden frames and luxurious blue silk upholstery were arranged along the wall which created space for the hordes of tourists to pass through. The beautifully painted ceiling, once again, took me back to the Micheal Angelo’s painting of Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican, Italy which we visited in 1990. The ambience and beauty of the Golden Hall was breathtaking. We had to pass through quickly to be able to see as much of the Palace as we could in the time allowed by the excursion schedules. The Grand Palace, we were told, had thirty room and we would be able to see only some important ones.

Golden Hall, Peterhof, St. Petersburg

As we walked from room to room we were in awe of splendor and beauty not only of the designs and coloring of the interior which was, obviously, of a majestic quality, but also of impressive artifacts, outstanding decorative pieces, tables setting with magnificent porcelain tea services and dinner services used to decorate the Palace. Intriguingly, some rooms had floor to ceiling blue- glazed stunning ceramic fireplaces which resembled Chinese ceramic ware that I am familiar with. Hopefully, the photo gallery below would give you some idea of what pleasure you have in store when you have a chance to visit the Palace.

Much more spectacular than the Palace itself were the gardens and fountains surrounding it. These gloriously designed and sculptured gardens with cascading fountains were absolutely perfect and mesmerizing.

After this totally amazing and overwhelming experience, we had our lunch in a small cafe. From the sublime to the ridiculous came to mind, but the food was delicious, company was good, and it offered well deserved rest for everyone before the next jaunt to Kronstadt.

After lunch we continued to the town of Kronstadt to visit St. Nicholas Cathedral. Of the multitudes of churches in Russia dedicated to St. Nicholas, apparently, none is more grandiose than the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The Cathedral is beautiful all around. We spent sometime in the cathedral and took pictures to capture the beauty and feel the happiness to see such an extraordinary feat of skills.

After a Panoramic drive through Kronstadt we returned to the ship. We settled down to the regular evening activity including a great dinner and were ready to take on the next day in St. Petersburg. I will cover the day 2 in Petersburg in my next post.

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Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / Tallin,Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia

After being at sea for almost 30 hours, our Cruise Ship docked at the port in Tallinn, Estonia, around 8:00 AM. Shore excursions offered by the ship were not particularly appealing, plus it was a cold and very windy day, and the warmth of the cruise ship was tempting us to stay in. But the thought of passing through a country without sightseeing anything was also not acceptable. We prepared ourselves and headed out to decide that we would use hop-on and hop-off Red Bus to accomplish the task. But the plan had to be further tweaked after learning that there were a lot of cobblestone streets in the town and they could wear your feet and legs out; we definitely were not keen to take that on. So our further refined sightseeing plan meant we would get on a hop-on and hop-off Red Bus and stay on the bus to go around and see historical highlights and modern monuments in Tallinn. It worked perfectly except for the fact that we were not able to capture good quality photos from the bus. Anyway, the bus returned us to the ship in time for lunch. As our ship was scheduled to depart early that evening, All Aboard time was 4:30 PM. We were ready and excited for our arrival in Saint Petersburg the following morning at 7:00 AM. See you in Saint Petersburg.

At Sea, June 26, 2019 / Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

A T S E A, June 26, 2019

The departure from Aarhus was on time. Our next day on the itinerary was listed as “at sea.” A sea day is spent on board while the ship is sailing to the next destination without a port stop for one or more days. On this cruise, our first sea day lasted for around 30 hours before the next port of call. Our ship had to cover a long distance between Aarhus, Denmark, to Tallinn, Estonia, the next destination. As we were settling down to our regular daily activities, the cruise director’s intercom announcement informed us that we would be passing the Great Belt Bridge and asked us to be on the lookout. Since we had the verandah deck, we went there with our cameras. We could see the beautiful track of waves the ship was leaving behind as it sliced through the water. And the way in the distance was this beautiful Great Belt Bridge. Great Belt Bridge is a connection between Danish Islands, Zealand, and Funen.

The Great Belt Bridge between Danish Islands of Zealand and Funen,

The number of sea days on a cruise depends on the type of cruise. Our cruise had two long stretches on the Baltic sea, which meant two sea days. Although events like cooking demonstrations, Digital workshops, poolside fun, and much much more is offered as part of the everyday schedule on a cruise, on sea days, they ramp up the schedule by offering Shore Excursion Talks about the upcoming destinations, added workshops, movies, extra food venues, afternoon High Tea, and Happy Hour and the list goes on to keep the passengers entertained. The stores on a ship are in one area more like an onboard “mall” open all day to give everyone a chance to shop to their heart’s content for anything from T-shirts to high-end jewelry and anything in between. The time on sea days offered an advantage to all those who wanted to just curl up on a deck chair to read, nap by the pool, spend the day in a spa or fitness center, or do anything they really desired.

