Florence and surroundings , Italy Oct.12 -16. 13

For a long time I had wanted to visit beautiful Florence ( Firenze ). I joyned a Finnish group for five days, but was mostly studying alone this marvelous city of about 300,000 inhabitants.It really was an incredible experience to go around the small streets especially in the medieval areas, and stop for a glass of wine or two on tiny piazzas. I joined the group mostly for the prepaid meals which were very good or even excellent in various ristorantes or tavernas. On the fourth day a bus took us on a route about 200 km in Tuscany ( Toscana ). We drove trough the famous wine areas to stay for few hours in amazing Arezzo and further in tiny Cortona with it's Etruscan museum. It was quite a climb to reach the top of the hill as well as it was on the first day to climb to Fiesol hill to visit Franciscan monastery and museum with the awesome view over the valley of Arno river and Florence. On the last day we still had the magnificent Uffici Gallery with its early medieval to baroque paintings including many of those by Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. This trip was a great experience.

Sad but pleasant weekend in Duesseldorf / Germany

In the afternoon of Thursday July 4. I received a black-edged letter from Duesseldorf. I immediately knew that someone from family Gloystein had died. It was Jean Garrick Gloystein, the dear wife of my longtime friend Peter, whom I know since 1968. I was also a very good friend with Jean since their honeymoon to Finland in 1972. She always was a very hospitable house wife, when I did visit them during the years in their different homes in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Bremen and Duesseldorf. The address on the letter was not quite correct, and it had needed some extra days to reach me. I learned that the funeral service was already next day at 1pm. I immediately called Finnair to get an early flight to Duesseldorf. The morning flight was fully booked except one seat in business class. I then called Peter expressing my condolence and informing my arrival. He had reserved a small hotel in the neighborhood for their guests, and that there were a room for me too. After I had changed in the Hotel "Hanseat" I went to Gloystein's, where already whole family and many friends were ready for transport to a small chapel. It was a very emotional service in German and in English as the half of audience were Jean's family members and friends from England. Afterwards Peter offered a fantastic feast at restaurant "Alte Rheinfähre". In a happy mood we all remembered Jean, who must have been looking down very satisfied at all of us round 120 persons. In my company sat five German ladies, and I did have a super time. Later then in a nice restaurant near our hotel I joined Jean's brother, his wife and some other friends from England, who all knew me, even we had never met before. We had all the time during these four days I stayed in Duesseldorf a very beautiful weather, a lot of beers and wines in always diminishing group of guests. A special experience on Monday was a visit to the local TV-tower with awesome views to Rhine and surrounding areas. Late that afternoon Peter brought me to the airport. A sad but happy weekend!

Kaukasian visit - Georgia

I spent the first day in Tbilisi just wondering and going around by myself, enjoying time to time nice Georgian Saperavi-red wine in several terraces. On my route I found an Uzbek restaurant Gruzbek with a beautiful view to the river crossing the city. Later I had a snack and drinks in a real American Hangar Bar, with its local Americans from the US base. Our hotel was a very modern 5-star glass tower Radisson Blu Iveria. Tbilisi is over 1500 years old but also a very modern charming city with many ultramodern buildings of an Italian architect, whose name I just now do not remember. Next day we drove to Georgian countryside and to Mtskheta's churches with religious ikons. Later we had an interesting visit to town Gori, where Josef Stalin was born. There was a palace like museum of his life, consisting mainly of thousands of photos and portraits of him. There also was a little wooden house, his modest birth place on its original site, and his not very luxury railway wagon. The last two days there I spent alone in the city with my normal style, except that the last lunch in Tbilisi I had with a couple from our group at Gruzbek. Then even not too far but trough very bad flight connections we had to accept a very uncomfortable schedule back home.

Visiting Kaukasus , Armenia and Georgia April 18.-28.4

ARMENIA After an unpleasant night flight our group of 20 Finns arrived via Moscow to Yerevan in Armenia. After a few hours rest in a very good hotel, in a former palace, we had a round trip in this Armenian capital. Yerevan (former Erebuni was founded in 782 BC, already before Rome) has a population of 1,1 million one third of whole Armenia. Next morning we drove to beautiful countryside visiting UNESCO's World Heritage List's Greek Roman fortress with Garni Temple from first century A.D. and very large but primitive Geghard cave church. Then we could enjoy a local delicious lunch with a farmer and his family. In the afternoon I was strolling along Yerevan's streets before finding myself in the hotel's lobby bar. After breakfast next day we drove to Khor Virap near Turkish border and to Echmiatzin which are among the first Christian sites from early fourth century. In year 301 Armenia adopted Christianity as the first country in the world. The Cathedral and Churches there are also on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Armenia's landscape is a wonderful mixture of mountains (Mount Aragat 7090 meters high) slopes and valleys with 300 rivers.In the fifth day we continued to Sevanak monastery from 9th century and to Dilijan before our last stop in Armenia Dzoraget. On the way we also stopped at the world famous Ararat Brandy distillery to taste and buy this excellent nectar. It suppose to have been the favorite of a.o. Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill and Fidel Castro. Our Hotel Avan Dzoraget at the Debed river with small rapids, was a most charming place, historic site with a beautiful Haghpad,a UNESCO Heritage and Sanahin monasteries. Next day we arrived to Tbilisi, Georgia.

