As we now head towards the highlight of our Cruise, St Petersburg, we are enjoying some much needed sunshine mixed with force 8 winds and a huge swell which has caused the ship to divert from our stop in Helsinki To head straight for St Petersburg.
Having called at Gdynia, Poland and coming across a Polish Navy Officer's Passing Out Parade, which appeared to be a much more relaxed affair than in the UK. A few police were in evidence and some if the waterfront was temporarily cordoned off but apart from that the general public were lingering around and listening to the speeches and lining the area of promenade used as the parade ground. The marching and general turnout was not a patch on the passing out parade we experienced at Dartmouth just over 2 years ago.
From Gdynia we headed north to Stockholm and having been advised that the approach to Stockholm was something not to be missed we woke at 05.30 to enjoy this amazing scenery. There are 24,000 islands in this archipelago, some just a few rocks poking through the water, others with small houses on and of course a jetty for a boat, some uninhabited and some, as in Stockholm itself, supporting major residential and business communities on massive islands.
Despite the brisk, cold wind and the early hour we were rewarded with the most spectacular scenery and a wonderful memory.
Stockholm was cold, much colder than anyone was expecting, made worse by the strong and building wind!
We enjoyed a sightseeing trip by water, which was a great way of getting a taste if the city and it's wider environs.
We set sail from Stockholm in ever increasing winds. The ship is amazingly stable but we had a bit of a roll on and a noisy night. Hence, Jenny did not have the best if night's sleep.
The Captain, Stuart Horne, had to then make the difficult decision in the morning to bypass our stop in Helsinki for safety reasons. Disappointing, but understandable in the deteriorating and unexpected conditions.
However, the 'Team put together a hasty programme of events to keep passengers entertained. Also, the skies brightened and Jenny enjoyed an hour on the sundeck soaking up some rays before enjoying a swim (indoors as the outdoor pool had been drained!). It is a strange experience swimming in pool with a 'wave machine' effect with the rolling motion of the ship. Most days she has also done the mile (6 laps) of the upper deck but not today as this area has been cordoned off, once again for safety reasons.
Two days in St Petersburg lie ahead of us. Can't wait!
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