Departed July 9th, 2002 for London, England on British Airways. Service on the flight was unusually good and arrived at the Melia White House Hotel at noon local time. Check out time is at 2 pm and unfortunately had to wait till 4pm to get to our room. The hotel is centrally located, nicely decorated and with spacious rooms. Took a little nap, showered and enjoyed a fish and chips meal at Queens Head & Artichoke, a popular local pub.

Next morning refreshed we started our panoramic tour of London. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. 

Going past Hyde Park we drove on Tower Bridge and visited the Tower of London. It is amazing to me that this 900 year old complex has been used as a royal palace, fortress, prison and place of execution, arsenal, mint, and crown jewels repository.

In the afternoon we visited Kensington Palace, once a favored home of some of Britain`s most famous kings and queens. A new exhibition was created to mark HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee. On display were five royal wedding dresses displayed together for the first time. The bridal gowns were those worn by HM The Queen (married 1947), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1923), Queen Mary (1893), Queen Alexandra (1863) and Queen Victoria (1840).  Also in display was a collection of evening dresses belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales.

From there we visited the Imperial War Museum, the underground complex occupied by Churchill and his War Cabinet during the Second World War. It was thrilling  to see how Winston Churchill and his staff, the War Cabinet and Intelligence organization met below ground to conduct the war, out of this fortified basement that offered a place to work and sleep in relative safety from the continuous German air raids.

Next morning July 12, 2002 we drove to Dover to embark our cruise ship the Norwegian Dream and were on our way by 4pm. The Dream was built in 1992 at the cost of $240 million dollars. It's gross tonnage is 50,764, with an average speed of 19 knots.

July 13, 2002 was spent at sea. Sometime during the morning we started our transit through the Kiel Canal. This canal built by Germany between 1887 and 1895 links the North Sea with the Baltic Sea and takes about 7 - 8 hours to cover its 61 mile length. We explored the ship and got acquainted with the different decks. That night we were treated to Sea Legs At Sea featuring the Jean-Ann Ryan Company. A dance production we enjoyed very much.

July 14, 2002 spent cruising the Baltic Sea. That evening we were invited to the Captain's Champagne Party and got to meet more fellow passengers. After a 6 course dinner we were presented with a stand-up comedy show that got us laughing hysterically and we ended the evening with ballroom dancing.

July 15, 2002 docked in Tallinn, Estonia.. Drove to Upper Town passing ancient walls and gateways. Walked up Toompea Hill to Palace Square and viewed Toompea Castle. Next we visited the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral  filled with golden icons and  mosaics which  dominates the Upper Town skyline. 

From there we drove to Rocca al Mare an open air museum that houses, in a wooded park, 18th and 19th century windmills and farm houses transported there from all over Estonia. Towards the end of our visit we were served refreshments and treated to a folkloric show by local performers clad in national costumes.

July 16, 2002. Docked in St. Petersburg, Russia for a two day stay. It was without a doubt the highlight of our trip. Known today as the Venice of the North, the city has more than 100 islands, more than 60 canals and hundreds of bridges. Our first stop was the Peter and Paul Fortress built in 1703 to protect from Sweden the access to the sea.  Buried in the cathedral there, are Peter the Great and all the Russian emperors and empresses. We passed the battleship Aurora whose shot announced the start of the 1917 Revolution. Visiting the Church on Spilled Blood I was awed by its nine-domed roof. Built with granite and marble it marks the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated.

In the evening we enjoyed the spectacular performance of Mikhail Godenka's Krasnoyarski Dance Company of Siberia. It was the best Russian folkloric dance and song entertainment (in gorgeous costumes) I had ever seen and they got long standing ovations from all of us.

July 17, 2002. We drove to the Hermitage Museum built by Peter the Great for his daughter Empress Elisabeth.  The palace became a museum in 1764 when Catherine the Great began her private art collection. Today we are told it is the home to one of the most remarkable art collections in the world. We then broke for a delicious lunch of typical Russian fare complete with caviar and iced vodka.

Peterhof  the summer home of Peter the Great was our last stop. Built to rival Versailles it encompassed more than 20 small palaces and pavilions as well as a 300 acre park with spectacular fountains designed by Peter himself. These fountains are controlled by a system of little reservoirs hidden at different levels to enable gravity to activate their jets. Just Amazing!

July 18, 2002 Docked this morning in the heart of Helsinki, Finland. Driving along the coastal road we passed Embassy Park that houses large embassies to visit the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral with its gold domes. From there to Senate square which includes the Senate buildings and the Lutheran Cathedral. In the center of the square is the statue of Alexander ll Czar of Russia and Grand Duke of Finland.

Took a stroll in Sibelius Park, built to honor the Finnish composer and then visited the Temppeliankio Rock Church. This church was blasted into solid rock and topped by a copper dome that used miles of copper wire. The effect was very unusual and quite amazing. Our last stop was the Paavo Nurmi Olympic Stadium where the 1952 Olympic games were held.

July 19, 2002 arrived in Stockholm, Sweden. Originally built as a fortress in 1250 Stockholm is spread across the water on more than 14 islands. As you can tell from the pictures below the panoramic views of the city are stunning.

City Hall a twelve year effort completed in 1923 reputed to be one of the most impressive pieces of modern architecture in Europe. A flight of stairs brings you to the Golden Hall named after the mosaics that cast a golden hue over the room. On the ground floor is the Blue Hall where the Noble Prize Banquets are held.

July 21, 2002 arrived early this evening in Copenhagen, Denmark. From its origin as a humble fishing village, to its heyday as the glittering capital of the Danish Empire, Copenhagen today is one of the world's premier design centers. Tivoli Gardens the only amusement park located in the middle of a city, cruising the Nyhaven Canal with its houseboats and a visit to the Amalienborg Palace, the royal family residence since 1750 gave us a little glimpse of this 850 year old city.

July 22, 2002 Docked in Oslo, Norway. Drove through the city passing Akershus Castle, the parliament building to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. This assemblage of statutes cast in stone, iron and bronze depicting the different stages of life is truly astounding. Unfortunately is rained continuously and inhibited our appreciation of Gustave Vigeland's life long work.

We then drove to the site of the first ski jump built in 1892 and was main venue of the 1952 Winter Olympic Games and from there to the Viking Ship Museum housing three ships including implements unearthed in the 19th century

July 23, 2002 cruised the North Sea for our return to Dover. From there drove to Heathrow for our uneventful flight back. It was a very enjoyable trip and it seemed to have ended so quickly.