Caribbean.....second week

In March 10. early in the morning we, a group of us, left to Everglades by speedboats for bird watch and for alligators of course. We really saw some very special birds and some gators too, quite near. That afternoon I spent in the buzzling center part of Fort Lauderdale before it was time to return to the ship. On Monday then we had another marvelous day in a paradise, back in Half Moon Cay again. Next day we enjoyed the sea life, sailing around Cuba heading towards Jamaica. When we arrived to Montego Bay in the morning, I was seriously considering if I should visit the city at all due some unpleasant experiencies some 38 years earlier. Then I decided that I am not staying cowardly onboard but took a taxi and got a Canadian couple to share the costs for a few hours, and we had a lot of fun that day. Next morning brought us a disappointment when the capitan informed that due too windy weather conditions we cannot visit Cayman Islands but we'll continue to our last harbor, Cozumel in Mexico. I had been there some years earlier and found the place quite boring, so next morning I took a ferry to Playa Del Carmen, from were I took a bus to Tulum, an old Maya city some 90 km north from Playa Del Carmen. It took maybe two hours to walk from and back to main road and to study those ruins in very beautiful surroundings. Then there suddenly was a big problem. The bus driver refused to take me to the bus, because it already was filled up. I had a ticket but it did not help, and I did not have enough money to take a taxi back to Puerto Del Carmen. But at the end I am always lucky when something seems to go wrong. Suddenly two Swedish ladies appeared and wanted to join the bus. No. not possible even with their tickets. I asked if they would like to share a taxi. They hesitated and were afraid if it would be too dangerous. Finally I could convince them because talking swedish to them an communicating in spanish with the taxi driver. On the way back we passed the bus, and at the bus station after some fight we got back the value of return tickets, and I paid to the ladies one third of the taxi fare, and everybody was satisfied. After this adventure I needed a strong drink and got the company of a beautiful English traveller from London for about two hours at a beach bar before returning with the ferry to Cozumel, and the ship. Last day was on the sea again, and in Sunday morning March 17. I left m/s Nieuw Amsterdam with happy feelings.

Once again cruising the Caribbean on March 3.- 17. 2013. First week.

I left Helsinki on March 1. to stay two nights in Fort Lauderdale before starting the cruise with m/s Nieuw Amsterdam of Holland America-Lines. However due a delay in New York I missed my Miami flight that evening, got an airport hotel, and flew very early then directly to Fort Lauderdale. Practically I did not loose or miss anything, and didn't bother to make any claim afterwards. I still had two days down there which I mainly used for good wines and meals in different parts of the city. On Mach 3.at 4pm m/s Nieuw Amsterdam started it's first leg towards Grand Turk of Turks&Caicos Islands. After a day on the sea and another on the beach we arrived to San Juan in Puerto Rico. This island was discovered by Columbus on his second voyage to America in 1493. The Taino indios gave him a gold present in a welcome party, and due this he named the bay "Puerto Rico". I spent my day there strolling on the streets of the old part of the city, which I already somehow knew from my previous visits. Next morning we arrived to Dutch St. Maarten, also familiar to me, and so I and some other passengers continued to St.Martin, the French side of the island to the best beach, the topless or even nude beach, the only one of its kind in Americas. Next day we spent on the sea before sailing early in the morning to the shores of Half Moon Cay of the Bahamas. This island was rented to Holland America Line for 99 years, and only the guests and the crew of the company were allowed ashore. The beach was absolutely one of the best I've ever seen anywhere in the world. They also had very nice bars there and you could pay all your exotic drinks with your ship card. It was a sunny and happy day, a real Caribbean dream. Next morning we were back to Fort Lauderdale.

