I am sitting here in a small room on a large vessel. 2 days ago after a yummi breakfast of bread butter and cheese, we packed the kids, suitcases and took our not too many , but yet way to many suitcases and tried to uber our way to the port. the 1st car circled around us and didn't find the place, I cancelled it (got an uber refund for clueless driver) and replaced it with a larger car. 20 minutes later with kids crying and running around we were finally settled in a taxi that doubles as uber and we headed to port. the driver asked me for cash payment for the car seat, which is not uber like. i paid and reported him right after, waiting for my other refund... we then said good by to Amit, a short but awesome visit. and proceeded to checkin. 30 minutes later and we were on board the Serenade of the seas and astonished Mattan. Tal just wants to go home...
we toured the ship for a while, had lunch, Mattan went to the pool and all this while we pass the lovely Swedish archipelago - for a few hours we pass many tiny wooded islands. later we went for a trivia game with half the questions on the ship or company. we sucked.. and Tal managed to lose one of his little cars. nothing exciting happened and we turned it early and woke up at 10 am.. super late, we rushed the morning activities and left the ship at 15 minutes after the time we could have.. 15 minutes waste of land time.
it was raining in Helsinki. we took the shuttle to the city and walked for a while sharing the kids excitement, another car, another bus another train.. and reached the city museum for kids land. both found the train set and began fighting over limited resources.there are about 5-6 rooms in this kids land, one is a finish old style class room and Mattan played with the old style calculator and tal climbed all over the chairs. there was a camera crew and a reporter. they took photos of them, but i dont know if it will be be broadcasted if you have finnish tv, let me know.
but the fun didnt last long, as hunger set in. the museum cafe had open face sandwich with shrimp and caviar for Alla and banana bread for the kids. i saved room for shwarma to be found later. and now fed, the monsters were more behaved. we went to the market and got some awesome apricots and real tasting strawberries ... so good. with no shwarma in sight i got wild salmon and potatoes and some unknown vegetables and devoured it. we took the ferry to the island of summoenlinna - i ma badly misspelling this name. this is an old fort island which is now a park, with wide trails and a few cannons, cafes, a play ground and a great place for the kids to run around in, if it didnt rain. the kids enjoyed it still but we didn't stay too long.
one thing of huge importance for those also addicted. in the world of Pokemon, there are those found ONLY in specific places. there is one only in Europe, one only in Australia. and yes i need to go everywhere to find them all... this is just an excuse. well outside the museum i found the European one... ok back to travel
we took the ferry back and Mattan loved it and asks many questions while Tal sleeps. we get back to shore and the market , get more apricots and strawberries and raspberries and a yummi crepe, we then walk a while in the parks and before you know it, the day is over and we shuttle back to the ship.we dress up for dinner, which means i wear a belt and a grown up shirt. but i wave the tie and jacket (most dont) , but the food in the served area is not good. lucky there is a buffet and i make other choices. we play a little ping with the kids. the pong part does not happen yet, still struggling to hit the ball. we turn in early while there is still light outside at 10 pm.
Yesterday we woke on time, had a quick breakfast, deposited Mattan with Grandma and went to shore, 10-15 minutes in russian passport control and we were on our speedy way to st petersburg. we had a brilliant plan fo using public transport. after 30 minutes of waiting for the 158 bus we started to question this plan. we walked to the port entrance and reached there as the bus finally arrived and made our slow way to the imprssively deep metro. we stopped for hachi- purry - a Georgian pitta with cheese and a cookie . the pitta should remain in georgia..
the cookie had nuts in it and was dry but good.
a short metro ride later and we reached the main street of st petersburg, we stopped by various small sites, some statues, some buildings with explanations. Helsinki has all the criteria to be a pretty city, yet something is off. it is the same period houses, parks the sea, but it is not. it is not ugly by any means and compared with cleveland it is a super model. but not compared with other European cities. but St petersburg can be on the run way, i liked it from the start. the various colors of the buildings, the artistry found on many building, little statues here and there, just superb. there is a statue of a cat on some corner , pretty hidden. the locals throw a coin and if it lands on the small statue area you win some luck, my non existing basket ball skills kicked in. very lame three attempts and luck in the 4th... we had a hungry baby with us and we stopped in a super market for yogurts and such. i had something the looks like Milki and was decent. we reached the spectacular church of the spilled blood. it is incredible on the outside and overcrowded and ok on the inside. all its walls are mosaic, but this is an overdose of Jesus. we leave shortly after. it started raining and we stopped at an ice cream place for a great cone.
