Last month, Oprah and Obama were in Copenhagen to push Chicago’s failed Olympic bid. Obama arrived and returned home on the same day; Oprah stayed in the exceptionally pricey Karen Blixen suite at D’Angleterre. Fortunately, Oprah has money to burn in what Mercer’s Cost of Living Index cites as the world’s 7th most expensive city. [...]
Spend a leisurely morning strolling the markets in many Baltic Sea destinations. Cruise passengers can hardly miss Helsinki’s famous Kauppatori, the Market Square, selling almost everything from fresh fish to handicrafts. The Old Market Hall next to the Market Square is worth a visit as well. The Old Market Hall offers historic charm and a [...]
Founded in 1218, the Hanseatic city Rostock is approached at the seaside resort Warnemunde, where most cruise ships dock. Warnemunde was famed for its baths and spas in the 20th century. Ships pass a lighthouse and wide, sandy beaches to reach the port, where in 1860, the Baltic’s largest fleet of sailing ships was based. [...]
The large port of Rostock played an important role in the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. The economic power from trade gave rise to culture and education. The city houses one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1419. The university gave Rostock the name “The Northern Light.” Excursions from Rostock include Berlin.
SOMEWHERE IN THE BALTIC SEA, July 1 – It is near midnight, or at least that it is what my watch tells me. The sun and sky suggest otherwise. The bright orange orb hovers over the watery horizon, casting a reddish-yellow glow on a cloudless sky. My (then) wife and I stand on our stateroom [...]
Founded in 1218 and one of the three original Hanseatic cities, Rostock, Germany, is only 10 miles from the seaside resort Warnemunde, where cruise ships dock. And while many cruise passengers skip these two former East German destinations for trips to Berlin, we decided to stay put and see what we could find. Besides, the [...]
