Maze: St. Petersburg

IMPERIAL RUSSIA

PETER THE GREAT FOUNDED AND DESIGNED THE SECOND LARGEST CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG IN 1703 AND MADE IT THE CAPITAL OF RUSSIA.  It ranked as the fifth largest city in  Europe.  Construction began 1703 and the city eventually spread over 100 islands linked by 700 bridges.  It suffered severe damage during the revolution of 1917 and later during World War II, when a cruel 900-day siege claimed more than half a million victims. 

When Russia went to war against Germany in 1914, the name was changed to Petrograd, which means Peter's City.  The Russians did this to get rid of the German ending "burg." When Lenin died in 1924, the Soviet Communist government changed the name for the third time to Leningrad.

Leaving Helsinki behind, glimpses of the magnificent eastern Lake Region on the way to Lappeenranta at the head of the waterways.  Crossing the frontier to Vyborg, the old trading center between the merchants of Novgorod and Karelian hunters.  After a noon lunch in Vyborg, continuing on by traversing the Karelian Isthmus, the land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga reaching St. Petersburg in late afternoon.


Neva River

Russian Battleship Aurora

Most of the city is on the southern bank of the Neva River.  About 120 bridges that cross narrow canals connect the various parts of the city.  The principal avenue is the Nevsky Prospect, 130 feet wide and about 4 miles long of: Imperial Library (renamed Public Library), Alexander Theater (now the Kirov Theater), fashionable stores, nigthclubs and old (Singer Sewing Machine Factory) and new company offices.

We enjoyed our Neva River evening cruise with gypsy dancers and singers entertaining us while sipping or drinking vodka and caviar . 

I bought a lot of Matrioska dolls, some ambers and small imitation of Faberge eggs.

The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Tsars.  It was built in a baroque style between 1754 and 1762 and was the largest royal palace in the world.  It is now the extension of the Hermitage Museum, famed for its masterpieces of Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, Da Vinci, Picasso, Monet and many classic painters.  Photos are not allowed but for a fee of $6 you can take them.

The last Tsar to occupy it was Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra and their 5 children.  They were murdered during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.  Their bodies were entombed at SS Peter and Paul Fortress.

When the Communist government took power, it moved the capital to Moscow and Leningrad declined.  The Russians began to redevelop the city in 1924.  The Red Army defended the city against the Germans during the 900 day siege - from October 1941 to January, 1944.  The Russians held out, another defeat for the Germans.  During the siege, national treasures such as paintings were carefully wrapped and hidden. 

Tsar's Throne

Imperial limousine

Road to Imperial Russia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMUfZ0VwiHg 00:46

Globus-ing in Russia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTnuAe7Lt1w 00:55

Catherine's Palace was being painted and renovated for the city's 300th anniversary celebration

Yusopov Palace: Czarina Alexandra's favorite adviser and diehard dude Rasputin as invited guest

Folk dancers dancing at a Neva River cruise; caviar and vodka, anyone?

900-day seige memorial of St. Petersburg by the Germans in 1941

I almost missed the Swan Lake performance by the Kirov ballet.  I thought I checked the optional tour but I forgot and did not.  Thanks to Tania, our able and capable local guide, I still got a nice seat at the Mariinsky Theatre.  Simply beautiful!

Video: http://youtu.be/9rJoB7y6Ncs

Matrioshka dolls of my all-time favorite President George W. Bush and past American presidents

Internet Publication:

6/14/10  lib's labyrinth
2/1/03    ALT  MSN Group

Helsinki Tour

VIDEO

One third of Finland is north of the arctic circle.  In northernmost part, the Midnight Sun makes daylight last for 24 hours from mid-May to the end of July.  Of every ten persons, nine speak Finnish and one speaks Swedish.  In the 1100s the Swedes conquered the Finns.  The characteristic feature of Finnish life is the sauna.  The capital Helsinki is the center of trade, culture and education.  Turku serves as the shipping point for lumber and agricultural products. 

Overnight Baltic Sea cruise ship, docking in Turku, Finland's oldest city and former capital.  Morning sightseeing including 13th-century Turku Castle, the medieval Cathedral, and the lively market square.  The Handicrafts Museum housed in a cluster of wooden buildings which miraculously survived a devastating fire in 1827.