As we all know, every advantage comes with a disadvantage. In this case, everyone aboard meant the demand for everything was high, such as deckchairs, prime spots on the observation deck, a popular venue with the best view from the ship. Appointments at hair salons and spas were scarce and came without a discount even for those who booked early. They were in even bigger demand on the day because all the ladies wanted to be prim and proper and look their best for the Gala night, which has always been a sea day affair on Dam ships. Crowded food venues could also be a problem. None of the above was a problem for us. We are good at adapting to unusual situations except when it comes to no wifi, which was the case as long as you were at sea with no land in sight. In any case, we had to grin and bear for the lack of choices.

Gala nights are organized on sea days to give people a chance to dress up. I enjoyed Gala nights, for they were an elegant highlight of the voyage. Everyone was dressed in finest attires and were offered the most sumptuous dishes ship’s gourmet chefs can devise. Special menus included Prime rib, Duck a l’orange, Lobsters, and other delicacies. Sumptuous fares were offered every night in the dining room, but they went a step beyond the normal nights by offering tantalizing appetizers and exotic desserts on formal nights. An added bonus to our great sea days was the Baltic sea’s tender, loving waves lulling us all to a good night’s sleep for arrival in Tallinn, Estonia, for yet another day of exploration and excitement.

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Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / To Aarhus, Denmark

To Aarhus, Denmark

After everyone was on board and settled, safety drills were carried out; we sailed from Copenhagen at 5:00 pm to our first port of call, Aarhus, located on the east coast of Jutland Peninsula, the second-largest city in Denmark. After cruising all night, we arrived at Aarhus at 7;00am on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Many Ship-Sponsored Shore Excursions were in the offing, along with the option for Independent Shore Excursions. For more details and to book, passengers were advised to visit the Shore Excursion Deck, Deck 10, or they could use the complimentary ‘Navigator’ site on their mobile devices. Daily cruise planner, “When and Where,” delivered to the Staterooms every night, had a detailed schedule of the activities planned on board for all the passengers.

I was up early and went to the verandah to watch the ship navigate into the port of Aarhus. We didn’t plan any excursions in Aarhus; therefore, we chose to take it easy, getting ready for breakfast. A broad range of dining venues was available on the ship ranging from a casual bite by the poolside, a relaxed atmosphere of the Lido on Deck 9, or a formal affair in the classic main dining room on Deck 2. We decided on the dining room. I ordered Kongee, Chinese rice porridge, followed by my second typical breakfast of English Muffins, butter, and jam with coffee. Jaffer also enjoyed his sumptuous breakfast. We had as much fresh coffee as we wanted, with our breakfast giving us a great start.

After breakfast, we went down to the gangway to exit the ship and explore Aarhus independently. Almost across from where our ship docked was Dokk1 or Dokken (as the locals called it), a building with the best library and culture center in Aarhus. We only saw it from outside. There wasn’t enough time to do everything.

Our cruise ship docked close to the city center, and the main attractions were within walking distance. It was a beautiful day for walking. Found Nordea Bank to change dollars for Danish krone. It took a lot of walking before we found the Bank giving us a chance to go around the city.

When we got back, the area where the ship was docked had a lot of activity with lots of different stalls selling local produce and souvenirs. We were introduced to traditional Danish bread, which was delicious and seemed like a cross between Pumpernickel and 7 seeds and grain bread. I loved it so much that it became my go-to bread while on the cruise.

  • Nordea Bank, Aarhus
  • Street in Aarhus
  • Cathedral, Aarhus

While we were walking around the harbor area, we found an interesting sculpture group titled “the Coffee Board.” It was not a guided tour which meant there was no guide to tell us the history and significance of the sight right there on the spot. But casually talking to people, we discovered that it was a memorial to honor the dockworkers of Aarhus. The idea of creating a sculpture occurred to a former dock worker, Palle Joergensen (image below shows him with his lunch box with traditional bread and cheese, and a bottle of beer, while he was peeling an apple), with the help of his co-workers put the idea into motion. Workers’ enthusiasm about the idea attracted the attention of the dock workers’ union.

The Workers’ Union got involved and developed it further by putting all the energy into finding funds for its creation. Their enormous effort resulted in one of Denmark’s Art Foundation, “the Sallings Foundation’s,” decision to be the sole donor of 405,000 euros needed to complete the project. The sculptor Galschiot was commissioned for the project. Galschiot, a sculptor of unquestionable repute, created a sculpture group depicting dock workers’ typical working environment giving everyone an insight into the hardship they endured for centuries. A worthy tribute to their years of hard work of hauling goods and loading ships.

