Cruise to Northern Europe

This chilly winter cruise only visited 4 ports but each port visit was an overnight stay so we could arrange our own visits without having to worry about departure times for Arcadia.

Hamburg

Our trip at the start of the visit was a guided tour of the historic harbour and the significant redevelopment in the last 80 years (I have no idea why?) followed by a leisurely steam powered boat trip on the lakes formed by the Alster river. An ideal way to pick out things to see later in the day.

The First World War Memorial

Having had the Rathaus Christmas Market (one of many) pointed out on the tour we had to go back and visit. The shuttle bus dropped us off right by the Rathaus (Civic Centre). We wandered in and tried the Glühwein which was not as good as we had remembered it to be.

Naturally, we found the inflatable dancing bear.

The colonnades of the Alster Arcade.

Our walk took us back to the lake where we saw the steam powered river cruiser again.

On the banks of the Alster, the cruisers that were not being used to tour the lake given that it was low season, were being used to hold children's parties.

On day two we walked a little further finding the St Nikolai Memorial, Hamburg's equivalent to Coventry Cathedral. It has been made safe and left as it was in 1945.

Being the historic harbour, there are many small canals that were used as wharves by merchants of the Hanseatic League.

St Michael's a Baroque Lutheran church known for its 132m-tall copper-covered spire and the statue of Martin Luther lurking behind the bell.

Reflected in Michael's Tower.

We found a local Christmas Market that was quite small but sold marvellous chocolate crêpes.

And a very unusual fountain.

Copenhagen

DIS Sølvgade seen from the King's Garden is a dormitory building (converted in 2016) that had served as headquarters to the Danish State Railways but was originally part of the Sølvgade military barracks built in 1771.

In the King's Garden is Rosenborg Castle. Originally built as a formal garden with gazebos and a moat in 1606 on a plot that at the time was outside the city, It is expanded a number of times to become the castle it is today by 1634. It houses the Crown Jewels and a barrack block.

The Hercules Pavilion which is now a café. 

No visit to Copenhagen is complete without a trip to Nyhavn.

Carl Frederik Tietgen (19 March 1829 – 19 October 1901) was a Danish financier and industrialist.  He played an important role in the industrialization of Denmark as the founder of numerous prominent Danish companies (most notably Tuborg), many of which are still in operation today. He made a significant contribution to ensure the completion of the Marble Church.

A bronze statue of Danish writer Karen Blixen was unveiled in Copenhagen on April 17, 2024, and is located at the eastern end of Sankt Anna Plad. The sculpture, created by sculptor Ricke Raben, depicts Blixen in full figure, seated with her legs crossed and a book in her lap.

A walk round Christanshavn. 

Christians Kirke (Christian's Church) in Copenhagen's Christianshavn district is a Rococo gem, built 1755-1759 by Nicolai Eigtved for the German-speaking community, serving as a unique round church with a distinctive copper dome, originally intended for King Christian V, but renamed and completed under King Frederick V.

The back streets of Christanshavn.

Church of Our Saviour (Vor Frelsers Kirke). The church was built in the 1680s and consecrated on 19th April 1696. It took 14 years to build and since the whole area consists of filled-in sea bed, the construction of the church foundations took a long time.

The Palladian-Netherlandic style used by the court builder, Lambert van Haven, is a solemn, baroque, order. Red brick on a sound granite foundation with sandstone cornices below the roof - a real Templum Salvatoris (Saviour's Temple) where everything has its correct placing. The ground plan is a Greek equal-sided cross with corner chapels. Not a part of van Haven's plans, the artful spiral tower was added 50 years later, and can distract from the seriousness and ambition that was part of the architecture of the building itself. Although the spiral tower is one of the major attractions in Copenhagen.

Crossing the bridge from Christianshavn to to the city centre there is this statue standing on the bridge. Last time we were here we saw this chap from the water as part of the fascinating canal tour.

A large Chapel Hall of Holmen's Church was begun in 1705 under the direction of Johann Conrad Ernst. The builder's intention was to create a two-part chapel, where the lower floor would contain 34 burial chambers, while the upper floor would be free, decorated only with tombstones of prominent people. This plan was overturned as early as 1709 when Admiral Neil Juel's tomb chapel was built at the end of the chapel hall. He was prominent in the wars against Sweden.

The 14th Century Copenhagen Castle built on the ruins of the 12th Century Absalon's Castle and became the King's primary residence. In 1730 Copenhagen Castle is demolished because it no longer meets the requirements of the time and because the foundation is cracking. After this, Christian VI begins the construction of a new and modern royal palace – the first Christiansborg Palace. That said only part of it remains as the Palace burnt down in 1794 and is rebuilt in 1828. Another fire in 1884 and the third version is built by 1928 for Christian X.

Frederick VII outside the Christiansborg Palace.

