Retrospective: Helsinki: 16-17 August, 2014

Helsinki was founded in 1550 as a rival to the Hanseatic city of Tallinn by King Gustav I of Sweden.
A dozen Ferries run back and forward between Tallinn and Helsinki today, taking a little over 2 hours for the popular crossing.
I found the WiFi on board stable and I used it from port to port to message friends.

Helsinki is effectively surrounded by water, with the Lutherian Cathedral towering over the Harbour.
The Cathedral sits on a hill just back from the Harbour, with an enormous set of stairs up to it. Of an afternoon and evening several hundred youths sit on the steps drinking.
Restaurant meals are noticeably more expensive than the Bultic States, no doubt due in part to the much higher average wage and taxes. We were told that every second taxi driver is from Estonia. Ours was from central Africa, and he spoke quite good English, a slight British accent.

The Uspenski Cathedral, a traditional Russian Orthodox cathedral, stands close to the Harbour.

Colourful fruit and veg at the weekend open market at the harbour side. We caught a tour-boat from the harbour side to explore the many inlets and linking channels.





We left Helsinki by train; the Helsinki St.Petersbourg high speed link is operated by Finland rail using Alstom Allegro Pendolino trains. Between Helsinki and the Border, Finland officials came thru the train and our Passports where checked for the first time since Lisbon. We had travelled thru 7 countries but we were now leaving the EU Schengen Area.
Just after the border Russian officials boarded and checked our Passports and Visas. We were now definitely in a different country.

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July 12 near Campolide, Portugal

Friday afternoon in Lisbon; temperature still 33C. Time to rehydrate and listen to some music.

 

July 18 near Iruña, Spain

Pamplona at 8pm, the temperature has just (as we watched) slipped down to 45! There must be a response to this!

(Sunset at 9:45pm so most start eating after 9pm.)

July 21 near Issor, France

Saturday evening meal at our BB!

All local, 'organic' food. The language; French! Weather is closing in.

 

July 23, 2014: The most challenging road I have ever driven! The road to Col d'Aubisque in the Pyrenees, as selected by L.

After 20kM or hair-pin climbs, the 10k flat section of sheer drops on one side, no guard rail, not room for 2 cars in places, with bikes and camper vans on the road. Then the hair-pins down!

Once is enough!

Noel Moore D918 Pyrenees France. Near Col d'Aubisque

While researching something else I found this video clip of the flat section of the road.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5ilB4qM_sU8&autoplay=1p

D918 Pyrenees France. Near Col d'Aubisque

Filmed by Martin on 1200GS with xxxx in front on Suzuki SV1000. Taking it easy and soaking up the amazing views.

FB: July 28th 2014: Lenore & Noel — at Château Valandraud Saint-Émilion, France; BB and base for a great week.

 

 

 

 

FB: July 31

We have experienced the magic of French cuisine in the last few days! I again marvel at their ability to complement and contrast flavours, or to turn a simple peach into an unbelievable desert.

Today was creme de la creme! A 9 course blind degustation menu, served in a peaceful formal garden. Tres magnificent!

 

FB: August 14 near Riga, Latvia

What a cultural fest we are experiencing! After hearing the great pipe organ at Saint-Eustache, Paris (see picture to left), tonight we attended an organ music concert in Riga Cathedral. The soloist (soprano) even sang my favourite sacred aria; "Bist du bei Mir". It could only have possibly been better if song by a contralto. But now I'm getting picky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FB: September 1, near Kızıltoprak, Turkey

I have always had an interest in airport sign; a result of my time in civil aviation. And I have often seen the prayer room sign especially when in Islamic countries. This is the first time I have seen the sign to where you can pick up your gun, that you hopefully checked in for the flight!

 

 

FB: 19Aug:

St Petersburg is right up there on WOW factors! This water garden is at Peterhof; the Tsar's summer Palace. A great place to visit and something I didn't do 40 years ago! Things have certainly changed in that time, but customer service remains a slowly evolving skill. — at Petergof Palace.