the rain didn't last long and we kept our city discovery, we reached the magnificent winter palace and entered the hermitage staff building. this building holds the impressionist period, monet, manet, etc.. really not my style, Alla likes it and tal tries to climb various stools. i want to join him. after a cafe stop for katletka and mashed potatoes we enter the main palace, cut over the lines with our guide and her tickets from the staff building and enter the busy hermitage. the building is spectacular, inside and out and a good chunk of the art is interesting for me. there are droves of tourists , but we were without a group so it wasnt as bed for me as i've been told it might be. tal slept the whole museum ... a plus. i enjoyed this museum much and2 hours plus later we left, mostly out of thirst. you cant bring drinks in.
we stopped at Rasputin cafe . a semi underground location, with old arches for ceiling and what looks likes a mad scientist chemistry experiments as a decoration and then hopped on the river boat tour. the first 15 minutes were boring as it rained again and you cant see much , then it stopped and the city's wonders are revealed. pretty building all over, again hidden statues and small surprises, very pretty churches and army buildings. the 1 hour tour ended and we took a taxi back to the ship. we met the larger group had dinner and tried to convince others to go for a night tour in the city.. none came and i missed the night tour with sweet dreams.
in the morning we went out to the city, this time with a van and a larger group and drove to peterhoff gardens. these gardens are an attempt to copy versailles gardens in a Russian style. pretty building at the entrance and lovely gardens within with gravity based water fountains. some are spectacular and some are tricky, only function at certain times, or in some rotation. there is a fountain that lets you walk in a covered area and then starts, now you are stuck for a minute. another changes the way it sprays and can soak you. some are just very high , very interesting designs and all with gravity , no mechanics involved. we spent two hours in the gardens including a healthy hot dog/ ice cream stop an drove back. we stopped in a mall for cerenok. a russian chain of pancakes and such that alla really likes, i tried some toasted chicken sandwich which was very good and then ran around the kids in the mall. we then drove through the city and reached peter and paul cathedral. this is a fortress in an inner island caleld the hair island. besides the church where all the Russian tzars are buried, there are lots of statues of hairs (bunnies) all over. there was a big one on a bench and i saw it last second, stumbled and fell behind him, embarrassing... on the way back we sampled more ice cream and had to return to the ship. the ships evening all bland in. we had one night with Abba music and the rest just running around the kids...oh yeh and the whole of Russia makes 65...
next morning we stopped in Tallinn, at 7 am as it was allowed i went out with Moti for a city stroll. 15 minutes or so to the city and a careful walk in pretty Tallinn with its many towers and medieval feel. also a great place for pokemons. we finished our 90 minutes walk feeling a bit cold, it was chilly and beautiful. next to a Russian style church i stumble again i dont know what is wrong with me, i need to check it out, i keep ending up flat on the ground, there is a tiny square with three ghostly monk statues, monks bow, but these status have no face, hence the ghostly look, it is a bit creepy early in the morning when there is no one but us. we went back, refreshing shower, yummi breakfast and we went out again to the city with the kids.on the way , in the ship Mattan lost his stuffed rabbit from Helsinki, oh the tears.. promises of new toys and stuff, but it took him a while to retain composure. this was a slower pace trip. in the early morning the city was empty and you can appreciate it. now overloaded by the tourist invaders, it is harder. we just walked around ,seeing interesting building , ghostly monks statues and later a stop at the schnitzel haus, where the chef went out, found eggs, made them hatch, raised them and then made them into schnitzels, so long of a wait, but yummi food. meanwhile all the cousins played and ran all over the place. the kids loved it. later we walked slowly for an hour through the city and back on board, a short visit to Tallin. but later, we found the rabbit, on the isle next to the room, oh the joy.
evening for us on board were entertainment free. i managed to see one bad ABBA cover band and 10 minutes of a Russian folklore show, the rest was with the kids, just running around and trying to convince them to sleep.
next morning we reached Riga. preciously i liked riga and was looking forward. the prior night we found out the ship lands in a remote port with a paid bus and 45 minutes ride. the info made us upset, its a short visit any way, add to that a long ride, and a paid one. after many passengers complained, the ride became free, and somehow only 25 minutes.. not sure how this change of the laws of traffic occured, but soon we were walking slowly in Riga. we went to the market first which is made for 4 huge old airplane hangers. lots of fruit on display and Alla gets currents, which you cant find here, they are so sour that i dont know why you would want to, but my strange kids like it too. Alla gets some drink called Kevas, i dont try it. we roam the market, get some good berries and toy cars.
in our last visit we loved a place called lido, now we find its a chain and we go to the one in between all the tourist restaurants. this time it was Ok and they didnt have my Kefir, so i take back my recommendation and am still in search of that great Kefir.
we get some ice cream, walk around the pretty streets and Alla takes the kids to the ship an i take the next two hours to just walking around, walking by the nice city park. even without the kefir, i still like this city very much.i stumbled our our cousins in the city in a little bow and arrow activity and shot some, one hit the center, the rest, kind of on target, not ready for the next robin hood movies just yet. but a bit later next to a strange statue of a rooster sitting on an animal on top of another animal, shocked by this sight i fell over... i return to the ship on the last bus with happy sore feet.
