Wed. July 27: Another Day in Denmark- Exploring Aalborg

A 5:09 sunrise awakened us to the charming port city of Aalborg, on the northern Danish coast. Founded by the Vikings in the late 900's, Aalborg is situated in a gorgeous setting nearly 12 miles from the open Norwegian Sea on the narrowest part of the beautiful Limfjord. Aalborg has a rich Viking history, recognized as early as the 11th century as a key harbor for longships sailing to Norway.

We docked across from Aalborg University, famous for its school of Design and Architecture. The city is full of architectural pearls both modern and old. From our ship we could gaze out at the Utzon Center and see the similarity to the Sydney Opera House. Both were designed by the architect, Jorn Utzon.

The Jens Bangs House is a prominent part of the cityscape. Situated on the town square, it is considered one of the finest examples of Renaissance mansions in Denmark.

Jens Bang was a prominent merchant in the 1600's, who loved splendor and thus the heavy ornamentation on his house. During his time it was whispered that the many grotesque masks and figure heads decorating his building were actually caricatures of his many enemies and it was his way of getting revenge. Even though he was the wealthiest man in the city, he was never allowed to rule which is why some say he put a caricature of himself sitting on the gable of his house sticking his tongue out at City Hall!

 The building was bought by a pharmacist in the mid 1700's and his apothecary has been handed down through generations of his family and is still there today.

There is a picturesque view of the Church of Our Lady on the old Hjelmerstald Street.

The Aalborg Kloster dates all the way back to 1434 and is the oldest and best preserved monastary in Denmark.

In the city square we heard the sounds of screaming, giggling children and it turns out there was a wind simulator in the square that children could stand in front of and be blown forcefully by the generated wind. They were having so much fun! Aalborg's University has a major international center for the development of wind power technology. These kids are learning firsthand the power of wind energy!

The shopping streets were lines with quaint restaurants getting ready to open. This one caught our eye with its simple Danish decor in blue and white. Wish I could take one of these woven chairs home with me!

David and Page went to the archeological site, Lindholm Hoje, where archeologists found several Viking burial sites and settlements going all the way back to the Iron Age. We walked through the woods, passed a flock of sheep on a hillside, and came to the top of a hill with a large field strewn with stones. It reminded us of our field of granite rocks in Maine, except these were laid out in circles for a purpose!

Due to the sand drift, the result of wind erosion after the forests were cut down for wood, the site was completely covered by sand in the year 1000 AD which preserved the stone markings for over a thousand years and eventually uncovered the secrets of Viking life. Over 700 graves have been uncovered by removing the sand, and the remains of the Viking longhouses and fences have also been discovered. The stone circles are actually where they laid out the funeral pyre for the cremation of Vikings. The larger the stone circle, the more important the person.  Sometimes a stone was placed in the very center.

You could also see the tops of their stone pillars that held up their longhouses. These were actually made from an early type of cement. Interesting, as we tend to think of cement as a modern day construction material.

Since the field is strewn with these rocks, it makes it difficult to mow with machine mowers. They use biological mowers- sheep! Of course we had to watch where we stepped and there was a shoe scraper at the door of the museum!

One of the sheep reminded us of our favorite black and grey curly horned sheep, Nutmeg, back in the days when we raised sheep in Maine for  Page's wool spinning.

Inside the museum were excellent displays of Viking village life, on the site we visited and several Viking artifacts.

On our way back to the ship we visited an "allotment garden." Allotment gardens are on land owned by the city of Aalborg which then leases the land to an allotment association made up of members who pay a fee to belong to the association.  Today there are 400 allotment associations in 75 municipalities in Denmark and the idea of allotment gardens has spread to other European countries. Members of the association get a piece of land they can garden on, since they live in the city where they have no land. Many of the allotment gardens are just that- a place where city residents can grow flowers and food. However, many members have erected pavilions on their plots or small seasonal cottages. Some even have greenhouses erected on them to grow plants year round. Many people grow so fond of their allotment gardens that they live there from spring to early fall, close it up for the winter, and return to their city home which is often less than 5 miles away! The couple we visited had beautiful flower beds, a greenhouse, a very cluttered cottage, a "man shed" where her husband hung out, lots of veggies growing, including corn, fruit trees and berry bushes. All of the allotment gardens in the association we visited (which had over 100 garden plots) are divided by a tall hedge and each is accessible by a narrow lane road. Most keep their bicycles there to travel to and from their city home.