 

 

 

FB: August 23, 2014

Today we went through St Basil's Cathedral (far left), now restored to the way it looked in the 17th C. On the way back to our Hotel we visited a suburban church, very much in use.

While in Red Square we saw this group of naval troops, and an airforce band practicing for the 'Moscow Military Tattoo'; starts next week. I wonder where they got the idea! (Entertaining music, and participation by multiple nations). Hidden behind the stands to the left is Lenin's tomb. I wonder if he is spinning. — at Moscow Kremlin.

 

 

FB: September 5: Today we visited Ephesus; the ancient Greek city, once on the coast of Ionia. It is three kilometers southwest of present-day Selçuk where we are staying overnight. Wow, what a day! Certainly an highlight.

 

I snapped this photo of a wedding couple at the Celsus Libary; in its time the 3rd greatest library of the Roman World. I must do a blog page on weddings we have seen in Europe.

FB: September 11, 2014.

Sometimes you can be so lucky with the timing. We were lucky in Moscow. Once a month during summer the Kremlin guard put on a show in the central square of the Kremlin! Military band, ceremonial guard and mounted soldiers.

 

 

 

Istanbul revisited: 6 & 7 September, 2014

The iconic sights again; the man delivering tea to vendors, shoe repair man, and those crowded but so useful trams!

I commented before on the relative high cost of the trams; about AUD 2.2 for a single trip. However locals load a card for travel at half that price! Thinking back to my University public sector economics, I realised that this was a very good pricing policy.

 

 

 

 

 

Again there are the cats; everywhere including resting in the shade of the "bread circles" (simit) vendor.

Upon further research it became apparent that stray cats are highly regarded by residents of Istanbul, Turkey in fact.

Islamic legend has it that cats saved the prophet Muhammad from a poisonous snake: "If you’ve killed a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God."

 

We visited the "Spice Market" on a Sunday that was punctuated with quick downpours that flooded areas of the market. (The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.)

We ate just outside the beautiful mosque (photo below). A great morning; "Everyone is so friendly!"

And the beautiful plate I was given for my photo of Ataturk, now sitting in our travel memorabilia cabinet.

 

 

A beautiful 'blue mosque' near the spice market. They were most receptive of respectful visitors.

 

 

The Dardanelles: 5 & 6 September, 2014

 

We joined the Dardanelles at Canakkale where we stayed in the "Grand Anzac Hotel". The "we" being 14 modern day ANZAC tourists, our tour guide, Suleyman and our driver, who does not appear in the photograph below (taken at ANZAC Cove).

Canakkale is located on the Asian side of the Dardanelles at its narrowest point; 1250M. This area was known as the Narrows in WW1.

 

The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation that proceeded in a number of phases. An overview can be read in Wikipedia.

The event that decided the battle took place on the night of 8 March when the Ottoman minelayer Nusret (replica in pix above, bottom) laid a line of mines in Eren Köy Bay, a wide bay along the Asian shore just inside the entrance to the straits. (See pix above, top left) The Ottomans had noticed the British ships turned to starboard into the bay when withdrawing. The new line of between 20 and 26 mines ran parallel to the shore. The clear water meant that the mines could have been seen through the water by spotter planes. They weren't!

On 18 March 3 British and 1 French warships hit the mines! A naval disaster!

When naval actions failed to overcome Ottoman defences, an invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula was launched in which naval forces were again heavily involved. The success of the Turkish military in the Gallipolli campaign is substantially credited to the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (picture of a statue at Kanakkale, above top, right) who went on to be a reformist statesman, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey. (Wikipedia )

 

ARI BURNU CEMETERY (253 burials) is named after the promontory at the north end of Anzac Cove and was used for ANZAC burials throughout the campaign. Christian, Jewish and Musulm servicemen are placed next to each other without distinction.

The former battlefield includes a number of statues including this one of a Turkish solder carrying a wounded ANZAC. The statue commerates incidents of compassion that did occur.

 

 

 

We visited Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial. This cemetery derives its name from the single pine tree observed to be growing here when the Australian soldiers came up here from the landing on 25 April 1915.

Most graves are of men killed during the ‘August offensive’ between 6 and 10 August. Lone Pine Cemetery is the very ground over which the famous attack on the Turkish Lone Pine positions took place on the evening of 6 August 1915. Corporal John Wadeson, 7th Battalion AIF, wrote:

"We had a ‘full hand’ dealt us when we were given the trenches won at Lonesome Pine on August 7 … We held it all that Red Sunday … it cost us something like 400 casualties … The trenches were something awful, as the dead of both Australians and Turks were still in them, and mixed up in all kinds of positions. But when things cooled off a little, burial parties were going solidly getting the awful litter away … Sometimes when the attack was solid, our dead in the bottom of the trenches, all huddled up in heaps, and it was with difficulty that fresh men could pass to take up their posts…the 7th Battalion earned distinction, as four V Cs were won by its members."

Commemorated amongst the missing is one of the youngest known soldiers to have served in the AIF. Private James Charles Martin of Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, enlisted on 12 April 1915 aged 14 years and three months.

A photo of the trenches at 'The Nek' looking north to Sulva Bay. If the ANZAC's had landed a few miles north or south they would have attacked across flat terrain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faces of Istanbul

Traditional small retail shop owners appear to spend much time talking to each other and drinking Tea and Turkish coffee; delivered to them by runners from local stalls. Rather than regard them as competitors, they are regarded as friends who share the same challenges. They also share stock to help each other achieve a sale. These round crusty bread sticks (photo right) are popular and taste quite good. They are usually stacked in a circle which also makes them easy to carry!

Ice creams are popular and cheaper than in Australia, even when the brands are similar! Cone ice cream comes in 2 styles; the ones on sale in this photo are similar to those we know in Oz. The other, "Ottoman" ice cream, appears to be wipped on the spot with great force. They're more expensive and the salesmen like to put on a show for tourists. What do locals eat? The cheaper one!
In the streets you see many shoe shine and shoe repair men. I think it is a declining industry. I got a laughter today when I pointed to my Feet in sandals when I was asked "shoe shine". The increase in Nike and moulded shoes must also reduce the market.

Southern Turkey:
A street vendor sells his almonds (left) and a man mooring his boat.

A lady making and selling clothing accessories (e.g. Headbands) to tourists, in a village only accessable by boat. [children attend initial primary schooling in the village].
An old lady sorts her stock for selling to tourists, and a boat-man checks his mobile phone.

A young man cleaning a nice catch of bream, while an older man tries to catch his first, and another relaxes while waiting for someone to hire his boat.

Tourism has become a major component of the moden Turkish economy. We visited both Istanbul and Ephesus, two of Turkey's major international destination. The industry provides employment to a range of young university graduates. (Picture far left at Ephesus)
Fortunately much of the charm of simpler times remain, including street sellers of fruit. (Pictures right & bottom, Canakkale.)

Prince Islands: 29 August

On Friday we decided to take a ferry ride to the Prince Islands. A group of Islands about 20kM from Istanbul CBD. But first we had to take a tram ride to the terminal. Fortunately we were already familiar with buying tram Jeton (tokens) at 4 Turkish Lira each (AUD2), a 6 year old street hawker had shown us for 1TL commission. We then had to get the correct notes to buy the ferry Jeton from its vendering machine (Jetonmatik - what else?)

The ferry ride was nearly 2hours stopping at the first 3 Prince Islands before we reached Buyukada. A bargain for 5TL each, compared to the always crowded trams.

There are no cars on Buyukada, just a few

electric scooters and tricycles. The big thing for tourists, of which there are many mostly from Istanbul on day trips, is to hire a horse and cart! At the Phaeton Station (third photo) people line up like at a taxi rank. The ponies are a different breed to those we usually see in Oz, with a light body and high rump. You can also smell them at some distance!

The alternative to horse and cart is to hire a bike, but accidents do happen!

In the end we walked around, took a few photographs, had another beautiful fish meal with a view over the sea, an ice cream and caught the ferry back to the CBD.

 

Turkish Clay Pot cooking: 29 August

 

When in a different country, we try to sample local specialities. It usually turns out great. The rare exceptions are things like eating English kippers, or sampling Russian horse-radish Vodka. In Turkey we have had some great fish, and we tried the "clay pot" meal!

Meat and vegetables are sealed in a clay pot which is then cooked over a high heat. The waiter then brings the clay pot to your table, crack open the top and pours out delicious, tender meat with peppers, onions and a variety of natural juices. Very nice!

 

Istanbul: August 27-28:

Day one we were out early walking from our Hotel to Explore Topkapi Palace including Harim. Built as a palace, it has beautiful tiles on walls and ceilings/domes. It also gave Lenore a chance to look at local jewellery; up to 86 carat diamonds anyhow.

The Topkapı Palace (in Ottoman: طوپقپو سرايى) was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856).

It is now a museum holding various artefacts from the Ottoman Empire; jewellery, clothing, books including Islamic texts. All very grand.

Istanbul is a city of 14million, but again we are spending almost all time in the historic centre, walking or using the regular and crowded tram service.

In the afternoon we visited Hagia Sophia (photo left top), which is just amazing for a building from 6th C; nothing approached its size anywhere in the world for many hundreds of years. In the upper level we viewed this 11th C mosaic of Jesus with the Byzantine emperor on the right and Princess Zoe on the left.

Follow this site we walked across a large plaza to the Blue Mosque for a private and most interesting tour. The guide was amazed when he asked the hight to the dome. Lenore said 44m! It is actually 43m.

 

 

 

Day 2 we visited the Grand Bazaar (one of its many enterances is shown in the photo on the right side) and the Basilica Cistern, a 6th Century water reserve (bottom left). Those who remember 007 From Russia with Love" will recall James travelling by row boat across the water. For those who saw "Skyfall", it was motor bikes on the roof of the Grand Bazaar.

Photo top left is the Blue Mosque, so named for the use of blue tiles.

 

 

 

 

Oranges and pomegranates are in season, and street vendors are selling freshly squeezed juice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navigating in Moscow

We have had a few days of getting around Moscow on foot and by Metro. What is it like? Well the Russian alphabet (see below) does add some extra challenges.

The top pix is a 'simple' road sign. The second is an example of Metro interchange info board. A great deal of extra vigilance is necessary! The lines are colour coded and numbered - fortunately the friendly 0 to 9 numbers. But we found identifying stations and line directions difficult.

We did get lost on our first day out, and walked a long way in the rain. We were very thankful for our travel umbrellas that received a good work out in Moscow.

 

Baltic States Part 3:

 

We visited the KGB museum in Riga, located in the former KGB Building. Lenore is pictured emerging from the ancient lift in the building. They really did spy on (nearly) everyone!

After leaving Riga we checked out a Baltic beach resort. Gold Coast, you have nothing to worry about!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tallinn is a busy tourist centre. Located a 2 hour ferry trip from Helsinki, the 2 way flow is constant. Many Finns come to shop, enjoying the lower prices in Estonia. (Beer is significantly cheaper.)

The people of the Baltic love flowers; many of which are flown in from Amsterdam, and sell at remarkably low prices. Tourists visiting the old town are entertained by dancers and musician displaying their cultural heritage.

Restaurant meals appeared to be quite reasonable. We had a beautiful rack of lamb! When we enquired we found the lamb was from NZ. I bought a pair of sox and found they were made from NZ merino wool!

In contrast when buying cheap pine DAR from Bunnings, I found it was sourced from Estonia!

 

The monument (far left) on the Baltic Sea, is popular with Russian speaking (Estonian) wedding parties.

There are many opportunities for tourists in the old town including taking a carriage ride.

We took a Viking Line ferry to Helsinki; large, efficient mass transport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Estonian's are very proud of their folk music. This large out door music bowl is the site of a national competition every couple of years. In the later stages of the Soviet era, folk singing became a forum for nationalistic expression.

