A Scotland Wedding Trip - August 3-13, 2017

Three years ago, in August 2014, my nephew Kevin and I went on a 2-week adventure back to the land of our ancestors. This time I went back to Scotland for his destination wedding!

Day 1: I left Jacksonville, Florida, and headed off to Scotland late this afternoon. My husband, Rodney, stayed home to take care of our two older cats. It was a relatively uneventful trip from Jacksonville thru JFK and the Dublin airports to Edinburgh.

Day 2: I arrived in Edinburgh late this morning; unfortunately, my luggage did not. Oh boy... I normally pack an extra set of clothes, toiletries, rain jacket, and power adapters in my carry-on bag and never need them. This trip I didn't. Big mistake.

St. Giles Cathedral

I went to my hotel to drop off my carry-on at the front desk since it was too early to check in. I took my stinky self (really missing my clean clothes) out into the sprinkling rain (really missing my rain jacket) to do some sightseeing. I walked along the Royal Mile with the gazillion other people there for the Tattoo Festival and a few other festivals that were being held. Ugh! There were too many people for me to really enjoy myself, but I stopped by St. Giles Cathedral, an Historic Scotland site that was featured on a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland postage stamp in 1969 (a Philatelic Photograph). That perked me up a bit! Adjacent to the Cathedral was an Equestrian Statue of Monarch Charles II. Sweet!

Hourglass on Headstone in Greyfriars

To get away from the Royal Mile and the droves of people there, I next visited Greyfriars Kirkyard, where I came across a Mausoleum and numerous Hourglasses on some of the historic and beautifully ornate headstones. I also checked out the Greyfriars Kirk while here. According to Wikipedia, construction on This Old Church began in 1602 and was completed circa 1620. By this time, the rain was really coming down, and I was absolutely drenched and miserable. However, I did manage to stop and check out a plaque on the kirkyard wall as I was leaving and discovered it was a Disaster Memorial placed in remembrance of the victims of the Union Carbide Gas Disaster in Bhopal, India, in 1984.

By now, it was late enough to check into my hotel (hub by Premier Inn Edinburgh-Royal Mile). Unfortunately, there was still no news about my missing luggage. Thankfully, the hotel provided me with a toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, and deodorant, and I managed to do a little creative hand washing of the clothes I'd been wearing for well over 24 hours in the bathroom sink. I got on my computer to contact my husband at home and other family members in Scotland for the wedding. By the time I was ready to call it a night, I only had about an hour of juice left on the computer and even less on my cell phone. Note to self: ALWAYS carry adapters, extra underwear, an extra outfit, and toiletries in my carry-on in the future.

Day 3: Still no word on the location of my luggage. Aer Lingus sucks. Sorry, but they were absolutely no help and acted like I was putting them out when I tried to find out what was going on. I reluctantly put on my hand washed clothes (still a bit rank) and headed out to purchase underwear, shirts, pants, a brush (my hair was looking absolutely ridiculous by now), and a power adapter since I had no idea if my luggage was ever going to arrive. The wonderful hotel clerk suggested I go to Primark (about a mile from the hotel) to get some cheap clothes, etc. I bought a pair of leggings, a pair of sweat pants, three shirts, a four-pack of underwear (hallelujah!), a five-pack of socks, and a hairbrush for just under 20 pounds. They didn't carry an adapter for my electronics like she thought they would, but there was a Samsung store two doors down and they told me to go to the Superdrug another three doors down to get an adapter. Yay! I can freely use my computer and phone again.

Abraham Lincoln in Edinburgh

I spent the rest of my final day in Edinburgh before heading to the wedding venue by wandering around a few more of the historic cemeteries in the area. The cemeteries were the best places I could find to get away from the crowds... at least crowds of the living kind! My first stop was the Old Calton Burying Ground. According to Wikipedia, this Worldwide Cemetery was established in 1718 and contains over 1,000 graves. Within the cemetery was a Scottish-American Soldiers Memorial, a Civil War Memorial featuring a statue of Abraham Lincoln, which I visited. I also found the Famous Grave of Dead Poet David Hume, who was the author of the "Treatise of Human Nature".

The next cemetery I visited was the New Calton Burial Ground, a cemetery that I actually first visited with my nephew Kevin in 2014. I found a lovely winged Hourglass on one of the headstones in this cemetery, as well as a World War II Memorial to five merchant navy seamen "known unto God" whose bodies were recovered from the sea following an attack on the MV Atheltemplar on 1 March 1941 during World War II.

Winged Hourglass

Unfortunately, after spending so much time trying to locate my missing luggage and shopping for new clothes and other items, I didn't have as much time to spend waymarking around Edinburgh as I had planned. It was a bit disappointing, but Edinburgh was only ever intended to be icing on the cake. The main purpose of my trip was yet to come and I was really looking forward to it.

Day 4: At 2:00am this morning, my luggage finally arrived! I had asked the hotel clerk to wake me up as soon as it arrived. I was so happy to have my stuff, especially the dress and shoes I was going to wear to the wedding. The hotel staff was fabulous during this ordeal. I would definitely stay at this hub hotel again and probably will.

On the Train to Stranraer

After a few more hours of sleep, I got up and took the first train out to Glasgow, where I met up with my niece Carrie and nephew Brian. The three of us then caught the train to Stranraer in southwest Scotland. Upon arriving in Stranraer, we took a cab to the Dunskey Estate in Portpatrick where we would be staying for the next week and where the wedding was to be held.

The wedding party and attendees were scheduled to stay at the main house or Castle on the Dunskey Estate. The castle was built in 1900, is beautifully maintained, and still has all of its original features including the majority of furnishings. We arrived at the estate before we could check in so we went to the Estate's Tearoom for some hot tea and scones with clotted cream (yum!). Once the castle was ready for us to move in, we headed to it and spotted an Anchor, a Sundial, and a few Lion Statues in front of it, as well as a beautiful view of the North Channel. Before long, the rest of the wedding party and guests arrived, and we all enjoyed a nice dinner put together by our hosts.

Dunskey Estate Castle

Reverse Jeep Driving

Day 5: Today, we all went to the Laggan Outdoor Activity Center in the town of Gatehouse of Fleet and had fun with archery, sledging, and reverse jeep driving. Sledging involves flying down a hill on a sled with tracks on the bottom instead of skis. Reverse jeep driving involves driving with a blindfold on while your co-pilot in the back seat navigates without talking!!! What makes it even more challenging is that when you turn the steering wheel to the right, the jeep goes to the left and vice versa. It was absolutely hilarious!

On our way back to the Dunskey Estate, we stopped at the Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns I and II. My husband and I actually stopped here in 2012 to explore these two Megalithic Monuments that are listed on the Historic Scotland register. According to Wikipedia, these are two Neolithic chambered tombs. Next, we made our way back to Dunskey and enjoyed the wedding rehearsal dinner, once again put together by our hosts, as well as a fun whisky tasting.

Cairn Holy Chambered Cairn I

Fairy Door

Day 6: Today was the much anticipated wedding day! The wedding wasn't to take place until late afternoon, so the bride and groom held a scavenger hunt for us on the estate grounds in the late morning/early afternoon. We had a fun time exploring the estate's Outdoor Maze, as well as its Fairy Trail, which boasted at least 20 Wee Fairy Folk Doors... so, so cute! There was also a nice Footbridge along the Fairy Trail.



