Of Winds and Whispers.

[drron29]

The first cruise was a 7 day port intensive cruise.Totally different to our previous experiences.No time really to get to know other passengers-a lot our fault as we didn't do any of the ships tours and with our extensive private touring in St. Petersburg we were to tired to go to shows or the bar.This second cruise was a totally different experience and what we are used to.Started with a sea day and 11 days in duration.

So we did get to know several others and had time to have our formidable trivia team-us,2 American couples and 1 daughter and a delightful Scottish couple who you will hear about later.Only won twice,a couple of thirds but the rest as runners up.I also had time for the putting tournament.It was a lot of fun but I also won twice and on all but 2 other occasions at least equal second.Fooled most into thinking I could really play.

Between those 2 endeavours earned enough points for 2 Silverseas T shirts!

 

Really quiet day with Rojaan getting a massage.It was the Welcome cocktail party again and we dined with the Staff Captain.Once again a really enjoyable night.The next day we awoke steaming into Tallinn.Lots of sea birds-

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Next to us at the wharf was a blast from the past-

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The National Geographic Orion.We cruised on her in the Kimberleys and from Dunedin to the Antarctic.Coming back we had waves to 18 metres.See the line of windows at the front below the large window-that is the bridge and the waves were breaking above that at the rear-where our cabin was on that deck.It was just the plain Orion then but a Linblad Captain was on board.

 

We decided just to catch the shuttle to the Old Town and stroll those areas we hadn't gone with our friend a week before.

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[drron29]

Out of the darkness into the light-

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That is the Katariina walk.Rojaan wanted to look at the craft shops there.Some interesting stuff.On one side of the walk they had ancient burial stones-

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This place reckoned it was the oldest coffee shop in Tallinn.I did like the coffee cups on the ferris wheel-

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A couple of places left a little of the render of to show you what the wall was like-

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The Tallinn summer flower show had finished the day before but several of the exhibits were still there-

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So back to the ship.Walking alongside the Orion I recognised the Hotel Director.What is more extraordinary I remembered his name.Turns out Linblad kept virtually all the crew when they took her over so recognised and talked to several of the crew.

The Helsinki fastcat leaves.

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[drron29]

An unusual sunset with lots of pastel colours-

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We passed a ship that looked like the Orion but was heading in the wrong direction-

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An unusual cloud formation to end the show.

That night we had dinner in La Terraza and it was good.Once more amused by some of the antics that go on with wine with a couple being scathing about the standards of the complimentary wines saying they wanted a French white wine.The wine waiter they had was European so he went through all the grape varieties of the French whites they had on the complimentary wine list to which she replied no we would like a French white burgundy.The waiter replied but madame that is the French chardonnay that I mentioned.Touche.

 

Then it was off to bed in readiness for our return to St.Petersburg.

[drron29]

We awoke the next morning to a gorgeous sunrise.We were awake earlier than the last cruise and sunrise was a little later.We were passing what appeared to be a naval base.I thought this sunrise was better than many of the sunsets I have seen-

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Edited September 21, 2016 by drron29

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[drron29]

So it was now time for breakfast.However my plans for the day were thwarted.We had booked a half day shopping tour in the morning and I was then going to leave the tour and walk back to the ship visiting a couple of other museums on the way.They switched the tour to the afternoon.When you are on a ship tour you can only go out when the ticket says so.Another advantage of a Private tour(not the silverseas private tours though).When you book a private tour through a Russian agency they get your visa.It is for the duration of the tour so on our first visit we only had to show the tour ticket on the first day and thereafter only had to show our passport-were never asked again for proof.Should have gone for a half day private tour.

 

Add to that it was raining all morning.So glad we did everything on the first cruise.Our"tour"took first shop that we had been on our private tour-knowing the system I was able to sample a little more than one shot of vodka.Then taken to a second shop and the plan was then to have ~ 90 minutes free time walking the Nvetsky Prospect.Well we knew the time and place of the pick up,it was not raining so off we went.

First we went to thir first "department store/mall".A very large building but a totally random selection of things for sale,various sized rooms and seemingly no planning at all.It did though allow photos of neighbouring buildings.A couple of shots on the way first-

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The second building is the department store/mall.

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