Our hosts were very gracious and offered us an aquavit toast. Aquavit used to be distilled in Aalborg but was bought out by a Norwegian company which is now making it. It has a slight taste of caraway seed.

 It was a good day to experience Danish culture both old and new. On our way back to the ship we were met by the "hot dog man" who parks his hot dog shed right across from the ship's dock to welcome visitors to Aalborg with a free hot dog! No wonder Aalborg has been ranked the happiest city in Europe, and it also happens to be in the happiest country in Europe, Denmark.

After dinner we were entertained by the ship's performers with an ABBA show (the Swedish band that was second to the Beatles in the number of albums sold worldwide), bringing back memories of the ABBA songs we used to hear on the radio in the 70's! It was fun to sing along with many of the songs we remembered.

The sun set at 9:42 as we cruised to Norway.

Tue. July 26: Exploring Captivating Copenhagen

A 5:05 sunrise awakened us to this convivial, captivating, and easy-going city. Our first view looking out into the harbor was of the lovely harbor master's building and windmills. Denmark is the world's largest producer of Sieman's wind blades and turbines.

Denmark has been ranked the world's happiest country(ranked by the United Nation's World Happiness Report- U.S. was 13th). It's easy to see why everyone in Denmark is so happy and why the country today is so different from when Hamlet (Shakespeare's play took place in Denmark) was in deep despair. Why is Denmark so happy? According to the report- annual wages are high (including a high minimum wage), taxes are high but Danes get a lot from their taxes, especially education and health care and all workers must get a minimum of 6 weeks off per year, there is a high social network of support within families and friends and social life is very important to Danes, life expectancy is high and Danes are physically fit and very active, paid maternity leave is one of the highest in the world with up to 32 weeks for mothers and 2 weeks for fathers, Danes are very charitable and feel a strong compulsion to help others, Danes are proud of their political system and government, and it's such a gorgeous country to live in!

Strolling through Denmark, one can see how Denmark's famed children's author, Hans Christian Andersen, got his inspiration from the brightly colored houses and ships in the harbor, one of Europe's prettiest harbor districts. From our berth, Langelinie (The Little Mermaid Statue), commemorating one of Andersen's beloved stories, is a short walk away.

We also saw a large bronze sculpture of a polar bear with cubs on a piece of ice. Put there in 1937 it symbolizes Greenland, Denmark's most northern territory. If you look closely at the bear's head you will see a bullet hole put there by a Nazi soldier during Denmark's occupation.

The harbor was bustling with people from all over the world, walking, biking, or  just enjoying a gorgeous summer day from the vantage point of the many lovely waterside restaurants.

Like Amsterdam, Copenhagen is a city of bikes. Many people bike to work or use their bikes for their every day activities. One must use extreme caution when crossing the streets- it's not the cars that can knock you down, it's the bicyclists whizzing by in their bike lanes. Many bikes had cute wicker baskets on the front and some were designed with wooden boxes in the front to transport their children and dogs. We saw all kinds of bike contraptions, including this ultra modern one for transporting your wife and baby! All throughout areas of the city we would see parking areas for bicycles.

We strolled down Copenhagen's major pedestrian street, the Stroget, filled with throngs of people and every type of  restaurant and shop imaginable from high end to low (including the ubiquitous McDonald's).  The Legos store was there (Legos come from Denmark). The Keeley family could not resist going into the Royal Copenhagen store since the family china they grew up with was Royal Copenhagen. They even found the pattern (or one quite similar) of their family china!

The street performers in the town square were quite entertaining!

Even the manhole covers on the streets were quite pretty!

 David and Gary enjoyed the butter laden Kringle pastry! It's not just a treat in Denmark, it's a tradition.

There were several beautiful fountains scattered throughout Copenhagen.

After  a day seeing the sites of Copenhagen, including Tivoli Gardens, Amalienborg Palace and other royal residences, and old churches, we returned to the ship. David, Gary, and Meg went on the evening Jazz Cruise. A motor launch pulled up along side the ship and they were greeted by four musicians playing jazz on board.  Those of us who did not go could hear the music from our verandas and could spot our passengers as they boarded the boat or arrived back from their trip. The one hour cruise around Copenhagen was truly magical! The musicians were quite good. As the boat motored by,  people were lining the canals in the late afternoon enjoying the end of the day (most were in their 30's!).  Being right at water level makes the Copenhagen evening quite intimate with a setting sun. This hour was definitely a nice way to cap off our visit to Copenhagen. Sunset at 9:26 PM.