By the time we finished the scavenger hunt, it was time to start getting ready for the wedding. It was held in the gardens behind the castle, and my nephew wore a kilt in the MacPherson Clan's Hunting Modern plaid tartan and his bride Megan wore a beautiful champagne colored floor-length gown. Such a beautiful wedding. Sigh...

Megan and Kevin Say Aye Do!

Anchor overlooking Portpatrick

Day 7: We went into the adorable little seaside village of Portpatrick today and found a geocache while out and about. I also spotted a few waymarks, and my family was kind enough to stop and let me take some photos and coordinates for a couple of old Anchors, Artistic Seating in the form of a beautiful stone bench, and a small Coastal Lighthouse. We also discovered a Disaster Memorial, which consisted of a Relief Art Sculpture placed in honor of the lifeboatmen from the village who joined the effort to rescue passengers on the sinking MV Princess Victoria in 1953.

MV Princess Victoria Memorial

We also visited the ruins of the Portpatrick Old Parish Kirk, which included a Dovecote and a Churchyard Cemetery. Within this Worldwide Cemetery, we discovered two Graves of Unusual Deaths, one for Nathaniel Wither who drowned in the Baltic Sea in 1813 at the age of 24 and another for Betsy Splatt and her daughters Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Susanna, and Ann Maria who lost their lives in the wreck of the Orion paddle steamer in 1950. Both the Kirk and the Churchyard are listed on the Historic Scotland register.

After arriving back at the Dunskey Estate, I spent a little time wandering around the walled garden, where I spotted a Draw Well, which was installed some time in the 1700s to as late as about 1815. It was used for watering plants in the Walled Garden. It no longer serves that function, but is a nice little decorative feature in the garden. Later in the day, we walked down to the Estate's beach, where our host had arranged a cookout and bonfire. It was a great way to end a beautiful day.

Dunskey Castle Ruins

Day 8: We spent most of the day around the Dunskey Estate today, but in the afternoon we headed back to Portpatrick for dinner. After dinner, we wandered up the Outdoor Stairway of 125 steps to the ruins of the Dunskey Castle (not part of the Estate where we are staying). According to Wikipedia, Dunskey Castle was constructed in the 12th century and is privately owned.

Day 9: A few of us drove over to the nearby Killantringan Lighthouse today. According to Wikipedia, this Coastal Lighthouse came into operation in 1900 and served as a waypoint in the North Channel of the Irish Sea. The lighthouse is a protected building on the Historic Scotland register. Just outside the walled area surrounding the lighthouse were two pieces of Old Agricultural Equipment, possibly a plow and a hay rake. You just never know what kind of waymarks you're going to come across! Just down the hill from the lighthouse was a spot overlooking the Killantringan Bay and a Dedicated Bench was placed here in memory of Linda Anne Bovaird.

Killantringan Lighthouse

Day 10: The wedding adventure ended today. My sister Carol, her husband Larry, my niece Carrie, my nephew Brian, and I all caught the same train out of Stranraer. The first three got off in Glasgow, while Brian and I continued on to Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the hotel I stayed at upon arriving in Scotland didn't have any vacancies tonight, so I stayed at a different hotel that was not as centrally located and wasn't nearly as nice even though it was more expensive. I guess I should have booked my accommodations a few months earlier than I did!

Victorian Post Box

I only did a little bit of waymarking in Edinburgh this afternoon. On my way to Charlotte Square, I spotted a Victorian Post Box at the intersection of North Castle Street and Queen Street. Once I got to Charlotte Square, I took a Philatelic Photograph of Bute House. According to Wikipedia, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. The house was featured on a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland postage stamp in 1975. I just love the Philatelic Photographs category! By this time, I was pretty exhausted and headed back to my hotel. On the way back though, I spotted a Hard Rock Cafe and had to make a quick visit!

Day 11: I caught my flight home today. It was a wonderful trip, a wonderful wedding, and a wonderful time with my family. The only thing that would have made it better was if my husband could have come too. Next time...

Iceland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic States - June 21-July 20, 2015

In June and July of 2015, my husband Rodney and I went on a 4-week vacation to Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. We crammed an unbelievable amount of sightseeing into these 4 weeks, but had a wonderful time. Yes, I realize I'm 2 years behind in posting our trip and waymarking highlights to this blog, but I'll try to do better keeping up in the future.

Day 1: We're so excited! Our long-awaited trip is about to begin. We drove south from our home in Jacksonville, Florida, to Melbourne, Florida, and left our vehicle and our cats Rascal and Scamp with my sister Joan. My other sister, Carol, who also lives in Melbourne, then drove us over to a Hampton Inn located a few blocks from the Orlando International Airport so we could catch our first flight the next morning. Yay!

Waiting for flight to JFK, then on to Iceland

Day 2: This morning, we flew from Orlando to JFK airport in New York City, then onto Iceland. Once we arrived at the Keflavík airport around midnight, we took a bus to Reykjavik. It felt odd that it was so light out at that time of day! The temperature for Reykjavik was about 51°F when we arrived. What a nice escape from the 99°F we left behind in Florida!

Rodney at the Strokker Geysir

Day 3: We had a great time exploring Iceland today on the 8-hour Golden Circle bus tour. Our first stop was at the Fridheimar Greenhouse, where we learned about the use of geothermal heating in Icelandic horticulture. Pretty hot stuff! As we were heading back to the tour bus, I spotted a nice Sundial in the parking area. Next, we stopped at the Strokker Geysir, a Place of Geologic Significance. I took a nice Philatelic Photograph of the geysir, which was featured on an Iceland postage stamp in 1991, before heading across the street to the Hotel Geysir where I spotted a Carriage on Permanent Display and a Permanent Car Display, as well as an Occupational Monument to wrestlers. Wow, what an odd statue to find here. I later found out that the national sport of Iceland is the Icelandic "Glíma" which is a type of wrestling. Who knew?

Sandy at Gullfoss

Our next stop was the Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls), a Waterfall in southwestern Iceland. It was featured on an Iceland postage stamp in 1931, so of course I had to take another Philatelic Photograph. Wouldn't you?

Þingvella National Park

Moving right along, we next stopped at the Þingvella National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Iceland. According to Wikipedia, "Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge." The reason this is a Place of Geologic Significance is because the North American and European tectonic plates are spreading apart here. While walking around the site, we spotted a combination Sundial/Orientation Table and a 3D Map Model. You just never know what type of waymarks you're going to encounter in such places! This was our last stop on the bus tour before heading back to Reykjavik.

Although we'd already had a long day, we decided to take advantage of the even longer days here to explore Reykjavik a bit. We encountered numerous waymarks while wandering around the city, including a cool Neon Sign for a shop named Stella, a European Post Office that had a Sign of History and a Dead Poets' Society Memorial on it, a former European Post Office that was also a Former School and a former Police Station and had a Sign of History and a European Benchmark on it, several sites where we took Philatelic Photographs, a couple of Civil Rights Memorials, a Municipal Park, an Obelisk, a couple more European Benchmarks, a Concert Hall and Vintage Movie Theater, and a Seventh Day Adventist Church to name a few. This place is bulging at the seams with waymarks. My kind of place!

