First, we spent a wonderful week in Herne, Germany, with Janina and her family: husband Jan, son Bela, and daughter Maya.

We drove to Detmold to see Janina's parents, Ivona and Bernd, and her brother, Martin.

We went with Bela and Maya's school to a farm in Ludinghausen, Germany.

 One day, we took the train to Cologne to see Cologne Cathedral.

The Lindt Chocolate Factory is directly across the canal from Cologne Cathedral.

On another day, we went to see Cristo's "Big Air Package."

Below is where the exhibit  was housed.

After a wonderful week, we took the train to Copenhagen, Denmark.  This is the train station.

Tivoli Gardens Main Gate

Danny & Julie & Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark

The Stroget, Copenhagen, Denmark

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark

Changing of the Guard, Amalienborg Palace & Frederiksborg Church, Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark

Wind farm - leaving Copenhagen

Oslo Yacht Club, Oslo, Norway

Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo, Norway

Oseberg Viking Ship, Oslo, Norway

Oslo City Hall

Henryk Ibsen Statue, Oslo, Norway

Viking Museum, Oslo, Norway

Oslo Bay

Oslo Bay Lighthouse

Dinner on Emerald Princess

Oslo Sunset

Female Marching Band, Aarhus, Denmark

Aarhus Residence

Aarhus Cathedral, Denmark

Church of Our Lady, Aarhus, Denmark

Row homes, Aarhus, Denmark

Canal in Aarhus, Denmark

Emerald Princess

On Stateroom Balcony

Warnemunde Harbor with Emerald Princess in background, Warnemunde, Germany

Rostock Rathaus, Rostock, Germany

Neue Market Square, Rostock, Germany

Marienkirche Royalty Boxes, Rostock, Germany

Kerkof House (Former Mayor's house), Rostock, Germany

Cistertian Nuns Cloister Wall, Rostock, Germany

Warnemunde, Germany

Leaving Warnemunde, Germany

Warnemunde Beach

Wine Tasting aboard Emerald Princess

Tallinn, Estonia

Fat Margaret Tower, Tallinn, Estonia

Estonian History Museum/Guild Hall

Holy Ghost Church Window

Tallinn Town Hall, Estonia

Path to Toompea, Tallinn, Estonia

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia

View from Toompea, Tallinn, Estonia

Flower Market, Tallinn, Estonia

In St. Petersburg, Russia

Leonard Euler's Tomb, St. Petersburg, Russia

 Dostoyevski's Tomb, St. Petersburg, Russia

Tchaikovsky's Tomb, St. Petersburg, Russia

Basil Island from Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

After visiting the cemetery, Maria, our tour guide, brought us to The Hermitage Museum.  This was definitely the highlight of our trip.

Malachite Pavillion, The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

 Throne Room, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

Gorgon Mosaic, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

Reproduction Gallery, The Hermitage Museum

Michelangelo's Crouching Boy, The Hermitage

Stairway at The Hermitage Museum

Rembrandt's Prodigal Son, The Hermitage Museum

Monet's Pond at Montgeron, The Hermitage Museum

Rodin's Eternal Spring, The Hermitage Museum

Cezanne's Still Life With Drapery, The Hermitage Museum

Van Gogh's Bush, The Hermitage Museum

 Alexander Hall Detail (Papier-mache), The Hermitage Museum

Matisse's The Dance, The Hermitage Museum

Matisse's Seville Still Life, The Hermitage Museum

Picasso's Two Sisters, The Hermitage Museum

Picasso's Factory, The Hermitage Museum

 Main Stairway, The Hermitage Museum

The Winter Palace (Part of the Hermitage Museum), St. Petersburg, Russia

Cathedral of the Spilt Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia

Cathedral of the Spilt Blood Ceiling Mosaic, St. Petersburg, Russia

 

 Cathedral of the Spilt Blood Central Nave-Door to Sanctuary

Cathedral of the Spilt Blood Dome Ceiling - Emmanuel Mosaic

 Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace Canal, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace Fountains Starting Ceremony

Peterhof Palace Roman Fountains

Peterhof Palace Sun Fountain

Peterhof Palace from Canal Bridge

Palaces along the Neva, St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Isaac's Cathedral Central Dome

St. Isaac's Cathedral Interior

 At St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Isaac's Cathedral Door Detail-Entry to Jerusalem

Peter & Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peter & Paul Cathedral Nave

Peter & Paul Cathedral - Catherine the Great's Tomb

 With Maria, our tour guide, as we leave St. Petersburg, Russia

 Daughter of the Baltic statue, Helsinki, Finland

Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki Cathedral, Finland

Parliament Building, Helsinki, Finland

Rock Church interior, Helsinki, Finland

Cafe Kappeli, Helsinki, Finland

Danny drinking Risi (tar), Helsinki, Finland

Riddarholmen Church, Stockholm, Sweden

House of Nobility & Gustav Vasa Monument, Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm Cathedral

Swedish Academy of Liturature (Nobel Prize), Stockholm, Sweden

Parliament Building, Stockholm, Sweden

Nordic Sea Hotel Ice Bar, Stockholm, Sweden

Changing of the Guard Procession, Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm Archipelago - Vaxon Town, leaving Stockholm, Sweden

Great Belt Bridge - 11 miles long - the ship cleared the bridge by only 20 feet!

What an amazing trip!!!!