Our Seavoyage to St.Petersburg - Russia

Our seavoyage to St. Petersburg,Russia

To start off with must say, that it has been very interesting but did by far not beat the charm of our Virgin Islands trip last year. Going up north you must think that you end up with forrest ,lakes, sea and elks...no way! True, passing the baltic coast you see hundreds of little and big islands, lined with charming country homes, some of them have their own little harbour with sail and motorboats..still,the big harbours we visited on our trip are bustling cities with crowds of people milling around and traffic jams. St. Petersburg for example has a population of about 5 million people which almost equals the population of Estland.The capital City of Tallinn ,btw, has been the only place i could imagine myself to live..and there comes the big if....the summer would not only be 3 months and the rest long,dark very cold winter.

Now lets bring a little sequence in my report. As you might have noticed the trip started out with 2 days of Amsterdam, very nice, lively place! We stayed 2 days awaiting the ship and I started out with my mostly solo tours,which had been one of the problems of this journey. Herr H. simply could not cope with the strain of sightseeing any more ,so sharing so often was out. Once aboard it did not change much, what he loved most has been the bed. But I made the best of it, only in St.P., which I had been sooo looking forward to I was hit by dizzy spells and had to see the ship's hospital for an infusion. Tried to visit the Hermitage but had to leave after 3 rooms, the whole place started to turn summersaults around me.Besides ....being weekend,it had been very hot and crowded. But I had a marvellous river- and canal trip including the fortress of St.Peter & Paul with the great (former- museum now) cathedral( where almost all the zars have been burried) the next day. The weather played along, nice and warm...lovely! - So next it had been Estonia with Tallin and then Helsinki ,Finnland, where we had some discrepancies with our booked tour and ended up taking an hop-on-and off leaving from the harbour,which was in the end maybe the better idea, since the weather being very nice we sat on the open deck. Had some worries about being back in time on account of the traffic...ship does not wait for selfarranged tours! but we made it. Helsinki a very bustly city too with nice sights to see and very crowded. But I think up north people enjoy being out once the sun is shining. The weather had been great for sightseeing most of the time during our trip, Twenties C / sixties F.
Dissapointed I had been from Copenhagen/Denmark. First with hundreds of people we glared at the little meermaid (sits quite close to the passenger terminal) then we had a boring tour in the middle of traffic jams looking mostly at road constructions - they build a subway- and the bus was too cold on top, which did not help hubby's severe cough he had develop and still battles with.

Just notice I skipped our first harbour..Warnemünde in Germany, There we took a taxi to Rosock, a pretty,friendly little university town . We enjoyed it!

Now about our life aboard. They put us on a german table, not what we really wanted, Germans we meet plenty around here..they were ok though . Notice my black friends, there had been quite a big table of black people, but did not get to meet any of them. Matter of fact we met not many folks, one night we got stuck at the martini bar, the most highlife place aboard, hangover had been programmed next morning, all I needed with my already swirling head! At the end of the journey Mr. H. got seasick, so there I was again with my lonely meals and ventures.

So, friends, thats about it in short, the little things would take too long 

The Sequence of our NO journeys

May 914.....11:48 a.m.

The jinx about our vacation trips started several years ago with our trip or rather cancelled trip to Vacouver BC. We wanted to see our good friends Bill and Norma and they had planed such a great time with terrific side excursions..instead herr husband took an outtime in the hospital with kidney failure. 
Next cancellation river cruise to Vienna,Budapest etc...hubby took outtime in the hospital with heart failure. We took the trip later on and were rewarded with a Danube in continious rain and high floods so we had to leave the ship in Vienna on the way back.
Next No vacation had been Jersey Islands, my brother died.
And last not least our Xmas river trip to Amsterdam ,cancelled on account of the serious car accident our son-i.l. had before Xmas on the way to Austria.
Whoever is turning that screw must have missed out on our Carribean Cruise, we might have been too fast in our decision to go. 
Now we are in waiting position about Mr. Putin's ideas about spoiling our cruise to St. Petersburg.

Our oldest daughter refuses to consider to take a vacation with us . She claims this would be a bank for a NO-TRIP!

Will there be a Journey?

May 5/2014...3:00 p.m

Well, let's wait and see if Mr. Putin will let us visit beautiful St.Petersburg. Keeping fingers crossed!  🙏  👇

 

Some about Age

April  29/14...4:36 p.m
Phonecall this morning...  One of my girlfriends,who is a proud seventyish and boasting herself to be looking much younger , had been on a group travel to Russia. One of her travel companions had been a 86 year old lady. So my friend got to talking to her and in the run of the conversation gave her a guess about her own age and the old lady said...you are around 83.  My friend is still flabbergasted and I laughed all morning. The old lady made my monday! Matter of fact, I am still laughing!

