Suggestions:
First, I want to thank all those people who wrote fabulous trip reports as I printed the ones that I thought might help. And they did!
Stockholm:
Not til our last day did we learn you MUST check the decal on the side of the cabs so you know what you are being charged! THey vary dramatically. Some say 350 and other 450 and one we took (when we found out) 950! That is not dollars. It tells you what the fare will be based on so...if that confuses you, the average number should be 340-500. Nothing hirer or you are scammed as we were the last day!
Our Swedish friends in the USA said we had to go to 7-11 for licorice. We thought they were nuts but...it is a big thing there as well as all over the Baltic countries.
Be sure you go to the Vasa Museum and Nordic Museum.(use audio tour) Near each other. BE at all museums on this trip when they open if you can. CHeck guide books for time. SOmetimes they do open earlier in season.
Walk through Gamut Stan and try for a real Swedish meal at Fen SMa Huis. Made our reservation online ahead of time. Costly but worth the experience.
Canal boat tours are good too.
Our favorite was the hop on hop off bus tours.
VIsit the Nobel Museum and take the tour. (in Old Town)
If you go to a restaurant and it is chilly, they have blankets on the chairs. Our favorite lunch in Stockholm was at a Bagel place! Can you imagine. The best smoked salmon and they grill the bagel after it is made!!!!!!!!!!!
If time be sure to tour their City Hall. Not your usual one.
Fun touristy field trip, we went to he Ice Bar in the Ice Hotel. They give you coats, gloves etc. Two free drinks served in ice glasses. Bring your camera is all I can say! Make online reservations.
Helsinki:
Only there for a short day. Took hop on hop off bus again. Great. At Senate Square, across from it, there is a little cafe, Cafe Engel where they have delicious muffins. Quaint.
Did not take ship tour so walked around ourselves. Best lunch there by water. Outdoor market. Paella w salmon and salmon burgers. Busy and worth the hectic pace. Get the frozen custard too! Heard the ice bar place there was not good.
Good market for hand made gifts for the kids.
St. Petersburg:
Most unique place. Unlike previous stops. My husband and I took the private tour as recommended by friends and bloggers. You bypass the lines and see more as quicker pace, albeit 4x the price. SInce I do not plan to ever return it was worth it!
We used" I love ST. Pete" as our tour company. Olga was out guide. They were responsible and efficient. They memorize a script and share what they plan with you. Our guide was friendly and answered our questions. She did not , however, follow the itinerary exactly. We were lucky to have been there on a Sat. and Sun. so we had no traffic but if you are there a weekday be prepared to be in traffic for a long time.
Day one was Peterhof and Pushkin. BOth amazing. The evening was dinner at a Russian woman's home. If you want details write me as too long to write here. Invaluable. Once in a lifetime. Day two was Hermitage and Jewish area (small) I Suggest you make the guide follow the itinerary and eat somewhere. Some groups , the larger ones, ate at the Radisson Hotel . (YUCK) We ate nothing til Dinner at Russian woman's apt. Suggestion: use your cell phone to take pics as u walk around w guide so you are not obnoxious. The buildings from afar are huge and up close colorful but...falling apart!!!!!!! You need to capture those shots which I am sorry I failed to do.
Our guide took us to the Astoria Hotel when my husband asked about seeing it. Interior was European and on the wall near the elevator were gold plaques of famous guests, i.e. Madonna, Bill Clinton etc. When musical performers come to St. Pete they perform in the outdoor square by the tall column of Peter the Great.
I always read a novel about one of the stops on our trips. THis time it was The Bronze Horseman. I did not like the book per se, however, after seeing St Pete I had to re-read it on the ship, as we went to so many of the places mentioned in the book!
Baltic Cruise on Azamara
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It is me again. I will continue. Someone online said to be sure to have the Estonian pancakes. We could not find them until later in the square in Old Town area. An outdoor restaurant, family owned, called Liisu Juures, had THE best. Sweet served w jam. It is a dessert. They take Kroners I believe. Took hop on hop off bus and great way to see city when you are only there for a short day.
