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Exploring Northern Europe with Dad
July 16th
to
August 4th, 2008
London, England
Stockholm, Sweden
Riga, Latvia
Gdansk, Poland
Stutthof, Poland
Helsinki, Finland
Porvoo, Finland
St. Petersburg, Russia
Pushkin, Russia
Tallinn, Estonia
Copenhagen, Denmark
Oslo, Norway
Harwich, England
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Journal created:
Thursday, July 17, 2008
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3:19:54 PM
Journal last updated:
Thursday, August 07, 2008
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5:02:36 PM
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Dad & I in Northern Europe.
This adventure came about through my casual mention of my desire to travel to England this summer. Of course, mentioning travel to my Dad is very similar to dangling chocolate in front of a baby; good enough a reason to leap immediately. And so it happened ... he quickly inquired about expanding the initial scope of the trip into something much larger. This trip is the culmination of that.
How much larger? Hmmm... I had planned to visit the UK; my Dad suggested beginning the trip in London and then continuing on through northern Europe. Unfortunately, last year was a very tough year and travel to visit my mom took quite a bit--in financial, emotional and physical ways--out of me. I wanted a break this summer, and very badly of course, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything--spending the incredibly valuable time with her was truly priceless--but it did mean my summer travel budget this year was a bit limited. Hence, my plans for a limited Europe visit of just England. However, good 'ole Dad was willing to fund the lions part of his suggested trip making it possible (c'mon, who doesn't love a free trip with Dad :).
And so it goes. The trip was truly amazing and I'm so excited I was able to travel to such beautiful places with my Dad.
The most prominent facet of the trip? Simple: BEAUTIFUL and incredibly SEXY women (repeat this 2-3 times when reading) wearing little pieces of clothing. Also, other wonderful parts included beautiful sights to see, incredible works of art and I was in time zones 7-10 hours from my norm. Yes, I realize the use of capitalization often times appears as if it's SHOUTING. Trust me, British women with only-describable-if-you-are-talking-to-them HOT accents (this is another one of those sections that should be repeated MANY times) warrant a form of emphasis. Yes, really. At least to me.
It's always about the journey...
Adventure Blog & Photos
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Cruise & Ship Information
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The cruise ship serving as home for the better part of the journey was the Celebrity GTS Constellation. A very beautiful and comfortable vessel, the Constellation is a relatively large ship with ~ 2,000 passengers and ~ 1,000 crew members. Twelve decks filled with rooms, bars, food venues, theatres, lounges, galleries and shops ensured the "floating luxury hotel" always had something going on (and I rarely was in bed before ~ 1 AM :). The quality of service, attention to detail, entertainment, food and other associated amenities was incredible.
Our itinerary? We departed from Stockholm, Sweden 19 July 2008 and ended up in Harwich, England 2 August 2008. The in-between was fully packed with beautiful Northern European destinations via the Baltic & North Seas.
 I have mixed emotions about cruising. It is, by all logical measures anyway, a wonderfully relaxing way to vacation and by all practical defintion, a floating hotel. In this capacity it serves as home base and allows you to become settled, unpacking in the beginning of the trip, and then venturing out on day trips in various cities accessed by various waterways. Most stays in ports of call last for less than a day, typically ~ 8 hours or so, although a few do last overnight. The price of admission includes all the biggies: food, lodging, basic drinks, etc. For me, the happy part is the relaxation, quality of service, etc; the bummer parts for me are that you only get a nilly touch of a place, it's far from inclusive (have to pay additional fees for NEARLY EVERY miscellaneous item onboard) and are limited to a pre-determined group schedule. None of this is bad or good; however, it's a style that, for me, only fits sometimes and not so much others. For tropical beach stuff, I'm all for it; for more adventurous destinations--certainly of which European explorations qualify--I would very much like to explore the local color. I like to wander on my own, spend copious amounts of time truly *experiencing* an area rather than just doing the usual crowded touristy stuff, and meander at my own pace rather than just getting a *taste*. For this type of adventure I'm not quite sold on the cruise medium.
So, why for this trip? Easy answer. I'm spending time with my Dad; he loves a cruise and I love being with him. In fact, it's priceless.
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Related Info & Resources
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