Slowpoke

April 13/14

The day my younger daughter is getting older and me feeling real old.  Promised to fix a noodlesalad for lunch, which I think can be done in no time but this had been wishful thinking. It took me three days!  First day I battled with the bell peppers, blistering

and  peeling the darn things I spent felt 8 hours. The next day I had been busy felt 10 hours to get the mixture ready and the last touches this morning ...well, At least there I had a normal feeling. No parties for me no more...I fired myself.

About bashing Russia

February 8/14....9:20 a.m.

Have been watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympics last nite.  I liked them, it has been cheerful and colorful. There might have been some minor flaws, but nobody is perfect. but what I have been reading  in facebook,twitter and in media later on I found pretty upsetting. It seems as if the hate against Putin has been bundled up into a Russia bashing. Is it not the spirit of Olympia to unite people under the roof of fair and joyful games? and arn't we forgetting how much work has been put into the efforts to establish good games? If you want,you can always find a hair in the soup and we should rather look upon the goals which have been achieved than pointing with mean fingers at failures.

Well,this is my opinion, you are entitled to yours.

the Spirit of Christmas

December 27/13...5:20 p.m

It is heartwarming to hear about stories like that in our times of consumption and greed. Just let the story put a smile on your face! 

http://www.news-record.com/news/article_c8f8f7a2-6e64-11e3-a7ec-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=jqm

Another Pre Xmas story

December 5 /13...6:42 p.m.

My Personal Xmas cookie trauma

I am not so fond of baking but Xmas cookie baking brings me  to the limit. It starts with having to "free" the kitchen table which takes about 20 min. ..and then the task finding my ingredients in my overstuffed cabinets. The hidden away ground almonds finally were found in the basement storage! this hunt took me another 20 min.,getting the rest of the stuff together another 10 and yippee...finally ready to start the dough. It burns me up to read stories about moms and kids doing cookie baking with red cheeks ,singing Xmas songs. Must be fairy tales..or lies! Mine always quit me after 5 min for watching tv and I will never forget that time when daughter no. 2 invited a friend for baking . After the usual limit of 5 minutes the whining for watching tv started and when I declined the guest kid bit my ass and in sequence I hit her. I must admit that it had been a reflex from the pain and I got absolution from the kids mom. So, you see, I am traumatized an I have a tremendous admiration for dedicated baking ladies....like for example #Lisa Cake Lady Stevens !

The Magic of X-mas

November 25/11...10:24 am



On Facebook, mostly among my U S friends, there is a (rather silly - if you ask me ) game going on. you are given a number and according to the number you have to answer questions about yourself. Well, I played along and one answer I came up with has been "I do not like Xmas". Actually I should have voiced it differently. I have lost my feeling for Xmas because I miss the magic of the Christmas of my childhood.  Christmas time had been covered with a sense of expectations, whispered secrets ,smells of baking of goodies hidden away and crisp cold and snowflakes outside. And oh, that day of X-mas eve when the doors to the locked up room were opened and the smell of burning wax candles and fresh green of the X-ms tree filled the house! - And that first moment of suspense if the wishes had been fulfilled! - 


I have lost that magic to a commercialized celebration where in vain I am looking for the spirit of X-mas

A Prank

November 1/13

...no,no, not Halloween, Herr H. is no doubt able to practice prancs without a given reason. 
Well, judge for yourselves. 

Around this time of the year my car needs a tire change and usually Herr H. takes my car to the service shop. Since he had taken another tumble the previousday I did not quite trust him with my little car. He always claims anyway that he can not drive it (not automatic and the pedals are too small  - which makes me remark that it is not a toy car, other adults drive it also ) - anyway, I took him along to pay at least the bill. The shop usually serves breakfast during waiting time, a nice service, along with morning papers, quite convinient! - So we sat down for our meal and Herr H. had to visit the bathroom. I had my coffee, a nice fresh roll with different things and had a nice chat with the counter guy. After a very long time my dear husband appeared, claiming that he was totally sweaty. It so had happened, that he ,always needing something to hold on to get off the seat, had grabbed the doorhandle which came off and he catapulted right back onto the seat and had himself locked in...door without handle! So he sat there and waited for help but no one showed up and with many efforts got the handle back into the door, he had to be very careful not to push it out on the other side, then he really would have been imprisoned.  You can imagine that I laughed me head off and he still complains up to today that I did not check on him.."There she sat,having leisurely breakfast not giving a damn that I did not show up" he keeps telling everyone. 