Very enjoyable and interesting.
Thank you for posting your adventure !!
Licorice Hmmm ! Does it taste different from North American Licorice !?
Glad you made it to the Ice Bar !
Few tourist ever mention going to the Ice Bar. ( I went to the one in Copenhagen)
Thanks for the report. I will be visiting these places in a few weeks.
How were people dressed for dinner at the Fen SMa Huis?
LOts of business people these but I truthfully wore jeans and sneakers. Not cheap but a wonderful real Swedish experience. Hubby had reindeer and herring. I had salmon. Great dessert and great waiter!
THe licorice was good. Frankly, I am not that type of candy eater but they have so many to choose from worth a trip! You will walk off the calories anyway!
My trip report continues for those interested...
Tallinn, in Estonia, was a far cry from Russia! Once a Soviet state, it has branched out to be a freer society. Very charming. Took the hop on hop off bus. At the Old Town we got off and walked through the alleys and saw all the charming restaurants. Someone in Fodors suggested we eat the Estonian pancakes! I did not know what they were, a main course, dessert etc. They are a delicious dessert served w jam. We found a restaurant , owned by grandma and the family, Liisu Juures. (Nice bathroom as well) My husband had some pork dish w sweet and sour kraut which he loved I had an ordinary salad by choice, BUT my dessert were the famous pancakes! To die for!!!!!!! Lots of cobblestones so be ready! We heard good wifi as spotty on trip but if you go to the park by where the shuttle bus drops you off , EXCELLENT service so we sat there for an hour to catch up and send pics home.
Next stop VIsby, Sweden:
That is in Gotesland, the largest island of Sweden... (Took ship's tour.) That is where Swedes retire. There are 8 golf courses there! Lovely gardens and roses all over. Within the walls of the castle there is a community where people actually live. Interesting.
We wanted a stop for both wifi and a drink. A hotel en route back by foot was busy so we sat down as we figured a good choice. NO ONE spoke ENGLISH! We barely got a drink and never got to order. The menu by the way did not have one word of English. Definitely a local spot!!! We were ready to get back on the ship.
Copenhagen, last stop of cruise:
First night we arrived we took shuttle to town and took a canal boat ride. Great thing to do as see everything from the water. Near where we picked it up, we stopped for dinner. Ate mussels and herring. Local beer too. Prices expensive in that city!Place called Barocks
The next day we took a free walking tour. For those of you who have not heard of them, Sandeman's New Europe is a tour company and tours given by college kids. Free, but encourage tips. Worth it! Great fun for 3 hours. Fabulous pedestrian mall with every high end and medium end shops. Yes, they have fabulous Danish in Denmark!!! Every bakery is yummy!!! More candy shops too. BTW, goof wifi at Burger King if you just want to stand outside of the store as we did.
Saw the Little Mermaid and it is little! Got dropped off at Tivoli the last nite. Walt Disney used it as a prototype for Disney theme parks. Worth seeing. As far as Azamara Cruise is concerned to conclude, it was excellent and I would take another!
Copenhagen is a city of energy and bikes!!!!!! Our cruise ended here but we went on to Amsterdam for 4 days and I will be writing the trip report on the Europe site if you are interested.
I forgot to suggest this: I know you all buy those heavy tour books and carry it around BUT...next trip copy the pages for each country then only take those pages you'll be needed. Also, make a cheat sheet of the currency so easy to buy etc. as so many of these places are on own currency. Last suggestion, carry a small pad w you and each night jot down what you did briefly so you will remember it otherwise it is all a blur. One last thing. I did not do it until Tallin, but carry your iphone w you not for calls but for the camera! Takes surreptitious shots as you are walking along and capture the real life... not the big lens shots you will take anyway. Also, then when you're in a hot spot, you can send to the family and friends and they can experience the trip with you. Bon voyage!
Excellent information. Many thanks.