Reykjavík Cathedral Postage Stamp

Reykjavík Cathedral

Hallgrimskirkja & Leif Eriksson

Day 4: Today, we enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather in Reykjavik. In the morning, we explored the city on a 1/2-day bus tour, then spent the afternoon walking all over town. Once again, there were many waymarks to be found. Some of the places we visited were the Hallgrimskirkja, the Lutheran Cathedral of Iceland, which according to Wikipedia is the largest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest architectural structure in Iceland. In front of the church is a statue of explorer Leif Eriksson, which was given to Iceland by the United States in honor of the 1930 Alþingi Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD. This Statue of a Historic Figure, Community Commemoration, and Gift from Another Country was featured on an Iceland postage stamp in 1938, providing an opportunity for yet another Philatelic Photograph. Also in front of the church is a Danish Benchmark (yes, that's right, a Danish Benchmark) that has Permanent Geographic Coordinates on it.

The Pearl

We also visited The Pearl, an Odd-Shaped Building with a Revolving Restaurant on top, that is located on the outskirts of Reykjavik. According to Wikipedia, this dome-shaped glass building is supported by six enormous hot-water tanks (aka Water Towers) that each have a capacity of 4 million liters. Wow! In front of The Pearl was an Occupational Monument to dancing musicians playing air instruments.

Rodney & The Unknown Bureaucrat

Once back in downtown Reykjavik, we spotted a multitude of waymarks, including a few Figurative Public Sculptures, a Former Prison, a couple of Old Churches, an Electric Car Charging Station, a few more sites where we took Philatelic Photographs, a former Hospital, an Odd Fellow Lodge, a couple of European Benchmarks, a few Municipal Parks (including one that had an Extraterrestrial Location, an Epic Being, and a Statue of a Religious Figure), a Hand-operated Water Pump, a Human Migration Monument, a few pieces of Abstract Art, and a couple more Occupational Monuments. Our favorite Occupational Monument was of The Unknown Bureaucrat... so funny!

After a long day, we went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and take a bus back to the airport in Keflavík, where we were scheduled to catch a 1:00 am flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Danish Benchmark on Valhøj

Day 5: After a loooong night at the Keflavík Airport in Iceland and a 3-hour flight, we finally arrived in Copenhagen. We had spent an exhausting 36 hours with only a couple of catnaps on the flight from Iceland. Because we arrived in Copenhagen so early, our hotel room wasn't ready and wouldn't be until 2:00 pm, which was a good thing because we might have been tempted to go to sleep and miss a full day of sightseeing (and waymarking!) opportunities. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we headed to Copenhagen Central Train Station to catch a ride to the suburbs to search for a Danish Benchmark that hadn't yet been claimed. This granite pedestal benchmark was located on Valhøj, a hill in the middle of a residential area on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

Once we got back to Copenhagen Central Station, we headed toward the old town, where we wandered around the City Hall Square. The Copenhagen City Hall Tower is found on the back of 20-krone coins that were issued by the Danmarks Nationalbank in 2007, so of course we took a Numismatic Photograph. Within the Square, we also spotted a Dragon Fountain, with four of these Epic Beings, as well as a Statue of Historic Figure Hans Christian Andersen. This statue of the Dead Poet was featured on a Lesotho postage stamp in 2005, so we made sure we got a Philatelic Photograph. We also wandered around the entire exterior of the City Hall and spotted a Danish Benchmark in the form of a bolt located on the building. And finally, we saw a Figurative Public Sculpture of Lure Players, which depicts two men playing Musical Instruments known as lure horns.

Hans Christian Andersen Postage Stamp

Hans Christian Andersen Statue

By now it was time to grab some dinner, check in to our hotel, and then kick back and relax. What an exhausting 2 days! We're looking forward to a good night's sleep before venturing out to visit a few castles tomorrow.

William Shakespeare Relief Art

Day 6: Today was another beautiful day in Denmark. We set out bright and early for a 6 1/2-hour castle tour. We visited three castles: Kronborg Castle, Frederiksborg Castle, and Fredensborg Palace. Our first stop was Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site identified on the 1000 Places To See Before You Die list. Kronborg Castle is one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe. Just after entering the castle, our guide stopped to tell us about a piece of Relief Art of Dead Poet William Shakespeare. According to Wikipedia, Kronborg Castle was immortalized as Elsinore in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. There was also a Hand-operated Water Pump in the castle courtyard, as well as a miniature Exact Replica of the castle. So cool!

We next made a quick photo stop at Fredensborg Palace, a Castle that is the spring and autumn residence of the Danish Royal Family. The palace was constructed from 1720 to 1753 in the Baroque Architecture style. So beautiful.

Fredensborg Palace

Frederiksborg Castle

Our last castle of the day was Frederiksborg Castle. According to Wikipedia, this castle was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV in the early 17th century in the Dutch Renaissance Architecture style. Just outside the castle was a lovely Fountain of the Epic Being Neptune, an Extraterrestrial Location! There was another Fountain of a Woman, Boy with a Goose, & Lion in the castle's courtyard. Awesome!

Cafe Rosenhuset

One other cool sighting during the day was the Cafe Rosenhuset, which is located in a Thatch Cottage. I sure didn't expect to see one of these today, but we actually saw several!


 

Day 7: We had yet another nice day in Copenhagen with only a little drizzle in the late afternoon. We spent the day touring the city via a hop on hop off sightseeing bus. Similar in some ways to yesterday, we again visited three castles: Christiansborg Palace, Amalienborg Palace, and Rosenborg Castle. According to Wikipedia, Christiansborg Palace (aka Christiansborg Castle) is the seat of the Danish Parliament (a Capitol Building!), the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court. What an interesting location for a Courthouse! In addition, not only was the castle featured on a Bulgaria postage stamp in 1987 (Philatelic Photograph), but its tower is found on the back of 20-krone coins that were issued by the Danmarks Nationalbank in 2003 (Numismatic Photograph). Cha ching!

Queen for the Day at Christianborg Palace

Amalienborg Palace

Our second Castle of the day was Amalienborg Palace, home of the Danish royal family. The palace consists of four identical mansions that were built to house four distinguished noble families from the royal circles. These four mansions are placed around an octagonal square and now form the modern palace of Amalienborg. In the center of the octagonal square stands an Equestrian Statue of Frederico V, one of the Monarchs of the World.

 

Rodney at Rosenborg Castle

Our third and final castle of the day was Rosenborg Castle. The castle was built from 1606 to1624 in the Dutch Renaissance Architecture style. According to Wikipedia, "The castle was used by Danish regents as a royal residence until around 1710. After the reign of Frederik IV, Rosenborg was used as a royal residence only twice, and both these times were during emergencies." After reading a few Signs of History about the castle and its gardens, we decided to call it a day and head back to our hotel. Unfortunately, it ended up not being the end of our day after all. We accidentally left our GPS at the Rosenborg Castle bus stop while waiting for the hop on hop off bus to take us back to a stop near our hotel. By the time we realized what we'd done and returned, the GPS was gone. Oh no! How in the world was I going to waymark without it?! We returned to our hotel and did a quick internet search and found a store a couple of train stops away with a reasonably priced GPS. It's not as good as the one we lost, but it will at least get us through the remainder of our vacation. Whew!

WW1 Victoria Cross Plaque

We had several other highlights of the day interspersed between the three castle tours. One was a stroll through Churchillparken, a Municipal Park, where we spotted a WW1 Overseas Victoria Cross Commemorative Plaque that was a gift from the United Kingdom to Denmark. This Gift from Another Country was presented to honor two men (Private Thomas Dineson and Captain Percy Howard Hansen) for their actions during the First World War -- a very nice Specific Veterans Memorial. We also enjoyed looking at the nearby Gefion Fountain, a large fountain on Copenhagen's harbor front that features a large-scale group of animal figures being driven by the legendary Norse goddess, Gefjun.