But the car had been ready by the time he showed up again.

Yesss...that's me!

september 18/13....11:10 a.m.

So hubby, alias Mr. H. has the habit of dropping his med pills in the bathroom..and not picking them up..grrrrr! and stupid me, after having dropped one of mine picking it up and swallowing it, as if I did not have my own, which I found after it has been too late. and with the variety he drops, I do not even know what I gobbled up! now I am awaiting my doom. yours truly......:(((

An Apple A Day...

September 2/13.....10:45 a.m.

.....keeps the doctor away. Only there is a problem, neither do I like apples nor doctors.

My doc, for example, is in love with his longterm bloodpressure device. Take what you want what I tell him bothers me, his answer: we have to take your longterm bloodpressure. Now,I have been asking,begging, short off rolling on the floor that my bloodpressure is completely o.k. that I take it regularily etc.etc, nooo...I walk out of his office equipped with that hate device. A while ago he took blood samples for every ailment ,like my foot hurts...bloodsample - I have a sore throat....bloodsample. Now I see some reason in that, but still....
I think I have to get myself to like apples and shove all doctors!

BIKEDAY

August 20/13....6.00 p.m.

It is one of those days that I have the feeling to explode if I do no leave the house somehow.Well, there also is a necessitity of bread and oranges. I like it,if I have a destination ,even if it is only our boring little village. Always enjoy it when Ann is around at the veggie shop ,she is from GB and a friend of my daughter Gisa. She is always so overjoyed to see me, hugs and talks no end about nothing. Very refreshing!  Bought a piece of prune cake for Herr H. and my Laugencroissant for tomorrow morning's breakfast, a sin I know, but what the heck, you live but once. Since I had already been on my hate bike this morning, the one without the E (el.motor)  I think I could afford a treat. On my ride this morning I passed the Fährhaus, that place has been empty now all summer, such a shame for this great location right at the riverbanks, with its's garden restaurant, we so enjoyed going there for lunch spontaneously. Now only the fancy hotel Vier Jahreszeiten is left which has not the right choice of food for our taste.  Riding on the levee you can watch very nicely the old villas being torn down in big properties and new glasspalaces being put up. In a way a shame. I do not like it,when the old surroundings vanish.  A wide net of bridle paths has been set up where we used to ride in the wild, but at least the river is the same and the ferry is still running from shore to shore. The weather has a touch of autumn already and sitting outside in the evening you can forget about. All fitting for my blue day today.

Try to be back ( more)

August 12/13...10:55 a.m


this fb communication is just playing up to my laziness. planing on digging more into my blog again, which somehow I find more rewarding. but it takes more efforts. on the other hand, have done it before. or does "old age" also take its toll here? I am contemplating....

that's my life!

July 8/13

...6:49 a.m.

MOTHER'S DAY

May 12/13....10:00 a.m.

We stole lilac which grew wild alongside the military baracks, we bought an awful glassbowl which Mom had to rejoyce about (and later hid in the cabinet ) and we prepared breakfast with burned toast and hardboiled eggs....poor mom! - lol

A somewhat unusual travel report

April 21/13...     6:23 p.m.

A SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL TRAVEL REPORT

dreamview at Paradise Point

I like to fly, once you made it into the plane, mind you, but after 3 hours I turn into a whining kid – are we not there yet? – well…

Atlanta airport is the airport of the long,long ways and the fast black girls pushing Fred’s wheelchair. Beats me, the young lady had been twice my size but 3 times faster! Mr. H. of course is sitting in his wheelchair like the VIP he is and me, I am trailing equipped with 2 jackets,two carry ons and a waterbottle, upon which I finally sat on the boat proudly presenting wet pants from then on. Great!

We arrived in Florida- Ft.Lauderdale in pouring rain Thursday afternoon and had the luck to find again (always seem to happen to us) the dumbest taxidriver around who did not know this really big hotel at the beachside and kept asking us for the address. As if we knew. Cooling down my thickly feet in the sea at the beach had not been possible, sky and sea purest black. Check-in aboard our vessel the next morning and security were a scream, much sterner than at immigration,which I found astonishingly friendly. But that had been maybe thanks to our “push girl” a real sunshine! In our cabin we found the electric wheelchair as ordered but no gala dinner outfit for F. Our friendly steward came up with the clothes later but unfortunately Herr Husband did not have the athletic shoulders to fit in. So we got one size smaller, which showed a little tight around the waist, will move the button a little later on. Last nite dress code had been smart casual, tonite wil be formal but we will dine at the Tuscon Grille, also dressed up. The staff is friendly all over and the passengers are a mixed crowd. To watch people is fun. We are sitting on our balcony, sun is absent but it is warm. I always have to giggle when I think of my friend Charly who just recently took a cruise and one of his hints had been – do not stick to your cabin all the time, there is much to see on the ship, mix! – hmmm…Charly!

