Overview of my trips in year 2014

I've got somehow lazy, not to travel but to keep this diary. Due several contacts from my friends I decided to continue writing to show that I still am alive.

ALICANTE / Spain, April 9.-16. I visited this interesting city to study if I would like to spend a longer time there sometime in future. No decision made, but I did love the Barrio and the harbor site. 

ROSKILDE / Denmark, July 24.-28. My younger son Tomas has been together with a lovely Danish young lady Cecilie for some time. And how it happens, she gave a birth to a handsome baby boy last April 12. (my second grand child). Her home town is this tiny beautiful Roskilde, better known for it's rock festivals than it's ancient viking ship skeletons. There was a big and happy name giving party with lots of people from Denmark and Finland, and the little boy got the name Oskar.

BALKAN TOUR, September 5.- 22. I only had visited this area some 38 years ago in Opatija, then in Yugoslavia, and a couple years ago on a cruise in Dubrovnik, Croatia . Now I found in a catalogue a bus roundtrip for Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro starting from Dubrovnik on 5th.to 10th., and another starting from Ljubljana / Slovenia from 17th.to 22nd.including Slovenia and Northern Croatia. I contacted the travel agent that I want to participate on both round trips, but that I would stay on my own somewhere there between Sept.10.-17. I got a reasonable discount, and we made a deal. So, on 5th we, a group of 14, were in Dubrovnik from where we made daily sigth-seings to Mostar in Herzegovina, Kotor and Budva in Montenegro and Cavtat ,Korcula and Peljesac in Croatia. In Cavtat I preferred to stay by myself after the group left, and took then a boat back to Dubrovnik. If ever in Croatia again with somebody, those places would be very romantic to stay. I then, after the party left, flew to Beograd, where I had booked Zira Hotel for 3 days.The hotel was very good and pleasant but… the city. What a big difference with Croatian and Slovenian cities to be seen. I then flew to Ljubljana where I spent beautifully my four days on the street bars at the river banks in this fantastic city. I then was picked up to join the new group of 17 with an old friend of mine Mr. Seppo Panhelainen, who by the way was with me in Opatija years ago. We then drove to Koper and Piran at Mediterranean, where we stayed for 3 days with daily trips to Porec, Buzet and Portoroz, from where I heroically walked with Seppo back to Piran, which was an old but very pleasant Venetian city. After those incredible caves in Postojna and two days in charming Bled we had a few hours stop in Ljubljana, where I introduced the best bars of the city to Seppo,. when the group visited some museums. At midnight I satisfied slept in my own bed in Helsinki.

 EMIRATES, BAHREIN and OMAN Nov.28.- Dec.15. I have been earlier on American, British and Finnish cruise ships, now a German ship was in turn. I had heard positive comments of TUI-cruises with MEIN SCHIFFs. I flew first for three days to Dubai before on board of Mein Schiff2. The most interesting places with Dubai where Abu Dhabi and Muscat in Oman. When back in Dubai I visited the worlds highest building Burj Khalifa. An experience. The ship was very pleasant and informal, free drinks and tips included, some romance too.