Restless Spirits

Overall the cruise was a huge success.  The only thing better than travelling is travelling with friends and family, it was so great having Lynn & Mom there to spend time with, explore with, enjoy a cocktail with or play a round of cards.

After we disembarked we made our back to London. We said goodbye to Mom & Lynn at Heathrow and made our way into Kings Cross Station to catch our train to Paris. We were looking forward to experiencing the Chunnel, but let’s be honest there is really not much to see in a dark tunnel. regardless we did it and arrived at our stop at Disney Paris.  It was just a short distance to our home Marriott resort, which I had been looking forward to seeing for years.  Marriott spent more on this Vacation Club than any other so I was keen to experience it.  Rather than look like a hotel, the intention was for the property to resemble a French village.  Each unit is a separate ‘cottage’ most with two stories and finished in traditional French country style.  Charm was abundant, the grounds were lovely, and the pool and spa were very nice.  We arrived in Paris shortly after some massive flooding so everything was quite damp and muddy and we didn’t have great weather while we were there.

We only made it into Paris for one day; from the resort it was an hour train ride each way to the city so it was a bit much to expect the kids to do that and walk the city for hours on end.  We made the most of the day we had there hitting some of the tourist attractions we thought would stay with the kids the longest.  We started on Champs Elyse, made our way to the Ferris Wheel then took a tuk tuk to the Eiffel tower which we went to the top of.   It wasn’t all about them, we enjoyed the Paris big three - crepes croissants and cheeses.

It's very sad to say but due to the heightened security measure Paris didn’t have the same luster I remember from prior visits. Barricades, security checks and guards were everywhere – the fact that the Euro football tournament was on didn’t help matters.  Waiting on subway it was common to see police walking 4 across, shoulder to shoulder with automatic weapons in hand fingers on the trigger.  I understand this is necessary and maybe it gives people comfort but for me it felt like a constant reminder of the horrible things they have experience in the past 12 months.

We checked another Disney off our resort and took the boys to Euro Disney where Jean Christophe joined us for the day.  It was a great place to catch up, he and Brad had time to chat and laugh while waiting in line and riding the roller coasters with the boys took out the kid in him.

After 5 days of catching up with work, checking out the city and exploring the local area we rented a car and headed to La Rochelle. Although not well known by tourists, it is a Maritime city with a stunning ‘Vieux Port’ or Old Harbor which is the most idyllic setting for a glass of rose, mussels and sunset view.  La Rochelle maintains strong links with the sea by harboring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe as well as a rich boat building history.  It is this industry that drew us to the white city.  Brad has been dreaming of sailing the world for as long as I have known him. I have always had a resolute ‘not interseted’ when he asked me to entertain the idea.  I really don’t know what has changed in my, but after my trip to Tahiti last year I have been more open to the idea.  We had a pretty realistic offer to sell the company on the table when we visited so Brad used it as his chance to seal the deal.  We visited the factory of Fountaine Pajot Catamarans just outside La Rochelle.  Brad has been doing a lot of ‘research’ on boats and this was his final selection, but he really wanted to go to the source.  It was June 19th, his birthday when we pulled in and after walking the factory and touring the boats in the harbor ready to set sail he got my blessing to purchase one.

Our next port was in Stockholm, Sweden and from there we carried onto Tallinn, Estonia before we spent three days in St Petersburg.  The approach to Stockholm was the highlight. We passed through narrow channels with hillsides that were lined with traditional cottages and summer homes.  It was so similar to Gerogian Bay in Ontario but crazy to take in the shorelines and cottages mere feet from the shores in a 400 ft long gargantuan sea vessel.  While in the city we viewed the palace and the old town and enjoyed some fresh salmon on the water front.

The weather was a bit unsettled for us in Estonia but we covered a lot of the town on foot appreciating the intricate architecture and the typical onion domed buildings that are so typical if Eastern Europe.

The cruise stayed put in St Petersburg so we could enjoy everything the city had to offer.  I booked a private guide for the 6 of us.  The prices of the boat sponsored cruises are atrocious and the thought of being herded through the city with a few hundred people was not the least bit appealing to any of us so using White Nights group to find a guide was a perfect option.  I worked with them in advance to set up an itinerary that included one day of family friendly activities followed by a day that was more geared for adults with museums, churches etc.