Summing up Saturday April 6 – 1st day at sea….



St. Thomas

Trying to get familiar with the ship, gotten lost at least 3 times, the wrong steward started to call me by name, drank 2 fruitpunch, almost drunk, thought there had been no alcohol in ! And then, while dressing for dinner, I broke out into a terrific sun allergy even if I had not been frying in the sun! charming! Good thing, that the Tuscon Grille and bar had dimmed lights. Must be the long, nasty winter which made me sensitive like Dracula’s sister. The southafrican waitress had been a darling and so attractive! Herr H. is trying hard to destroy the ship with his wheelchair, first he ripped the bed from the wall, not so easy that, because he claimed the extensions cord for loading was not long enough – of course it was – then he performed his master stunt., he rammed the restaurant table and everything, glasses,dishes cutlery fell over and downs and the very decorative balsamico-oliveoil bottle crashed against the picture window. The stuff running down the glass and the broken pieces all over the place. We had to move untill our place had been cleaned up again. All the culprit had to say that he did not do it by purpose. Well,that really would have been it!. And coming out of ther elevator on the way to our cabin he rammed a pillar because he had to turn around. The music plays up front,mister! Then I had a laughing fit, in the restaurant I had been pretty pissed off. –

So, today,Sunday sunscreen 50 will go on my skin, sun or no sun. We are just landing at Basseterre/St.Kitts . It is Tuesday (the day my friend Arthur would have been looking for us at St.Thomas) April 9 and in a little while our nice cabin steward will bring our breakfast to our balcony and then we are off to hit the sugar train. About yesterday and day before I will talk later, now we watch the docking!

So, back aboard, minus driver’s licence Mr. Schultze, that he lost. Basseterre railway tour had been interesting, all those waving people at the side of the tracks gave us the impression that this had been organized. Today even number houses have to wave, tomorrow the uneven ones. The little village I liked more than Charlotte Amalie where we took an unvoluntary island tour. Actually we only wanted to take only a tour of the place, because our date Arthur did not show up and he wanted to be our guide. Turned out he had mixed up the day and the fellow at the security gate from the ship had added to the confusion. Since I asked him for help because I could not quite figure out Arthur’s answering machine, he told me I had the wrong number. As it turned out he had told Arthur that there were 2 passengers waiting for him at the pier and Arthur told him that he had ordered no packages and that must be a wrong number. As I always say – shit happens – and we finally managed to get together after all but then we had only about 2 hours left. So Arthur took us up by car to Paradise Point where also a cable car is running . He invited us to drinks and time passed too fast with getting to know each other. There had been sympathy from both sides and I had the feeling we knew each other for ages. And the view from Paradise Point had been fabulous!

So now it is Arthurs’ turn to let us show him our sights whenever he takes his trip to Paris sometime in the future.

Today we had our first tropical rain, like a warm shower it was.

Wednesday April 10

….took us to Barbados, very exciting, since we wanted to organize our own tour and I played my hamster in the wheel role to find a wheelchair somewhere for F. to get him from the shuttle to a taxi. Wow…It turned out that the el.wheelchair was good aboard but rather useless ashore, because it had not been foldable and we could not take it along this way. But our taxitour which we shared with another couple had been a success, alone from the aspect of getting to know the scenery of island life for a bit. St.John’s Church, presumably the oldest catholic church upon the islands, was impressive, especially the spooky tombs.

Thursday April 11

…led us to Dominica, the most tropic of the islands. It had been quite humid and warm of course and we decided to organize us again ourselves. Our guide, Danny suggested that we visit the Jacko Falls, which Fred could also reach by walking a few paces. This time we had taken the electric wheelchair along – bummer – useless on the terrain. Now this had been real rainforrest and we have seen our first banana plantation and I had been so astonished that Ananas grows on the ground, I had figured them growing on trees. In the evening we skipped dinner and rather watched the beautiful sunset and took a snack from the buffet which we had on the outside part of the restaurant.

