Helsinki

Senate Square with tram lines and Helsinki Cathedral

Aboard the submarine museum.  Dive!  Dive!

Vessiko, one of five Finnish subs from the 1930's

For the last stop on our Baltic trip we visited Helsinki. We took a hydrofoil ferry from Tallinn that got us there in two hours. Not bad.

In Helsinki the Fins were enjoying the sunny days like there was no tomorrow. On the day we arrived every park bench and nearly every sunny spot seemed to be occupied by people trying to get their annual dose of vitamin D. Outside is the place to be in Helsinki in the summer.

We likewise spent our time outside, touring the city by foot and by tram and taking the ferry to an island that used to have fortifications to protect the city from attack. JR and I even toured a 1930's era submarine. The Fins we met were all very friendly and like the rest of the Nordic countries they spoke great English.

Tallinn

Walking through the Old Town

The city medieval city walls are largely intact

Viewpoint of the Old Town

Rose garden in the Kadrioru Park

After our overnight cruise from Stockholm we spent a day and a half in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This is the land of Skype and other successful digital technologies, but the old town is so well preserved (and there are so many cruise ship tourists) that you feel like you're in Disney World. The old town is pretty, but it the number of tourists is overwhelming between 10am and 5pm. After that though they go back to their boats and the city is very enjoyable. On the second day we took a trip to a park just outside the city that was established by Peter the Great when he built a summer residence there.

Stockholm

Watch out, dragons!

Seeing reindeer at the skansen

Eating reindeer on the cruise ship!

Cruising through the Stockholm archipelago

A cruise ship like ours, passing us at 11:30 pm (!) 

Please bear with me. I'm a little behind with the posts. Here are some pictures from our trip to Stockholm, Tallinn, and Helsinki about a month ago.

Stockholm was our favorite of the three capitals. It's beautiful and has more interesting things for tourists to see and do. We especially liked the views of the city from the harbor taxis and the skansen, which is like an outdoor museum and zoo. JR saw reindeer. We stayed two nights then took an overnight cruise ship to Tallinn. The buffet was pretty good -- Jill tried reindeer! I don't think it was the same one from the skansen..

Independence Day celebration in Krakow

Jill and I attended the US Consulate's Indepedence Day celebration last night. It was held at the Kościuszko Mound, which is a kind of monument and museum dedicated to Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish general and engineer who played a big part in the America's revolutionary war and later ill-fated attempts at Polish independence. He designed the fortifications at West Point, among other things. There are many cities, parks and monuments dedicated to Kościuszko in the US, although most people have no idea nowadays what he did to deserve the honor.

It was a beautiful evening and a great venue, up above the city and overlooking the district where we live in Krakow. We enjoyed one more chance to mingle with some of our Polish and American friends here. Oh, and there were fireworks to celebrate my successful defense of my thesis yesterday morning. :)

Time's getting short. We're going to miss this assignment!

Brothers on the balcony

"School's out for summer!" ...at least for JR.

JR now has more time to spend "helping" with Joey now that he's done with preschool. Joey looks a little suspicious of what Mom and Dad are letting JR do, but Dad was just outside the frame, spotting.

Edinburgh

We took a weekend trip to Edinburgh this weekend. The excuse was that our residence cards were expiring so we had to leave the Schengen area and re-enter. The flight to Edinburgh was quicker than the drive to Ukraine, so there you go...

It was a nice break to travel to Scotland. I could understand everything I read for a change! (And about 50% of what I heard!)

The people we met were very friendly. We saw the castle, bought a couple wool scarves in the Graham clan plaid, ate haggis (and tatties and neeps), and enjoyed a spot of tea. Oh, and tasted a little cask-strength single malt whisky. :)

It was a great weekend. More pictures below.

More Edinburgh

Cow patty exhibit at the Scottish National Museum -- classic.

Enjoying a little afternoon nap in The White Horse, est. 1742.

A picture after riding on a double-decker bus for the first time. Single deckers just won't cut it any more!