Speaking of canal tours, there are not many tourists at this time of year.

This is the Christmas Market in Copenhagen, not quite on a par with the ones in Hamburg. It is dominated by a statue of Bishop Absalon who is credited with founding the city and built the castle on the site where Christiansborg Palace now stands..

Strøget is the main shopping street in Copenhagen and stretches from Indre By at one end to Radhuset at the other (just next to Tivoli Gardens) passing another Christmas Market on the way.

In the square in front of the Radhuset is the Drgaon Fountain.

This is one of the decorations outside a hotel. 

Meanwhile back on board, the Chef de Patisserie and his team made this "Gingerbread Village" that was on display in the atrium next to reception.

Oslo

We had decided long before we set off on the cruise that we would visit Vigeland Sculpture Park again. Arcadia docked near the Munch Museum and the Opera House and the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus stopped at Frognerparken which is the site of the Vigeland Sculpture Park.

"She Lies" is a monumental permanent sculpture built out of stainless steel and glass panels and floats amidst the fjord on the water in front of the Munch Museum. By turning around its own axis in correspondence to the tides, the sculpture offers changing views through the reflections on the mirrored and semi-transparent surfaces.

The sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's life work, comprising over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. It was installed mainly in the period 1940-1949, but is nevertheless a result of over 40 years of work. The starting point for the park is Vigeland's Fountain, which was originally meant to be placed at Eidsvolls plass in front of the Parliament. These plans were never realized, and the Fountain later became part of Vigeland's more extensive park plans.

The Bridge's 58 bronze sculptures show a rich variety of children, women and men of different ages. Here you find the iconic little boy Sinnataggen (The Angry Boy). Shared themes for the sculptures on the Bridge are play, lust, energy and vitalism.

Vigeland modeled these sculptures in the period 1925-1933. They were some of the first sculptures that were mounted in Vigeland Park in the early 1940s.

The Monolith stands at the highest point in Vigeland Park, and measures 17 meters above ground. The sculpture is carved out of one stone block, hence the name. The stone was originally shot out of the quarry in Iddefjord, Norway, and transported to the park during the late 1920s.

The sculpture depicts 121 human figures clinging and floating together. There's women and men of different ages, and the top of the Monolith is crowned with children. The sculpture has been interpreted as a kind of vision of resurrection, and our longing and striving for spirituality.

Next stop on the bus was a trio of museums starting with the Kon-Tiki Museum. Small, but packed with interesting information and artefacts. As a child I remember hearing about the Kon-Tiki Expedition so it was wonderful to see the exhibits and the actual Kon-Tiki.

Kon-Tiki was the balsa wood raft that Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl's famous 1947 expedition, sailed from Peru to Polynesia to prove his theory that ancient South Americans settled Polynesia; the journey, named after an Inca god, resulted in a bestselling book and an Academy Award-winning documentary, becoming a classic tale of adventure and challenging historical migration theories. 

The Ra II was the successful 1970 papyrus reed boat expedition (the first Ra expedition was aborted when the boat became waterlogged and sank) led by Thor Heyerdahl, proving ancient Egyptians could have crossed the Atlantic by sailing from Morocco to Barbados, a year after his first attempt, Ra, failed due to design issues. Built with Lake Titicaca reed-boat builders, Ra II demonstrated ancient seafaring capabilities and fostered international cooperation with its multinational crew, highlighting potential ancient transoceanic contact. 

The Fram Museum next.

The centrepiece of the museum is the world´s strongest wooden ship, the polar ship Fram. The public can go on board and take a look around in her cabins, lounges, cargo hold and engine room. The Fram was the first ship specially built in Norway for polar exploration and research. There are numerous interactive exhibits and historic artefacts but the highlight was the projected images on the steeply pitched roof showing arctic weather conditions together with the sounds of a creaking ship and wailing wind.

The final museum was the Norsk Maritime Museum which displays numerous exhibits relating to coastal life in Norway, including works of art.

A walk round Oslo.

The Opera House and Munch Museum as seen from Arcadia.

"She Lies" again this time from the apron of the Opera House..

Skapning fra Iddefjord - Crafted by American artist Martin Puryear, “Creature from Iddefjord” (2020) is a thought-provoking sculpture.

Arcadia in port with "She Lies" again.

The view of Oslo offices from the roof of the Opera House; Deloittes always has to be different. (Look at the windows!)

Sauna cabins on the dock-side; the Norwegians in swimsuits and the Arcadia Passengers wrapped up against the cold.

The "Solen og Jorden" fountain by Ørnulf Bast  at Christian Frederik's Plass, not far the Opera House. This charming square, named after King Christian Frederick, features the fountain representing the sun and the earth. 

Not Thor's hammer but a monument "Knus nazismen" (Crush Nazism), in acknowledgement of the work of the Norwegian resistance group Osvald during WWII. The hammer is actually breaking a swastika apart.