Mon. July 25: Discovering Berlin,Germany

A 5:13 AM sunrise welcomed us to the port of Warnemunde, Germany on the Baltic Sea. Founded as a fishing village at the mouth of the Warnow River. It's sandy Batic beaches are a summer lure for Germans and Northern Europeans. Today was an unusual stop. Instead of exploring an area where we docked, we were escorted to a private train where we journeyed for three hours through the German countryside to Berlin, the energetic, historically rich capital of Germany, torn apart into East and West Germany during the Cold War era.

A bus took us on a panoramic tour through Berlin, once divided by the Berlin wall. The wall was constructed in 1961 to separate West and East Berlin. The wall came down in 1989 and the two Germanies were reunited. We saw a section of the wall where holes were punched in it and people took pieces of the wall as mementos of when the wall came down. Most of the wall is gone but some remnants still remain for their historical significance.

Immediately after the wall came down, artists from all over the world gathered to make their mark on the monstrous east side of the wall which was untouched by graffiti (unlike the western side).  Today the street art stands as a symbol of unity and freedom from repression.

Our guide pointed out one of the most famous paintings called "The Fraternal Kiss". It shows Leonid Brezhnev (leader of the Soviet Union for most of the wall's existence) kissing the East German Erich Honecker in 1979. It is based on the actual photo of the 2 Soviet leaders kissing at a meeting. It is intended to show the disgust the artist had for the Soviet manipulation of the East German satellite.

We visited the Brandenburg Gate, a famous landmark as well as symbol in Germany, with over 200 years of history. To get a sense of how massive the columns are, look for David with his arms outstretched!

We saw several other sights in this vibrant city including the glorious Reichstag crowned with a galss cupola intended to symbolize the government's commitment to transparency.

We walked around Berlin on our own and found Checkpoint Charlie. This was the crossing point between West and East Berlin and is historically maintained on the street at the same spot. Checkpoint CHarlie (there was also Checkpoint Alpha and Checkpoint Bravo) was the gateway where East Germany allowed allowed Allied diplomats, military personnel, and foreign tourists to pass into Germany's Soviet sector. It was just a tiny prefab shack and sandbags with a few military guards that monitored the traffic and provided information to those going into East Berlin. After passing through the checkpoint and the no man's land, the East German checkpoint had towers, armed guards, and frequently searched vehicles for fugitives as no one from the East side was allowed to leave.

 We read the street exhibits which told about the wall and the brave East Germans who tried to escape including 18 year old Peter Fechter who was shot after climbing over the wall (his friend made it) and left to bleed to death in the "no man's land"- a strip between the East German checkpoint and the Wall which provided a clear firing zone for anyone escaping East Germany for political asylum. A few made it over to the west but most who tried were killed.  US military men were prohibited from helping any East German escapee; so tragically, Peter was left in pain to bleed to death for 45 minutes while horrified West Germans looked on helplessly. A section of the wall was on display along with panels along the street telling the history of the wall and Checkpoint Charlie.  Later we saw sections of the rebar still sticking out after the concrete was removed in another wall memorial.

 We found the Berlin food trucks and  some great sandwiches and took a break for lunch. Some of us tried the Berlin local street food specialty- Currywurst. You could get East Currywurst or West Currywurst- two different types of wurst, grilled, cut up, slathered with a BBQ type sauce then sprinkled with curry powder.

We wandered around some more and found an amazing chocolate store with chocolate recreations of iconic landmarks and objects in Germany, including the Brandenburg Gate, Titanic, and an airplane.

We left Berlin, entertained by an organ grinder on our way to the train, and headed back to port on another 3 hour train ride. We were served a snack that consisted of a German pretzel stuffed with butter. The pretzel part was good but we decided we could do without the butter stuffing!

The sun set at 9:22 as we headed to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Sun. July 24: Discovering Gdansk, Poland and the Home of the Teutonic Knights

The sun rose over the Baltic Sea at 4:44 AM. After spending the previous day at sea, with no shortage of things to do aboard the Viking Sea, we docked in the port of Gdynia, in Northern Poland. We split off into two groups- Beth, Meg, Gary, and Page explored the old town of Gdansk while Dave and David headed out to the countryside to see Marlbork Castle, a sprawling Teutonic castle and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Gdansk our first stop was a 12th century Roman Catholic cathedral, famous for its organs of 7,876 pipes, 5 keyboards, and one person playing all of this! It is the most popular church to be married in because of its melodious organs. You have to book your wedding at least 2 years in advance for this church. Our guide said, "First you book your wedding, then you spend 2 years finding a fiance!"