Salvador Dali Museums in Figueres and Portlligat

On February 13., two days before we flew back to Finland, we drove via Girona to Figueres and Portlligat to visit two Dali museums.The Teatre-Museu Dali was built on ruins of a 19th century theater, destroyed during Spanish civil war. This impressive museum was designed by Salvador Dali himself in 1940's. The collection here in his birth place was very large and amazing, covering his art from 30's to 70's. Of course the whole building is very strange, a real Dali like production. On the way to Portlligat, a fishing village near Caceres, we crossed over 600 meters high mountains with extraordinary views. This museum was his home and atelier from 1930 to 1982, until Galas death, his wife. It was just in that condition how it was, when Dali left the house. There were no paintings but a lot of photos of celebrities, movie stars, politicians, musicians etc., who did visit them. It gave a very good impression how the couple did live in this tiny fisherman's village a few meters from the sea a peaceful life.

Spending two months in Blanes, Catalunya, Spain between 14.12. 2012 -15.2.2013

I had been thinking for a longer time to escape at least for some weeks the long and dark Finnish winter together with my little dog, bison frise "Niki". Mostly I had Spain in my mind because of my knowledge of the language in some degree. One day at The Finnish Club I met an old childhood friend MR. Pertti Nenonen, who during our discussion did ask about my winter plans. After hearing that I was looking something in Spain in non-touristic area, he told me about Blanes,where he had been spending several long vacations. I was immediately interested in that little Costa Brava town of 40,000 inhabitants about 90 km north of Barcelona. He then sent me the address to contact, and two months later I arrived Blanes. I had rented an apartment with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and a cozy living room on fourth floor at the beach boulevard with the view over marina to the sea. From my balcony I very often followed the trawlers returning to the harbor between 5-6pm. Even in January the sun did shine to the balcony from about 9am to 4.30pm daily. I counted those sunny days during my stay: 52 of total 62 days. Four slightly rainy days, the rest just cloudy.The day temperatures were between 13-18C, and nightly 6-8C. The beautiful and very clean boulevard was a market place every Monday from 9am-2pm. You could buy almost anything there, clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, CD:s etc. On my first Monday I bought a nice lumber jack-style fleece jacket for 10 euros. With four pockets it was very practical, and warm in the evenings. At the boulevard there were many bars, cafeterias and restaurants, from which I soon found my favorite ones. First connections with the local people happened naturally trough dogs, and then trough waiters and waitresses, who mostly were very pretty, and many from different countries in South America. With the time I knew more and more people, mostly between 25-40 years. On my last day there many of them wished I would return next year. The town was very pretty, especially the old part and the ruins of a medieval castle overlooking from a hill 300 meters over the town. During the last 8 days I had visitors from Finland, Anneli and Eero Lihtonen, very long time dear friends of mine. She also very often takes good care of Niki , when I am traveling alone. Niki and Anneli really are deeply in love to each other. Eero had rent a car from Barcelona airport, which we then used to trips to Montserrat and Barcelona, to Salvador Dali's museum

On a cruse to Bermuda trough "Hurricane Sandy"

On October 26, I arrived to New York to start a cruise with The Royal Caribbean -line vessel "Explorer of the Seas" to Bermuda next day. Even the weather in N.Y. was still fine, the warning of coming hurricane was there. Our ship was in New Jersey, and immediately after we left the harbour the port was closed due the first heavy winds and rain. At night the storm hit the ship, and all articles on tables in my cabin fell down. I waked up and positioned myself in the middle of the queen bed, and slept well until 8 o'clock in the morning. Parts of the breakfast areas were closed but no bigger problems. However all decks outside were closed for 24 hours. From bar windows we could see the huge waves and horizontal rain. I am never sea sick and could enjoy the different ship bars especially because they were not at all filled up. The middle size cruiser,which took about 2000 passengers was quite steady. It was built year 2000 in Turku, Finland, which made me somehow proud, when passing this "Sandy", strongest hurricane ever in N.J. and N.Y. The wind at its highest reached 120 mph. Then the waves started to calm down, the rain stopped and suddenly there was a clear sky. The rest of our cruise days as our stay in Bermuda were warm and sunny. We stayed three days down there, in the middle of Atlantic Ocean, and I explored the enchanting main island with the visits to the cities of Hamilton and Georgetown. The rest of the cruise was very nice, and I never forget the last evening and the dinner with five young ladies from Philadelphia. The evening ended with one of them in my bed.

Lago Maggiore, Italy

On Sunday, September 30, we travelled with a special sightseeing train to a small town of Verbania at Lake Maggiore. Grand Hotel Majestic was an old palace but not as grandiose as its name. Next day we made a short cruise on Lago Maggiore with a couple hours stop on an island with a medieval village, which name I cannot remember. I spent most of my time there in a couple of cozy taverns with excellent vino rossos and beautiful views. Late afternoon we then arrived to Milan airport, an ended this memorable round trip one hour before midnight in Helsinki.