The First Miss Universe contest was held in the Philippines and the winner was from Finland - Armi Kuusela who later married a Filipino. 

After a Holy Mass at St. Hendrick's Cathedral, Mom Aurelia (mother of Lydia) gave former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a welcome kiss in the cheek when she visited Helsinki on September 9, 2006 for a two-day Asia-Europe Leader's Meeting.

The Filipino Community of Helsinki

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Philippines.

There is a tight-knit group of Filipinos in Helsinki, Finland.  My high school classmate Lydia, dance choreographer, lives in Helsinki and is very active socially with the Filipino community - promoting the Philippines through her dancing.

2002 Group Tour of Finland

Enjoying Finland's unique landscape of fertile fields and dark forests while driving towards Hameenlinna, birthplace of Jean Sibelius.

Jean Sibelius Park

City Hall 

 1952 Olympic Games

Lutheran Church

Temppeliaukio Kirkko: The Rock Church

Most visited by tourists in Helsinki, the church was built entirely underground and has a ceiling made of copper wire. The final architectural design was made by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and completed in 1969.  They chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level, and blasted the wall from the inside.

Farewell Dinner




Internet Publication:
  1/19/13  lib's labyrinth
2/1/03  ALT  MSN Group

Maze: Stockholm

STOCKHOLM
THE LAND OF THE VISIGOTHS.  The Swedes have late Stone Age ancestors.  The Goths lived in Sweden about 300 B.C.  It united when the tribe was conquered by the Svear tribe.  The Viking periods followed from 700's to 900's.  They are Scandinavian warriors and seamen.  The German Hanseatic League founded many cities.  In 1388, Queen Margaret of Denmark became the regent of Sweden.

Sweden is also the land of smorgasbord.  Smorgasbord is served buffet style, each person helping himself to small portions (or big) of the many dishes provided: fish dishes, cold cuts, breads, cheeses and salads.

Sweden remained neutral in WWI and WWII.  Dag Hammarskjold was elected Secretary-General of the UN in 1953.  The city is ultra-modern, kind of sterile.  It's one of the electronic centers of Europe.  The Nobel Prize for achievement in sciences is awarded here.

A glimpse of Nobel

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish industrialist (synthetic rubber) and made his fortunes from businesses from all over the world.  He left a large fortune to provide prizes for outstanding achievements in the fields of science, literature and contribution to world peace.  Nobel Prize winners are announced each year in Stockholm.  What's nice in Sweden is you don't have to go to the library to use a computer.  They have free usage of computers in department stores, but you see long lines and you have to wait.

The Swedish capital owes its beauty to its unique setting of 14 islands between Lake Malar and the Baltic, and to the care with which city authorities control urban develpment and preserve historical treasures.

Click arrow

SOS Sweden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63qyqwNZss 00:45

Vasa Museum
Gustavus Vasa became administrator and led a successful revolt against Denmark.  He became King Gustavus I in 1523.  He was considered the founder of modern Sweden.  He died in 1560.



Sweden is a monarchy.  Written in 1809, Sweden has the oldest written constitution in force in Europe.   Gustaf VI Adolf became king in 1950.  The Swedish Parliament is called the Riksdag.  Most Swedes belong to the Lutheran religion.

Sweden has many famous scientists:

• Anders Celsius (1701-1744)  Invented the centigrade thermometer
• Carolus Linneus (1707-1778) Founder of modern botany
• Jons Berzelius (1779-1848) Originated the system of symbols of chemistry
• John Ericsson (1803-1889) Built the Monitor (one of the first armored ships)
• Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) Inventor of dynamite



Plaque of Peace Activist Sri Chinmoy



Internet Publication:

6/13/10  lib's labyrinth
2/1/03    ALT  MSN Group

NORWEGIAN ATLANTIC COAST

RANK AS WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS BRIDGE TO NOWHERE.  Drive like a Norwegian, please!

  

VIDEO

Other videos taken are not as gloomy as this.  One was shot in June and it was a nice clear day.

