It is fascinating as well as enriching to learn more about other cultures. There are so many aspects that have had an impact on the development of cultures all over the world.

The opportunity to live in Europe for a few years makes certain countries and cultures more accessible to us. We decided to spend the summer vacation exploring parts of Northern Europe around the Baltic Sea with a ship.

Zander practised his German

I shared in a previous letter that our family has a long journey with MSC cruises. The Baltic Sea cruise departed from Kiel, and most passengers were German.

The use of German on the ship was an advantage for Zander. He joined the teen group and was brave enough to try to speak German, forming precious friendships with German boys in the process. They were very patient with him and helped him improve his German vocabulary and pronunciation. They even agreed to meet again sometime in the coming year in a German city.

During this Baltic Sea cruise, I learned more about certain Northern European countries that I knew very little about.

Copenhagen, Denemarke

Arriving in Copenhagen’s harbour, I immediately noticed the rows of windmills in the sea. Denmark is a leader in wind power innovation.

After our visit, my image of Copenhagen is the rows of coloured buildings like Lego houses.

Lego originated in Denmark when a carpenter started making toys to supplement his income. Charl and Zander like to build Lego and really enjoyed the oldest Legoland store with many displays.

We grew up with the stories of Hans Christian Anderson, a Danish author of fairy tales. A statue of the Little Mermaid that forms part of these stories was the first attraction we saw in Copenhagen.

Tallinn, Estonia

When we walked into the old town through two city towers in Tallinn, it felt like we were leaving the 21st century behind and were back in the Middle Ages. Flower sellers created a welcoming and fragrant atmosphere.

We enjoyed the handmade items the owners proudly displayed in the tourist shops. The woollen sweaters, hats and socks made me realize how cold it must get here in the winter. There were also many products carved from wood. I assume that creating handcrafts is a way to get through the long cold winters.

I loved the beautiful jewellery made from Baltic amber, which they source from the sea. It is a gemstone that evolved over 45 million years ago from fossilised resin from pine trees.

The Russian architecture of some buildings reminded us that we are very close to Russia. In front of the restaurant, where we enjoyed a beer, was a poster indicating their dissatisfaction with Putin.

Helsinki, Finland

In contrast to Estonia, Helsinki, known for its architecture and design, has a tremendously modern and minimalist feel. Zander loved Helsinki.

I wanted to see the Sibelius monument in honour of a world-famous composer. This monument consists of 600 organ pipes. It was a little way out of the city and with some time to spare we decided to go for a walk in a modern shopping centre afterwards.

Construction work close to the centre meant that the buses no longer stopped at the places indicated on the road map and caused us great difficulty getting back to the ship in time. Fortunately, my experienced map readers came to our rescue.

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm took my breath away, and I would love to return because I didn’t have enough time to see everything on my wish list. The city stretches over 14 islands, and I loved the city with all its water and well-maintained parks.

We visited the Palace, the official residence of the king, who has been in power for 50 years. I was amazed to see how accessible they made the Palace to visitors. It is classy and beautiful.

Spending a day in Stockholm’s subway is like visiting an art exhibition. Artists decorated a hundred stations with unique art on their platforms, walls or waiting halls. It was also interesting to be able to understand the written language because there are many words that are close to Afrikaans.

If I had more time, I would have liked to visit the Nobel Prize Museum, ABBA Museum and the parks.

Our visit to Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea was an enriching experience. I share photos below.

Kind regards

Emsia