Perhaps the most popular stop of the day (at least judging by the number of tourists) was the Little Mermaid statue. This statue of a Famous Fictional Figure is located on a rock in the water alongside the Langelinie promenade. It was featured on a Maldives postage stamp in 2005. Yep, we took another Philatelic Photograph (one of my favorite waymarking categories, in case you hadn't already figured that out!). There were many other great sightings during the day. Copenhagen is yet another city with plenty of waymarking opportunities!

Little Mermaid Postage Stamp

Little Mermaid Statue

Rundetårn

Day 8: This was our last day in Copenhagen before leaving by cruise ship for Oslo, Norway, in the evening. We made the most of the time we had left and strolled around the old town. One of our favorite stops was the Rundetårn (Round Tower), a 17th-century Dutch Baroque tower located in the heart of Copenhagen. This Astronomical Observatory afforded some lovely, expansive views of the city.

Also while wandering around the old town, we spotted several other nice waymarks including another Danish Benchmark (also a European Benchmark) and a Sign of History at the University of Copenhagen, a Dead Poet's Society Memorial for Ludvig Holberg, and a World War II Memorial for six members of Holger Danske, a Danish resistance group during the war, who were arrested by the Gestapo in 1945 in Copenhagen and subsequently executed in Ryvangen. Our final stop was at the Caritasbrønden (Caritas Well or Caritas Fountain), which is considered to be one of the city's finest Renaissance monuments.

Caritasbrønden

Trekroner Fort & Lighthouse

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and take a cab to the harbor to catch our overnight cruise to Oslo. As we were headed out of the harbor, we got some excellent views of the Trekroner Lighthouse, which is located at the Trekroner Fort, a sea fort at the entrance to the Copenhagen harbor. We also got a nice view of the Middelgrundsfortet (Fort Middelgrund), a sea fort located on an artificial island in the Øresund, a sound between Copenhagen and Malmö, Denmark; it was an active military installation until 1984. We wandered around the ship's deck for a little while enjoying the sights before heading inside for a nice dinner and then off to bed to rest up for the next day.

Day 9: Our ship arrived in Oslo, Norway, this morning. We had arranged for a cab to pick us up to take us to our hotel. There was a mix-up with the cab company and it took at least 45 minutes for the cab to finally arrive. Then it took another 20 minutes to get to the hotel due to detours and confusion on the part of our cab driver. It turns out we could have easily walked to our hotel in less than 10 minutes as you could actually see it from the harbor. If only we had known!

Lindøya Lighthouse

After checking into the hotel, we headed down to the waterfront near City Hall to catch a 2-hour fjord boat trip. We loved the beauty of the Oslo fjord and even passed quite close to a couple of small lighthouses: Lindøya Lighthouse (so cute!) and Dyna Lighthouse. After the boat trip ended, we wandered around old town to see the Nobel Peace Center, a Norwegian Post Office, several Norway Historic Sites and Blue Plaques, a couple of European Benchmarks, and a Pub with a Pictorial Pub Sign to name but a few.

Day 10: This morning we headed back to the harbor to get a better look at the Oslo Opera House. This Concert Hall is located in an Odd-Shaped Building that was designed to look like a glacier with its angled, white exterior appearing to rise from the water. Quite an appropriate design for Norway, don't you think?

Oslo Opera House in background

Holmenkollbakken

We then headed back to the City Hall area to go on a 2-hour bus tour that took us up a mountain above town to the Holmenkollbakken, a large Ski Jump that was part of the 1952 Olympics. According to Wikipedia, this Modern Olympic Venue is the most popular Tourism Attraction in Norway, with roughly one million visitors each year. You can even pay to get in a ski simulator to virtually try out the Holmenkollen ski jump yourself. Yikes!
 

Freia Town Clock

Once the bus tour was over, we wandered around Oslo's old town where we saw several more Norway Historic Sites and Blue Plaques (one was at the former Oslo City Hall, which was also a Former Police Station), a couple of Lion Statues at the Parliament building (a Capitol Building), a huge Town Clock on the old Freia chocolate candy manufacturing company building, a TGIFridays, and several Dead Poet's Society Memorials, particularly several for Henrik Ibsen. We learned that Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after William Shakespeare! We also stopped to look at the Oslo Stock Exchange (or Borsen) building. This Current Exchange building was featured on a Norway postage stamp in 2000, so we took a Philatelic Photograph.

For dinner, we couldn't pass up the Hard Rock Cafe. While inside, I wandered around and checked out the Beatles Memorabilia on the walls. Beatlemania!, baby. While I was doing that, the Marine rolled his eyes and ordered a local brew. Maybe I'm driving him to drink?

At the Hard Rock Cafe

Viking Ship Museum

Day 11: Another fun day in Oslo! We boarded a hop on hop off tour bus in the morning and let it take us to several great locations in the area, including the Akershus Fortress, a medieval Castle and Retired Prison; the Viking Ship Museum, a Maritime Museum and History Museum that houses three large historic viking burial ships; the Kon-Tiki Museum, another Maritime Museum and History Museum that houses the huge balsa raft from the Kon-Tiki expedition; and Frogner Park, which contains the world famous Vigeland sculpture installation of human figures.

Angry Boy

We greatly enjoyed all these sites, but our favorite stop by far was the Vigeland Sculpture Park. This is the world's largest sculpture park by a single artist. The park is home to more than 200 of Gustav Vigeland's sculptures. These Figurative Public Sculptures were amazing, and we took Philatelic Photographs of three of them. Our favorite was the park's most popular statue known as Angry Boy.

Up a hill, just a short distance away from the sculpture park, we discovered a triangulation pillar, yet another European Benchmark we came across on this trip.

Other highlights of the day included more Dead Poet's Society Memorials, Philatelic Photographs, a World War II Memorial, Statues of Historic Figures, a Monarch of the World, and a Live Stage Theater. What a fun, busy, and productive day!

Kjosfossen

Day 12: Today we journeyed by train from Oslo to Flåm, Norway, and the views were spectacular. We particularly enjoyed the portion of the trip on the Flåmsbana railway that runs between Myrdal and Flåm. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and we even saw lots of snow on this stretch. There was only one stop on this segment of the trip, and it was at the Kjosfossen, a 738-foot high cascade Waterfall, which has a small power station on it that is used to power the railway.

Cute Bear Statue

Upon arriving in the cute little village of Flåm, we quickly checked into our hotel and then began exploring. One of the first things that caught our attention was a Kugel Ball. I'm always surprised when we stumble across one of these as there's no rhyme or reason for their placement. We also spotted a cute Bear Sculpture, a Ship Screw, a Cruise Ship Port, a Dining Car Restaurant, a Visitor Center, a Gazebo, a You Are Here Map, an Arch Bridge, and a few other odds and ends.

Our creepiest find of the day though was three clown benches. This Artistic Seating was located in a Public Playground, which makes it all the more creepy if you ask me. And why are they all sitting like they are and what are they doing with their arms? Seriously creepy! If I were a child, I'd have nightmares!

One of three creepy Clown Benches

Fjord Cruise Boat from Flåm to Bergen

Day 13: No waymarks today, believe it or not! This afternoon we left Flåm via a fjord cruise to Bergen, Norway. There were some wonderful waterfalls and other beautiful scenery to look at along the way. Upon arriving in Bergen in the late afternoon, we just had time to grab a bite to eat and then do a couple of loads of laundry (we were starting to get rank!) before hitting the hay.