Link > http://youtu.be/4T4vc1QqiPM

Recycled  Blog Page    June  2014

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NORWAY is often called The Land of the Midnight Sun.  In 860 A.D., Harold I became the first ruler of the united Kingdom of Norway (Kongeriket Norge).  The vikings colonized Iceland ten years later.  In 983, Eric the Red colonized Greenland and Leif, his son, discovered America in 1000 A.D.  In 1905, Prince Carl of Denmark was elected King Haakon VII of Norway.  Oslo is the capital of Norway.

Downtown Oslo

FROGNER PARK is the home of Gustav Vigeland's greatest sculpture.  His statues include a column of etwined figures symbolizing the upward struggle of mankind.


Internet Publication:

1/20/13  lib's labyrinth blogspot
9/2002  ALT  MSN Group

Maze: Oslo

OSLO

THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN.  Norway stretches almost the entire length of the Scandinavian peninsula.  About 150,000 islands lie along the Norwegian coast.  The low islets (skerries) are a danger to ships.  Edgar Allan Poe first described the swirling current, and gave the word "maelstrom" to the English language.  Its coastal areas have warmer winters than Chicago.  Norway is noted for its tasty herring and cod.
Harold I was the first ruler in 860 A.D.  Unlike Denmark, the Norwegian Constitution does not permit a queen to rule.  Great Britain forced Denmark to give Norway to Sweden in 1814.  The union was dissolved in 1905.  King Haakon VII (Prince Carl of Denmark) became the ruler and reigned for 52 years.  His son Olav became the king in 1957.  Their Supreme Court resembles that of the United States.


Morning stroll through the magnificent Frogner Park with Gustav Vigeland's 193 extraordinary bronze and granite sculptures.

Norway's capital is a study in farsighted urban planning, seeking growth in harmony with nature.  Morning sightseeing features such landmarks as the National Theater, Parliament, and the Royal Palace.

I finally and completely knew what I was talking about.  A long time ago, the Philippine Free Press magazine published a short article about the leviathan that Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl saw.  I saw his balsa boats - the RA and KON-TIKI at the museum.  The landscapes of the whole of Scandinavia are very clean and pristine.

Video: click arrow

Our Way Norway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNYDZDt4jcQ 00:45

Frogner Park: Built to display many works of Gustav Vigeland's  (1869-1943), Norway's greatest sculptor.

His statues include a column of entwined figures symbolizing the upward struggle of mankind.

City Hall

The Krone is the monetary unit.  If you got plenty of Krones the Glas Magasinet is the place to go.

Internet Publication:

6/13/10  lib's labyrinth

 2/1/03  ALT  MSN Group

Maze: Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN

DENMARK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST KINGDOMS IN THE WORLD.  Their flag is the world's oldest dating back to the 1100's.  Ancient castles, thatched farmhouses, modern homes dot the neat courtryside.  Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and about 500 nearby islands.  Many arms of the sea called fiords, stretch across eastern Jutland.  The largest of of the Danish island is Sjaelland.

In 1660, King Frederick III (1609-1670) made the monarchy absolute and the throne hereditary.  In 1849, it adopted its first liberal constitution.  The current type of government is Constitutional monarchy.  The Krone is the monetary unit.

The Kronborg Castle stands in the northern part of town.  It is famous as the scene of Shakespeare's Hamlet.  Local actors present the play in the castle's courtyard every summer.

The Danes make the best bacon, straight and crispy.  How they do that?  They love to raise a lot of pigs in Scandinavia.  A country of 5 million, they have a baby boom this year (2002).  Everywhere I look I see a lot of pregnant women.  They have good zoning - the building are all uniformed, so colorful and very few tall buildings.

Little Mermaid of Denmark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXKfUqyfgyg 00:50

Scandinavia's largest and liveliest metropolis.  Passing on the way to Christianborg Palace to visit the elegant Royal Reception Rooms is the Church of Our Savior and the Stock Exchange.  Then stopping for pictures of Amalienborg Palace with its lovely flower gardens.


Little Mermaid of Hans Christian Andersen

Inside Fredericksburg Castle


Tivoli Garden - A fun place to be

Published 11/1/2003 ALT MSN Groups
Web Page: ALT Travel

ALT Spring Meeting Leona's 2002

 APRIL 12, 2002  LEONA'S PIZZAREA

Published 4/12/02  ALT  MSN Group

Web Page: ALT Spring Meeting Leona's 2002