A striking and modern landmark, The Tiger in Oslo is a fun symbol of the city’s energy and character. Located right outside Oslo Central Station, the sculpture represents Oslo’s nickname, “Tigerstaden,”

A small market in a square with a statue of Christian IV.

Christian Krohg was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist. He was the director and served as the first professor at the Norwegian Academy of Arts from 1909 to 1925.

The Norwegian Parliament Building. Stortinget named after the lions on either side.

Carl Joachim Hambro, Stortingets President.

A Christmas Market.

Ludvig Holberg, Baron Holberg born in Copenhagen was the outstanding Scandinavian literary figure of the Enlightenment period, claimed by both Norway and Denmark as one of the founders of their literatures.

The Royal Palace.

The Karl Johan Monument. Better known as Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte the French Napoleonic general who was elected Crown Prince of Sweden and adopted the royal name Karl XIV Johan. With the customary seagull on his head.

The Nobel Peace Centre.

Aker Brygge, a shopping district.

Akershus Fortress seen from Aker Brygge. The building of Akershus Castle and Fortress was commenced in 1299 under king Håkon V. The medieval castle, which was completed in the 1300s, had a strategic location at the very end of the headland, and withstood a number of sieges throughout the ages. King Christian IV (1588-1648) had the castle modernised and converted into a Renaissance castle and royal residence.

“Dykkaren” (The Diver) the statue, is created by Ola Enstad. The diver looks out over the magnificent Oslo fjord and is fully suited in scuba gear. The diver has crossed arms over his chest and is leaning slightly forward to dive into the water.

"In commemoration of the Jews who were deported from Norway to Auschwitz and killed during World War II. The two main transports Donau and Gotenland left from Oslo harbour on 26th November 1942 and 25th February 1943. This artwork is a protected national cultural heritage monument. In 2024 the memorial site was named The 26th of November Square. Antony Gormley, Site for Remembrance, 2000"

An artwork or a bench, or both?

Amsterdam

This was our last stop. We had already bought tickets to the Anne Frank Museum for the afternoon so the morning was an orientation walk. The short walk from the ship to the main railway station turned out to be nearly a mile.

The National Monument in Amsterdam is a striking and meaningful landmark located in the heart of Dam Square. It stands as a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives during World War II.

Amsterdam was also preparing for Christmas.

Just to one side of Dam Square is the Magna Plaza an upmarket shopping mall in a neo-Gothic building converted in 1992, with luxury brands and a gourmet food hall. The building began as the grand Amsterdam Main Post Office, built between 1895-1899 in stunning Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles by architect P.C. Peters, serving as a major technological marvel and landmark before becoming a unique indoor shopping centre in the 1990s, retaining its monumental status as a Dutch heritage site. 

A canal, one of many!

The Westerkerk building was designed by city stonemason Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621) and built between 1620 and 1631, commissioned by the Amsterdam city council. While it wasn't the first church in Amsterdam, it was the largest built as a Protestant church. Built in the Dutch Renaissance style, the church is shaped like a double cross. 

The famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) lived near the Westerkerk on Rozengracht towards the end of his life. He was buried in the Westerkerk on October 8, 1669. The exact location is no longer known. A plaque in his memory hangs on the north wall.

This is the Anne Frank House, Now we knew where to find it we would visit the Rijksmuseum until our timed ticket.

The Anne Frank House is remarkable, There are not many artefacts left from the Secret Annexe but the rooms are kept and presented beautifully. The audio guide is superb; informative, impactful and insightful. The staff are outstanding, so considerate and helpful. The over-riding impression was respect. All the visitors were respectful, children and adults from many nationalities, listening to the audio guides, reading the information, patiently waiting for their turn on the very steep and narrow stairs. An outstanding place to see and we would certainly go again.

More canals and the decorated bicycles that are liberally dotted round the city.

An interesting arcade on Raadhuisstraat.

The aroma of marijuana was all pervasive but cans and bottles of alcohol in public is not allowed. Even the bars with street tables only allowed coffee.

Another canal.

On the edge of one of Amsterdam's many canals sits a bronze sculpture of a kind and wise-looking older woman. Most pass it by without realizing the important role this person played in the city's history. Alida Margaretha Bosshardt, better known as Major Bosshardt, was a leading figure of The Salvation Army in the Netherlands.

Born in 1913, she wasn't particularly religious until she attended a Salvation Army meeting at 18 years old. Inspired, she joined the organization and started working in a children's home in 1934. When World War II broke out, she saved the lives of dozens of Jewish children brought to the house by their parents. For her courageous actions, she was awarded the Yad Vashem award in 2004.