White Nights took care of our visa processing so getting on shore was a breeze and our guide and driver were waiting for us.  We visited Pushkin town and the Summer Palace of Catherine the Great and her family.  Short of having a fully photographic memory I really can’t understand how our guide maintained the breadth and scope of knowledge she had over life in Russia for the past 300 years.   For 2 full days she entertained with stories of greed, lust and power and how those have been the themes of Russia (and most of mankind) from its formation up until present day. 

After a lunch at the most charming albeit touristic restaurants we crossed through one of the main Prospects in St Petersburg to visit the Peterhof Gardens adjacent to the Peterhof Palace, the Russian version of Versailles.  The fountains and parks were a perfect place for the children to play and run around. 

Ksenia and our driver convinced us that we were not to miss the St Petersburg Subway.  St Petersburg is actually made up of over 42 islands and is often called the Venice of the North.  In order to create the infrastructure to run under these waterways and canals the subways were dug as deep as 100 meters below street level.  In addition to the engineering marvel the subway is also an artistic marvel.  Many of the stations are adorned with gold, mosaics and original art commissioned to fit the space.  We were a bit doubtful when it was recommended to us, and we went for two reasons – to be polite and to pass the time during a torrential downpour.  We were not disappointed, the stations we visited were spectacular and having Ksenia explain all of the symbolism that was incorporated into the art installations gave us that much more to appreciate.

On day two after visiting a few spectacular churches, one where we had the privilege of seeing the choir perform on the national holiday we visited the Hermitage.   The Hermitage is the second largest art Museum in the world, falling just behind the Louvre in Paris.  It owns over 3 million items.  To top it off, the building itself is the former Winter Palace so it is a museum in its own right.  Obviously it is HUGE (the palace alone had 1,945 rooms) and it is MAZE between the old and new buildings and it is BUSY.  I knew well before that we had made the right choice in working with a guide, but during those few hours at the Hermitage we got more out of our time with Ksenia than we would have after spending a month on our own in there.  She danced from room to room, wing to wing skipping mundane or less interesting pieces, pointing out the most special, most valuable or most significant pieces.  We spent a perfect amount of time in there and when were finished she ushered us out a back door directly back to our van.  Amazing.

The highlights for me were the Grand Staircase, the Peacock Clock, a masterpiece by London jeweler James Cox, the 23 Rembrandt works and the Malachite room which was adjacent to the dining room that was stormed by the Bolsheviks in 1917 when they overthrew the provisional government.   The clock stopped at 2 AM when they had control and it still sits on the mantle displaying this moment in time. 

We bid farewell to Peggie and the remaining 6 of us were picked up at our hotel on Sunday morning and ushered to Southampton.  We had a nice stop at Stonehenge on the way.  It was a great stopping point and I have to say the attraction itself was incredibly well done by the British Heritage Society.  It’s very impressive that they were able to make one of the most popular tourist attractions in England still feel natural and peaceful.  The museum entrance passed through a panoramic film of Stonehenge at sunset and sunrise on both the summer solstice and winter equinox when the sun lines up perfectly with the alignment of the rocks that was particularly hypnotic.  The museum/gift shop/café felt more like Scandinavia than English country side, the food was fresh and local so we had a little bite and cup of coffee before heading to port.

We hopped on the Celebrity Eclipse for a tour of the Baltic Sea that was to last 14 days.  Brad and I really don’t fit the typical cruise demographic, I would say there was easily 30 years between our age and the average age of all of the other passengers.  Putting aside the fact that we don’t have a lot in common with the other cruisers, it’s a great holiday option for our family.  The kids LOVE it, the service is top notch and we can cover a lot of ground, exploring many more countries in one week than we could realistically do using any other mode of transport.  Often I’m not willing to spend the time or money to visit a city or country for an entire week but can easily get a feel for it or take in the highlights in a one day stopover. 

Lynn was a first time cruiser so it was fun introducing her to the lifestyle.  Upon boarding we were greeted with champagne and checked out the ship.  Canyon Ranch has partnered with Celebrity so the spa and fitness center were extremely high end, light spacious and beautiful.  Lynn and Mom picked up a pass to the Persian Gardens, a spa like retreat area on the ship that has limited access to its heated chairs, saunas, steam showers etc. .  The boys were rowdy after all of that time in the car, so we opted for the quickest cure for cranky children – water.  Charlie spotted a series of fountains on the pool deck that were likely decorative, but according to him were a splash pad so it wasn’t long before he and Ben were soaked and screaming in delight much to the entertainment of our fellow passengers.