next day was a sea day. woke up early and went for a walk on deck, just going in circles listening t an audio book. Leaving time, an interesting read. the same big breakfast of omelet with kosher bacon and jelepinios and bread with butter and honey, simple and good.
dinners were not that great. it takes a long time for the food to arrive and it was simply not good the first day or two and slightly got better. in the buffet , not everything was good, but you could sample and find something good. except one lunch with unexceptional great steak, so they can cook good food when they want to.
on the sea day i climbed the rock wall once and played volleyball for a while. after a few minutes someone launched the ball overboard. we all rushed to look for Wilson, we didnt see it. we asked for a new ball and without one we play with a soccer ball which was heavier of course, but the low level game continued till someone broke an arm. sadly its my mom. she felt pain and left for medical, didn't realize it was broken and came back with a plastic mobilization device, not a cast. and would be in pain for the next week.
before you know it, we returned to Stockholm and lleft the ship after goodbye breakfast and an uber to the hotel, where we found that Alla forgot her purse and i ubered back to retrieve it. with a full day ahead we went to the astrid park a.k.a
Junibacken.
what a charming place. Astrid is the author of pipi long stockings and other children's books known locally. and they made this kids park by the books. i dont know most of these stories but the park is incredible. little houses, stores , planes, filled with ladders and slides, hidden passage ways and discoveries. the kids could not stops exploring for 2-3 hours. even the cafeteria inside was all by book design. this place also has a little Disney type ride where you pass various rooms that each is a story scene, very nicely done even for those who do not know these stories. when with kids in stockholm, do not miss this place, when without kids, you can still go.
we walked back to the hotel with winy over tired kids, enjoying a finally warm day. we went to a restaurant in the evening that is next to an enclosed garden. i was on kids duty and once again they ran around the place with all the cousins, i managed to snick in a bite or two in between playing tag.
woke up early the next morning and went on a walk with Moti once again and tried to discover a new area. a lovely walk in the morning and actually saw a deer in a park. I didnt think such a large city would have them.
later in the morning we went to the amusement park. good amount of kids ride, but even a 10 minute line for some is too much for kids patience, well our kids.. they had lots of fun on the rides but too much wait in between. oh, the lasagna was good after a 20 minutes wait.
we returned for a hotel rest and went in the afternoon once again to the urban deli for early dinner and ended up giving hot dogs to the kids. late in the day i took my one handed mom for a last walk in pretty Stockholm and headed for an early night only where Mattan is watching cartoons in Swedish. we woke up at three am packed and took the shuttle to the airport with a decent behaving kids, airport breakfast and the 1st leg of the flight passed ok. this is iceland air. and on arrival you each get a water bottle and a kids bags with head sets, colors and a little work book. also ,even with no food on this flight, the kids get a little sandwich and juice box. very good company for kids travel. next time no matter where the destination, alla wants iceland air.
on the lay over in Iceland, we had a short break and i found my Icelandic hot dogs and bought the appropriate mustard as well. we wait inline to board right next to an escalator, Mattan with a little kinder egg car and with tal both wanting to ride it and cant, there is a security rope. Mattan places his car on the stair and it goes for a ride, I hold mattan back from a rescue attempt and everyone is curious what will happen to the little car., a minute passes and nothing, it didn't go around and no shreds , meanwhile Tal gets a fit and does not stop crying, he knows what he wants and now a security rope is in his way .. finally the rope is removed and we proceed to board where we find the car safely at the top. Tal finally relaxes and both flights pass relatively well. once again both Iceland and Sweden with the airport strollers are the best. so continent and great family considerations.
now in Canada, where there are no roaming strollers, we gather our things, the passport check just flows by and i go get the car out of parking. i dont have a discount code but the clerks say, "he, i cant use this, just 100$ off": with a nonchalant tone, i take it for sure. parking here is significantly cheaper then cleveland airport parking. we make our way slowly out of Toronto. we find a shwarma place, this place has no running water, problems with the main. this was ok, but since i was lafa deprived for a long time , i enjoy it much. but there is no kids food in this place and somehow we end up in the worse pace of all. the big M. there is a play area here and kids run around while we get something that is supposed to be food. i dont know why this is the most successful restaurant in the world. that tasted so horrible , yuck.kids kind of fed. and now Alla needs to eat, so to Chipotle we go and finally we manage to leave Toronto and begin the long drive back, no lines at the border and the kids dose in and out and wine on occasion even in sleep, we stop twice for a wake up rest stop and make it home by 8 30 PM, pretty much exhausted.
by 9 i am asleep.
1 new country for me, 5 new countries for the kids. none new for Alla. a lot of decent food and a bit very good. one broken hand and very good time with the family. not too mention 1 rabbit, 1 owl and a few toy cars.
till we meet again...
the 2nd half is written after the fact on the home couch, pics will be arriving this weekend
