Beverly's Baltics Trip in August 2012

Late August of this year I was privileged to join a small US group hosted by Lonnie and Jeannie Melashenko (former Speaker for Voice of Prophecy). Our destination, the Baltic Sea for a cruise on board the Emerald Princess.

Flying into Copenhagen, Denmark I was soon enjoying their cobblestone streets, the architecture and the cultural environment. Restaurants lined the waterways where strolling musicians and various vendors were numerous. Bicycles were more populous than cars.

One of my highlights was a visit to Oslo, Norway, nestled at the base of a beautiful fjord, where my cousin and her husband were my tour guides for the day. It was there I saw the Kon-Tiki raft sailed by Thor Hyerdahl in 1947, Viking Ships, the Lillehammer Winter Olympic ski jump, a building where Ellen White spoke back in the 1800’s, and the place where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant which is attached to the SDA church there.

By the sea (Oslo, Norway) with my cousin Monica - the Emerald Princess in the background

Berlin was a 3 hr train ride south of our German port. At Checkpoint Charlie we crossed between East and West Berlin, we visited the Brandenburg Gate – built in 1789 to celebrate victories of the Prussian Army, and then was actually one of the crossing points in the Wall when the city was divided. Parts of the wall still remain and are being restored as a reminder.

Section of the Berlin Wall

Brandenburg Gate - Berlin

Tallin, the capital city of Estonia, was a favorite spot, beautifully clean and friendly. It’s medieval core looks like a town of German origin with its cobblestone streets and narrow allyways. During the Reformation, the Knights embraced Protestantism, and Estonia remains a strongly Lutheran country today.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Tallin

Next port was St. Petersburg, a beautiful city, known in 1914 as Petrograd and then in 1924 it was changed to Leningrad in honor of the Soviet leader Lenin until 1991 when the citizens restored its historic name. The Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood looms over the rooftops, covered in beautiful mosaic. There are many churches, monuments and cathedrals as well as the Hermitage Museum. Built on 42 islands there are also many beautifully decorated bridges. A city so full of history and culture that one could spend many days there.

Church of the Christ on Spilled Blood - St. Petersburg

Helsinki has been the Finish capital since 1812 when it was rebuilt by the Russian Tsars along the lines of a miniature St. Petersburg, a beautiful and clean city. We visited the Temppeliaukio Church (the Rock Church) carved and blasted from solid granite rock about 30 years ago and covered with a huge copper dome – amazing acoustics! With Finns known as the originators of the sauna, it was interesting to note the many ‘sauna houses’ along the water ways.

Enjoying a waterways cruise in Stockholm, Sweden, I’d have to say my biggest fascination was with a ship, the Vasa. A 17th-century warship, the Vasa is the oldest fully preserved ship in the world. Built as a flagship of the Swedish navy, the Vasa foundered on her maiden voyage in 1628, and lay at the bottom of the harbor for 333 years. She was surprisingly well preserved by the harbor mud and the brackish water and when found in 1956 plans were put in place to raise her. She is now housed in the Vasa Museum with refashioned masts extending above the roof line.

On board ‘our’ ship we shared worship time with another Adventist group being hosted by Dick and Ardis Stenbakken (Ardis is Editor of the Women’s Devotional).

With my cabin mate, Dorothy, and Jeannie M,

All too soon we were back in Copenhagen and all going our separate ways. Coming home I was able to enjoy a few hours in my ‘mother country’, England, before boarding a 9 hour flight into Vancouver.

~ Beverly Hazzard