The next morning we arrived in port at Zeebrugge, Belgium and made our way to Bruges, the capital of West Flanders which is beyond charming with cobbled lanes, central canals and photographic squares.  We took a boat through the canals enjoying turn after turn of medieval buildings & signs of spring.

We visited the Begijnohf, a community formed by women in the 13th century who took active roles in their community and faith and chose to live in a commune style setting.  It still functions as such today and was a beautiful place of peace and calm in a city full of tourists.

The last few days in Prague flew by, I enjoyed an amazing morning run along the river and over Charles Bridge, we had many more coffees and pastries and took the boys on the paddle boats.

Early on the morning of the third we made our way to the airport and flew West ward to London.  We arrived about an hour ahead of Nanny so we had time to get to her terminal to greet her.  We had a shuttle booked into the city to our beautiful hotel, the Saint Ermins.  Saint Ermins was so conveniently located for us, about halfway between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.   It was built as one of the early mansions in the city and was converted to a hotel in 1896.  During the Second World War it became a meeting place for the British Intelligence Service and has been used for interviews for prospective employees.  The bar is still known to be a meeting place for intelligence officers.  The hotel was elegant; the lobby was decorated with elaborate plaster work with a balcony and beautiful chandeliers.  The rooms were typical European style, quite small but had many high end finishes including a beautiful rain shower and marble bath.

Even though we left our home in Prague at 4:45 AM we hit the ground running once Peggie and Lynn arrived at our hotel.  We walked by the Abby and just in front of the parliament building we picked up a boat down the river Thames heading toward the Tower of London.  We rode under a number of bridges. I was most impressed by the Lady Bridge, a bridge that was entirely erected by female laborers during the 2nd world war.

We passed under Tower Bridge which was much more beautiful than I anticipated and we disembarked just in front of the Tower of London.  I had my sights set on seeing the Crown Jewels which are housed in the tower, but we arrived quite late in the day, it was a bit too steep to pay 50 pounds each for only an hour in the tower.  Instead we had a look at the Beefeaters, bought some swords for the boys to play with and crossed Tower Bridge by foot.  We strolled along the river taking in the sights and then jumped on the tube back to our hotel.

As I have mentioned, I’m a loyal Marriott customer and the Saint Emrins hotel is under the Marriott umbrella so I was eligible to my platinum perks.  Upon check in I was told that in addition to free breakfasts for both rooms, I was eligible for wine and a cheese plate for each room so when we arrived back we sat by the fire and decided to take advantage.  I was anticipating a bottle each and was thinking we would just grab a few more glasses at the bar for the remainder of us, but the perk was actually a Bottle for each room!  We settled down by the fire, put up our feet and enjoyed the perk.  Mom crashed quickly due to the jet lag and the boys slept in her room with her so Peggie, Lynn and I hit the traditional pub next door, the Feather and enjoyed some amazing fish and chips along with the traditional mushy peas.   

Saturday morning we were able to take the dress rehearsal for The Trooping of the Colors, the celebration for the Queen’s birthday.  It was spectacular to see the guards marching in line in front of Buckingham Palace as well as hear the band and see the horse with the adorned the full regalia and the commanding officers.  As I heard a guide in the crowd say ‘these are not toy soldiers, these are the real deal’. By taking in the dress rehearsal rather than the main event we were lucky that the crowd was very manageable but Charlie was still in a bit off a mood due to lack of sleep so Brad took him back to hotel for more sleep while I rendezvoused with Trina, Edd, Christopher & Nyah.  It was so nice to see Trina and spend the day with her sweet family.  Considering how much we spent together as kids, we haven’t spent near enough together since we left high school.  We all made our way to the Museum of Natural History which despite the crowds was a huge hit with everyone.  After seeing the museum on the Paddington Bear movie Ben was thrilled to see it in person.  He has always enjoyed museums and now that he can read the enjoyment was brought to a whole new level.  After we covered quite a bit of ground Brad and Charlie arrived at the museum, we all enjoyed a coffee and a bit of cake and went back in for round two.