Cruising the Baltic Sea, June 2011

University of Washington Alumni Tour, June 9 - 20, 2011.















A cruise of the Baltic Sea on Le Boreal is a pleasure for the senses. A visual and cultural smörgåsbord from the moment one steps aboard. Relatively small by cruise standards, Le Boreal's capacity is 250 passengers. French officers, and an international staff, we left Stockholm navigating the Baltic in a clockwise direction.

Helsinki/Helsingfors


Blue skies and a bustling harbor greeted us as we slowly made our way into Helsinki harbor. Numerous small boats criss-crossed the harbor as we approached the dock. Several large cruise ships were already in port when we tied up at the Olympic Terminal across the harbor from the huge Lutheran Cathedral that dominates the skyline of Helsinki. Tour buses wait to pick up the visitors for a city tour, but one could choose to walk to the inner harbor and the market square instead. A cool refreshment at Kappeli's Cafe with music blaring from a huge stage in the middle of the Esplanade park. Large crowds testify to the Finnish holiday weekend. Just another beautiful summer day in Helsinki.






An early evening departure and overnight sail to St. Petersburg is on the schedule. Sailing out of the harbor, we pass the island of Suomenliina and the fortress built by the Swedes when Sweden was a major European power. The ship turns east in the Gulf of Finland, heading for the city of Peter the Great.

St Petersburg

Founded in 1703 and built on the swampy delta of the River Neva, St. Petersburg was Tsar Peter the Great's "window to the west." After seventy years as Leningrad during the Soviet period, the city is once again St. Petersburg. Along the banks of the Neva, the Hermitage with its five palaces, including the famous "Winter Palace" of the Romanoff dynasty, today serve as museums containing the remarkable art collection that includes works by DaVinci, Rembrandt, David, Van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, among others.




One of the city's iconic buildings is The Church on Spilled Blood, built on the spot where the reformistTsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.






Hall Leiren on tour in St. Petersburg
(left)







Don and Alita Rhodes enjoying lunch in St. Petersburg (right)