Now, Friday, 12th of April gave us a beach day at Palm Beach on St. Maarten including a lousy B-B-Q at the French part of the island. The other half is Dutch. I never thought that surf can pull your feet away like that and I really hit my knee on the ground. The bad one at that. Must say that we are still learnable and therefore we took a shipside owned wheelchair along and I pushed. Of course I did everything wrong and had a very unsatisfied passenger. Our busguide had been a Texan, he was funny and helpfull - unfortunately somewhat fast in speech. His favoured words had been cool and uncool. St. Maarten seemed very clean but the island had suffered heavily from hurricanes.

Well, another two days at sea and then again Ft. Lauderdale, there we took a tour aboard the Jungle Queen through the canal region and I finally managed to get a sunburn ,well shit! And Herr H. spilled bloody Mary onto the brightwhite tablecloth in the restaurant. – end of mischief!

To top it off, never saw so many fat people like aboard and have not walked such long distances since we sent Shaylor dog to dog’s heaven.

Do not give up!

April 21/2013 

 yep, it's me..alive and kicking, back from a great trip to the Caribean Islands! report coming up asap - do not despair, my

few faithfull friends I have left! ;)

HANS IN LUCK - Hans im Glück

November 6/12 ...4:04 p.m.

Hans im Glück....
 a fairytale about a guy who has lots and comes out with nothing, only he is happy about it but I am not, imitating him. To start with, my car broke down and the repairshop is offering a lineup of about 2 weeks. So, if the weather plays along, I take the E-bike for my reduced shopping. Could also take hubby's car, but  I won't (but that is another story). Now today- sun shining - I took off to do some errands. First to my farmshop on the road,to get some fresh eggs and since the shop closes during lunchtime I told the lady to just put them in front of the door,would pick them up on my way back home. Went to the bakery and then to the supermarket where my car had broken down entering the parking lot, this nightmare still gives me gooseflesh. Anyway,did my shopping and loaded my basket on the bike, wanted to start off and..... woom...the baket came off, all my purchases spilled on the sidewalk. Fazit - bottle of red wine broken, everything soaked with red wine. Pixcked my stuff up, stowed it again, did some swearing under my breath and tried to get on my bike and...woom, everything on the ground again. Now, I have made shopping trips with same bike and basket a dozen times and nothing ever happened, I was really flabbergasted. This time my loss had been the milkbox,which broke and leaked. So I stowed it upright and took off to the farm, where I picked up my eggs. Fortunately the lady had put the carton into a plastic bag, so I changed eggs out of and redwine soaked flowerpackage into plastic bag. Mind you, I did a lot of logistics, rearranging all my milk and wine wet purchases. What really amazed me had been a glas jar of chickenbroth which had survived two crashes. For a few hundred meters I have to cross a little forrest and there, right in the middle, a truck blocked the way. Remembering my bike accident 2 years ago I decided to get off the bike and push it by the truck and you will not believe it, my basket slipped off the 3rd time. Actually I was about to yell at the truckdriver, but then the guy had been so nice and helpful and picked up all my remains, because that is what you could call them now. From the dozen eggs 2 broke, there was more spilled milk, my bread and croissants were kind of soggy by now  and to top it all off the truckdriver picked up the plastic cap of the milkcarton and threw it into the bushes. Fortunately I recovered it.  So I stowed my remains for the 3rd time, and then I discovered that I had forgotten to fix the spring which holds the basket onto its carrrier. That had been the reason it slipped all the time. But the jar with the broth rolled around like a bowling ball for a dozen meters and did not break. The label is somewhat dirty though.

My Minniemouse Cup

September 14/2012.....  9:32h

Now here I am again, after a very long time - it is not my fault,believe me, blame facebook which keeps me so occupied and darn...I can not resist! - But now to my story, another one about Herr H., he is my favoured victim, now that Herr Hund only plays his pranks in dog' s heaven.
- So I have this favoured minniemouse cup, gifted with by grandson ages ago after his visit to Disneyland Paris with grandpa. I just love to have my morning milkcoffee out of it. And what happened? I opened the dishwasher and there it was, minus handle. It had come off very neatly.
I had been heartbroken, mind you! showed it to Herrn  H and he suggested I glue it on. That' s what I did and I used that very strong glue,which you never get off your fingers when you are not careful. Set the cup aside for drying. Last nite Herr H  decided to fix himself a cup of tea (very seldom he manages something like that by himself - lol ) and told me very much later of his achievment and that his fingers were full of glue. Now then my mouth dropped open because of all the cups we have sitting around he had to take the glued one which he even knew about being broken. Imagine the handle would have come off again, he really could have scalded himself with the boiling hot tea!  Well, he was lucky that the handle stuck and was pissed off about me laughing so hard about the glue on his fingers. Said that I would not get a good night kiss! - I survived that!