Fløibanen Funicular

Day 14: Our first goal for the day was to take a ride on the Fløibanen Funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out the Centralkirken, a Methodist Church with a Neon Sign near the entrance to the lower funicular station. We enjoyed the views from the top and even spotted a World War II Memorial and a You Are Here Map. After taking the return trip down the mountain, we spotted a cool Pub Sign for Scruffy Murphy's Pub. What was particularly exciting was the presence of a replica of a Victorian Post Box on the building. Now that was unexpected! We also came across a fancy looking McDonald's restaurant in a historic Dated Building constructed in 1710.

View from Mount Fløyen

Ulriksbanen

Our next goal for the day was to take the Ulriksbanen, an Aerial Lift, to the top of Ulriken, which is the highest of the Seven Mountains that surround Bergen with an altitude of 643 meters above sea level. The views from the mountaintop were wonderful. While up on the mountain, we discovered a Cairn with a Musical Instrument on it that was a Dead Poet's Society Memorial. Also up here was a Radio Transmitter Tower that later became a waymarking category. Good thing we took photos and coordinates!

View from Ulriken

Stolpersteine for Julius Eidenbom

On the way back to our hotel for a short rest, we spotted a Stolpersteine for Julius Eidenbom. According to the plaque, he was born in 1871 and was living at this location in 1943 when he was taken and deported to Auschwitz where he was killed. A very sobering reminder of the horrors that occurred during the Nazi Regime.
 
We later spent several more hours wandering around Bergen and spotted a couple of Maritime Memorials, both a World War I and a World War II Memorial, a Human Migration Monument, and a Medieval Lutheran Church with a European Benchmark on it as well as its Churchyard Cemetery where we found a Broken Column Headstone. Our favorite location of the day, however, was the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bryggen. According to Wikipedia, "Bryggen (Norwegian for the Wharf), also known as Tyskebryggen (the German Wharf), is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of the fjord coming into Bergen, Norway. The city of Bergen was founded around 1070 within the original boundaries of Tyskebryggen. Around 1360 a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was established there, and Tyskebryggen became the centre of the Hanseatic commercial activities in Norway." Such a fascinating place to visit! A must-see if you're ever in the area.

Bryggen

Sjømannsmonumentet

Day 15: Today, we left Bergen, but had a few hours in the morning to do some more sightseeing. We passed by the Bergen Tinghus (Bergen Courthouse), which was completed in 1933 and houses the Bergen District Court. Four lovely Figurative Public Sculptures representing the four cardinal virtues (wisdom, justice, temperance and strength) were located by the main entrance. We also came across the Sjømannsmonumentet, another Maritime Memorial (our third while in Bergen, which is not surprising since the Bergen Port is Norway's busiest in terms of both freight and passengers). And finally, on the way back to our hotel to catch a taxi to the airport, we spotted a Fountain featuring a Statue of the Religious Figure Salome. Then off to the airport to catch a flight to Stockholm, Sweden.

Solsångaren

Day 16: Although we arrived in Stockholm late yesterday afternoon, we were pretty tired so we just hunkered down in our hotel with a short trip out to grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant. Today, it rained quite a bit, but we still got out for a little while to explore part of the city. We headed down toward the old town and enjoyed wandering around Stromparterren Park, a Municipal Park with a Sign of History that told us this is the oldest public park in Stockholm -- how Superlative! We also spotted a 1919 Dead Poet's Society Memorial titled Solsångaren (Sun Singer) for Esaias Tegnér, a Swedish writer, professor of Greek language, and bishop.
Nearby was the Royal Swedish Opera House, which is listed as one of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. This Live Stage Theater had a European Benchmark on it and was featured on a Sweden postage stamp in 1998 (so you know we had to take a Philatelic Photograph)! A Sign of History here explained that the opera house was built in 1892-1898 and exhibits Classicist style features from both the Baroque and the Gustavian period.

Royal Swedish Opera House Postage Stamp

Royal Swedish Opera House

Royal Palace

In a traffic circle in front of the opera house was an Equestrian Statue of Gustav II Adolf. According to Wikipedia, this Monarch of the World "was the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power." A Sign of History here informed us that this equestrian statue was the First of Its Kind in Sweden, an interesting little factoid. Also nearby was the Parliament House (a Capitol Building home to the parliament of Sweden) and the lovely Baroque Royal Palace (this Castle is the "official" residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch). Both buildings were featured on Swedish postage stamps... you guessed it, two more Philatelic Photographs!

St. James's Church Doorway

Other finds of the day included the beautiful Molins Fountain with a Musical Instrument, an Old Church (Lutheran in denomination) with a gorgeous Doorway of the World, another Municipal Park with a monument with four Lion Statues, a couple of Neon Signs, and a Dance Club. All in all, a pretty good day considering the bad weather.

Rodney with the Vasa

Day 17: Today was our last full day in Stockholm. We didn't see as much of the city yesterday as we would have liked because of rain, but we more than made up for that today. Our first stop was the Vasa Museum, a Maritime Museum housed in an Odd-Shaped Building appropriately shaped like a ship. According to Wikipedia, this History Museum displays the "only almost fully intact 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628." Outside the museum was a Ship Screw and a couple of Anchors, as well as the Museifartygen (another Maritime Museum in a Lightship), and a 3D Map Model of the Galärvarvet, the area of southern Djurgården island where we were, as it appeared in 1942, with a Sign of History!

Tickle, tickle!

After spending a couple of hours in the Vasa Museum, we decided to wander around the surrounding area, where we spotted an Equestrian Statue of Karl X Gustav, King of Sweden; this Monarch of the World was located in front of the Mordiska Museet (Nordic Museum), a History Museum. We also came across a couple of Figurative Public Sculptures, one of an enormous human foot and another titled Standing Man, both a located in front of the Liljevalch's Art Gallery. We next passed the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, which houses a permanent exhibition known as ABBA The Museum, which is all about the pop-group ABBA. Mamma mia!

Gröna Lund

We also passed by the Gröna Lund, Sweden's oldest Amusement Park; how Superlative! We also came across the Cirkus building, which was formerly used as a circus, but is now a Live Stage Theater, primarily used for theatrical performances, musicals, and concerts. Another surprising find was the Biologiska Museet, a Wildlife Museum that exhibits a collection of stuffed European birds and mammals in dioramas. Back toward the Vasa Museum to catch a boat back to the old town, we spied the Spritmuseum (Spirits Museum). This Oddball Museum is all about the history and production of wine and alcohol in Sweden. Hiccup!

Hand-op Water Pump

Near the end of the day, we finally made it to the heart of Gamla Stan (the old town in central Stockholm) where we wandered up and down the old cobblestone streets. Some of our favorite finds in this area were the Järntorgsbrunnen, an 1829 Hand-operated Water Pump in the Järntorget (The Iron Square), as well as a statue of Dead Poet Evert Taube (a Swedish author, artist, composer, and singer) located in front of the Södra Bankohuset, a Converted Bank Building with a Sign of History and a European Benchmark on it! We also spotted a cool Unique Artistic Shop Sign at an Independent Bookstore for the science fiction genre. Out of this world!

Science Fiction Bokhandeln Sign

Day 18: Today, we left Stockholm. What a wonderful city! We really loved our time here and wished we could have stayed longer, but it was time to catch an overnight cruise on the Viking Mariella Cruise Ship to Helsinki, Finland.