Loading Coffee on the Ship

As we were walking back, someone pointed out the Royal Yacht docked right across from our ship. The queen of Denmark, Margrethe 11, was in residence at her summer palace in Aarhus.

Royal Yacht

The local people I talked to were very open and friendly and gave us a great deal of information which checked out for its veracity. We were happy with the experience and went back to the ship on time for All Aboard, 2:00pm. Our next port of call was Tallinn, Estonia, where we were not due until 7:00am on Thursday, 27th June, after being at sea all day and night of Wednesday, 26th June 2019.

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Copenhagen, Denmark / Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

Here we are again on our way to a 12-Day cruise of Jewels of the Baltic on Holland America’s Cruise line. Our itinerary, below, was to Northern European destinations on cruise Ship, Zuiderdam out of Copenhagen.

We flew from Boston on June 23, 2019, arriving in Copenhagen on Monday, June 24, 2019. On arrival at the airport, we were met by a representative of Holland America Line at the luggage claim area for transfer to the cruise terminal. Our flight came in early and boarding was not to start until after 11:30am, therefore; they planned a short sightseeing tour of Copenhagen before boarding the ship.

The bus brought us to the Townhall square in Copenhagen where our tour started with a guide who joined us there. Having a tour guide was the only way to understand the significance of what you were to see. As we walked to our first stop we saw a bicycle stand for people to rent bicycles. Apparently, a normal practice for tourists, who are young and able to rent a bicycle to see the city of Copenhagen. Apparently, Copenhagen is a best-case scenario for bicycles. Bicycles are a well-integrated part of the transportation fabric. They have separate bicycle lanes for people to feel safe. The flat terrain of the city makes it bicycle-friendly, which in turn makes it environment and health-friendly. Also a cheap and hassle-free way of getting around town.

Bicycles for rent

“One other added advantage, according to the guide, was that one car park space could be converted into a stand with 8 to 12 bicycle racks, providing a lot more parking spaces with ease of parking for cyclists.

Bicycle parking

Copenhagen is full of statues and sculptures. Because of the time constraint, a limited number of sights were on the agenda. At first, we went to the most famous bronze statue of Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen. This beautiful statue is displayed on a rock on the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen and was inspired by the Fairy Tale written by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who gave up everything to be united with a handsome prince on land. Here’s is the upshot for those who never heard of Hans Christian Andersen. This must-read classic is available, I am sure, in every library, and can also be downloaded free on Ibook.

Statue of Little Mermaid, Copenhagen

After that we saw only three more statues, making the tour short, entertaining, but lacking on detailed information. Efter Badet statue by Carl Aasleff below was explained as a man drying himself after his bath.

Efter Badet by Carl Aasleff

The statue of Europa was the next one. Europa was the mother of King Minos of Crete, and the continent of Europe was named after her. In Greek mythology, Europa was a beautiful Phoenician princess. When Zeus, the king of Gods, saw her, he turned himself into a stunning white bull. Europa was mesmerized with the attractive white bull and climbed aboard only to be whisked away across the seas to Crete by Zeus in the guise of the bull where she became his consort and then the mother of King Minos.

Statue of Europa

The Peace Statue Angel of Langelinie below is a large winged female figure. Officially Seafarers Monument was dedicated to the Danish navy Seamen who lost their lives at WWI. It was not clear how it ended up being called “The Peace Statue Angel of Langelinie”, the guide said.

Peace Statue Angel, Langelinie, Copenhagen, Denmark

After sightseeing, we went to the cruise terminal for the boarding process which had similarities to air travel but was not quite as stressful. Upon entering the terminal, everyone’s luggage was checked which would eventually be delivered to the Staterooms. Passengers were urged to carry hand- luggage with important documents, medications, and other items of immediate need. After dropping off the luggage, everyone went through security checks like in any airport by showing cruise documents, such as passports, or driver’s licenses, and placing the carry-ons in an x-ray machine to be scanned. But unlike the airport, only the 3-ounce liquid rule was not enforced. Plus no one was asked to remove shoes and belts and were spared a pat-down. After security, the check-in process was straightforward and quick. You were given a credit- card style room key that was linked to the onboard spending account. Very efficient cruise line staff members were on hand to facilitate the process.

After the boarding was completed, our ship was to sail at 5:00pm for Aarhus, Denmark, our first port of call and was scheduled to arrive at 7:00am on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

Aarhus: