All at sea

Wednesday is a full day at sea.

I attend three port-talks. These are quite informative but the young lady giving them has quite obviously no extensive knowledge of the ports and is reading a prepared script. The main emphasis is to push the organised shore excursions. She positively discourages people from making independent tours. In the case of St. Petersburg where independent touring is not really feasible, then fair enough. I do feel the difficulties at the other ports though are exaggerated.

I take the opportunity to do some washing. The ship has three laundry rooms with washers, dryers and ironing facilities. You only have to pay for the washing powder. This time I have brought my own.

Late in the evening there is a huge thunderstorm. We are in bed by then but the lightning flashes through the curtains. I hear later that many people watch the storm from the Crow's Nest and enjoy a spectacular show.

Leaving Warnemünde

At about 6pm the ship departs. The roro ferry halts while we go by and its passengers wave at us.

After dinner we go to the Aurora Show; it is the same as the one we saw last year, but every bit as enjoyable.

Back over the Level Crossing

A rather non-descript road with a small park at one side leads us back to a square containing a neo-Gothic church. We are very tempted by the strawberries and cherries on a stall outside the greengrocer's.

We resist them and pass down some streets of rather quaint old houses before continuing to the level crossing. I notice that the frequent trains on the line are in fact double-deckers.

We are quite tired by the time we get back to the ship.

Promenade

From the lighthouse, a wide promenade stretches out. Access to the beach is along duckboards, but they are uneven and we are worried about the possibility of a puncture so decide not to venture there.

This area is overlooked by a webcam based at the Strand Hotel.

Lighthouse and Teepot

Suitably refreshed, we meander down the busy Alter Strom. This is the former port entrance. On one side are pavement cafés and small boats; on the other an array of various shops.

Up a side street, we find a shop where we buy some small bottles of water. The road emerges by the lighthouse and the Teepot. The lighthouse was built in 1897/98 and if you have the energy you can climb the 32 metres to the top. At its base is a building called the Teepot, an exhibition centre built in the late 60s.

The long way round

We are forced to make our way back past the cruise terminal and up the main road to the level crossing at Alte Bahnhofstrasse. Had we not gone so far in the wrong direction it wouldn't have been so bad.

Beyond the level crossing we work our way towards the centre of town. Some others from the ship are drinking outside a place called Bier und Branntweinkontot. We join them for a couple of refreshing iced cokes. Although the barmaid doesn't speak English she is very welcoming. Later she helps Christine negotiate the few steps that lead to the cloakroom.

Under the Station

We cannot find any way into the carpark from the harbour. We look for an entry on Am Bahnhof but are told the only way is via steps and the tunnel under the station.

However there is a stall there and I procure myself a very nice leather belt for €6.

City Harbour

We venture ashore mid-morning. We've been told that the underpass into town has steps, but the guard who checks our passport says we get around it by going through the carpark. So we go down Am Passagierkai to the City Harbour.

Ferry to Hohe Düne

Just above where the ship is berthed, a roll-on-roll-off car ferry forms a shuttle service across the river from Warnemünde to Hohe Düne. The yacht marine there has 750 moorings and is one of the largest on the Baltic.

Looking over the town

After breakfast in the Orangery, Christine goes for a pedicure. It isn't cheap and she isn't used to having her feet pampered, but with our wedding anniversary coming up I feel she needs the treat.

Meanwhile I go on deck from where there is a splendid view over the railway station and the town beyond.

Arrival in Warnemünde

Tuesday morning we wake up in
Warnemünde which is part of the city of Rostock.

The ship is berthed in the river Warnow overlooking the West and East moles that guard the entrance to the port.

Sunset off Denmark

As we are having dinner, the ship sets sail. Later on I go on deck and watch the sunset.

Ice Bear

I return past the yachts and come to a rest area. Here I buy an ice-cream; sit and look at the sculpture of a polar bear on an iceflow with two cubs. This monument, made by Holger Wederkinck and erected in 1937 represents Greenland.

It is time to visit the row of shops that run along the landward side of the pier. They are mainly clothes and souvenir shops. By UK standards the clothing is quite expensive, but one shop has a reasonable deal on offer and I buy three tee-shirts. I also purchase ten postcards and a very nice 'fridge magnet.

When packing for the holiday, Christine forgot her scissors. I find some in one of the shops and although I'm a few kroner short of the asking price, the shopkeeper lets me have them without needing to break into a banknote. When my bag goes through the scanner on my return to the ship, the scissors show up. The security people say I cannot bring them on board. They want to keep hold of them until we disembark. I explain that we won't want them when we get home — my wife forgot to pack her own and she needs them to cut up some material she is working with. With some obvious reluctance they agree to let me bring them on board.

With temperatures in the high 20s, it has been an enjoyable but exhausting day, so we order a pot of tea and some cakes from room service. I realise later that it is only a short walk past the Little Mermaid to the Gefion Fountain and the Eastern end of the city. In hindsight, I'd have done better to miss walking to the seaward end of the pier and gone to take a closer look at the fountain. I could then have returned via the Kasellet or Citadel which stands on a grassy island. I'd seen this as we'd gone around it in the bus but hadn't known just how accessible it is.

But, no matter, I won't loose sleep regretting the sites I didn't see; rather enjoy the many I did.

The Little Mermaid

I make my way to the Little Mermaid. And little she is. She is a very small sculpture and if not surrounded by tourists climbing upon her, would seem unremarkable to passers-by. As a symbol known all over the world, her reality is an anti-climax.

Peace Angel

A little later, I venture out on my own.

First I walk down to the end of Langelinje Pier. It has a few eating places, an information kiosk and bus shelter but is fairly uninspiring. I take the elevated road back. This goes over the top of the rows of shops and comes out near the Peace Angel.

This statue, overlooking a small yacht basin, is, if I recall correctly what our guide told us earlier, a memorial to the Second World War. Around it are the flags of the Scandinavian countries.

Gefion Fountain

Back on the bus we move on to the Gefion Fountain and the English St. Alban's Church.

The last stop on the tour is by the famous Little Mermaid, but the place is so thronged with tourists and coaches parked three deep, we decide not to stop. In any case it is only a short walk from the ship for those who wish to visit it later.

Opera House

A short walk leads us the waterfront with views across to the opera house on Holmen.

There is a huge queue in the café for both toilets and ice-cream. I hardly have time to queue for the latter but our guide has bought one for Christine and refuses to accept payment. She seems to have formed a genuine rapport with her first batch of disabled clients!

Fountain

Once it is over we make our way back to Amaliehaven where a fountain shoots cool water into the air.

This photo is by Kathrine Felland Gunnlögsson and originally appeared on Copenhagen Daily Photo. It is re-posted here with her permisson.

Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Castle

The city is heaving with people and traffic. It is very hot. We finally stop by a large coach park and get out. When we are all together, our guide leads us to Amalienborg Castle. The Queen is in residence and the changing of the guard takes place at noon. A crowd has started to gather near the statue of Frederik V and we have to push our way through some reluctant tourists in order for Christine to get to a place from where she can view the ceremony.

Anchor

Between Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn lies this anchor. It is a symbol for and testament to the lives of all sailors lost at sea.

Kongens Nytorv

We turn into Kongens Nytorv.

Dominating one corner of the square is the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Nyhavn

We tour parts of the old town before entering the lovely Nyhavn with its colourful buildings and vibrant sailing ships.


It appears to be the central meeting place for everyone in the city.

Tivoli Gardens

We pass by the entrance to the Tivoli Gardens.

Hans Christian Ørsted

As we travel down Nørregade we pass Telefon House.

I notice the carving on the door lintel and take a photograph.

It is only when we look closely that we find out that this is the building in which the physicist Hans Christian Ørsted discovered electromagnetism.

Rosenborg Castle

We travel down Gothersgade past the King's Garden . Lots of people are sunbathing among the trees. Within it's grounds is Rosenborg Castle.

Another view of the castle can be seen on Copenhagen Daily Photo.

Statue

We pass this statue twice as we tour around a very old part of the city.

I don't who the statue is of, nor where exactly it is situated.

Cyclist

Back in the city itself we are amazed by the number of bicycles. We even see some that have carts attached in front carrying children, but missed getting a photo of one of those.

American Ambassador's Residence

Our guide points out the residence of the American ambassador.

Thatched roofs

A few of the old thatched cottages can still be seen.

Klampenborg

We continue along the coast towards Klampenborg. Our guide tells us that once this coastal strip was a fishing village with lots of thatched houses but now it has become overwhelmed by large expensive modern houses. The area is now so expensive that many people opt to live over the border in Sweden and commute daily across the Øresundsbron bridge.

Hellerup Havn

The ship berths at Langelinje Pier. We are soon ashore and waiting for our first Visit to Copenhagen.