We also visited (another) palace and garden on the Baltic. Built by Peter 1 (the Great) as a summer home, before/as he started work on building St Petersburg!

With a history of being twice absorbed by Russia, you do not have to scratch very deep to expose the deep felt resentment and concern. Our guide said that feelings about Russia could be expressed in generation's memories; her grandmother speaks of fear, her mother of the queues and shortages, and herself, cheap ice cream and a lack of personal expression.

 

Baltic States Part 2:

 

Latvia's capital Riga is a gem! It has an historic old town, an interest art-nouveau area (top and bottom right), and a great depth of culture.

These 2 girls were busking, and displaying great talent, near the Lutherian Catherdral where we also attended a pipe organ and coral concert.

Latvia and Estonia are both majority Lutheran, but not with the same activity as Lithuanian Catholics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baltic States Part 1: So similar, they have to argue about their differences!

We flew from Paris to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A flight of about 2 1/2 hours.

The 3 countries (see map below) share the common history of being occupied by Sweden, Germany, and Russia at various times. Broadly they obtained independence after WW1, and were invaded by Germany and then 'liberated' by Russia in WW2. With the collapse of the Soviet Union they regained independence in the early 1990's. All are now members of the EU, and since 2004 also members of NATO.

Latvia introduced the Euro this year, Lithuania will next year, and Estonia has had it for some years. Each country has its own language. Latvian and Lituanian are similar 'Baltic languages' while Estonian is very different and we are told it has similarities to Finnish and Hungarian! Each capital city has an historic old city centre, and it was in these areas that we spent the majority of our time.

We arrived in Vilnius on a Friday and spent Saturday wondering around on our own. We hear that Lithuania is a very strong Catholic country. Saturday afternoon the city church's, of which there are many, had queues of weddings. Pope John Paul 2 visited in 1993, and clearly had a huge influence as indicated by the many photographs and signs to mark the visit.

We also saw quite a few people begging, busking or both in the streets, including this old gentleman who was dancing and singing to the music of a friend on piano accordian.

It appeared to us that the Lithuanians are very proud of their heritage, language, and independence. However we were left wondering what the future will hold. Apart from selling amber jewellery to tourists what do they have? There are large rural tracks with the old communist collective building deserted with the return of land to private ownership. However many other EU countries have more productive land with a kinder climate. Vilnius gets down to -35C; children do not have to go to school when the temperature is below -25C. Vilnius has a prestigious University, but we suspect that many graduates quickly move away.

In WW2, the Germans crowded Jews into 2 small inner-Vilinus ghetto areas. Most did not survive the war and there are few Jews today in the Baltic States. The statue (photo, left) is of a Jewish doctor remembered for his work in WW2. In Lithuania we visited 'The Hill of Crosses' (bottom right). The crosses have been placed here for hundreds of years. During the Soviet years they were often removed over night, but they were always replaced. They received a big jump in numbers before and after Pope JP2's visit for a mass! There are thought to now be over a million! We added one. There are many Russian speaking immigrants in all 3 Baltic States, brought to establish industries during the Soviet Communist era! In Latvia they are 45% of the population.

Shortly after entering Latvia we visited Rundāle Palace, is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland, before the territory was absorbed into the Russian Empire. It was an impressive palace and garden considering it was for an 18th C Duke. We found ourselves gate crashing a wedding reception complete with attendants in period customs.

Chartres

 

Chartres Cathedral is about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris. We travelled by French regional rail taking approx. 1 hour from Montpanasse, Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is the last of at least five which have occupied the site since the 4th century.

The cathedral is in an exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century.

The west end (the 2 pix to the left) is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and a 113-metre (377 ft) early 16th-century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower.

Equally notable are the three great façades, each adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.

 

Similarly the choir screen contains hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives. They are a work of a number of sculptors working under the direction of a single architect, after he completed the 16th C tower.

It also contains a clock that has not worked since the French Revolution.