The statue of Bosshardt was unveiled in 2008, two years after her death. Created out of bronze by sculptor Kees Verkade, it is set in the very area where Major Bosshardt did most of her outreach. The following year, she was voted "The Greatest Inhabitant of Amsterdam of All Time".

The Rijksmuseum.

Filled with fabulous works of art not least the Night Watch. more of which later.

Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I, (workshop of François Gérard, c. 1805 - c. 1815)

Forest Scene (Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, 1848)

Cat at Play by Henriëtte Ronner (mentioned on object), c. 1860 - c. 1878

"Transport of colonial soldiers" by Isaac Israels is a famous 1884 painting depicting Dutch soldiers of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) departing Rotterdam for the Dutch East Indies, highlighting the embarkation process with realistic detail and emotion, though the general concept covers troop movement in colonial eras via ship, marching, and sometimes rail/early aircraft, relying heavily on maritime routes for overseas deployment. 

July (‘Summer Luxuriance’) by Jac van Looij, c. 1890 - c. 1910

It seems as if Van Looy has lavishly strewn blue flowers all over this large canvas. Looking a bit longer, however, one notices the artist’s house in Soest and the hay wagons behind the tall hedge, and in the right foreground an overturned pot among the flowers. The painter was clearly inspired by the landscapes of Van Gogh, but his representation of nature and the fall of light are more realistic.

Wheatfield by Vincent van Gogh, 1888.

In 1888, Paris became too busy for Van Gogh, and in the spring he left for Arles. He was captivated by the vibrant colours of the landscape in the south of France. The yellow of the wheat takes centre stage here, thanks to the high horizon. Van Gogh further intensified the blue of the mountains and the sky to enhance the colour contrast with that yellow.

The Yellow Riders by George Hendrik Breitner, 1885 - 1886.

The elite ‘Yellow Riders’ (a mounted artillery corps) gallops down the dunes at breakneck speed. Breitner took full advantage of their black-and-red busbies and the gold braid on their uniforms. The repetition of these colour accents reinforces the dynamism of the movement. The sand kicked up by the horses at front clouds the view of the horsemen behind. All that remains are the accents of black, yellow and red.

The last time that I saw the Night Watch it was not behind glass, protected from damage in a controlled environment and safe from protesters. There is a full size replica in the room adjacent to this one.

The Merry Fiddler by Gerard van Honthorst (signed by artist), 1623.

The man wearing extravagant Italian-looking clothing takes us by surprise. He appears from behind a tapestry and leans out of the window. He tries to engage with the viewer in order to clink glasses. So lifelike and convincing is Honthorst’s rendering that the fiddler seems to have slipped out from the frame of the painting to join us.

Portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn Jan Lievens, c. 1629.

As young artists, Rembrandt and Lievens shared a workshop in Leiden. Lievens painted his friend wearing a metal gorget and a beret. Rembrandt also portrayed himself in the same outfit a number of times during this period. In this little painting Lievens not only recorded his friend’s likeness, but also imitated his style, adopting Rembrandt’s characteristic dark colours, powerful contrasts of light and shade and tiny scratches in the paint.

Banquet at the Crossbowmen’s Guild in Celebration of the Treaty of Münster by Bartholomeus van der Helst, 1648.

18 June 1648: a banquet is taking place at the Amsterdam crossbowmen’s guild. The occasion was the signing of the Treaty of Münster, which marked an end to the war with Spain. The captains of the civic guard company shake hands as a sign of peace, and the drinking horn is passed around. The poem on the drum proclaims the joy of Amsterdam’s armed militia that their weapons can henceforth be laid to rest.

The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1660.

A maidservant pours milk, entirely absorbed in her work. Except for the stream of milk, everything else is still. Vermeer took this simple everyday activity and made it the subject of an impressive painting – the woman stands like a statue in the brightly lit room. Vermeer also had an eye for how light by means of hundreds of colourful dots plays over the surface of objects.

Woman Reading a Letter Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663.

Enjoying a quiet, private moment, this young woman is absorbed in reading a letter in the morning light. She is still wearing her blue night jacket. All of the colours in the composition are secondary to its radiant lapis lazuli blue. Vermeer recorded the effects of light with extraordinary precision. Particularly innovative is his rendering of the woman’s skin with pale grey, and the shadows on the wall using light blue.

The building itself is magnificent.

Outside another decorated bicycle.

The second day entailed a leisurely trip to see some windmills and try some cheese!

There are no pictures of cheese but some of a nice walk round Broek In Waterland, 

The day was completed by a twilight visit to the Christmas Village on the Museumplein in front of the Rijksmuseum.

This sign is becoming more and more true.

Southampton

We returned to Southampton very early in the morning as Arcadia had steamed at 22 knots from Amsterdam rather than the usual 12 to get a medical emergency back to Southampton as quickly as possible.

We had a leisurely departure to begin our trip home just as the mist cleared from Southampton Water.