View of Stockholm from the Harbor

Aboard the Viking Mariella

Uspenski Cathedral

Day 19: We got a great night's sleep aboard the cruise ship and were ready to hit the ground running once we docked in Helsinki this morning. After quickly storing our luggage at our hotel for the next 2 nights, we started our jaunt around town. Our first stop was the beautiful Uspenski Cathedral, located on a hillside overlooking the city. This Old Church is an Orthodox Church that was built in 1862-1868. Quite impressive! Next, we wandered down the hill and into the city. We quickly came upon the Presidential Palace, which had a European Benchmark on it. According to Wikipedia, this Castle is currently one of the official residences of the President of the Republic of Finland, but it served as a temporary military Field Hospital during World War I.

We also spent some time on a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus this morning. One of our favorite stops was at the Sibelius Monument, a Wind Harp that was created in honor of the national composer of Finland, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), whose musical composition Finlandia inspired the nationalism that led to the formation of the modern Finland state. Adjacent to the Sibelius Monument was a Statue of this Historic Figure, which is also a Musician Statue.

Rodney & the Sibelius Monument

Helsinki Cathedral

I took many Philatelic Photographs today. This is obviously still one of my favorite categories, and I came prepared with lots of stamp photos so I could try my best to get the same angle on the photos I took. Today's philatelic finds were the City Hall (which had a European Benchmark on it), Temppeliaukio Church (a Lutheran Church also known as the Church of the Rock because it was built directly into solid rock), Helsinki Olympic Stadium (a Modern Olympic Venue), Helsinki Cathedral (an Old Church of the Lutheran denomination), University of Helsinki's Main Building, Helsinki Central Railway Station (with its beautiful Art Nouveau design), House of the Estates, and Finnish National Theatre (a Live Stage Theater).

Helsinki Central Railway Station Postage Stamp

Helsinki Central Railway Station

Hevossalmi Bridge

In the afternoon, we went on a 90-minute cruise along the canals of Helsinki, where we passed through the Hevossalmen Bridge, a swing bridge or Moving Bridge that crosses over the Hevossalmi strait and links Santahamina island to Helsinki. Such a relaxing way to spend part of our afternoon before arriving back in the city proper and doing some more exploring. Then back to our hotel to grab our bags from storage, check in, and do some laundry!

The Three Smiths

Day 20: We spent the day wandering around downtown Helsinki and nearby. Although this city has been our least favorite place so far, it does have a few spots with some beautiful architecture remaining. Some waymarking finds of the day include a Figurative Public Sculpture memorial to Dead Poet Zacharias Topelius in Esplanadi Park, a green Bicycle Tender in the shape of a car taking up a curbside parking space, a Figurative Public Sculpture of a raven, Love Locks over the Katajanokan Canal, and an Occupational Monument to the Three Smiths.

Philatelic Photographs of the day included the Post Administration Building (a former European Post Office that was the main post office in Helsinki for many years but now is home to a restaurant, supermarket, and office space), the National Museum of Finland (a History Museum built from 1905 to 1910 and boasting a nice Bell Tower), and Finlandia Hall (an Odd-Shaped Building designed by Alvar Aalto, one of the Master Architects - International Style).

National Museum of Finland Postage Stamp

National Museum of Finland

Day 21: Today, we were scheduled to fly south to Vilnius, Lithuania, with a short layover in Riga, Latvia... or so we thought. Instead, we experienced the first real hiccup of our trip. Our connecting flight in Riga was cancelled so we had to sit in the Riga International Airport for about 5 hours waiting to get on a standby flight, causing us to lose a half day in Vilnius. Oh well, it could have been much worse. This part of our trip is with a tour group through the three Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. We were supposed to meet our tour guide and group this evening, but got in too late. Fortunately, some of the tour group was still in the lobby chatting so we got to meet a few of them before beginning the official group tour tomorrow. No waymarks today. Sigh...

St. Casimir Church

Day 22: It's official! Vilnius, Lithuania, is now our new favorite place so far on this trip. The architecture is wonderful, the people are nice, and we had such a fun time exploring the city today. Unfortunately because of yesterday's travel delay, we only had this one day to explore the city, but we packed in as much as we could. We began the day with our tour guide who walked us through the old town. Just across the street from our hotel was the gorgeous St. Casimir Church. This Old Church has a beautiful Bell Tower and is in the Baroque Architecture style.

Presidential Palace

While walking along with our tour group, we also spotted a barber shop with a Barber Pole and a Unique Artistic Shop Sign. We quickly snapped a few photos and took the coordinates before catching up with our group. We stopped at the Vilnius University Library, the oldest academic library in Lithuania (how Superlative!), to admire its beautiful Doorway of the World, which includes immortalizing images of major events in the history of Lithuanian culture and of the Vilnius university. There was also a Sign of History here along a walkway that led to the Presidential Palace. The Presidential Palace is a Castle that dates back to the 14th century and has a tie to La Famille Bonaparte. In 1812, it was the residence of both the Russian Tsar Alexander I and the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Wow, we weren't expecting that!

Church of St. Peter and Paul

We saw many Old Churches, some were even Medieval. Their denominations were Catholic or Orthodox. Some were in the Baroque Architecture style, so pretty! Some had Bell Towers and/or Unique Steeples. Some had Wikipedia entries. A couple had Coats of Arms. Many had Signs of History. Lots of cross-posting with these lovely churches! Our favorite church was the Church of St. Peter and Paul, which our guide took us to on a tour bus as it was a bit too far to walk. We were given the chance to go inside, and we loved its Dome of the (Under) World.

Church of St. Peter and Paul Dome

Giant Chess Set in Bernardinai Garden

Other favorite finds of the day were quite varied. One was the Subačiaus Lookout, a Scenic Roadside Look-out with a beautiful panoramic view of the city of Vilnius. There was an Orientation Table here that helped us identify some of the historic buildings in Vilnius that are visible from the lookout. Also, there were Love Padlocks on the fence surrounding the observation area. Back in Vilnius old town, we also found a Citizen Memorial for Pope John Paul II in the form of a Relief Art Sculpture. Other finds included a Sundial (which was also an Outdoor Interactive Science Display) on the Palace of the Grand Dukes, a Giant Board Game (a chess set) in Bernardinai Garden, a couple of European Benchmarks, a couple of buildings in the Gothic Architecture style, some Direction and Distance Arrows, a few Diplomatic Missions, and several Dead Poet's Society Memorials on the Literatu Wall (an artist wall with over 100 ceramic, wooden, metal, and glass plaques installed on it).

We took a few Philatelic Photographs today. They were for the Gate of Dawn (a city gate built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius), the Gediminas Monument (an Equestrian Statue), the Gediminas Tower (a Lookout Tower in the Gothic Architecture style), and a monument to Adam Mickiewicz (a Polish Dead Poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator, professor of Slavic literature, and political activist).

Gate of Dawn Postage Stamp

Gate of Dawn

Unfortunately, we leave for Riga, Latvia, tomorrow. While we're looking forward to seeing Riga, we sure wish we had more time to spend in Vilnius.

Hill of Crosses

Day 23: We spent the day on a tour bus traveling from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Riga, Latvia. We made a couple of nice stops along the way. One was at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, where an estimated 200,000 Christian Crosses have been placed. According to Wikipedia, "The Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims." While here, we spotted a Sign of History about this amazing site. We also found a Penny Smasher inside the information center.

