It was more than a year ago that I started searching for business class award seats from Europe to the U.S. Because I flew to London with my family one week earlier, Bill and I made separate airline reservations going to Europe, but traveled together from London, Gloucester, Helsinki, and Tallinn. I had erroneously transferred… Read More Gourmet dining at 38,000 feet
Today was supposed to be focused on the Soviet years in Estonia. We did visit Rummu Quarry and Prison, an abandoned Soviet-era labor camp which closed in 2012. Our tour manager asked if anyone felt uncomfortable to stay behind on the bus, but really, this was not a Dachau or Auschwitz— people were not tortured… Read More Beautiful Keila
Today we started the day by walking through the forests of the Lahemaa National Park in northern Estonia. At first we saw birch trees which gradually changed to pine trees. We walked along the Viru Bog Nature Trail, where a wooden boardwalk led through a unique bog ecosystem surrounded by pine forests and mossy wetlands. … Read More A walk in the woods
Today we visited Porvoo, located on the Gulf of Finland. According to our itinerary, we were going to “admire the views of the coastline and the archipelago along the way, strolling through the Old Town with its cobblestone streets, colorful wooden houses, and artisan boutiques.” With every step, I winced as I walked over the… Read More Killer cobblestones
We thought that when we got to Finland, where euros are the currency, that we would go to an ATM to get some cash. However we have been in Finland now for five days and have yet to see an ATM. Believe me, we have been looking. According to wise.com: In recent years, cash has… Read More Plastic, not paper
It’s only a coincidence that we arrived in Finland for the Helsinki Organ Summer, a broad music festival featuring nearly 100 organ concerts hosted across central Helsinki churches, the Kallio district, and Suomenlinna throughout the summer season. We were trying to find someplace cool in Europe to visit after the Three Choirs Festival and chose… Read More Helsinki Organ Summer
Today was our last Three Choirs Festival concert before we head back to London Heathrow and on to the next part of our journey. We heard a huge contingent from the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs, about 150 people out of an organization of 2,000 singers! There were many familiar pieces, such as the opener, Hubert Parry’s… Read More Cathedral classics… plus!
Last night was our last evening concert for the Three Choirs Festival—an all-Mozart concert including the Requiem and the Sinfonia Concertante in E flat for violin and viola, K 364—a most unusual concerto. However, don’t get me wrong—there’s still one more nighttime concert left in the Festival but by that time we will be on… Read More Magnificent Mozart!
I really looked forward to tonight’s performance of the Monteverdi Vespers — one of my all-time favorites. In case you are not familiar with the work, it was composed in 1610 by Claudio Monteverdi and is a collection of opulent choruses, virtuosic soloists, and an eclectic mix of old and new styles. It consists of… Read More Monteverdi and Chichester memories
I recently finished rewatching, for the second time, all seven seasons of “The West Wing” television series, when government was sane. The term, “What’s next?” is President Jed Bartlet’s signature phrase in The West Wing, used to signify moving forward, tackling the next challenge, and relentless dedication to the job. It is frequently used when finishing… Read More What’s next?