Tues. July 6, Reykjavik-Seattle-Portland

Tuesday morning we slept in, in preparation for our long flight home, and then packed up. We took a stroll down the hotel's street, looking for a place to have lunch, and found an espresso place that also had soup and sandwiches and lasagna. The soup and lasagna were pretty plain, but the coffee was good. The girls started getting fidgety before Michelle and I were done, so I went over to the cafe's reading material corner, and found a familiar children's book and a movie magazine, both in Icelandic. Those kept them each engaged for a long time.

The flight was all daylight, leaving Reykjavik at 5pm, and arriving in Seattle, seven time zones away, 7.5 hours later at 5:30pm. The weather was mostly clear after we left cool, cloudy, rainy Iceland, and we had spectacular views of the mountains and glaciers of Greenland, as well as the Canadian Rockies and the North Cascades.

Shara met us at the airport, and drove us back to Portland, where we saw real darkness, and stars for the first time in 3.5 weeks.

As the Swedes say, "Att resa ar bra, men hemma ar besta" (my spelling isn't quite right, but I know the meaning: "To travel is good, but home is the best.")

We've got some good pictures I haven't posted yet, but that will probably have to wait until tomorrow.

Mon. July 5 in Reykjavik

Smally but tasty bufet at the hotel. Good muesli. Good melon. Two kinds of picked herring.
Had the hotel book us our spots on the Puffin Express, and took a taxi to the harbor, because we had run out of walking time.

The Puffin Express turned out to be pretty low key, two young guys running a 50-year old wooden boat that had once been a small inter-island passenger ferry. It was just us and three other families, one of which was from Ashland. We saw lots of puffins. The captain had Lulu steer the boat most of the way back to the harbor; she enjoyed that.

In the afternoon we went to the Saga Museum, on a hill top a ways from the center, and looked at very realistic wax figures of ancient Vikings, many doing horrible things to each other, such as chopping off heads because of religious disagreements.

It sprinkled a little, but all in all, it was a fine day.

Our after-dinner walk back to the hotel took us through the new modern cathedral at the top of the hill, where a young pregnant woman was playing ferocious music on the giant organ.

Now we must sleep, to rest up for the very long day we will have tomorrow, traveling home.

Sunday July 4 reunion with Lulu and flight to Iceland

Sunday morning we slept in again, but made sure we got up in time for the hotel buffet breakfast. Marjukka brought Lulu about 11am. Lulu had a fine time in Finland, swimming in a lake, going for a long bike ride, roasting veggie dogs over a fire, and just generally hanging out with Lumi´s family.
We caught a van to the airport, spent 3.5 hours on the plane, then landed at Keflavik. Took a bus into Reykjavik, and saw the steam coming from the Blue Lagoon, where we had soaked three weeks earlier.
Settled into our hotel, had dinner at a simple, friendly restaurant next door called Harry´s, closed up the heavy curtains against the light, and crashed.

Sat. July 3 train back to Finland

Saturday morning we slept in. Frances is good at entertaining herself. Later we walked a few blocks to a basement gallery full of handmade dolls.
In the afternoon Bella drove us to the Finland station, and we got on the train. The dining car served us wine in real glasses, and hot food on real plates.
We got to Helsinki about 10pm, where the town was full of young people dressed up for a night out, many looking like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine ad, and others in black tee-shirts (or no shirts); a big heavy metal concert had just let out.

Friday July 2, jazz on the river

Friday Mary gave us a set of three keys, and explained how to use them: a little disk that opens the gate between the sidewalk and the tunnel that leads into the courtyard; a little metal rectangle with two holes that opens the door between the courtyard and their stairwell; and a big skeleton-style key that opens their apartment.

Then we went off for a walk on our own. Unlike the Thursday humidity and thunderstorms, the air was fresh and pleasant. We returned to the Georgian restaurant for lunch. The woman who waited on us was really nice, but spoke virtually zero Englsih, and couldn't find an English menu. But she understood "kebab," and with pantomime we were also able to communicate "bread" and "beer," and we had another delicious meal.