There are two small buses with ramps at the rear for access. They each have space for about four folding chairs, whose occupants can move into conventional seats, and two confined wheelchair users. I get a seat at the front, but Christine is stuck at the back in her chair and doesn't have a very good view.

We drive first north out of the city through the suburb of Hellerup.

Taking photographs through vehicle windows is never ideal, but sometimes the results are quite interesting. I was trying to capture the roadsign. I never saw the image of what was on the opposite side of the road being reflected in the window until I downloaded the picture.

Bridge to Sweden

It is a beautiful day and even at just before 9am there is a strong bright sun in the sky. In the distance we can see the new bridge that links Denmark with Sweden.

Arrival in Copenhagen

We partake of an early breakfast in Café Bordeaux. This is a somewhat more intimate dining experience than the restaurant or the cafeteria. I have a sausage kedgeree whilst Christine has eggs Benedicte.



We then go up to the Crows Nest and the Lido Deck while the ship enters the Port of Copenhagen.

As I am taking photographs, a ladybird lands on my wrist. I gently blow it onto some tarpaulin-covered loungers. It lands softly and then flies away.

Sunday at sea

We have a full day at sea before reaching Copenhagen, our first port of call.

After breakfast in the self-service Orangery, I go to the spa and have my hair cut and washed and my beard trimmed by a very lovely girl. We potter about for most of the day. In the evening we have to dress up in formal wear. After dinner we go to the theatre and watch the Aurora Follies. Most of the shows by the ship's company are repeats of the ones we saw last year, but every bit as enjoyable.

Down the Solent

Shortly after 5pm the ship pulls away and heads down the Solent towards the Isle of Wight and the English Channel.

Our evening meal is taken in the Medina Restaurant. As last year we are on the early sitting which suits us well. We share our table with some newbie cruisers, a couple from Prestwich only a few miles from us and a couple from Hampshire. Making up the eight are two women from Nottinghamshire. I'm not sure if they are mother and daughter or just friends who met through work. They've certainly been on several previous cruises together. The Hampshire lady is also in a wheelchair, but a manual lightweight folding one so she is able to access some of the excursions unavailable to Christine.

After dinner we go for a stroll around the ship. Christine buys a lovely sunhat. It proves to be a useful purchase as the sun shines for the majority of the cruise. We visit the Tours Office and find that, in addition to ones in St. Petersburg, wheelchair-accessible excursions are also available in Copenhagen and Helsinki. We get our names put down for them.

Chichester City Band

After the safety drill we go out on to the promenade deck. The Chichester City Band are playing for us on the quayside. We are provided with Union Flags which we wave.

Marchwood Incinerator

Our cases are already in the cabin when we arrive.

The room is spacious and most of the wardrobe rails are low and easy to use.

There is a lovely picture window with a view across the river to a dome and chimney which belong to the waste incinerator at Marchwood.

Taxi please

We go to the taxi desk. "I'm sorry", he says, "We don't have any vehicles that carry people confined in wheelchairs. I can ring one of the firms that do though; there are three we use."

We wait.

After several minutes we go back and ask what is happening.

"One's on holiday, one's off sick and the other doesn't do it anymore. We'll try someone else."

Ten minutes later we are told they've found someone but they can't get here until 12.30. It's a good job we aren't in a hurry!

Rob's Taxi from Eastleigh arrives as promised and whisks us down to the Mayflower Cruise Terminal.

At least, after our long wait at the airport, we don't have to wait too long here before boarding the ship.

Southampton Airport

We are last off the plane, but Christine is soon reunited with her wheelchair. We are led through to collect our luggage.

I thought I'd got a spare set of camera batteries with me, but the ones in my pocket seem to be dead. So I stand guard over the luggage while Christine goes into W.H.Smiths and buys me a new set. She also buys herself a couple of paperbacks.

So now to see about getting a taxi down to the ship.

Setting off

Our taxi driver Roland arrives just before 7am.

He takes us down to Manchester Airport. We check in and move on to the departure lounge. Although due to leave at 8.45, it is after nine before we are loaded on to the plane. Christine releases her wheelchair for storage in the hold and two burly men carry her on to the plane.

We fly over Jodrell Bank Telescope. In-flight meals are no longer included in the fare and though £10 seems a bit much for two airline breakfasts, we have them anyway and they are very tasty.

Around 10.30 we arrive at Southampton Airport