St. Kitts , Dominica and St. Lucia

Basseterre of St.Kitts and Roseau of Dominica were tiny towns, where we stayed next couple of days. Friendly,easy and colorfull places with many marks of their colonial history. In Dominica three of us from the ship, Peeter, his friend John, both from Canada and me,took a taxi for sightseeing around the Island. I had met Peeter earlier, a very pleasant guy, a child refugee from WWII-time Estonia via Sweden to New World. His original home was on beautiful Saaremaa Island, where I have been twice. For those readers, who might not know, we are a small racial group of same family in Europe consisting of three nations, Hungary, Estonia and Finland, who are like brothers emotionally , especially trough very tough times in history, until recent decades.
Anyhow on the tour trough rain forest and statusque hills almost mountains, we came on the foot of a local attraction, the Trafalgar Falls. Peeter and I decided to climb 15 minutes to reach them, but John decided not to. Well, I have seen Niagara and Iguazu Falls and after heavy climbing, these were for me like comparing Jumbo Jets to swallows. Afterwards we made a little tour around Roseau,to get for John something to drink before back to the ship.
Next day in St.Lucia, Ruth had agreed with the young Irish / Estonian couple to go to Pidgeon Island to Rodey Beach in Castries. This couple was not a couple but shared a cabin and were only school friends and had accidentally met each other onboard, also Pidgeon Island was not an Island, maybe once when Arawak-indians were living there some 1000 years ago. before Carib-indians killed them, and Spanyards killed on their turn the Caribs. I was asked to join them, and I did it with pleasure. We later swam a little , but I soon found some half a mile away a little old hut, a romantic place with excellent rum. I stayed there, when the others climbed up to hill to the old Admiral Rodneys Fort. To be continued...

Getting to Caribbean and Antigua

I really did enjoy a most pleasant sail to Antigua,to our first harbour after seven days. I had been there before, and after a walk around the streets of the capital ST.Johns, I did find a couple of souvenir T-shirts at the market place at expensive prices in my mind, compared with those of Far East. But,who knows, maybe "Made in Honduras" quarantees a better quality. I'll be very happy to wear those next summer on the streets of Helsinki. Then I surprisingly did find a street terrasse, very near of our ship, where a most beatiful waitress served me with the best rum punches. Several colleagues from the boat did join me, if because of her or thirst or sudden rain of five minutes, I do not know. Next day we were already in Basseterre of St.Kitts.
To be continued...

Six days at sea

Just at sunset we left Madeira on Nov.22. Ahead of us was nothing else than salty water for next 164 hours, almost 7 days before Antigua. It was easy and comfortable life onboard, the weather was mostly splendid and the drinks cheap. The ocean was mainly very calm, and I did not see any see sick passengers. I myselfs never have any
difficulties even on rough sea, on the contrary I do enjoy a little sway.
Among the passengers there were not too many interesting people from my point of view, and that's why I spent a lot of time by myselfs reading or listening music from my ipod on the bar deck, where the good Filippinos kept care of my glass. At the dinner table we were six women and three gentleman, all single and from Great Britain, except one lady from Israel and me. I found these dinners quite boring, especially not always understanding different, fast spoken dialects in noisy circumstances. On Nov.24. I had my 70th birthday, got a cake and a crew band played and sung beautifully to me Filippino songs including Happy Birthday to You. That evening I missed my new ship mate like she called herself, the lady from Israel, Ruth. She and another lady Sheila, both in their forties, were the only females with a couple young Filippino waitresses I did communicate more than "Good Morning".
Then next day Ruth came rushing to me at the dinner table, took my hand and told to me that she now has a table for us two only. We then, during the last 10 days, had our own table, next to two nice, young couples one originally from Hungary, the other one half Irish half Estonian, all living in England. To be continued...

Crossing Atlantic Ocean by "loveboat"

Just four days after my return from Italy I flew to Malaga in Spain to participate on a cruise of 16 days with m/v "Discovery" ( known as "Loveboat" in 1980's TV-serie).
I spent the evening and next day in the nostalgig alleys and bars of the old town , where I used to live in 1964-65. The city was a Phoenician harbour already over 3000 years ago before Carthaginians and later Romans took it over. Berber troops, called Moros by Spanish people,conquered southern Spain year 711 and Christians on their turn took Malaga in 1487 and Granada 1492.
In the evening of Nov.18 we sailed towards Gibraltar, which I have visited several times. Next day I just strolled on busy streets of this British rock city, sipping good wines and lazily looking the windows. And I found a fine whisky colour leather jacket for 200 euros! The morning after we were in Cadiz, another very old, charming Spanish harbour city. Continuing the same procedure, some wine, some nice food in tiny family restaurants near market place, I managed to find very suitable, but inexpensive shoes for my new leather jacket. Then I made a decission. This is enough of shopping, maybe some souvenir T-shirts from Caribbean. We left that evening and sailed the whole day and next night to arrive to Funchal in Madeira in the morning of Nov.22. I found, after making a round tour with a double-decker sightseeing bus, the city very beautiful but boring. The replica of Columbus's "Santa Maria" 1:1 in harbour was most interesting. To be continued...

Fantastic experiencies in Liguria and Piemonte

I only make a short notice about our(10 persons)five days trip to Italy last week.
Genova was a superinteresting city on a narrow coastline, partly mediaeval town with tiny streets but big height differencies.
Torino was just an opposite one as former capital. Bright avenues with massive royal palacies at wide piazzas with the horsemen statues of their famous heroes.
But the best was not the beautiful Piemonte country side, after many cathedrals and museums in cities, not even the great local food. But the excellent wines at the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo. Tasting these superior rosso's and bianco's with excellent parmesan or some delicate bread was awesome. With a good company I had a great Week.

My trip plans in near future

I have been staying in Helsinki almost three(!) months, so it's time to seek new places to conquer. Later today I will join by invitation of an Italian travel agency, free of any charge, a group of ten Finns.We'll fly to Milan in Italy, and shall study Genova and Torino plus some other smaller towns in Piemonte area for five days.
On November 17. I am on my way to Malaga, Spain to start from there just next day a 16 days cruise to Bridgetown, Barbados. During the cruise we shall have a few stops at various harbours. But only three of those, Funchal,Domenica and St.Kitts are new for me. After the cruise I will have a six days stay at Barbados, being back home on December 11. One month later January 15. I'll back in Caribean, now in Cuba with some friends for 12 days.

Jazz in Helsinki

My home town Helsinki has always offered pretty good jazz with world famous players and
singers. During the years we have had the honour to listen such great stars like Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Lee Konitz, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater and many, many more. The latest visitor is tenor sax player Benny Golson, one of those few great names from fifties still alive, who plays in our new "Birdland" jazz club on three evenings. He entertains twice with a trio, and last Friday with UMO big band, a Finnish jazz band, 14 members in brass section and three men backing them with piano, bass and drums. I was there, and it was a fantastic jazz experience.
Yesterday afternoon I did enjoy at " Storyville's" Tin Roof-street bar Happy jazz played by a Finnish 9-members house band. And this will be for me a normal Saturday afternoon matine'e in future too, when in Helsinki.