Later we found a canal-side cafe with shaded outdoor seating nad had a leisurely coffee and strawberry pie (with chocolate ice cream for Frances).

Bella had made us reservations on an evening cruise on the Neva with live jazz. We tore ourselves away from the Brazil-Holland World Cup game (it was 1-1 when we left) and set out walking to the river.

The band on the boat was a real treat. Six pieces, mostly old guys, talented and enthusiastic, doing a mix of Dixieland, Triplets of Bellville-style Paris hot jazz, and a few sentimental Russian songs. We ordered some beers, and the staff didn't mind that we had also brought snacks from home and from McDonalds. The evening light on the Hermitage and other ornate buildings along the Neva was beautiful.

Afterwards we walked across the huge square in front of the Hermitage palace. It was mostly empty. A dozen people were playing aroumd on Segways. A man approached us, trying to sell old army medals. We declined. Then he offered a jar of black caviar for 20 Euros. He even offered to let us take a taste to make sure it was real. We declined, so he hurried off across the square towards another knot of people that looked like tourists.

Back at the apartment it was after 11, but Uruguay-Ghana was on, and Frances wanted to watch, since she had gained some familiarity with Ghana when they eliminated the US. But fianally at the half she agreed to turning off the tv and going to sleep.

Today (Saturday) we will take the Metro to the Finland station, and catch the 4:30pm train back to Helsinki. To make it easier, Bella will take our luggage in her car.

We have had a very nice time in St. Petersburg!

Thurs., July 1, the Hermitage and a ballet

There is so much in this city. Thursday we went with Mary to the Hermitage. It is only about a 20 minute walk from their apartment. We met up with her father, Alex. It was great to see him after all of these years. He is still a wonderful lively guy. He now works for Sweco, a Swedish software company with a big office in Russia.

There was a long line to enter the museum (first Thrusday is free here), but it moved swiftly. Besides all of the incredible regular stuff, they have a big visiting exhibit from Korea, and a huge number of pieces by Picasso, on loan from a museum in Paris. We decided to devote most of our time to Picasso, but took in some Goya and Rembrandt, too.

In the afternoon there were two severe thunder storms, but we were able to take shelter on a porch of the Hermitage for the first one, and in the apartment for the second.

In the evening we went with Bella to opening night of a revival of the 1950s Russian ballet Spartacus at the Mariinsky. We were in the top (fourth) balcony, but in the Mariinsky, every seat is a good seat.

The production was incredible. Often more than 100 dancers on stage. Two exquisite willowy prima ballerinas. A big orchestra with lots of dynamics. The show started a little after 7pm, and didn't end until almost 10:30pm. Frances was entrhalled the whole time. I bought a glass of champagne during the first intermission, and shared it with Michelle and Bella and a friend of hers she met up with. Her friend had brought a small picnic from home to eat during the intermission. That's OK here.

Afterwards we walked outside into the bright 10:30pm light, dodging the puddles from the thunderstorms.

Later I found some video of the ballet's rehearsals at

http://www.youtube.com/user/MariinskyEn#p/u/5/QDFHsgHV7R4

that gives you a taste of it.

Seeing such a huge number of super-talented dancers all on the stage at once was just beyond words.

Tues. June 29: Helsinki to St. Petersburg

We got up early to catch a train that left about 7:30am. Our train car included a lot of friendly Germans, and their Estonian guide.

Mary and Bella met us at the station in the afternoon with fresh daisies for Frances. We piled our stuff into their little car and they drove us to their apartment near the center of town, where we met their dog and cat.

Later we went f0r a nice long walk in the city, through parks and over canals, and then to a Georgian restaurant where we ate eggplant and pomegranate and lamb kebabs, with sweet grapey wine. Yum! (I think I have a picture of the dinner, but I haven't added it yet.)

The pictures so far are Frances on the train, and the view out the window of their living room, where the three of us are sleeping.