We arrived in old town Gdansk, a city over 1,000 years old. We crossed over the river lined by row houses, similar to the ones you see in Amsterdam. At one time this was one of the biggest ports in Europe.

 

The 14th century medieval treadmill crane (seen below) still stands along the river port. It has 4 giant wheels inside that men turned by walking in them, much like hamster wheels. It could lift 2 tons and was used to load and unload cargo.

Our guide, Agnes, was typical of hip, trendy young Poles. She was especially excited about Pope Francis coming to Gdansk in a few days for the World Youth Conference. She guides in the summer and teaches elementary school during the school year. She led us through the great gate entrance to the old city and we were immediately struck by how beautiful the buildings were. She told us how many people have an image of Poland as being made up of dull, grey buildings reminiscent of the Soviet era when in fact, Poland has always been beautiful, even when the Soviets occupied Poland. She told us it was against Communist propaganda to show how beautiful Poland is.

The many diverse facades of the buildings were so beautiful.

In the square is a monument to Daniel Fahrenheit, a physicist, engineer, and glassblower born in Gdansk. It holds an antique thermometer to honor his contribution to a universal temperature scale.

We meandered down several, narrow cobblestone streets and like most medieval cities, there was a huge, towering church in the square. This one is the biggest brick church in the world and holds 25,000 people.

Since Northern Poland was on the Baltic Sea and ship building and sea port trade was a major part of their economy, you will see several  statues and fountains with a "Neptune" theme. This one was particularly interesting with a sea horse's tail replacing the fig leaf!

There were many bakeries along the streets and families were returning from church, sitting outside at the cafes enjoying coffee and pastries. Page had one of the waffle pastries layered with nut butter and elderberry jam. It was delicious.

One of the side streets was made up of lovely homes and restaurants with front porches. Old stone gargoyles jutted out over the porches as rain spouts. Our guide pointed out this cat which belongs to the owners of this house and frequently perches on the gargoyle spout in order to be the most photographed cat in Poland!

The old town square is lined with merchants and guild houses.

Anywhere we go in Europe we see unique, interesting fountains. This fountain was a square with 4 lions in different poses positioned around the points of the square. Rubbing the lion gives you good luck!

It's hard to believe that so many of these beautiful cities were partially destroyed during World War II. This picture taken right after WW2, in the area we walked, is a somber reminder of the devastation of war and the determination of Europeans to rebuild and restore their beautiful towns to their former grandeur.

On our way back to Gdynia, where are shipped was docked, we passed Gate #2 in the Gdansk Lenin Shipyard where protesting workers were fired upon by the Communist regime in 1970, lighting a spark that led to Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement, and ultimately Polish independence.

While we went on the city walking tour, Dave and David were off to the Polish countryside in search of the magnificent Malbork Castle, the largest brick fortress in the world. (It has 30 million hand-made bricks.) No question. It lived up to its reputation!

The Teutonic Knights (part of the Crusades) built the fortress in the 1200's as their headquarters for protecting the surrounding agricultural land from the Prussian tribes. The UN designated it a World Heritage area in the 1960's because of its key place in Polish history. In between it underwent various expansions and then Germans used it as their headquarters during the war until the Soviets took it by force in 1945. (Previous to that it has never been successfully breached.)  As you can see from this World War 2 photo, it underwent a massive restoration and is now spectacular. 

The fortress has three separate castles - the High, Middle and Lower Castles, separated by multiple dry moats and towers. These features made it amazing and fun to prowl around - envisioning what it was like when the 500 Teutonic knights and 200 servants lived there. Inside the fortress was magical with vaulted ceilings, frescoes, and art work everywhere. One center courtyard in particular caught our attention. It had 50+ window-openings that had intricate relief of people, animals, dragons and other goodies. What fun it was to find and photograph them.  

 Malbork Castle: if you are ever in Poland it is a 'must see'! 

We invited a special dinner guest to join us tonight. Constantine Pappas is one of the entertainers on board. He is a young graduate of Fresno State, majored in opera, and is an amazing singer of all genres. We have enjoyed watching and listening to his performances. He entertained us at dinner with stories about the ship and what it's like to try out for theater and singing productions, including auditioning to be part of the Viking performance group. His  ultimate goal, after he finishes traveling around the world on Viking, is Broadway and with his outgoing personality and talent, we expect to see his name in lights some day soon. 

We experienced the earliest sunset on our trip thus far, 8:58 PM and looked forward to the next day in Berlin, Germany.