Next, we stopped at the 18th century Rundale Palace in Latvia. This Castle is of the Baroque Architecture style and has a couple of Lion Statues guarding its main entrance. We took a tour inside the palace, which was built for the Dukes of Courland. The palace and its gardens are now a History Museum. Before heading outside to wander the palace grounds, we spotted a Penny Smasher on the lower level outside the gift shop. Cha-ching! On the palace grounds, we discovered a lovely Rose Garden, an Amphitheater, a Unique Weathervane of a dragon atop a Chinese style pavilion containing restrooms, and the Rundale Palace Fountains.

Rundale Palace

Grumpy Cat's Cousin

We rolled into Riga at about 6:30pm, tired but not ready to call it a day. Our main waymarking goal for the evening was to find a Latvian Benchmark, which we found a short distance away from our hotel. On our way back, we stopped for dinner and spotted a Citizen Memorial and Relief Art Sculpture for Gunars Katkevics, a world-famous acrobat and Riga Circus Director and Artistic Director. We also enjoyed watching Grumpy Cat's cousin drinking water from the Fountain in our hotel's courtyard.

Student with Arithmetic Book

Day 24: It was a perfect weather day in Riga. We spent most of the day exploring the old town. On the Liela Gilde (Large Guildhall) at Amatu iela 4, we spotted a couple of Bear Statues and a Figurative Public Sculpture of a boy sitting on the roof with an open arithmetic book over his knee while scratching his head (THIS IS NOW A FEATURED WAYMARK!). Also on this building was a Monument of the Eastern Freedomfights consisting of a memorial plaque for members of the Latvian National Resistance Movement.

House of the Blackheads

We also visited the House of the Blackheads. According to Wikipedia, "The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999." This building was featured on a France postage stamp in 2015, so we took a Philatelic Photograph.

Town Musicians of Bremen

Nearby, we spotted a statue of the "Town Musicians of Bremen", which is from a folktale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. The statue depicts the four animals (donkey, dog, cat and rooster) in the story standing on each other's backs peering into a house of feasting robbers. These Famous Fictional Figures include a Dog Statue. The city of Bremen, Germany, gave the statue to its sister city of Riga, making it a Gift from Another Country.

Cat on the Cat House

My favorite location of the day was the Cat House, so named because of the two cat statues perched on each of the building's two pointed towers. According to Wikipedia, "It is said that the owner of the house wanted the cats to be placed with their tails turned towards the house of the Great Guild, which is nearby, as he held a grudge against its members. It was later ordered that the cats should be turned so as to face the guildhouse." The Cat House has a beautiful and  elaborate Art Nouveau portal surrounding its main entrance.

Cat House Doorway

Powder Tower

We took numerous Philatelic Photographs today besides the one of the House of the Blackheads mentioned earlier. They were of the Powder Tower (originally a part of the defensive system of Riga, but now home to a War and Military Museum), the Freedom Monument (which honors soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence from 1918–1920), the National Opera House (constructed in 1863), the Riga Cathedral Pipe Organ (a Musical Instrument), the Riga Stock Exchange (a Current Exchange), a Statue of Religious Figure Biskaps Alberts (who created the military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword -- a Legacy of Medieval Spiritual Warriors) in the Riga Cathedral cloister, the Latvian National Theatre (a Live Stage Theater with a Musical Instrument -- a lyre -- on its top), the Latvian National Museum of Art (an Art Museum that was built in 1905 and holds the largest collection of professional art in Latvia), St. James' Cathedral (a Medieval Church that is currently a Roman Catholic Church but was once a Lutheran Church), the Parliament Building (the Parliament of Latvia is located in the historic House of the Livonian Noble Corporation building, a Capitol Building, which has an Epic Being statue of Lacplešis, the Bearslayer, on it), and the Three Brothers (a building complex of three Pre-Victorian Historic Homes, one featuring Renaissance Architecture, another featuring Gothic Architecture, and the third featuring Baroque Architecture).

Three Brothers

Kobe Friendship Clock

Other nice finds of the day were a Statue of a Historic Figure, Riga Mayor George Armitstead, with his wife Cecile Pychlau and their dog (Dog Statue!), an Arch Bridge over the Pilsetas Kanals (City Canal) in Bastejkalns Park, the Laima clock (a Town Clock), Riga Castle (built between 1497 and 1515 and the official residence of the President of Latvia, it was the site of a Famous Fire in 2013), several Dead Poet's Society Memorials, three more Latvian Benchmarks, the Kobe Friendship Clock (a Town Clock that was a Gift from Another Country and is a Sister City Monument), a monument to Prince Michael Barclay de Tolly (a Russian Field Marshal and Minister of War during Napoleon's invasion in 1812 and War of the Sixth Coalition -- La Famille Bonaparte and a Monarch of the World!), and a large Compass Rose with Permanent Geographic Coordinates, a Sundial, and Signs of the Zodiac). What a day!!!

Sigulda Medieval Castle

Day 25: This morning, our small tour group headed to Sigulda, Latvia, for the day to visit three castles and a cave. On our way to the first castle, we stopped at the Sigulda Luge and Bobsled Track (a Bobsleigh Chute!), which later became a waymarking category. Good thing we took photos and coordinates! We next visited the Sigulda New Castle and the Sigulda Medieval Castle, located adjacent to each other. We took Philatelic Photographs of both castles. We also found a Dead Poet's Society Memorial to Atis Kronwalda, a Latvian writer, linguist and educator, in front of the Sigulda New Castle. On the grounds of the Sigulda Medieval Castle, we discovered a pillory (a Punishment and Disciplinary Device!), an Amphitheater, a Sign of History, Coin-Op Binoculars, and a Hand Operated Water Pump. We were interested to discover that the Sigulda Medieval Castle was built in 1207 by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, making it a Legacy of Medieval Spiritual Warriors.

Sandy & Rodney in the Framed View

Next, we moved on to Gutmanis Cave, an Official Local Tourism Attraction. After getting off the tour bus, we began to cross the road to get to the cave and spotted a Framed View. How fun! We couldn't resist having our picture taken here. Walking on, we finally came to the Cave Entrance (Natural). Gutmanis Cave is the widest and highest cave in the Baltics and has an underground Natural Spring that flows out of it. According to an Urban Legend (and Wikipedia), "the waters of the spring flowing out of the cave are the tears of the wife of the Liv chief, Rindaugs. The story tells that the chief buried his unfaithful wife in the sandy bank of the Gauja river. The poor woman, distraught by her guilty conscience, cried so hard that her tears flowed out of the large cave. To this day, the spring’s waters are said to have healing properties. Another tale explains how the cave got its name: a long time ago there was a good man who lived in the cave and used the spring water to heal people. Gut mann in German means "good man"." Our tour guide told us that if you wash your face with the spring water, it's supposed to make you look younger. So far, no changes... sigh.

Gutmanis Cave

Turaida Castle

Our next stop with the tour group was the Turaida Estate, where we came across a drying Kiln, an Old Church (Lutheran) with a Unique Weathervane, and an Out-of-Place Grave for Maija (1601-1620) (a murdered girl who is known as Rose of Turaida) before reaching the Turaida Castle. At the castle, we found a Draw Well and took a Philatelic Photograph. Construction of the castle began in 1214 upon the directions of Bishop Albert of Riga to his Livonian Brothers of the Sword, making it another Legacy of Medieval Spiritual Warriors.

Red Telephone Box

After getting back to Riga, the tour group dispersed and we did a little more wandering around town. We took a couple more Philatelic Photographs of the Riga Central Market (the largest market and bazaar in Europe -- how Superlative!) and the Railway Bridge (Latvian: Dzelzcela tilts), an Arch Bridge that crosses the Daugava river in Riga. Wandering back through the old town, we stopped for a bite to eat at the Queens Public House Restaurant. Inside the entrance to this Pub was a Red Telephone Box. Ah, a touch of jolly old England in the Baltics!

Wilhelm Ostwald Memorial

After eating, we headed back to our hotel, which is home to the Europa Club Casino. Just across the street from the casino entrance to our hotel, we spotted a Relief Art Sculpture of Wilhelm Ostwald (Latvian: Vilhelms Ostvalds), the 1909 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry. Time to call it a day as tomorrow we're off to Tallinn, Estonia, bright and early!

Thatch Cottage (the Bath House)

Day 26: We spent most of today on the road from Riga to Tallinn. Before leaving Riga, however, we stopped for a couple of hours at the Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum, a History Museum located on a 87-hectare area that is currently home to 118 buildings. We only had time to explore a small part of the museum and went inside five Thatch Cottages on the property that were also Relocated Structures brought here for preservation and education purposes. We also checked out a large Windmill, which was another Relocated Structure, that was built in 1814 in the parish of Skibe and is a specimen of oldest type of the so-called pole mills. We also went inside the Renda Lutheran Parish Church, an Old Church that is yet another Relocated Structure that has been on exhibit here since 1935. Before departing the museum, we stopped by the restroom and spotted an old steam Locomotive. It was built in Germany in 1916 and has been at the museum since 1970.

We made one other stop today at Pärnu Beach, which is considered by many to be the best beach in the country of Estonia. It lies along the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Livonia in the Baltic Sea, and receives tens of thousands of sun worshippers and swimmers during the summer.

Selfie at Pärnu Beach

St. Simeon's and St. Anne's Church

After finally arriving in Tallinn, we only wandered around for a short while to grab a bite to eat. Of course, we couldn't resist waymarking the European Post Office we passed or St. Simeon's and St. Anne's Church, an Old Church of the Orthodox faith with a Bell Tower. It just so happens we were able to take a Philatelic Photograph of the church (yes, I'll admit we knew it was here when we left the hotel to go out and eat, but it didn't require much of a detour!).

1905 Revolution Memorial

We also stopped by the Estonia Theatre, a Concert Hall that was built in 1913 and was featured on an Estonia postage stamp in 1924 (another Philatelic Photograph!). Nearby was a 1905 Revolution Memorial in Tammsaare Park. This Monument of the Eastern Freedomfights commemorates the victims of the Revolution of 1905, which was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. By this time, it was getting late and starting to sprinkle. Time to head back to the hotel for the night.

Gargoyle on the Tallinn Town Hall

Day 27: We spent the day wandering around Tallinn's old town, which dates back to the 1300s and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's quite beautiful and well worth a visit. We first came across the Kalev Marzipan Factory Museum, an Oddball Museum with the oldest operational cafe in Tallinn and all of Estonia (how Superlative!). There was also a Sign of History and a European Benchmark on the building. We also wandered around the Tallinn Town Hall with its Gothic Architecture and really awesome Gargoyles! The Town Hall was featured on a Soviet Union, USSR postage stamp in 1973 so it also provided us an opportunity for a Philatelic Photograph. Love it!

House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads

We saw several Old Churches today, a mixture of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox denominations. A couple were Cathedrals and a few were Medieval Churches. One had a Sundial, while another was featured on a postage stamp (another Philatelic Photograph!) and yet another had a European Benchmark on it. One of our favorite locations of the day, however, was the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads because of its beautiful Renaissance Architecture, its Doorway of the World, and its Coat of Arms.

Town Pharmacy Sign

We also came across a few buildings in the Gothic Architecture style, including the Great Guild Hall (now the home of a History Museum), a medieval storehouse and residential building that was built in 1434 and is now home to the Peppersack Restaurant, and the Town Pharmacy (an Independent Pharmacy that is one of the oldest continually working apothecary's in the world -- first mentioned in 1422). The Town Pharmacy has a Unique Artistic Shop Sign consisting of 3 Dimensional Art of the snake and cup symbol used for pharmacies around the world. This was just one of several Unique Artistic Shop Signs we spotted during the day.

Cat's Well

The Cat's Well, a Draw Well on the corner of Rataskaevu and Dunkri, also merited a stop. This was once one of the main sources of water in Tallinn. Per the In Your Pocket website: "According to legend, some of the locals got it into their heads that an evil water spirit lived in the well and threatened to make all the town's wells run dry if it wasn't given regular animal sacrifices. To keep the spirit happy, some cattle and sheep carcasses were thrown down the well, but the main victims were stray cats, who were rounded up and tossed, sometimes live, down the shaft. This practice was so common that the locals started calling this watering hole 'Cat's Well.' In a sense, the sacrifices worked - the town's wells never ran dry. But the practice of throwing animals down the well didn't do much for the water quality, and the Cat's Well had fallen into disuse by the mid 19th century. Rest assured that nowadays Tallinn's water is much safer to drink, and the cats of Old Town no longer live in fear." What a gruesome story, especially to cat lovers like us!

Speaking of cats, the House on Pikk 23/25 has Figurative Public Sculptures of a black cat and an old man with glasses on its facade, which shows influences of the Art Nouveau architectural style. This was, by far, our favorite house in Tallinn's old town.

Art Nouveau House at Pikk 23/25

Black Cat at Pikk 23/25

Old Man in Glasses at Pikk 23/25

We saw so many other interesting sites today, and just wish we had more time to explore the old town. Unfortunately, we leave tomorrow to begin our long journey home.

Fazer Rooster

Day 28: After breakfast, we grabbed our bags, checked out of our Tallinn hotel, and walked to the nearby ferry terminal to catch a 2 1/2-hour ferry trip back to Helsinki. Upon arriving in Helsinki, we checked back into the same hotel we stayed at before heading to the Baltic states. We had left a couple of pieces of luggage here that exceeded the baggage limits for the flight from Helsinki to Vilnius, so we were glad to have them back in our possession. We spent a little bit of time wandering around downtown Helsinki with a stop for lunch mid-afternoon. Believe it or not, we only waymarked one item today (we are definitely winding down!). It was an Abstract Public Sculpture of the Fazer Rooster (which looked more like a vertebra) located in front of the Fazer store, a French-Russian confectionery. The sculpture was placed in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Fazer confectionery (a Commercial Commemoration!). Sweet!

Helsinki Airport Moomin Shop

Day 29: Although we had a few free hours this morning, we chose to sleep in late in preparation for our long day of travel back home. We took a taxi to the Helsinki airport in the early afternoon. While wandering through the airport looking for the ladies' room, I came across a Moomin Shop in Terminal 2. What do you know, a final waymark for the trip! We had two stops, one in Keflavik, Iceland, and another at JFK Airport in New York City, before arriving back in Orlando, Florida. It was over 16 hours from start to finish. So exhausting, but it was great to be back in the USA and not too far from home. It was after midnight before we checked back into the same hotel in Orlando that we stayed at before catching our outgoing flight.

Day 30: Late this morning, my sister Carol picked us up at our hotel in Orlando and drove us back to Melbourne where we picked up our cats and vehicle from my sister Joan's place. Three hours later, we were back home in Jacksonville. What an absolutely wonderful trip! Definitely, one we will never forget.